Suddenly something...

अस्मंजस में थे मेरे आँसू 
ये ख़्वाब गलत 
या हूँ मैं वही।

नई पुरानी यादोँ में 
ढूँढ़ूँ लफ़्ज़ 
पर शेर कोई मुझे याद आते नहीं।

किसकी कहानी कहता हूँ अब मैं -
उँगलिओं ने जिसकी 
गुनगुनाया था कभी।

दूर है वो 'सहर', पास नहीं 
पर रहता है दिल में 
बस यहीं कहीं, बस यहीं कहीं।।

अकस्मात् एक दिन कुछ अनकही सी बातें 
कह पड़ी पन्नो पर 
मैं भी बन गई 'सहर' !

Here's the translated version:

My tears were in a dilemma 

Was I in the wrong dream

Or was this really Me? 

As I search for words 

In memories old and new

I am unable to find any poetry.

Who is the author of the stories I write

the one whose fingers 

Once hummed these lines.

That 'Sahar' is far, not near

But lives in my heart,

And he's here somewhere, just here somewhere ..

Unexpectedly one day, a few unsaid words

Spoke onto these pages

And I became Sahar too!

"Sahar" means 'Morning' in Urdu. This was my father's pen name a long time ago when he indulged in writing Urdu poetry. A master storyteller and writer, he lives in India with my mother, and no longer writes.