Category: Of Ink and Paper

Hazy window panes, snow-clad tracks, breathes turning into fogs. A train station is a good place to catch the melange of human emotions. I find a place, settle down and spot people, make fictitious stories about them. I could do this forever. That’s when I see you. A backpack, fluttering overcoat, clenched fists, purple scarf, […]

Four monsoons have walked past me since we last met. And four monsoons weren’t enough to rinse your fragrance away from my body. So I packed your memories in the cigarettes you used to smoke, just to whiff them all one last time before smoking them all out. They lit my insides to such fire, […]

Black coffees remind me of you,and of conversations that went stale.and sugar cubes that still lose the shape,but do not keep the sweetness intact,and love that tasted bitter with passage of time, like black coffees do. Random eyes on the roads, I tendto avoid them. Afraid mine will meet someone’sas deep and black as yours.They […]

When we were overwhelmed by the Rajs and Simrans and Radhes of homely Bollywood, you gave us reasons to believe. And when you finally released Black Friday after 3 years long tussle with bullying sensor board, we knew the destiny child of Indian concept cinema has arrived. One fine day, you gave us the hip […]

भीड़ थी, और मैं इज़्तिरार भी खानाबदोश मेरी नज़रें जब मिली तुमसे तुम नज़ाकत से शर्मायी थीं और नहीं भी रास्ते थे, और हम गुमशुदा भी चंद खूबसूरत लम्हों के लिए आशना थे हम तुम कुछ करीब आयी थीं और नहीं भी जुस्तजू थी, और मैं सिफर भी कुछ पहचाने से पर बिखरे हुए लफ़ज़ों […]

You sit by the tent and the surrealmountain fog brushes off your face,turning it a shade red and the ethereal breeze conjures harmonies with your hairmaking them play hide and seek witheyes. Your eyes search for something, whatdid you lose in these mountains, I wonder.I sit by your side, you smile and yourfragrance dances around, […]

“So, do you believe in the afterlife?” You ask, shivering in December cold and sipping chai to hold your words together. “Afterlife is a myth and myths are created by people who are too scared to face reality,” I say. “Or, myths are the unfathomed pieces of realities you are yet to uncover,” you said, […]

The bar is dimly lit, a dirty shadow of yellow.It turns your shirt an absurd red,weird looks beautiful on you.Another glass of JD and coke, and you ask why the air in bars is a bit too heavy. Sad people, searching homes, pouring whiskeysinside and smoking the fumes of remorse out, probably, I say.Bullshit, you […]

i) I remember setting you up with the guy you found cute in our favorite coffee shop. And you did not return the favor by denying me the number of that blue haired colleague of yours. “Don’t blow the date up like you always do,” I said. You smiled and left. You called me on […]

Day 1. You threw the spare key on my face and banged the door so hard on your way out that the walls still shudder at times by the reverberating echo your door banging left behind. I kept the door unlocked for the whole night, but you did not knock. Feeble hopes kept coming in […]