Mulaqaat Ki Tamanna

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Din me mulaqaat ki tamanna ne,

Raat ka sona kyu dushwaar kiya.

Dene waley bhool gaye apni hi naseehat,

Mohabbaton ne un per jab vaar kiya.

Ishq me zakhm khane ka maza vo kya jaane,

Jisne neend gavaayi na koi teer dil ke paar kiya.

Raat bhar jo socha tha unse kahenge,

Sab bhool gaye unka jo deedar kiya.

Zamaane ne samjha meri qayfyat ka sabab,

Unhone samajhne se magar inkaar kiya,

Doosro ke aasuon ko fizool kehne waley,

Us din bhut roye jab ishq ne beemar kiya.

Jawaab me vo bas ek aansu baha gaye,

Ek roz khayalat ka jab izhaar kiya.

Us khudgarz ko ishq ne sikhaya jab saleeqa,

Apni khwahishaat ko usne darkinaar kiya.

Vo raat muqammal ibaadat me guzri,

Khuda se bas ek hi sawaal baar baar kiya.

Ye ek mojza nahi to aur kya hai,

Unhone agle din sharma kar iqraar kiya.

دن مےملاقات کی تمنا نے

رات کا سونا کیوں دشوار کیا

دینے والے بھول گۓ اپنی ہی نصیحت 

محبتوں نے جب انپر وار کیا

عسق مے زخم کھا نے کا مزہ وہ کیا جانے

جسنے نیند گوای نا کوی تیر دل کے پارکیا

رات بھر جو سوچا تھا انسے کہینگے

سب بھول گعے انکا جو دیدار کیا

زمانے نے سمجھا میری قیفیت کا سبب

انحونے مگرسمجھننے سے انکار  کیا

دوسروں کے آسوں کو فزول کہنے والے

اس دن بہت رعے جب عشق نے بیمار کیا 

جواب مے وہ بس اک آنسو بہا گعے

اک روز خیالات کا جب عزہار کیا

اس خدگرز کو عشق نے سکھایا جب سلیقہ

اپنی خواہشات کو اسنے درکنار کیا 

وہ رات مقمل عبادت مے گزری

خدا سے بس ایک حی سوال بار بار کیا

 یہ ایک معجزہ نہیں طو اور کیا ہے 

 انہونے اگلے  ہی  دن شرما کر اقرار کیا

Wedding On The Cards

It turns out that I am getting married next month. See the countdown on the right in web version.

All of my friends find this news a little difficult to digest. I think I am one of the reasons for this. I kept this news secret from most of them and when they directly receive invitation they get surprised. Many of them feel its not my decision, I am being forced by my parents. I will answer this in FAQs below. Even if I wanted to tell some of them, I could not meet them in last few months. After switching to this new company I have worked either from home (Amroha) or Bangalore office.

Another reason for their indigestion is that I am the first guy in our college group who is getting married. Everyone had this Bollywood thing in mind that weddings are some form of extravaganza lasting a few months. But it doesn't work like this in our culture. They are generally a private affair in which the family gets more involved. I must confess, in my case, because of living away from home the Groom's friends and he himself had missed even those preparations in which there was a chance to get involved.

There are a few questions which most friends asked me when they heard the news. I felt rather than giving all of them different answers I should think and create a list of answers so that I don't get confronted when they meet me/each-other on the wedding day. Below are some of the Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Are you being forced by your parents?/Are you sure you are doing this?
Ans: Yes, like all arrange marriages it was initiated by parents, they asked me the Wedding question and found the Answer for me as well. However, it was me who took the final decision.

Q: Who is she?/Where is she from?/Her education?
Ans: Her name is Sana Aziz. She lives in Delhi with her family. She has a post-graduate degree in English literature from Delhi University. I have already posted how my mother found her here.

Q: Is she a working woman?
Ans: Yes, she works. But for herself, on her hobbies and not for money.

Some awkward questions:

Q: Show me her picture?
Ans: Come to the wedding, I will make you meet her/ You know her name, you are a computer guy, go and find yourself. :P

Q: So, our friendship ends?
Ans: I am not shifting to another planet. But you have to invite one more person in your party next time. ;)

Q: Did you invite him/her?
Ans: Dua kar de jab tera bhai bada aadmi ban jayega he will throw a big party at Taj for everyone / Unfortunately, even if I want to I cannot invite everyone but we definitely remain friends. :(

Please remember us in Dua.

The Wedding Answer

It took my mother just a few days after asking me the Wedding Question to actually come up with another shocking revelation. While I was busy checking out the number of "likes" that my new facebook DP fetched, my mother interrupted and handed me a cup full of tea.
She asked me about the work I was doing. I said, "Nothing, just reading something."
She ignored me and continued, "We have found a girl."

I was still busy thinking if posting a new picture fetches more "likes" on weekdays or weekends. Within  seconds I calculated and concluded that posting on weekend is better. Then I took a sip and discovered how a perfect tea tastes like. I looked at my mother out of love. She raised her eyebrows. I realized she is waiting for my response about something she said a few seconds ago.

"What did she say", I tried to recall. "About something... a girl... she found a girl !" Suddenly, I put the cup down on the table.
I asked surprisingly, "You found a girl?"
She smiled and said, "Yes, this is what I just said."
I became nervous, "But you said it takes a lot of time to find a nice girl. Please take your time and find someone nice."
She smiled again and said, "Yes, it takes time. We had several girls in our mind and recently we heard about another girl. Your father and her father were classmates. We have known their family for years. We think she is perfect for you."

She told me about her family and education in detail. All that sounded good but I was not ready for such a news. I reminded her about the promise that they will not force me for marriage anytime soon. To which she replied that even they are not in hurry, it takes at least one year for preparation.

