Simply Being | Simple Being

Letters from an earlier time

Tere khushboo mein base khat main jalaata kaise
Pyar mein doobe hue khat main jalaata kaise
Tere haathon ke likhe khat main jalaata kaise

Tere khat aaj main Ganga mein bahaa aaya hoon
Aag behte hue paani mein laga aaya hoon

The letters nestling in your fragrance, how could I burn them,
The letters drowned in love, how could I burn them,
The letters written by your hand, how could I burn them

I have sent your letters down the Ganga today
Have set fire to the flowing water

Incredibly romantic what with the compelling lyrics of Iftikhar Imam Siddiqui, the simplicity of Jagjit Singh’s melody and finally Jagjit Singh’s own honeyed voice cutting straight into my heart.

Not so romantic are the letters we wrote to each other. Earnest, pretending-to-be-grownup-and-all-knowing, trying so hard to please, shy to express our feelings for each other, desperately missing the other, deeply intellectual, artsy… I should probably send these letters down the Ganga myself. Instead they lie in an old shoe box in yellowed envelopes, artistic letter paper and fountain ink reminding me that everything changes. Places, people, sentiments and expression – all has changed and yet it feels like the core is being uncovered finally.