Ajeeb Kissa Hai

Nothing stung my country this year more than some very essential human rights demands. Safety of women and the verdict on section 377 of the Indian Penal court, opened raw wounds and spread a cloud of despair and anger.

When I think of landmark judgements in history: women’s right to vote, apartheid, African-American civil rights, Indian independence, it strengthens my resolve. Change will come, there will be a tipping point and  hopefully it will happen while I am alive.

While these thoughts struggled in my head, I came across this poem by Javed Akhtar. It made me think of not when will ‘it’ happen, because I believe it will change but what happens after.

What happens after “Happily Ever After”?

Ajeeb Kissa Hai

Ajeeb kissa hai
Jab yeh duniya samaj rahi thi
Tum apni duniya mein ji rahi ho
Mein apni duniya mein ji raha hu
Toh hamne saari duniya se door
Ek duniya basayi thi
Jo ki meri bhi thi
Tumhari bhi thi
Jahan fizaaon mein
Dono ke khwab jagte the
Jahan hawaon mein
Dono ki sargoshiyan dhuli thi
Jahan ke phulon mein
Dono ki aarzu ke sab rang
Khil rahe the
Jahan pe dono ki jurrataon ke
Hazar chasme ubal rahe the
Na vasvase the na ranjo-gham the

Strange tale this is
When the world was thinking
You are living in your world
And I am living in my world
Then far away from all eyes
We made our world
Which was mine
As well as yours
Where in the breeze
Both our dreams lay awake
Where in the winds
Both our whispers were rinsed
Where within its flowers
The colour of our dreams
Were in bloom
Where the courage from within usCaused a thousand springs to bubble
Neither doubt nor sadness existed

Sukoon ka gehra ek samandar tha
Aur ham the

A deep ocean of calmness was there
And just us

Ajeeb kissa hai
Saari duniya ne
Jab yeh jaana
Ki hamne saari nigaahoan se door
Ek duniya basayi hai toh
Har ek aabaru ne jese ham par kamaan tani
Tamam peshaniyoan pe ubhri
Gham and gusse ki ghehri shikne
Kisi ke lehzhe se talkhi chalki
Kisi ki baataon mein tarshi aayi
Kisi ne chaha
Ki koyi deewar hi utha de
Kisi ne chaha
Hamari duniya hi ko mita de

Strange tale this is
The whole world
When they knew
That far from all eyes
We had created our world
Then every honour raised their bows towards us
On every forehead rose
Deep lines of sadness and anger
In some their behaviour splashed poison
In others bitterness entered their words
Some wishedTo bring down the walls
Others wished
To destroy our world all together

Magar zamane ko harana tha
Zamana hara
Yeh saari duniya ko manna hi padha
Hamare khayal ki ek si zamin hai
Hamare khwaboan ka ek jesa hi aasmaan hai
Magar purani yeh daastaan hai
Ki ham par duniya
Ab ek arse se meherbaan hai

But we had to defeat the world
The world lost
The whole world had to reckon
Our thoughts are on the same level
Our dreams like the dark blue sky
But this is an old saga
And for a long time
The world is kind to us now

Ajeeb kissa hai
Jabki duniya ne
Kab ka tasleem kar liya hai
Ham ek duniye ke rehne wale hai
Sach toh yeh hai
Tum apni duniya mein ji rahi ho
Mein apni duniya mein ji raha hu!

Strange tale this is
When the world
Has accepted us for long now
We are inhabitants of this world
But truth be told
You are living in your world
And me in mine.

I have attempted the translation, so please pardon any mis-calculation and errors. 🙂