Father’s day tribute
Neend Aati hai?
Pitaji kī uñglī thame
Holding my father’s finger
Nikle the hum park ki sair karne
We left to visit the park
Jab thake toh, Unke khandon par baite,
When tired, we would sit on his broad shoulders
unchayi ko bhi aazmaya,
and experienced heights too
Neend aayi toh, Apne masoom sa chehra liye
When sleepy, taking our innocent faces
apnī bholī-bhālī , kanchon jaisī ankhon se
and with innocent glassy eyes
woh duniyā dekhī jiske hum aaj kirdaar hain
we saw a world in which we are actors now
har apne bhole savaalon ka
to all my childish questions
Pitaji ne jhuk kar, sabr se jawab diya
Father would bend and give answers with patience
Hum ne unke kañdhe par sar rakkhā
After a while we rest our head on his broad shoulders
Pitaji ne pūchhā
Father asked-
neend aatī hai ?
”Are you sleepy?”
—————–
Neend aati kyon nahin?
Ab khareeb pachpan saal beeth gaye,
Now, almost 55 years have passed
Jab is baar hum ghar kī jānib laute
This time, when I returned in the direction of my home
Door se wohi shaks, unke mote kanchon ki chasme se
Looking through his thick glasses, the person
Intazar ki ghadiyon ka nazar andaz karte, is door ke raahi ko
Without feeling the length of waiting, from afar
Paas aane ka ishara karte, aur kehne lagte
Made signs for me to come closer and said
Safar kaisi thi, khana khaya, tabyat theek hai?
How was the journey, did you eat, how is your health?
Aur haath apna bhadathe, ungli humari thame
And extending his hand, held my finger
humare kañdhe par sar rakkhā
Resting his head on my shoulders
Humne pūchhā
I asked-
neend aatī hai ?
”Are you sleepy?”
Pitaji ne aansu bhai aankhon se kaha
My father replied with his teary eyes
Aaj kal neeñd aatī kyon nahin ?
These days, why don’t I get any sleep?
Aaj kal neend aati kyon nahin?
These days, why don’t I get any sleep?
K I N I D E A 
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