In the memory of the godhra riots 2002

Us khoon ke kuch chhite hum par bhi ude the.
Mitaane chaahe, lekin bade ziddi the woh daag.
Chhupane chaahe, par kambakht dikh hi jaate hain.
Aur sharm se aankh neechi aaj bhi ho jaati hai,
Bas, kyon ki, us khoon ke chhite ude the hum par.

Searching for a lost me

I stared out of the window at sundown,
Waiting to see that face I had once known.

I still remembered the voice as it broke into peals of laughter,
Even as I stifled sobs  of my own.
I remembered the innocence of those eyes
Even as I tried to hide the disillusionment in my own.

I scanned the sea of unknown faces to find the one I had known
From long ago.
But of course I would recognise
The contours of that face I had once known,
As well as my own-
Soft cheeks, unlike the wizened wrinkles on mine.

Searched, I did. Scanned a million faces.
But I never thought of looking into the mirror
To see that the face I had known
Was my own.