Poetry

Common Things

When I first thought of visiting Heera Mandi

Colour discrimination

And so it has come to pass that my dear husband never misses a day for having to suffer life

The Quilt

Translated from Urdu, Ismat Chughtai’s ‘Lihaf’

Awaaz Dey KahaaN Hay

Despite his laidback demeanor and conservative background Naushad was an innovator, risk taker and a perfectionist. He introduced Qawwali and

Poetry

Cold Flesh

Eesher Singh looked at Kalwant Kaur but unable to bear the heat of her piercing eyes, looked the other way.

Music in Pakistan

I can tell you hundreds of naats and hamds, which have been composed in raags

Lata Mangeshkar & Noor Jahan Chalte Chalte

The nightingale of India and the other great voice of the sub-continent.

Poetry

Untouchability and Sex

No one practices untouchability when it comes to sex.

Gone is Caravan...

Gone is caravan - seek my eyes in vain
All I see is dust - dust full cloudy train

Caesar, Mata Hari, and Mirza

Translated from Urdu, a story by Mushtaq Ahmed Yusufi (1962)

Translations

3 Haikus

peel away my skin

My Summer of ’69

It all happened three years ago, not quite a long period, but to me it seems like it happened, perhaps,

Poetry

Innocence, Loss and Nagan Chowrangi

Barron swerved the car through the Nagan Chowrangi, took the turn toward 'Karachi Broast' and parked in front of the

We, The Fake

where you feel ugly and poor if you have no flesh on display

Poetry

Love Affair

She looked at him skeptically. “You fell in love with the ‘real’ me? My inner beauty bedazzled you?” He was

Memoirs

The Aftergod

Lucifer, kneeling in front of God: And it will be done, my Lord. Detonates a massive anti-matter bomb: And away