Urdu – Short Stories | Fish-eye Perspective

Random Thoughts

Humsaya | Urdu | Poetry

Posted on Sep 13, 2025Sep 13, 2025 by Shaily Agrawal

Pur-yaqiin thi joh aa gayi tere jahaan me,

Is jahaan ko par mera yaqiin na hua.

Baithi hu ab waapasi ke intezar me,

Pas-e-aaina par koi mutaqiin na hua.

Translation:

Trusting, I entered your world;

Your world but did not believe me.

Wait in front of the mirror I must;

For no one trusting to pull me within.

Author’s note: Urdu poetry is usually a bit obscure, often containing meaning that isn’t on the surface. Here, the piece dwells on the concept of how everyone sees one’s outer-shell in front of the mirror, but behind the mirror, the true-self is trying to break out.

So, when a true-self manages to show herself, the world doesn’t believe her to be real, telling her that she must control herself as before. And now that she wishes to go back behind the mirror, the mirror doesn’t trust her to allow her to return.

Poetry

Yakeenan | Urdu Poetry

Posted on Sep 6, 2025Sep 6, 2025 by Shaily Agrawal

Ye Waqt yakeenan meri saut hai.

Tere aane aur chale jane ke beech

Jo mauhalat hai,

Ek lamha hai;

Tere ja kar wapas aane ke darmiyan

Jo fasla hai,

Ek zindagi hai;

Tere ja kar laut ke na aane ka dar

Har pal maut hai.

Ye Waqt bazaahir meri saut hai.

Translation:

Waqt: Time

Saut: A merciless co-wife (translated as rival here since it clarifies the intent)

Time is a ruthless rival.

A second’s respite once you arrive

And then you leave.

A lifetime stretches when you leave…

Until you arrive.

Every moment wondering if you’ll return

To me is death.

Time is a ruthless rival.

Poetry

Mulaqaat | Sher | Urdu poetry

Posted on Aug 22, 2025Aug 22, 2025 by Shaily Agrawal

Milti nahi thi ghadiya jinhe ashique se milne ke liye,

Rote hain ghanto se wahi intezar me dafeene ke liye.

…

In rukhsar ke moti kafan pe chamak chhod jayenge.

Chali ja! Zamaana haazir hai ilzam dene ke liye.

Translation:

Who couldn’t find seconds for love,

Is here crying for hours at my funeral.

…

Pearls from your cheeks will leave a sheen on my shroud.

Go away! For the world will see it and blame you aloud.

Author’s note: Sher in Urdu poetry is a couplet with a central idea that can standalone as a separate piece.

It also requires a certain word balance, somewhat like syllables in English poetry but much more complicated since each letter has its own weight. It is clearly outside my range of abilities. 😊 I just try to balance syllables where I can.

Fiction

Gard | Urdu | Sher | Poetry

Posted on Nov 25, 2024 by Shaily Agrawal

Sara jahaan jab gard me lipta hua lagne lage,

Sheeshe khidkiyo ke saaf kar lena durust hai.

Translation (Not word-by-word):

When bleak, bleary, blurred world

is blanketing in dirt

(one friend at a time),

high time someone

cleaned the windows.

Author’s note: An Urdu Sher is a couplet that deep dives into a single topic within two lines. A conventional Sher must be rhymed with specific word weight (this one is not) but it is not necessary. The theme can vary from society to love to faith and everything else under the sun.

Poetry