Saturday, July 25, 2026

मेरे सीने में एक खलिश सी है 

सुघड़ खलिश है, अनुभवी है 

न भरती है, न घटती है, न रह पाती है अनछुई 

सांस दर सांस बीतते हैं हफ्ते, महीने, साल 

घड़ी की टिकटिक 

धीरे धीरे 

हो गई है बेमानी। 


ये खलिश 

घर के मेधावी प्रेत सी है 

जकड़ लेती है 

कभी अलमारी को, जिस में 

रिसाले रखे थे उन दोस्तों के 

जिन्हें अब whatsapp text भी लिखने नहीं आते 

कभी रसोई घर की उस कड़छी को 

जिस से दाल बनाई थी

किसी खास इंसान के साथ 


हर चीज़, हर कोना, हर शब्द 

कुछ देर के लिए 

खो देते हैं अपना मानी 

और बन जाते हैं खलिश 

फिर ये 

कूद कर आ बैठती है 

मन के भीतर - अपने कोठर में 

क्यूंकि 

घर से दूर 

प्रेत भी नहीं रह पाते। 


 

Saturday, July 11, 2026

Book Review: Play to Kill by Puja Mukherjee Khattri

What an incredible book this is! 

A lot of cases involving a simple case of drugging the victim - nothing more. harmless at one level. Except, a kid is kidnapped, a lady loses an important contract because she missed a flight, and a TV Producer is badly injured. Not that harmless any more. 

The case meanders through the usual route of sleuthing - following leads, red herrings, missed opportunities and disappointments, until a chance encounter opens their eyes to something bizarre - and sinister. 

The writing is gripping from the word Go. The stories - and there are quite a few of them - are all well woven, with no loose ends, no obvious plotholes, and a lot of substance. 

The final plot is incredibly well drawn. It is a cautionary late - because it is sooo real today. No spoilers, but this is a plot that one totally needs to read. The love story slowly brewing on the side doesn't hurt. The story reads like a screenplay, and its easy to imagine events as they are unfolding. The book is not too long. Its a lovely, breezy read and is truly unputdownable - even for screen hardened folks who find it hard to concentrate, and that's saying something!