Memoirs !

Memoirs are such of which certain images are imprinted so deep in memory which brings tremendous trepidation ,void & futility of life .A boy of eight years old having the mindscape of rosy hues of coming life confronts a  unbearable scene which is of absolute triviality of life ,what he does ,simply exahale the choked breathing & wants to hide his face in something very warm ,very personnel , very comforting ! 

Paddle Steamer

  My Nanaji had been posted to Patna & we were in Siwan , so it was easy for us to go to Patna & Nanaji ,my maternal grand mother & other family members were always making visits to Siwan . My mother always searched an opportunity to visit Patna ,quite natural .It was a frequent visit & when our train  reached Pahleja Ghat ,I always thought ,monotonous journey by train has ended ,just board on steamer to cross river Ganges & reach Patna. I have traveled umpteen times by train but traveling by steamer in a river has hidden romanticism is peerless  !.

When we reached Pahleja Ghat ,sun was staring to set & from the deck of steamer I observed in the backdrop of mammoth river Ganges ,the yellow ball of fire gradually changed itself to hues of orange, the clouds in the sky were cotton-candy ,blushing at the warm touch of sun rays , silhouettes of birds flew home across the sky looking  pink & the fiery ball of sun was half into the horizon ,but its reflection on the sheen of water surface  made it look complete .The mauve of the dusky sky intensified & in just a while ,the biggest orange star had set ,giving way to thousand of twinkling stars & I got always bewitched by this nature's odyssey . 

From Pahleja Ghat to Mahedru Ghat ,the time taken was one & half hour to two hours & the steamer passed showing all the important places along the bank of Ganges .But one place Bans Ghat I always looked askance towards it, as it was burning Ghat of Patna where corpses were cremated & in the night its burning embers gave a gory feelings of futility .

Cremation of corpses

अँधेरी निशा में नदी के किनारे ,
धधक कर किसी की चिता जल रही हैI

धरा रो रही है ,बिलखती  दिशाएं ,
असह वेदना से गगन रो रहा है ,
किसी की अधूरी कहानी सिसकती ,
कि उजड़ा किसी का चमन रो रहा है ,

घनेरी नशा में जलते सितारे ,
बिलखकर किसी की चिता जल रही है 

                                    चिता पर किसी की उजडती निशानी ,
                                    चिता पर किसी की धधकती जवानी ,
                                    किसी की सुलगती छटा जा रही है ,
                                    चिता पर किसी की सुलगती रवानी ,

                                   छनिक मोह -ममता जगत को बिसारे 
                                   लहक  कर किसी की चिता जल रही है I

                                  चिता पर किसी का मधुर प्यार जलता 
                                  किसी का विकल प्राण , श्रृंगार जलता ,
                                   सुहागिन की शुष्मा जली जा रही है ,
                                   अभागिन बनी जो संसार  जलता ,

                                   नदी पार  त्रिन पर अनल के सहारे 
                                   सिसक कर किसी की चिता जल रही है I

                                   अकेला चला था जगत के सफर में ,
                                   चला जा रहा है ,जगत से अकेला ,
                                   छनिक दो घरी के लिए जग तमाशा 
                                   छनिक मोह -ममता जगत का झमेला ,

                                  लुटी जा रही हैं किसी की बहारें ,
                                  दहक  कर किसी की चिता जल रही है I



Continued ..................