कहें क्या जो पूछे कोई हम से मीर

Maanu chacha(Humanyun Zafar Zaidi)passed away the dawn after Diwali. I had met him twice. Once when he stopped over in Chandigarh with his family, en route from Shimla to Delhi. And second, when he came to visit Baba after the femur fracture fiasco. All I remember of the first meeting was that our terrace was completely lined with wet clothes the night the Zaidi clan arrived. And that his sons broke quite a few knobs in our house, across product categories with aplomb. The second meeting was more sober, and I recall reciting Iqbal's Shikwa and receiving appreciation.
We went for his चालीसवें की मजलिस yesterday. One of the best I have ever attended. Meer intertwined with Khayyam, Saadi and Sura-e-Ya.Sin. Kosher-ly sinful. I also found out that chacha was a shaayar himself -
मैं बात करता रहूँगा नए ज़माने की,
मेरे मिज़ाज से पैग़म्बरी न जायेगी |

It was a day well spent. And I'm back on desk thoroughly infatuated. Meer it is.


फ़कीराना आये सदा कर चले
मियां ख़ुश रहो हम दुआ कर चले |

जो तुझ बिन ना जीने को कहते थे हम
सो इस अहद को अब वफ़ा कर चले |