Asian Literary Society

A pensive Rishi sat looking at his sleeping son. An exact replica of him , he smiled. The cute dimples, the mop of curly hair, the mole on his upper lip – the child was a beauty. Happily married to his childhood sweetheart, a secure job, a nicely furnished flat in a posh locality; his life was straight out of a fairytale. But all of a sudden one day, disaster struck them. His son fell sick. A battery of tests and expert opinions diagnosed a rare blood disorder which involved an expenditure of a few crores. The fairy tale became a nightmare. The flat was mortgaged. Huge loans were waiting to be paid off. His beautiful wife looked much older than her age. Stress and strain had taken a toll on her. Rishi’s parents were supportive. Aged and infirm, they lived in the village. In a bid to save their grandchild, Baba - Rishi’s father had sold off most of their agricultural plots to raise money. He was willing to sell off their ancestral house. But Rishi had objected. He knew how much...

All of a sudden one day, Equanimity flowed amongst earthling. Humans had beautiful words to say, As compassion in them took its wing. All of a sudden one day, The world became beautiful. Flowers blossomed when skies were grey, No more blew winds unmerciful. All of a sudden one day,   The countryside became clean.   Through the meadows rose golden ray, Butterflies fluttered on platform green. All of a sudden one day, There was peace. Everyone came out together to pray, Making ego cease. All of a sudden one day, The wish we made came true... Happiness and tranquillity found its way, Through and through!

The smoke spirals upwards - grey pillars that scorn the Bits of flint That bore them, Spurred on by heady flames That dance drunkenly In the breeze. The flints burn - so do the Charcoal bits and dry grass blades That feed the flames Unconditionally. They die - Along with the millions That the enraged flames choose To kill. And yet I have seen fire Soothe the trembling heart In the midst of A fearsome darkness. Its ambiguity intrigues me .

The uncertain rain Left the earth with longing To be touched soothingly. Their moment of union Inevitable, designed by fate. The acheful waiting so sweet Made the moment desirous. Time tread with heavy feet. Expectancy writ large in the big eyes. The sound, that of the beating heart alone The movement, that of the quivering lips. Like a woman, lay earth Exposing the curve of her waist Around which the moon Drew a soft silver silhouette. The scent of the flowers of sorrow Heightened the earth's yearning. And at last when the rain touched Her callipygian figure From the wet earth wetted by rain arose A scent that belonged only to them.

The coy Earth is in perpetuity adorned as a virgin bride An orb of magnificence, an eternal paradise to live in Beneath a veil that is embellished with sequin-silver stars And the verdant meadows touch her dainty feet to the brim Scintillating sun cascades myriad hues across azure skies As  honeyed moonbeams caress the tranquility of the seas A glorious rainbow kisses the temple of the luxuriant vale And the bucolic beauty of the skirt complemented with an array of trees As incessant rain dances amidst the moans of the boughs And undulating hills silhouette over the montane woods The somnolent wind hums sweet lullabies with unrhythmic lyrics And in these spectral illusions, one can easily delude When the radiant glow of the sun melts into soft grey clouds The horizon manifests to a fragmented canvas with autumnal hues Dawn stirs the dew laced leaves to awaken their souls And the world awaits the sky to once again turn shades of blues The artistry of the heavenly one above is ethe...

आँख मिचोली में बीत गया गुज़रा साल हुआ कुछ अनोखा तो बहुत कुछ मन को भा गया कुछ क़समें-वादे नए और आधे-अधूरे सपने भी तो कुछ नई उम्मीदें लेकर अब नववर्ष आ गया नववर्ष की पहली सुनहरी सी किरण ने डाल दी रोशनी अंधेरों से घिरे चिराग़ों में बुझती शमा बल खाती हुई फिर जगमगा उठी और मीठे सुरों की आवाज़ आने लगी सूनी दीवारों से वक़्त ने जैसे ही करवट बदली अपनी मौसम भी ख़ूबसूरत बदलाव लेकर आ गया हम देखते रहे बस मंत्रमुग्ध हो कर सुहाना पतझड़ बीता तो सर्द महीना आ गया मन में इरादे कुछ पक्के है अब के बरस कुछ कर गुजरने का जुनून भी हम में बेमिसाल है  महसूस होता है बहुत कुछ है बदलने वाला औरों से जुदा लगता ये नया साल है दिलों के रिश्तों को जोड़ लें एक बेजोड़ डोर से  नफ़रत की आग को प्यार के दरिया को सौंप दें देश प्रेम का जज़्बा रहे सर आँखों पर हमारे ऊँच नीच के ख़यालों को मन में आने से रोक दें

Shackled in chains, mother has lived a life of bondage. Bound to her children, her seed; she has despaired. A mute spectator to the atrocities they perpetrate. She could not intervene, even if she tried because,   She has no voice, she does not speak, she only bears. And yet, at times she wonders how it is possible that Her children - we, cannot hear the cries of her soul? How it is that we, her offspring, the ones she nurtured Cannot hear the screams of her pillaged bosom and How we continue to abuse her by our desecration. Alas! Her hurt is deep; it has cleaved her warm heart. But she hasn’t given up hope; she still has a dream that One day, we will realize the error of our errant ways. One day we will rein in our callous, frivolous disregard Of the bounty and life she has striven to provide us with. That day mother shall be free -unshackled and unbound   To rejoice in a world, finally, synced in harmonious peace. When such a day co...