Author: Swati Sani

Farooque Shaikh : As I knew him.

Farouque Sheikh
Farouque Sheikh

Some people are larger than life. Farooque Saheb was one of them. This morning I woke up to the news of his passing away and for a few minutes, it just did not sink in… It was not as if we talked or messaged on daily basis a phone call once in a year, a few messages exchanged was enough. When it came to greetings on festive occasions, more often than not I found myself replying to his greetings, and he beat me to it again, just a few days back on Christmas eve.

He was a celebrity,and one does not expect them to take initiative in maintaining relationships, and yet he was a man who took efforts to maintain relationships.

I still remember, like it happened yesterday, when a few years ago I received a handwritten letter from him asking for Dr. Zarina Sani’s book (which was not in publication) and our subsequent phone calls. It was his encouragement that made me start the Devanagari transcriptions of that Ammi’s works so that it can reach a wider audience. I will forever be indebted to him for that little push which I needed at that time;  when I did not believe I would be able to take up such a big task. He not only encouraged me to start the work, he took active interest in knowing what stage the work is in. When I published “Ekkyavan” on http://zarinasani.org, he wanted to have it in print, for his collection.

Farouque Saheb you will be missed and always remembered fondly. I see yet another vacuum in my life that can never be filled.

Aasim’s farewell address

Aasim finished his IGCSE exams yesterday and is looking forward to the long break (during which he has planned many activities).

He gave an impromptu farewell speech as the class valedictorian. A speech that makes me very proud.

 

क्या कहिये मुझे क्या याद आया

मजरूह की यह नज़म मुझे बेहद पसंद है। एक मीठा सा भोलापन और भीनी-भीनी खुशबू है इसमें जो मेरे अंदर बस गयी है इसे पढ़ने के बाद।

फिर शाम का आँचल लहराया

मग़रिब में वो तारा एक चमका,
फिर शाम का परचम लहराया
शबनम सा वो मोती इक टपका,
फ़ितरत ने आँचल फैलाया
नज़रें बहकी, दिल बहला,
क्या कहिये मुझे क्या याद आया
टीले की तरफ चरवाहे की,
बंसी की सदा हल्की हल्की
है शाम की देवी की चुनरी,
शानों से परी ढ़लकी ढ़लकी
रह रह के धड़कते सीने में,
अहसास की मय छलकी छलकी
इस बात ने कितना तड़पाया,
क्या कहिये मुझे क्या याद आया

— मजरूह सुल्तानपुरी

Don’t say goodbye

Atul Chitnis
Atul Chitnis.
20th Feb 1962 – 3rd June 2013

My friend,
today you are
in a better place
where pain
does not exist,
and I see you
happy.

Your body has left us
but your love,
the bond we shared
lives within me
and within
everyone you loved
so dearly.

When I look
at the rainbow
I reach you
as you watch
the sun rise
from your hidden
balcony.

I talk to you
at night
when the stars shine.
The flowers
in my garden
and, yours
bloom.

I will miss you
but I know
whenever I want
to talk you will
reach out to me
through the words
you’ve left behind.

My friend,
you are in my heart
while I am alive,
and you will
continue to live
in my heart
even when I cease to.

वीरानी

अब न रहा वो साज़ जो सात सुर बजायेगा
टूट के निकलते हैं अल्फाज़ जुबाँ से
मीठी बातों से अब ये दिल न बहल पायेगा
पुराने किस्सों की मत करो बातें मुझसे
दर्द जो छिपा रक्खा था, फिर उभर आयेगा
मत दोहराओ चाँद के, तारों का किस्से
जख्म अभी सूखा नहीं है; छेड़ोगे तो तड़प जायेगा
इस वीराने में कौन रहता है, क्यूँ रहता है
किसे पड़ी है, कोई क्यूँ यहाँ आयेगा

–स्वाति

अब तो कोई आयेगा

crow
घर की देवढी पर बैठी मैं
कजरारे नैनों से ताकूं
सारे रस्ते सगरी बस्ती
सब सोते हैं, बस मैं जागूँ

भोर भये मैं देखूँ सूरज
शाम ढले मैं तारे बांचूँ
क्या आओगे आप सवेरे
या शाम चंदा के संग
आँचल थामे ये बाट निहारूँ

सूने आँगन धूप खिली फिर
फूल सजे बगिया में मेरी
छत पर बैठा कागा बोले
अब तो कोई आयेगा…

 

[intro]
[flute]
[verse]

घर की देहरी पर बैठी मैं
कजरारे नैनों से ताकूं
सारे रस्ते सगरी बस्ती
सब सोते हैं, बस मैं जागूँ

[Refrain]
सारे रस्ते सगरी बस्ती
सब सोते हैं, बस मैं जागूँ
[Bridge]
भोर भये मैं देखूँ सूरज
या शाम चंदा के संग
आँचल थामे ये बाट निहारूँ
[Refrain]
सारे रस्ते सगरी बस्ती
सब सोते हैं, बस मैं जागूँ
[Bridge]
सूने आँगन धूप खिली फिर
फूल सजे बगिया में मेरी
[Refrain]
सारे रस्ते सगरी बस्ती
सब सोते हैं, बस मैं जागूँ
[Refrain]
सारे रस्ते सगरी बस्ती
सब सोते हैं, बस मैं जागूँ
[outro]

 

Photo by Tarique Sani

Birhai -The keema stuffed paratha.

A picture guide for making the traditional keema stuffed paratha.

1
Marinate mutton keema with lime juice, garam masala, chopped green chillies and chopped coriander for 1 hour. Make dough balls (the dough should have a bit of oil and salt)
2
Roll the dough and spoon in keema mixture in center.
3
Fold in carefully so that keema stays in center.
4
Roll the dough/keema ball carefully into a round paratha
5
Pat the paratha by hand so that it thins out and some keema peeks out of the paratha (this makes the keema to get a bit fried/burnt on the ladle enhancing the flavour)
6
Put over a hot iron girdle and let it cook
7
Apply oil and cook over medium heat for about a minute and half
8
Turn and cook the other side. By now the keema would be cooked and parathas will be crisp

 

9
Serve hot with dahi-mint-coriander raita and onion-lime kachumbar.

Dad’s fall and the hospital he was admitted to.

it was a regular Monday morning chaos till the time I received a call from Mom saying that Dad has fallen down the stairs and is not responding. Thing went from crazy chaos to urgency suddenly and we rushed, 10kms away, where they live.

As we were driving, Tarique called Dr. Anup Marar, Director, Orange City Hospital and requested him to send an ambulance. The ambulance was already there when we reached my parents place.

We reached and discovered that dad had regained consciousness though he could not recall what led to his fall. He seemed fine but was still taken to the hospital where he was immediately admitted in Critical Care Unit (because he still could not recall a lot of things that led to his fall) The doctors decided to keep him under observation overnight.

While I was there, attending him, I got to see a lot of things, and i was really impressed. This was not the first time that i was dealing with a CCU team, I have had not so good experiences in the past – essentially because the place is always abuzz with activity and CCU staff is always stressed out. However, at Orange City Hospital, i realised that the team at CCU never transferred their stress to the (already stressed) relatives of patients. The entire staff of young Doctors and Nurses was full of energy, positive attitude and was extremely patient with the relatives. My dad was not critical, but i witnessed them being extremely supportive with the patients and relatives of extremely critical patients too. I observed and was also very impressed with the cleanliness and other protocols being kept.

Dad was discharged after almost 30 hours of being there, and i brought him home with relief and assurance that if there is a real emergency, this is one hospital on which I can totally depend.