It feels like yesterday that I, as a ten year old, was running around with a bicycle-tyre or playing marbles on the roads of Dilsukhnagar in the old city of Hyderabad. It feels like yesterday that I, as a 14 year old, undertook a long unending journey from Meerut to Delhi on a state transport bus for my cricketing trials by Bishan Singh Bedi for Sports Authority of India.
Shortly there after, college and then a corporate career start and then entrepreneurship, marriage, family and so on - They all have happened in a blink. I am currently reeling or celebrating my 50!
We don't realise how quickly life passes. Shortly, it will all be over for one. But, the world shall march on. In such an ephemeral world, what is it that stays back a wee-bit longer than your body! That thought of staying longer than your body is loathable in itself, in some ways. However, what is even more clearer is that it is not any of the physical assets or things of that kind that live longer.
Sub-consciously, such greed could be playing a part in my journey of languages and poetry. May be! At the same time, the moments that we gather also have found their way into expressions from time to time. I quite enjoy it and do it essentially for myself.
Yaadon ki Dukaan
My journey as an active Urdu learner is a decade old now. The magic of shaayari too happened. First came ‘Shaayad yaheen se ho'. Then, 'Dhoondh le phir se'. Now, I am delighted to see YKD take shape. It is a collection of Urdu poetry including Ghazals and Nazms.
The work is embellished with contributions from a number of friends. These contributions have been from pure love and affection for music or urdu or art and even for me. I feel blessed. The creative illustrations are from Shashi Shetye, Anandita Narayanan and Sujatha Kshirsagar. Sujatha's contribution has been singularly stellar for her all-round support including from conceptualization all the way to giving it a final shape.
The patient 'islaah' efforts of Prof Firdausi and Prof (Mrs) Bellani have been invaluable. This is always the most precious part of publishing any work of poetry as the conversations are very animated and deeply involved around theme, vocabulary, emotions, meter (bahar) and even the balance between the 'done' and the new or the tradition and the untried. I would like to acknowledge the contribution of Salim (Rekhta.org) for his editorial and script standardization support.
Khurshid Alam and Bhagwan Das contributed critically through their publishing and design efforts. Nidhi is always a part of anything that I do. Lastly, the support at home from Uma and gang is something I do cherish immensely.
This is just another effort by a lover of the language to continue his expressions with the awareness and the humility of the servant of the language. Where you find flaws, I appeal to your large-heartedness and appreciation for the effort. I will continue to improve as I move forward. Promise !
Muasir