पाठकों के दिल को जो छू ले: "मधुकर और मैं..."

वैसे तो मैं कोशिश करता हॅूं कि प्रत्येक वर्ष कम से कम 50 पुस्तकें पढ लूं। इस दृष्टिकोण से 2018 का वर्ष निराशाजनक रहा है। मैं लगभग दस पुस्तक ही पढ़ पाया होगा। परन्तु इन दस में से कुछ पुस्तकें अविस्मरणीय हैं, और उनमें एक है कुसुम तिवारी की कविताओं का संग्रह, 'मधुकर और मैं...'

एक समय था जब मैं बहुत कविताएं पढ़ता था, परन्तु पिछले कुछ सालों में उसमें बहुत कमी आयी है और उसका कारण उपन्यास और प्रेरणादायी पुस्तकें हैं। एक कारण और है कि ऑनलाइन इतनी कविताएं पढ़ने का मिल जाती है कि पुस्तक खरीदने की नौबत ही नहीं आती। परन्तु किसी कवि के बारे में कोई राय बनाने के लिए आपकों उनकी सारी रचनाओं को या जितनी भी हो सके, एक साथ, तन्मयता के साथ पढ़ना होता है।

"मधुकर और मैं..." शुरू करते ही मैं इसमें ऐसे खोया कि याद ही न रहा कितने पृष्ठ पढ़ डाला एक बार में। "मधुकर की व्यथा" से शुरू हुई थी बात और "गोपियों की याचना" पर आ गई: "सोलह सहस्त्र बृज बालाएँ

थी खड़ी भुजाएँ फैलाएँ

अंगों का कर स्पर्श मधुर

था दिया वचन तुमने मधुकर"

कुछ याद आया आपको? मुझे ऐसा लगा कि मैं सूरदास का उद्धव-गोपी संवाद पढ़ रहा हॅूं और गोपियां उद्धव से कह रही हैं,   

"अँखियाँ हरि दरसन की प्यासी ।
देख्यौ चाहतिं कमलनैन कौं, निसि-दिन रहतिं उदासी ॥

भाव चाहे वही हो, भाषा की नूतनता लुभावनी है। यही कारण है कि संग्रह की शुरूआत में ही आप मधुकर के प्यार में डूब जाते हैं और किसी गोपी की विरह बार-बार आपको उद्वेलित करती है।  

कहीं तो ऐसा लगा कि एक दूसरी मीरा बाई से मिल रहा हूं जो मधुकर के प्यार में फिर से सुधबुध खो बैठी है:

इन उठती गिरती साँसों के

स्पंदन का मूल्य चुकाना है,

निराकार में लय होने से

पूर्व मुझे अपनाना है,

हे...मधुकर तुमको आना है.....

इस प्रेमालाप में विघ्न तब आया जब अचानक "मैं" और उसकी दुनिया बीच में आ गई:

मैं आईना हूँ

मुझमें तुम्हें अपना

हर वो रंग नजर आएगा...

और ऐसे में मुझे मधुकर से दूर जान बहुत खला। पर यह सही भी है क्योंकि जीवन मधुकर से परे भी है और इस मैं में दुःख-सुख से भरी एक विशाल दुनिया है:

ली करवट हवा ने अचानक यॅूं सहसा।

सम्हल भी ना पाई लगा घाव ऐसा।

गिरी टूटकर वो जमीं पर कुछ ऐसे।

गिरा हो धरा पर गगन चाँद जैसे।  

बदलती हवा कुछ भी ला सकती है। वह प्यार, महोब्‍बत के बदले त्रासदी, दु:ख, वेबफाई, दर्द भी ला सकती है:

"फि़र दर्पण कोई टूटा है

फ़िर ख्‍वाब किसी का टूटा है...

भाषाई दृष्टिकोण से तो मैंने इसे पढ़ा ही नहीं या कभी मुझे उसकी जरूरत ही नहीं पड़ी। कुसुम जी हिन्दी की प्रोफेसर हैं, पर भाषा की सरलता और तरलता में उनकी विद्वता कहीं बाधा नहीं बनती है। कविताएं पहाड़ी नदियों की तरह बड़ी सरलता के साथ-साथ कलकल करती, बाधाओं से टकराती बहती जाती हैं और कहीं अचानक खाई आ जाने पर निर्मल झरने की गुनगुनाहट ही नहीं बल्कि मधुर दृश्य भी उत्पन्न करती है।

कविता प्रेमियों के लिए "मधुकर और मैं..." सचमुच सब रसों से परिपूर्ण एक दावत है, मैं तो यही कहूंगा कि आप हरगिज इंकार न करें। यह रहा उनका निमंत्रण:  

"कवयित्री नहीं हॅूं मैं

स्नेह और प्यार रखती हॅूं

पाठकों के दिल को जो छू ले

वो भावों का संसार रखती हॅूं...

एक पाठक के रूप में कुसुम जी को बहुत-बहुत बधाई देता हॅूं और उम्मीद करता हॅूं कि जल्द ही उनकी और रचनाएं पढ़ने को मिलेगी।  

From-Bitter the Heart, Sweeter the Cry

From Bitter the Heart, Sweeter the Cry

Another Poem from The First Step

The First Step is available on: https://www.flipkart.com/the-first-step/p/itmf5tfxfwajsgxk?pid=9789387916029

Dung Cake- A poem from The First Step

The First Step is available on  https://www.flipkart.com/the-first-step/p/itmf5tfxfwajsgxk?pid=9789387916029

https://www.amazon.in/dp/9387916022/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp_U_QxIiBb5JVFYA6

Musings from a reporter’s diary

In November 2001 I joined an English Daily in Jammu. It was my first job as a journalist and I was so excited. But it didn't take me long to realize that of course I was in a beautiful place but it was a terrible time, which of course continues even today. The poem, it may not be a perfect one but first of its kind, tells what I witnessed very next month i.e. December 2001, the month and year parliament was attacked.

