is baar jab chhoti si bachchi
mere paas apni kharoch leke aayegi
main use fu fu kar nahi bahlaaunga
main panpne dunga uskki tish ko is baar

is baar jab main chehro par dard likha dekhunga
nahi gaaunga giit pida bhulane wale
dard ko risne do utarne do
andar gahre is baar nahi

is baar na hi marham uthaunga
na hain rui ke thaahe, aur nahi kahunga
tum aankhe band kar lo
gardan udhar kar lo
main ghav par marham lagaataa hun
dekhne dunga sabko ham sabko
khule nange ghaav is baar nahi

is baar jab uljhane dekhunga
chhatptahat dekhunga
nahi daudunga uljhi dor lapetne
uljhne dunga jujhne dunga
jabtak uljh sake is baar nahi

is baar karm ka havala dekr
nahi uthaunga aujaar
nahi karunga fir se ek nayi shuruaat
nahi banunga mishaal, ek karm yogi ki
nahi aane dunga zindagi ko
aasani se patri par
utrne dunga use kichad me
tedhe medhe raaston pe
nahi sukhne dunga divaron pe laga khun
halka nahi hone dunga uska rang
is baar nahi banne dunga use aisa laachaar
ki paan ki pik
aur khun ka fark hi khtma ho jaye
is baar nahi

is baar ghaav ko dekhna hain
gaur se thoda lambe waqt tak
kuchh faisale aur fir hausale
kahin to suruaat karni hi hogi
is baar yahi tay kiya hain

This time, when the little girl comes,
Bearing her scratches to me,
I will not soothe them with breath.
I will let her tears bloom this time.

This time, when I see pain etched on faces,
I will not sing songs to erase it.
Let the hurt seep, let it descend,
Deep within, this time, no.

This time, I will not reach for the balm,
Nor the cotton pads, nor whisper,
"Close your eyes,
Turn your neck,
I will heal the wound,"
I will let us all witness,
The raw, naked wound, this time, no.

This time, when I see tangles,
When I see the struggle,
I will not rush to unravel the thread.
I will let it tangle, let it grapple,
Until it can no longer, this time, no.

This time, citing karma,
I will not reach for the tools,
I will not begin anew,
I will not become a model, a karmic yogi,
I will not let life
Slip easily onto the tracks.
I will let it fall in the mud,
On crooked paths,
I will not let the blood on the walls dry,
I will not let its color fade,
This time, I will not let it become so helpless
That the difference between betel spit
And blood disappears,
This time, no.

This time, to gaze upon the wounds,
Carefully, for a long while.
Some decisions, then courage.
Somewhere, a beginning must be made.
This time, this is what I have decided.