सुकून...

क्यों मुझे सुकून नहीं है?

दोज़ख़् में ना जन्नत में

 किसी मुरीद की मन्नत में

हमसफर की बाहों में

पेड़ों से लबालब राहों में

क्यों मुझे सुकून नहीं है?

सुर से सजे तरानों में

परियों के अफ़सानों में

अपने माज़ी के मलालों में

अंजाने कल के सवालों में

क्यों मुझे सुकून नहीं है?

आँखों से बहते आब में

चार बोतल शराब में

मेरी कलम से निकले शेरों में

ज़ेह्नीयत के फेरों में

क्यों मुझे सुकून नहीं है?

                             (अनुराग)

पागल...

वो खुदा से बातें करता है

लोगों पे फ़िकरे कसता है

कभी चीखता, दिन भर रोता,

कभी बेवजह ही हंसता है

घर नहीं है शायद कहीं उसका,

आवारा, गलियों में वो बस्ता है

पागल की तोहमत माथे पे,

उसका साथी, तपता रास्ता है

इक शिकन नहीं चेहरे पे उसके

वो तो बेफिक्री का फरिश्ता है

प्यार, मुहब्बत, नफ़रत, लालच

किसी शह से ना वाबस्ता है

ख़ौफ़ है मुझे साए से उसके

मानों उससे क़हर बरसता है

नज़रें झुका, होंठों को सिल

ये काफ़िर, किनारे से गुज़रता है

मन ही मन जलता हूँ लेकिन

दिल का लहू भी रिस्ता है

इक दीवाने की हस्ती पाने को

मेरा ये वजूद तरसता है

                       (अनुराग)

The Tree with a Thousand Apples - A book review

Author- Sanchit Gupta

Publishers- Niyogi Books; First edition (15 November 2016)

Pages- 284 pages

Genre- Literature and Fiction (Crime, Thriller & Mystery)

Blurb- Inspired by true events, this riveting narrative traces the lives of Safeena Malik, Deewan Bhat and Bilal Ahanagar, three childhood friends who grow up in an atmosphere of peace and amity in Srinagar, Kashmir, until the night of 20 January 1990 changes it all.

While Deewan is forced to flee from his home, Safeena’s mother becomes ‘collateral damage’ and Bilal has to embrace a wretched life of poverty and fear. The place they called paradise becomes a battleground and their friendship struggles when fate forces them to choose sides against their will.

Twenty years later destiny brings them to a crossroads again, when they no longer know what is right and what is wrong. While both compassion and injustice have the power to transform lives, will the three friends now choose to become sinful criminals or pacifist saints? The Tree with a Thousand Apples is a universal story of cultures, belongingness, revenge and atonement. The stylized layered format, fast-paced narration and suspenseful storytelling make for a powerful, gripping read.

Book Review- In the words of cricketer turned politician Imran Khan-“India is using troops in Kashmir. They are losing the battle of heart and minds. It's like treating cancer with dispirin.” The author has the same ‘take’ on the issue of Kashmir in his book- ‘The Tree with a Thousand Apples.’

According to one of the reviews that I read about this book, ‘the story has its heart in the right place.’ This sums up just about everything about the book.

The writer has tried to inscribe in the genre immortalised by Khaled Hosseini. It is a noble endeavour and the author needs to be lauded for it. There is even a mention of the ‘Kite Runner’ during the course of this meandering tale, pointing towards the influence of the great Afghan-born American novelist. But, the similarities end here. Hosseini uses the turbulent times of Afghanistan as a back-drop against which he weaves his stories, while Sanchit has gone overboard. The Kashmir insurgency plays out almost like the lead actor, visible in every frame. It leaves very little space for the three main protagonists and as a result, their characters are not carved properly. The reader fails to invest in the characters of Deewan, Bilal and Safeena emotionally. There is no lump in the throat when Bilal takes up arms, when Safeena is violated or when Deewan is mutilated.

The writer also commits the cardinal mistake of exposing his lack of knowledge regarding the culture/religion that his characters belong to- A Sikh army officer is shown smoking ‘beedis’ a couple of times in a casual manner.

On the brighter side, the narrative is lucid and typo/grammatical errors almost non-existent. The climax is successful in tying up many loose ends. While reading ‘The Tree with a Thousand Apples’, one develops the sensation of watching a Bollywood movie, albeit, with all the cliches intact.

Verdict- Old wine in an old bottle.

‘Iridescence’ - A book review

Author- Abhishek Gupta

Publisher- HALF BAKED BEANS

Pages- 80

Genre- Poetry

Blurb- As we experience different places in the external world, we often find ourselves at different junctures in the journey to finding ourselves. This book, through the combination of words and pictures, will take you places, literally and metaphorically. It is a book for everyone and no one. You will find a lot of yourself in this book and this book will help you find yourself. It will make you reflect, introspect, awaken, love, invigorate and hope. This is a book to tuck under your pillow on cold lonely nights and it is also a book to flip through first thing on refreshing spring mornings. This is poetry for all seasons and the constant iridescence of all souls.

Book Review- When I picked up ‘Iridescence’ for a review, I had high hopes from the author- the poet in this case. The cover page looked inviting and as I browsed through the pages, the photographs were beautiful. But alas, the good things ended here. ‘Iridescence’ flatters to deceive.

Charlie Chaplin once said- “Why should poetry have to make sense?” As I read the poems in this book, I questioned myself if poetry indeed needed to make sense- to the reader. A poet may choose to pour out his emotions on a piece of paper in his own signature style. To decipher what a poet has to convey becomes the job of the reader. But for a reader to be interested in the verses there has to be a set pattern to the words printed on the blank pages.

What one encounters in this book is a mishmash of the varied style of poetry- Sonnets, narratives, free verses. While there is nothing wrong in experimenting with the different genres of poetry, finding more than one form in a single poem is jarring.

The poet tries to rhyme words at places but in the attempt, ends up diluting the essence of the poem. I would advise the author to read English poetry seriously before he ventures on a new lyrical project. That he is a lover of poetry is evident in the efforts that he must have put in to pen this book. A lot of hard work goes into the creation of any piece of art- its worth, relative in the eyes of the connoisseurs.

Verdict- Flatters to deceive.