Musings from a reporter’s diary

December 1: Six members of Village Defence Committee
And four members of minority community
Were not spared to see another day.
And a major with his team on their way

Fought and fought till they were eroded.
In Kashmir 41 got hurt when grenade exploded.
December 3: One BSF Jawan became the target
When there was a blast in the market.

In Srinagar six Army men were killed,
Usual for a paradise-turned-battle field.
December 4: Gun fight gulped two army personnel
Who had gone to look for a mail.

December 5: Militants killed a judge in Rajouri
Along with 3 others and felt no sorry.
December 7: Two army men were gunned down.
And a house of a policeman was blown.

December 8: “Heavy Indo-Pak firing claims innocent lives,
Twenty-seven get injured and nine dies.”
December 11: Militants injured two security men
When they tried to catch them in vain.

December 12: “At R S Pura border fire Pakistani rangers
Killing one and injuring many others.”
December 13: Blackest day in the history of a democratic nation
Parliament attacked in an undemocratic fashion.

In Jammu 26 blasts rocked Kanachak sector,
A suicide attack on BSF camp was another matter.
December 15: Total eliminated were more than thirteen,
Leaders, Jawans, ultras and a boy of sixteen.

Four ultras captured in the rally
50 kg RDX seized in the valley.
December 17: On the occasion of the Id
One tahshildar became shaheed.

December 19: Fifty eight escaped death
When enemies in wrath
Tried to kill, but one met
What was forced in his fate.

December 20: Infiltration bid was foiled
When for days army toiled
And recovered some explosive,
But two died for not being apprehensive.

December 22: They killed six women
As if they butchered some hens.
And four men were left to die
In chilling cold under the open sky.

December 23: Three BSF men sacrificed their lives
Without caring for their kids and wives.
The day sent away three more brothers
One was ordinary and two were leaders.

December 24: Two army personnel sent back to the creator,
One injured at Sondodi under Samba sector.
December 25: For days continued firing across the border
Two jawans, 2 men and a woman- was death’s order.

December 26: Militants attacked an army camp and a van
And killed three army and two ordinary men.
Life in this paradise continued to be hellish,
When living is difficult, how can you relish?

December 27: A senior IPS officer had a narrow escape
When his van crashed at a narrow shape.
Twenty nine got injured when a bus
Driver lost his ability of minus and plus.

December 28: There seems no end of strife.
In Srinagar six lost their lives:
One was licence holder
Five were foreigners.

December 29: Clash continues for days
No trace of hopeful rays.
Ten people were injured
As a grenade militant hurled.

December 30: At one place a family lost its four earning members.
At other Army men were attacked in a blatant manner:
Six civilians got hurt but four militants eliminated.
Besides under an avalanche 3 BSF men got buried.

December 31: The year’s end was not the end of people’s misery
It eliminated thousands of lives and people’s treasury.
When the sun will rise and we will realize sunrays’ worth?
Or will remain in the darkness this paradise on earth?

December 2001/January 2002

The First Step

Good news is that The First Step has been published and is now available online and in bookstores. The online link is https://www.flipkart.com/the-first-step/p/itmf5tfxfwajsgxk…

The First Step

Finally, my first collection of poems, The First Step has been published. It will be available Online and in Bookstores from 31st May, 2018.

Love Forever@ Rajpath

           If anything that excites us more than or equal to our school or college days, that is our first job. And if this new beginning is coupled with another one, say, we find the love of our life, then it becomes the focal point of life. Love Forever @ Rajpath by Kalpana Mishra begins its journey from this point and gives it such a twist that readers remain hooked to it till the end.  

As story unfolds, we find curiosity bug making some young men uneasy to discover all about the new entrants in their service, an office of one of the ministries of Government of India. And we are introduced to Kartik, a dynamic but introvert guy. Then there is only girl in the new batch Shalini, who soon becomes the centre of attraction for everyone.   

Coincidently, I started my career also almost at the same time, in 2003, and in the same kind of set up. Not only that, like the male protagonist of the novel, Kartik, I also hail from Bihar. So while reading the book, it was like looking back and trying to recall if I knew them. Not only the descriptions of government set-up but also the life styles of the both characters, particularly the idiosyncrasy of the Bihari boy, his family background, kidnapping scenes became alive for me and I could see the characters moving around. 

I had been attracted to this book at the very first glance because I had also named my first novel Love@... But at the eleventh hour I changed it to A Rose on The Platform. I apprehended that we might have the similar kind of stories. Then I came in contact with the author Kalpana Mishra through the Facebook and decided to read it.

And I am glad to read it.  It is an interesting book.

The most of the events take place in Delhi and anyone who lives in Delhi can easily connect to it. The story flows smoothly and doesn’t promise anything out of the world. It is grounded and makes us part of it. We become characters and feel their joy and pain.

It has been drafted in a very well planned manner, language crispy and to the point. It makes an interesting reading and I would recommend it to anyone who loves romance novels. 

|Book :  Love Forever@ Rajpath

Author: Kalpana Mishra

Publisher: Srishti Publishers, Delhi