vortex

this bhangra of what-ifs
- vigour, vitality
- death, dissolution
defying a plethora of pauses
and recalcitrant rites
coloured in rustic rituals

this whirl of quarks
rearranges pigment bundles
into hues of hate

past the third eye

the two lovers
doomed

bystanders without oars

***

yeh raq's hai e andaisha
zindagi, zinda-dili
quas o qazah aur Qazah
yeh raq's e na-tamam
ras'm o rivaaj ki dharti per

zaat kay bhaNwar maiN
nafratoun ke sheh'r maiN
zarrat e pur-fishan
meh'v e raq's

aur ilhaam

dO aashiq
beech samundar
paas na palloo
na baadbaan
na saaya

tanha, tanha