A Wish

I thought only of my pain
and forgot yours and hers;
were our days of joy feigned?
were they real, those early fears?

     It was different two years ago,
     when sheltered by golden-showered wall
     we drank tea amidst petunias
     at that peculiar servants' ball.

          And then I went to see her in disguise,
          through the front door of Hotel Pearl
          and to my tail's utter surprise
          out of the back door in a whirl!

               In Jam Saheb's Sindhi baroque house
               all stained glass and coloured tile,
               we talked of wars we had fought
               and the General's wily guile.

                    Then while Begum Akhtar belted out,
                    'yeh na thi hamari kismat'
                    I unravelled byzantine tales
                    of intrigue and cruel secrets.

                         And two years later, on the same day,
                         this is my wish for you
                         may 'she' keep you in love and care
                         like someone else you knew;
                         and may your grace also shine
                         upon my ancient twisted one,
                         whose tears can be borne no more
                         by a broken-hearted son.

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