hum kaale hai to kya hua...

doves, totaa-maina, cuckoos, bulbuls, nightingales (is that fictitious?) love birds, and such lovely looking happy singing pretty things are the romeo juillets of the winged world! however, one of these potholed days (this is my protest, whenever i have my bones rattled in any auto rides, i call it a pothole-d day), high up on one of the biggish spread out huge trees, i saw a crow couple coochicoooing. and it was very very kyooooot!

crows are smart, crows are noisy, crows fly away with food packets, watches, plastic, face towels, crows inspire poets (ted hughes and the crow series), crows demand food at few kitchen windows, crows bully sparrows, crows survive in the city, crows help dead people reach heaven as per hindu rites, crows warn people if guests are planning to gate crash (ah! the lovely indian myths!), jooth bole kauwa kaate, crows this crows that.

but crows as lovers, hmmm... not to my knowledge...

yet these two black, shivery-wet-in-the-rain, spots on the branch seemed like a breath of fresh air on the boring rainbow coloured love bird scene...

though brought up on melodramatic bollywood, that image didn't bring any classic romantic sequences in my head... no endless tulips, waterfalls, flying dupattas... instead... it coincided with umpteen couples exchanging a hurried hug at a busy busy marine drive or the ones saying a reluctant bye at churchgate station... or an old grand dad getting a gajra for his old old wife...

common man's love, tera mera pyaar, is so beautiful na?

Taaj Mahal

Sahir Ludhianvi

aaj tere liye ik mazahar-e-ulfat hii sahii

tum ko is vaadii-e-ra.ngii.n se aqiidat hii sahii

[mazahar-e-ulfat = symbol of love; vaadii-e-ra.ngii.n = beautiful spot;

aqiidat = respect/preference?]

mere mahabuub kahii.n aur milaa kar mujh se!

bazm-e-shaahii me.n Gariibo.n kaa guzar kyaa maanii

sabt jis raah pe ho.n satavat-e-shaahii ke nishaa.N

us pe ulfat bharii ruuho.n kaa safar kyaa maanii

[bazm-e-shaahii = royal court; sabt = etched]

[satavat-e-shaahii = royal grandeur; ulfat bharii ruuh = lovers]

merii mahabuub pas-e-pardaa-e-tashhiir-e-vafaa

tuu ne satavat ke nishaano.n ko to dekhaa hotaa

murdaa shaaho.n ke maqaabir se bahalevaaliia

pane taariik makaano.n ko to dekhaa hotaa

[pas-e-pardaa-e-tashhiir-e-vafaa = behind the veil of this advertisement of faith/love]

[satavat = wealth/grandeur; maqaabir(maqabaraa) = tomb; taariik = dark]

anaginat logo.n ne duniyaa me.n muhabbat kii hai

kaun kahataa hai ki saadiq na the jazbe un ke

lekin un ke liye tashhiir kaa saamaan nahii.n

kyuu.N ke vo log bhii apanii hii tarah mufalis the

[saadiq = true; tashhiir = advertisement; mufalis = poor]

ye imaaraat-o-maqaabir ye fasiile.n, ye hisaar

mutal-qulhukm shahanashaaho.n kii azamat ke sutuu.N

daaman-e-dahar pe us ra.ng kii gulakaarii haijis me.n shaamil hai

tere aur mere ajadaad kaa Khuu.N

[hisaar = forts; mutal-qulhukm = unthinking/arrogant; azamat = greatness;

sutuu.N = symbol][daaman-e-dahar = on the face of this world; gulakaarii = flowers

and vines][ajadaad = ancestors]

merii mahabuub! u.nhe.n bhii to muhabbat hogii

jinakii sannaa_ii ne baKhshii hai ise shakl-e-jamiil

un ke pyaaro.n ke maqaabir rahe benaam-o-namuud

aaj tak un pe jalaa_ii na kisii ne qa.ndiil

[sannaa_ii = artistry; shakl-e-jamiil = beautiful form]

[benaam-o-namuud = without name or even a trace; qa.ndiil = candle]

ye chamanazaar ye jamunaa kaa kinaaraa ye mahal

ye munaqqash dar-o-diivaar, ye maharaab ye taaq

ik shahanashaah ne daulat kaa sahaaraa le kar

ham Gariibo.n kii muhabbat kaa u.Daayaa hai mazaak

mere mahabuub kahii.n aur milaa kar mujhase!