Confessions of a Poet

Performed for Short and Sweet Delhi 2010 edition. Awarded best original Script award and also nominated for Best play by audience choice award.

LX Light on the chair in the middle of the stage. Actor is sitting on the chair.

Poet- Kyun aaye ho tum yahan pe,

Sunoge jo main kahonga? (mild laugh)

apni soch main khoye rahoge

Chand lafz sun bhi liye to

Samjhoge maane un shabdo ke peeche?

na, kuch naya hi matlab ijaad kar loge

Apni sahuliyat ke hisab se

Kitni dafa hua hai ye pehle

Meri baaton ka pathar gara le kar

tumne apne hi makan banaye hain

Bewakaoof hoon main, ye jaan kar bhi jaane kyun

ab bhi tumhe kuch na kuch kahta rahta hoon

Shayad ab bhi yeh jaannee ki koshish karta rahta hoon

Aakhir Kyun aate ho yahan pe?

LX – Mother throws chappal from audience, lights on of the audi, till she reaches stage and then stage lights

Mother (from audience) :- Band kar apni ye bakwas!!  (Throws chappal at him) Ab aise koi apni maa se baat karta hai batao. Kaun kambakhat kahta tha Aulad ko padao likhao, tumhari zindagi sawar jayegi.. yahan to sab ulta hi hua. Na padta likhta to kahin driber lag jata..aajkal driber bhi 10hazar rupaye kama late hain. lekin humar sahabjade to khoob padh likh gaye hain, lekin jab bhi inse padai ka zikr karo to sahabjade farma dete hain

Poet - "Padai ne humein nikamma kar diya, warna aadmi to hum bhi the kaam ke"..

Mother – yehi bakwas karta rahta hai din bhar .. kabhi is pe sher, kabhi us pe kavita…sabka jeena haram kar rakha hai..

12vi tak sab sahi tha .. khoob padta likhta tha.. IIT main admissin bhi hua.. fir jaane kaun galat sangti main pad gaya..ulti-seedhi kitabein padne laga.. bas sab barbad ho gaya.. kitna samjhaya ise, maine, padosiyon ne, iskee khud ke doston ne bhi

Friend – Sale tu padta bahut hai… par galat time pe galat cheez padta hai.. Kal exam hai aur tu ye kya pad raha hai…. kafka.. abbey ye kya ajeeb naam hai. Aise naam wale admi ki to shadi bhi mushkil se hui hogi…abbey padne ka shauk hota hai kisi ko? khane ka shauk hota hai, peene ka shauk hota hai..padne ka shauk hota hai? Bete aise hi kahani padta raha to kal ko zindagi main faake pad jayenge khane ke, is kafke ki tarah

Poet – Har shaksh is shahar ka kyun mujhko darata hai

Poocha nahi maine fir bhi mujhe rasta batata hai

Kuch raahein jungle se hokar bhi manzil ko jati hai

Magar pakki sadak par hi har koi chalta jata hai

Girlfriend (standing holding few papers)–

“Pehle barsat ke saath mitti ki khushboo bhi  lata tha

Kuch saal hue ab baadal bas paani barsane aata hai”

What a beautiful piece of writing. How can someone be so mature and emotional at the same time? Pehli baar suna tha maine aur bas pagal ho gayi..

Magar ab .. ab lagta hai ki jaise wo sab sirf baatein the..badi badi baatein jinhe main samajh hi nahi paayi (he reaches where she is standing)

Tum… Tumhe to kisi ke emotions ki parvah hi nahi hai. Na call karte ho na pick karte ho. Pata nahi mujhe yaad bhi karte ho ya nahi.

Poet - Yaad ho jise tere vaade, sach usko batlayein kaise

Zehan janta hai jo bhi, wo dil ko samjhayein kaise

Tujhe ye shikayat ki main yaad nahi karta tujhko

Aur apni ye uljhan na suljhe ke tujhe bhulayein kaise

Jaage to sochenge, aankh lage to dekhenge tujhe

Roz ka yehi sawal ki aaj ki raat bitayein kaise

Maa – Arey beta, kuch to kaam kar le.. naukri nahi karta, koi business hi kar le. Kab tak khali baitha rahega. Humara kya hai zindagi kat gayi, teri chinta hai, mere baad kya hoga tera. Ik roz chali jaongi tujhe chod ke dekhiyo. Ab to raat bhar neend bhi nahi aati tera soch soch ke

                                                                                   

Poet – Raat bhar neend na aana koi wajah nahi rone ke liye

Zindagi ke baad ek sadi milegi sone ke liye

(mother leaves)

Tum bhi gaye chalo yun kuch bhala hi hua apna

Ab kuch raha hi nahi pass main khone ke liye

GF – Mood upset hai? Pareshaan ho? Kyun? Dekho kitna acha mausam hai. Baadal hi baadal

Poet – In badlon se humare bahut purane naate hain

Jab bhi hota hai dil udas ye baras jaate hain.

