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5 verses · ~2 min
कभी इतनी धनवान मत बनना कि लूट ली जाओ
सस्ते स्कर्ट की प्रकट भव्यता के कारण हांग्जो की गुड़िया के पीछे वह आया होगा चुपचाप बाईं जेब से केवल दो अंगुलियों की कलाकारी से बटुआ पार कर लिया होगा
सुंदरता के बारे में उसका ज्ञान मात्र वित्तीय था एक लड़की का स्पर्श क्या होता है वह बिलकुल भूल चुका था
एक नितांत अपरिचित जेब में अगर उसे जूड़े का पिन या बुंदे जैसी स्वप्निल-सी वस्तुएं मिलतीं तो वह निराश हो जाता और तब हांग्जो की लड़कियों के गालों की लालिमा भी उसे पुनर्जीवित नहीं कर सकती थी
उस वक्त वह मात्र एक औजार था बाज़ार व्यवस्था का खुले द्वार जैसी जेब में जिसे उसकी तेज निगाहों ने झांककर देखा था कि एक भोली रूपसी की अलमस्त इच्छाएं उस बटुए में भरी थीं कि बिना किसी हिंसा के उसने साबित कर दिया सुंदर होने का मतलब लापरवाह होना नहीं है कि अगर लक्ष्य तय हो तो कोई दूसरा आकर्षण तुम्हें डिगा नहीं सकता ।
इति
The Poet
ऋतुराज
Rituraj
1940 · 2021
While many modern writers focused on grand political narratives or complex urban themes, Rituraj deliberately turned his attention to the quiet and often overlooked corners of ordinary existence. Born in 1940 in Rajasthan, he spent over three decades teaching English literature. However, he chose Hindi as the medium to express the profound tragedies and daily struggles of the Indian heartland. He lived mostly in Bundi, far from the glittering literary circles of major metropolitan cities. From there, he developed a voice that is exceptionally attentive to those living on the margins of society. In his famous poem Kanyadaan, he examines the complex anxiety of a mother giving away her daughter with piercing, understated realism. He avoided heavy ornamentation and artificial rhetoric. His poetry simply affirms the quiet resilience of everyday people. He passed away in 2024, leaving behind a body of work that forces readers to confront the deep ironies hidden in plain sight.
Paired Painting
Portrait of a Lady
Raja Ravi Varma was a luminary who bridged the divide between traditional Indian iconography and Western academic realism. His paintings, often depicting elegant women in their cultural splendor, serve as a testament to the grace and dignity of the Indian noblewoman during the late nineteenth century. In this piece, the soft gaze and the intricate adornment (from the gold coins of the necklace to the delicate nose ring) invite the viewer to witness a moment of quiet reflection, suspended in time by the artist's masterful brushwork.
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