there is a big jhoola in our aangan
which is sometimes caressed
by the passing shadow of the
farthest growing leaves
of our sixty-year-old ber tree
it is here that i think of
being silent in each other’s presence-
one narangi flower-patterned hand of yours
is holding tight to the jute string
to make sure we don’t pause mid-swing
i think of your other hand
caressing my face as i lie
with my head on your lap
and feel the scent of your mehendi
come and go with your fingers
my eyes are closed, but i can
feel your muskuraahat as you
bend down to admire the
white jasmine flowers that
i put in my hair this morning
when we were younger i was
convinced you were a goddess
because nobody taught me
the difference between
mohabbat and ibaadat
today i know that my heart
does not need to swing between
these two kinds of devotion
today i know that there is no prayer
as transcendental as aaraam with you
A note on translation:
jhoola - swing
aangan - courtyard
mehendi - henna
muskuraahat - smile
ibaadat - devotion
mohabbat - love
aaraam - rest, repose, comfort