Kuch to in jaisa ab hum main bhi nazar aata hai

Na inhe khabar kahan se aaye, na humein pata kahan ko jate hain

Friend – Sale fraud Devdas, Nakli ghalib.. Bina piye bhi koi shayari karta hai.. depth nahi aati, ye deep wala sun

“Aaj ke majnuon, aaj ke dilwalon

devdas se kuch to seekhon saalon

Paaro na mili to devbabu ne pi daily

Aur chandrmukhi mil gayi, fir bhi roz thodi leli”

Mother  (praying in the house-temple)– hey prabhu, mere laal ko bacha lo, jaane kaun sa saya hai ispe. jaane humse aisi kaunsi bhool ho gayi jo ye kalidas paida ho gaya hum anpadon ke ghar main.. maaf kar do humo.. sun tu bhi kuch prathna kara kar

Poet -  Kab se hai aisa hi tera sansar, is baras to koi karamat karo

Begharo ko aabad karo, baso huon ko barbaad karo

Bhokh, bimari, anyay sab garib ke ghar ki raunak hai

Amirjadon ke mahlon ki khatir bhi koi bala kabhi ijad karo

Friend: Bhai sharaab pe bhi kuch suna de..

Tere yahan peena mushkil, bin piye apna jeena mushkil

Kabhi tum hi khud aakar maikhane main humse mulakat karo

GF-- Dekho main tang aa gayi ho tumhari is poetry se..

Friend – main bhi

GF – zindagi in kagaz ke panno ke pare bhi hai… tum sirf in kavitaon main mohabbat zahir nahi karte rah sakte…

Mother – Arey chodta kyun nahi tu ye kagaj kale karna

Friend- Zindagi aise nahi chalti…Zindagi ek jung hai, tumhe jeetna hai..

GF – Likhna band karo …. Zindagi aise nahi chalti (breaks down), main ja rahi hoon…

Poet – Jaate jaate wo zindagi ke falsafe bata raha tha

Uski baatein sunke dil jeene se aur ghabra raha tha

Soch kar kabhi bebak hansta hoon kabhi udas hota hoon

Kal talak wo taumar sath rahne ki kasmein kha raha tha

Mother – Band kar de ab to teri ye bakwas

Friend – Har baat pe ek kavita

GF – Tang aa chuki hoon main,

Mother – band kyun nahi karta ye kagaz kale karna

Friend – Aaram se kyun nahi jita aur jeene deta tu

Poet – Kabhi kabhar sochta hoon

Ye likhna bhi chod hi doon

Bhool jaon saari seedhi-ulti baatein

Mohabbat aur nafrat wali jhothi-sachi kahaniyan

Jo bachpan se aaj tak suni hain

Ye sab ab ek jaisi hi lagti hai

Ab kahin koi farq dikhta hi nahi

Na maut main aur na zindagi main

Jo jeete hain wo jeete kyun hai?

Aur jo marte hain

unke marne ka gam kyun hai

Sochta hoon ab ye ginna bhi chod hi doon

Ye ghante, ye minute, ye din, ye saal

Ye secondon ka mujh pe pal pal chadta hua udhar

Sochta hoon ab chod doon ye jodna ghatana

Guna bhaag kar ke ye pata lagana

Ki is khel main kaun  jeet raha hai

Aur aakhir main kaun jeetega

Ab sochta hoon is duniya ko iske haal pe chod deta hoon

Ise jeene doon jaise ye jeena chahti hai

Ise marne doon, jaise ye marna chahti hai

LX – Reduction in intensity of lights

Mother – Kab band karega tu ye fazool ki baatein

GF – Thak gayi hoon main ab tumhe kahte kahte

Friend – Kya milta hai tujhe ye likh ke

GF– Kya milta hai tumhe likh ke

Mother – Kya mila tujhe likh ke

LX – Spot on the middle, where Poet is standing

Friend – Zindagi ne ik roz shayar ko tanha pakda

Guddi hath main lekar do tamache lagaye aur kaha

Mother – Kab band karoge apni ye ul-jalol harkatein

Kab tak dekhoge jo kabhi hua hi nahi

Kab tak dikhaoge jo kabhi hoga hi nahi

GF- Kyun tum sabko jaanne pehchane ki koshish karte ho

Kyun nahi tum sabki tarah chupchap jeete aur marte ho

Mother - Kyun is waqt se poochte ho ki ye kabhi rukta kyun nahi

GF - Kyun pani se poochte ho ki ye kabhi jalta kyun nahi

Mother – kabhi chand ke chaal chalan pe tane kaste ho

GF- Kabhi suraj ko alvida kah kabhi na aane ko kahte ho

Mother - Sabne shikayat ki hai tumhari ki sabko tang karte ho

GF - Aaj hatthe chade ho ab tumhe seedha karke hi jaongi

Poet – Badi mushkil se us roz shayar ne zindagi se peecha chudaya

Aur tab se hi zindagi aur shayar ki Guerilla war chalu hai

Isliye ab shayar andhere kamre main chup chup ke likhta hai