Where ever you are...

The sound of claps and applaud filled the auditorium as Misha walked up to receive the much coveted Swarna-Kalam award. In all the sound, cries and cheers, Misha’s mind was in total silence. After receiving the trophy, her mind transcended into a totally different plane. In the absolute silent world, Misha stood, lonely. Among the thousands of faces seated in the auditorium, she wished to see only one face, smiling proudly at her, at her achievement, which she totally dedicated to that long lost face.

Along with three other poets, Misha had received this award for her collection of Poetries.  Not that she had ever waited for this moment, but she had written, written like crazy, words flew like ocean and filled the leaves of her life; the words, the only friend she had.

And all the words, along with the trophy, she wanted to wrap in gratitude and offer to the person, for whom all the words were threaded like a flower garland.

Each of her poetries was part of her chronicle of a fairy tale, a tale where she alone staged herself. Mihir was never there, although Misha knew none but Mihir, loved none but Mihir. She penned the first words in her diary when Mihir entered her life and throughout the five long years when she had Mihir around, her diary was filled, each day, with a poetic saga of the yearning and love she went through, not even knowing if Mihir was walking the same path.

 

Years passed and today, as Misha stood there on the stage, she did not have the slightest clue about Mihir. She had lost him decades back; only that she herself had remained there and decades after, she was still there. And one day, when she had nothing new to write, she made her chronicle be read by the world and this award was a compliment to that.

Only if, along with the others present today, Mihir had the slightest notion, how a saga of the love someone had nurtured for him, had won the endorsement of the world and was felicitated, was celebrated.

Mere hisse mein koi jam na aayaa na sahi

Teeeri mehfil mein mere naam koi shaam toh hai

Tu kahin bhi rahein

Sar par tere ilzaam toh hai

Half the globe away, Namita, with a tray of medicines and syringe, entered the well lit room in the Mariana Nursing home for Neuropathy. Today, she also had the morning newspaper in her hand and a special smile on her face. She placed Mihir comfortably on the reclining bed and before starting with the daily medicine schedule, she placed a loving hand on Mihir’s forehead. She then placed the newspaper on is frail hands and gave him the wonderful news to light up his life a bit, “Look at this news today, Mihir. Something which you have forever waited for, all your life. Here is Misha, accepting the Swarna Kalam award. She recievd it yesterday, Mihir..”

Photograph: from Internet

'Shayari' verses: From Ghazal written by Sabir Jalalabadi