Main..... Me

चलते चलते यूँ ही इन राहो में,
 कुछ मोड़ मिले, कुछ  छोड़ गए,
कभी मैं गिरी, कभी सम्भली,
पर कभी मैं यह न समझ पायी कि खुद को खोया है मैंने , या खोकर पाया है मैंने।

मैं कौन हूँ, मैं क्या हूँ,
क्या झुण्ड से अलग दिखने में मैं हूँ, या भीड़ में समां जाने में मैं हूँ ।
क्या ख़ुशी में सबको हसाना मैं हूँ , या नज़रे चुराके चुप चाप रोना मैं हूँ ।
क्या अपनों से घिरि हुई गप-शप करने वाली मैं हूँ, या अकेले में अपने आप से बात करने वाली मैं हूँ ।
क्या पानी कि तरह बहना मैं हूँ , या रेत सा फिसल जाना मैं हूँ ।
क्या रंजिशों में जीना मैं हूँ , या माफ़ करके आगे बढ़ना मैं हूँ ।
क्या वो चमकता हुआ तारा मैं हूँ, या सुकून से मुस्कुराता हुआ चाँद मैं हूँ ।
क्या किसी परिभाषा में ढलने वाली मैं हूँ, या अवर्णनीय मैं हूँ ।

मैं कौन हूँ , मैं क्या हूँ ,
क्या वो जिसे मैंने खोया था मैं हूँ, या जिसको पाया है मैं हूँ ।

Leap of faith

On a bright sunny morning, when I sit on the top of a hill, staring into the vast carpet of greenery in front of me,
I see, how a seed has lost its previous self to be a tree, that shelters the needy.
I see, how a butterfly has broken its cocoon, to spread beauty across.
I see, how a bird sheds off its fears, to fly carefree.
But was that transition smooth?
Was the transition that brought strength, courage and independence not an aftereffect of all the possessiveness, worry and confusion???
I believe that growth is not something that extends your current self. It is something that breaks your skin, sheds it and brings out the new you, so that you are free from the cocoon, and can spread your wings and fly high.
But during that particular phase of transition, when the seed was shedding it's coat, wouldn't it have been troubled, confused and praying for not to change? What if it saw this entire transition as a chaotic change and not growth.
A change where it needs to lose its present identity.
A change that does not confirm a bright future.
A change that could either lead to the shoot getting crushed by stones, or a warm sunlight on its face.
A change that could make it stretch towards the deep blue sky.
A change that could be life itself.
A change which is nothing other than a leap of faith.........
And there staring into the green uncertainty,
I shed all my fears,
I forego all my dilemmas,
I let the wheel of fortune spin,
To crumple my bones,
To tear off my skin,
So that I can grow,
And be born again!!!!