My Encounter With Ghalib

"Poochte hai vo ke Ghalib kaun hai? Koi humein batlao ke hum batlaye kya?"

During a very unexpected visit to Jashn-E-Rekhta, upon being compelled by a friend to come along, I heard these words from one of my favorite comedian Zakir Khan as he was talking about his favorite poets and poetries. These words instantly caught my attention. I couldn't help but wonder how deep these words are and what must Ghalib be going through before he said something like this.

This small encounter was life changing. After buying some very artsy diaries and wall decors from the stalls at Jashn-E-Rekhta, we decided to treat ourselves with some kebabs which were mouthwatering. But all of this wasn't enough to distract me from Mirza Ghalib and his world of mesmerizing shayaris.

After a long drive back home, I quickly changed and started reading about Ghalib on the internet. After reading almost everything there was on the Internet, my interest kept growing swiftly. I decided to order a book of his shayaris, since his philosophy of life felt so relatable. For the first time in my life, it felt like someone truly understood the way I saw this world. This feeling was so fulfilling!

"Ishq ne Ghalib nikamma kardiya, Varna hum bhi aadmi theyy kaam ke."

The way Ghalib talks about love and heartbreaks has always been praised by everyone. But it isn't for everyone to understand. One can only truly understand these feelings when one goes through something of such high magnitude. Little did I know, life is a journey full of heartbreaks.

Growing up, we're never taught to reasonably expect things. We usually end up expecting too much. This behavior of ours leads to heartbreaks. Ghalib's words are like the pleasant feeling you get when sitting under a tree on a hot sunny day.

Reading his work feels like someone is holding your hand in this world full of evil and guiding you through it. The feeling is comforting!

"Mujhse kehti hai sadaa tere satah rahungi Ghalib. Bohot pyaar karti hai mujhse udaasi meri."

The way Ghalib describes a feeling, it makes me wonder how deeply he'd have been feeling things. His work still holds so much relevance. It is timeless!

As I keep reading his work and more about it, I feel more and more connected to him.