Wo kamra yaad aata hai

Main jab bhi zindagi ki chilchilatee dhoop mein tapkar

Main jab bhi doosron ke aur apne jhooth see thak kar
Main sabse lad ke khud se haar ke
Jab bhi us ik kamre mein jaata tha
Wo halke aur gehre katthai rangon ka ik kamra
Wo behad meherbaan kamra
Jo apni narm mutthi mein mujhe aise chhupa leta tha
Jaise koi maan bachche ko aanchal mein chhupa le
Pyaar se daante,
"Ye kya aadat hai, jalti dopahar mein maare maare ghoomte ho tum"

Wo kamra yaad aata hai

Dabeez aur khaasa bhaari kuch zara mushkil se khulne waala
wo sheesham ka darwaaza

Ki jaise koi akkhad baap apne khurdare seene mein
shafqat ke samandar ko chuupaye ho

Wo kursi, aur uske saath wo judwaan bahen uski
Wo dono dost thein meri

Wo ik gustakh munhphat aaina,
jo dil ka achchha tha

Wo behangam si almari,
jo kone mein khadi ik boodhi anna ki tarah
aaine ko tambeeh karti thee

Wo ik guldaan, nanha sa, bahut shaitan,
un dono pe hansta tha

Dareecha ya zahanat se bhari ik muskurahat
aur dareeche pe jhuki wo bel
Koi sabz sargoshi

Kitabein taakh mein aur shelf par sanjeeda ustaani bani baithein
Magar sab muntazir is baat ki main unse kuchh poochoon

Sirhane neend ka saathi, thakan ka charagar wo narm dil takiya
Main jiski god mein sir rakh ke chhat ko dekhta tha

Chhat ki kadiyon mein na jane kitne afsanon ki kadiyaan thein

Wo chhoti mez par aur saamne deewar par aawezaan tasveerein
Mujhe apnaiyat aur yaqeen se dekhtein thein, muskuratein thein

Unhein shak bhi nahi tha, ik din main unko aise chhod jaoonga
Main ik din yoon bhi jaoonga, ki phir wapas na aaoonga

Main ab jis ghar mein rehta hun, bahut hi khoobsoorat hai

Magar aksar yahan khamosh baitha yaad karta hoon

Wo kamra baat karta tha....!

• This is a poem by Javed Akhtar from his Album Tarkash. You may see the meanings of tough words and the poem in Devnagari script on the web-site.