She called my younger brother, "Hamza, show him the pictures which they sent."
"Without my confirmation you even asked for her pictures," I was more surprised.
"You don't know anything, this is how it works. Just have a look. Isn't she beautiful. MashahAllah," her eyes lit up on seeing the pictures.
I looked at the picture with disgust, "Yes, she is. Do you want me to finalize her just by looking at this picture?"
She gave an angry look and added,"Its almost final. What else do you want to say? You know nothing. Actually, boys have no idea what to actually look for in a girl. Still you can tell me if you have any concerns."

In the next few days our parents set up a meeting and as obvious they liked each other. Few more awkward discussions, meetings and events later, everybody happily agreed.

This way I found my answer to the Wedding Question.  :)

Teri Yaad Aayi

        

Image Credit- Vinot

  

جب سکڑتا دیکھ کسی نے چادر اڑھائی، تیری یاد ائی-

جب کبھی کسی نے اچّھی چائے پلائی، تیری یاد ائی-

جب ہارنے کے بعد کی کسی نے حوصلہ افزائی، تیری یاد ائی-

جب پھٹے کرتے مے خدبخد ہوئی سلائی، تیری یاد ائی-

جب کبھی ڈر کے آنکھ کھلی اور کسی نےپیٹھ تھپتھپائی، تیری یاد ائی-

جب میرے بھلے کے لئے کی کسی نے میری پٹائی، تیری یاد ائی-

جب میری حمایت مے کی کسی نے دنیا سے لڑائی، تیری یاد ائی-

جب ہر ٹھوکر پہ کسی کہ لب سے "الله خیر" آواز آئ،  تیری یاد ائی-

جب بیماری مے دوا سے زیادہ کسی کی دعا عصر لایی، تیری یاد ائی-
جب کبھی کسی نے اچّھی بات سکھائی، تیری یاد ائی-
کبھی بے وجہ کبھی بے سبب بس یہیں، تیری یاد ائی-

- A poem dedicated to my beloved mother.

Ghazal : Ab kiska intezaar hai.

Image Credit : Khawar

Is tarah dhadakne ki kya wajah hai,
Aye dil, tujhe ab kiska intezaar hai.

In khamoshi se behte aansuon ka kya hai matlab,

Kyu itna yakeen hai, kyu ab bhi aitbaar hai.

Us khudgarz ke jhootey waadey they ya koi jaadu.

Jo mujh par ab tak asardaar hai.

Mujhe kya mila apne jazbaat, khwab-o-khayal luta kar,

Bas ek jism baaqi hai aur vo bhi beemar hai.

Khwaabon me mulaqaat ki hai ek aakhri  ummeed,

Magar soney ke liye bhi uski zulfon ka saaya darkaar hai.

Us ke chehre ki kashish ka nahin koi muqabla,

Jis ne door se ek jhalak dekha vo ab tak qarzdaar hai.

Chand khushiyon ki khatir kitne aasu bahaye aur minnaten ki,

Kehne ko to hum bhi badey khuddar hain.

Aur kuch na mila to uske sarey ghamon ko hi apnaya,

Usko ghamon ki kya zaroorat, uska khushiyon ka kaarobaar hai.

Khushiyon se dil bhar jaaye to usse kehna mujhse aa kar mile,

Jahan mera jism dafan hai, uske ghamon ka bhi wahin mazaar hai.

 Urdu Version:

اس طرح دھڈاکنے کی کیا وجہ ہے اے دل

تجھے اب کسکا انتظار ہے

ان خاموشی سے بہتے آسوں کا کیا ہے مطلب

کیو اتنا یقین ہے کیں اب بھی اعتبار ہے

اس خدگرز کے جھوٹے وادے تھے یا کوئی جادو

جو مجھ پر اب تک اسردار ہے

مجھے کیا ملا اپنے جذبات  خواب و خیال لٹا کر

بس اک جسم باقی ہے اور وہ بھی بیمار ہے

 خوابوں میں ملاقات کی ہے اک آخری امید

مگر سونے کے لئے بھی اسکی زلفوں کا سایا درکار ہے

اسکے چہرے کی کشش کا نہیں کوئی  مقابلہ

 جسنے دور سے اک جھلک دیکھا وہ اب تک قرضدار ہے

چند خوشیوں کی خاطر آسو بہاے اور منّتیں کی

کہنے کو تو ہم بھی بڑے خددار ہیں

اور کچھ نہ ملا تو اسکے سارے غموں کو ہی اپنایا

اسکو غموں کی کیا ضرورت اسکا خشیوں کا کاروبار ہے

خوشیوں سے دل بھر جائے تو اس سے کہنا مجھسے آکر ملے

جہاں میرا جسم دفن ہے اسکے غموں کا بھی وہیں مزار ہے

Women Looking for Rotten Apples and Bones

The other day when I was buying apples, a woman with a child in her arms arrived. And asked the fruitwala "Chhate hue seb hain??". She wanted to buy rotten apples. Actually, those apples which are not completely rotten but to an extent when they cannot be mixed with fresh apples. So fruitwalas keep them aside and sell them at throwaway price. Anyway they are of no use to them.

When I was checking each apple before he packs, her words stirred me. Later I realized she was too poor to afford  fresh apples but wanted her child to eat them. So she compromised with "Chhate hue apples".

The other woman was eating with her family of three in a posh restaurant. And I was waiting there with two of my friends for a table to get vacant. They had their food and were just finishing it with water. I suddenly observed the woman started collecting the leftover bones from all their plates. To my surprise she wrapped them and took them with her. Even my friends had no idea why she did this. It took me 5 minutes to realize she must have taken them for her dog waiting at home.

These two incidents prove that women speak universal language of love more often and they are full of kindness.