Ik kuddi jida naa mohabbat,
Gum hai. Gum hai, gum hai...

Saad muraadi, soni phabbat,
Guum hai.

Suurat ousdi pariyaan vargi
Seerat di o mariam lagdi,
Hasdi hai taa phul jharade ne
Turdi hai taa gazal hai lagdi.
Lamm-salammi, saru(Saro) de kad di
Umar aje hai marke agg di,
Par naina di gal samajhdi.
Ik kuddi jida naa mohabbat,
Gum hai. Gum hai, gum hai...

Goummeyaan janam janam han hoye
Par lagda jyon kal di gal hai.
Yun lagda jyon ajj di gal hai,
Yun lagda jyon *** di gal hai.
Huney taan mere kol khaddi si
Huney taan mere kol nahi hai
Eh ki chhal hai, eh ki phatkan
Soch meri hairan baddi hai.
Nazar meri har aande jaande
Chehre da rang phol rahi hai,
Ous kuddi nu tol rahi hai.

Saanjh dhale baazaaran de jad,
Moddaan te khushbu ugdi hai.
Vehal, thakaavat, bechaini jad,
Chau raaheyaan te aa juddadi hai.
Rauley lippi tanhai vich
Os kuddi di thudd khaandi hai.
Os kuddi di thudd disdi hai.
Har chhin mennu inyon lagda hai,
Har din mennu inyon lagda hai.
Judde jashan ne bheeddaan vichon,
Juddi mahak de jhurmat vichon,
O mennu aawaaz davegi,
Men ohnu pehchaan lavaanga
O mennu pehchaan lavegi.
Par es raule de hadd vichon
Koi mennu aawaaz na denda
Koi vi mere vall na vehnda.

Par khaure kyun tapala lagda,
Par khaure kyun jhaulla painda,
Har din har ik bheedd juddi chon,
But ohda jyun langh ke jaanda.
Par mennu hi nazar na aunda.
Goum gaya maen os kuddi de
Chehre de vich goummeya rehnda,
Os de gham vich ghullda rehnda,
Os de gham vich khurda jaanda!
Os kuddi nu meri saun hai,
Os kuddi nu apni saun hai,

Os kuddi nu sab di saun hai.
Os kuddi nu jag di saun hai,
Os kuddi nu rab di saun hai,
Je kithe paddhdi sundi hove,
Jyundi ya o mar rahi hove
Ik vaari aa ke mil jaave
Vafa meri nu daag na laave
Nahin taan methon jiya na jaanda
Geet koi likheya na janda!

Ik kudi jida naa muhabat.
Goum hai.
Saad muradi sohni phabbat
Goum hai.

I thought I had run into you when I saw Zoya on the brickroads of Karachi. She was carrying the weight of her uncovered head with Rumi on her lips and rumours in her smile; I couldn’t help but wonder if she too hummed Tagore on lonely nights.

As I approached my past, the unmanned dinghys of the Arabian Sea seemed to have followed me from a different harbour, where the skyscrapers stood like unopened letters stacked to impress your firstborn child. The salty sea breeze might have been your childhood friend, but then these waves were always mine.

Maybe It was time to let go.

We kissed for 12 months while the bullets made love to the crumbling walls of Karachi, a city with the infinite passion of penniless poets and warrior saints. Draped in the lightest of cashmere, Zoya couldnt help but be worried – the curtains of my thoughtful musicals never cared much for bulletproof jackets.

Zoya’s grandfather was a veteran of two wars, the smoke from his imported cigars still fills our balcony like the laughter of your firstborn fills the halls of your new sea-facing mansion – I wonder if Naina even knows my name. My books have begun to sell now – you should make her read ‘Summer Wounds’ one day.

The newspapers tell me I am widely read by the underground leadership because of Asif – my brother in law who has taken up arms against men who want to burn Zoya for walking with her head uncovered – Karachi is no longer the same.

They have banned my books now – apparently God hates the words I use to describe our summer love; do you also feel the same way ?

I dont know, maybe they are right – after all Zoya still flinches every time I mention your name.

Zoya’s grandfather is sick – the years of tobacco have now given way to the gunpowder smoke – I am lucky you stopped me when you could. Do you still make people change their ways ? Maybe. But something tells me even you can’t help Karachi.

Its your birthday today, I know you haven’t gotten a piece from me in the last 10 years but this time it will be different. There is a fading sound of Zoya’s screams as I leave for the post office; i cant let her love wipe my past.

A bullet hits me from nowhere ; I hear a distant cry of an animal celebrating the first **** of the day. The pain is blinding but they shoot 10 more bullets into me, there is no modesty in ****** it seems.

As I lie dying with eleven bullets buried in a heart that has known more wounds than love, I have begun to wonder if I should have chosen a different harbour for my love – the words of Tagore suddenly seem far more familiar than those of Rumi.

Maybe its time to let go.

Shabdo ke guldaste se likhte hain yaara,
Khuda kasam aapke bin dil nahi lagta humara.

Aap is dil ki dadhkan **,
Aaj fir se pukar rhe hain sun tou lo.

Suna hai dil ke rishtey bin kahe sab sun lete,
Laga lo kaske apni jaan ko gale se.

Aaj keh rhe hain mohabbat hai beinteha tumse,
Kabhi juda na hona humse.

Aapke bina jiya jaye na,
Maana hai tumhe khuda.

Aap par kabhi koi aanch na aane denge,
Har takleef khud seh lenge.

Shayar ** tum,
Ghazal hai hum.

Diya ** tum,
Baati hain hum.

Naina ** tum,
Roshni hain hum.

Khuda ** tum,
Bhakt hain hum.

Ek pal bhi na jaana dur,
Ye dil ** jayega chur chur.

Is duniya mein har koi bs rulana jaanta,
Aapse milkar ye dil ne seekha dadhakta.

Ek aap hi ** jeene ki wajah hamari,
Aapkebin ye naadan hai adhuri.

Maaf krna agar humse kabhi koi bhul ** jaye,
Aapke khatir hum apni jaan kurbaan kar jaye.

Aye hawa pahucha de un tak mere paigaam,
Unke bin hum hai gumnaam.

Har saans par bs naam hai tumhara,
Zindagi jeene ka ek hi maksad hai hamara.

Lafzon mein baya nahi kar sakte ,
Hum aapko kitna hai chahte .

Taqdeer hamari hai khushnaseeb,
Jo aap hain is dil ke itne kareeb .

Na likh ska na bol ska ki mai tenu kinna chauhni,

Tuhadi bina adhura haigi tuhadi sajni.



Tuhade naal ek pal vi gaal jado ** jaandi,

Mai saare vele khushi khushi muskandi.



Jado tussi naraaz hunde,

Sannu ta saah vi ne aunde.



Tuhanu tuhade tou mai maang lawa,

Apni dil o jaan tuhanu de dawa.



Tussi jado hasde meri rooh khildi,

Maaf kari menu agar hoyi bhul kadi.



Tuhade baajo ek pal vi jee nahi sakdi,

Tuhanu vekh vekh hi mai mai hasdi.



Tuhani dil mandir ch basaya,

Tuhade naam da sindoor mathe sajaya.



Sansaar mai aapde dohan sa tuhade naina ch vekh leya,

Tuhade baigaar mai khakk di vi nahi mere mahiya.



Saari janama tuhadi, tuhade bina nahi jeona,

Ve main tuhadi je na hoyi hor kise de ni hona.



Sune meri rabb ek chah ve adhura,

Saddi har saah te ohda haqq hove poora.



Ohde baajo koi zindagi nahi chahidi,

Daaman failaye mai ohnu hi mangdi.