Zindagi aaee thi kal shaam dastak pe,
Shayad kuch uDhaar tha uska,
Ya phir kuch lautane aaee thi.
Chota dil, kam zubaan, mein kya poochta Kyun aaee ho?.
KunDi koli and aur andhar aane ki dawaat di.
Ghareeb ke ghar mein diya nahi hai.
Bas aagan mein chandNi ki chadar hai.
Woh boli shaam sarD hai, thodi se aag jala do ge.
Mein fauran saari poonji aur Unke khat eKKhatta kiye
Aur apne dil ke saath unhe bhi aag laga di.
Ham dono khamoosh baiThe rahe.
Aag subho subho tak jalti rahi,
Subho jab aanKh khuli to aangan mein,
Mein ne sirf raaKh ka Dher aur ek Dil paya.
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Life knocked on my door last night.
May be I had borrowed something from her,
Or she wanted to return some of mine.
Humble heart, poor peasant, How can I ask “What brings thee here?”
I opened the door, and invited the grace in my abode.
With nothing better to offer, I seated her on terrace, with moonlight as mat.
“Cold breeze is, Will thee lit a fire?” she asked slowly.
I ran inside with all might, brought out all my savings and Her letters to me.
All piled together, I lit the fire on top of my terrace.
And threw my heart into the fire, hoping it will burn longer.
With silence and fire between us we sat there looking into other’s eyes.
Fire burnt till early morning. When Sun said “Good morning”, I woke up.
And found nothing but a pile of ashes and a warm heart.
-- Toufeeq
