Translated by Sushant Leena

THUS SPOKE THE FATHER

When I will no longer be there
I will still be there—
thus spoke the father

I will be alive in the
writings of my eldest son

I will peep out of the
paintings of my youngest daughter

I will breathe in the
self-respect of my second son

I will survive in the
steely resolve of my third son

Just as my father lives in me
and my children will live in their children
so will I be saved
in all of you
o my children—
said our father to us.
 aaaaaaaaaaaa(Kaha Pitaji ne)

YESTERDAY NIGHT IN MY DREAMS

Yesterday night
in my dreams

aaaaaaaaaaaaGandhari refused to
aaaaaaaaaaaablindfold herself

aaaaaaaaaaaaEklavya refused to
aaaaaaaaaaaaoffer his thumb to Dronacharya

aaaaaaaaaaaaSita refused to
aaaaaaaaaaaago through ordeal by fire

aaaaaaaaaaaaDraupadi did not allow others
aaaaaaaaaaaato put her at stake in gambling

aaaaaaaaaaaaPuru refused to give
 aaaaaaaaaaaahis youth to Yayati

Several mistakes of
history and mythology
were corrected
yesterday night
in my dreams .
aaaaaaaaaaaa(Kal raat sapne me)

SOMEONE ELSE

I wake up
one morning
and find out
I have turned
a stranger to myself
from every angle

My eyes seem
so unknown to me

My smile seems
someone else’s

My hair has turned
unrecognizable

On my palms are etched
someone else’s fate-lines

Psychologists say
It happens sometimes

That we go on living
someone else’s life

That someone else
goes on living within us.

aaaaaaaaaaaa(koi aur)

Sushant’s short-stories and poems have been published in several literary magazines and national newspapers in English. He has to his credit a poetry anthology titled “In Gandhi’s Country.” His short story collection in English, titled “The Fifth Direction,” is in press. Sushant is also an acclaimed writer and poet in Hindi. He has to his credit two short-story collections in Hindi, titled “Hatyare” (2010) and “He Ram” (2012), and one poetry collection in Hindi titled “Ek Boond Yah Bhi” (2014).

Sushant presently works as a senior officer in a government organization. He lives with his wife, Dr. Leena, and their two children, Vinaayak and Aanya, in Delhi, India.