Meri hi Akshamata

(Hindi translation of a Bengali poem written by my mom)

Tum log kaun ho? tum log kaun ho?
sajaye hue ghar ko kar rahe ho tahas-nahas
safed kaleen ko rang rahe ho laal lahoo se
Asmaan ko bhar rahe ho barood ke dhuyen se
jala ke rakh kar rahe ho is prithvi ko

Imran, tumhari awaaz mein maine suna hain
meri santan ki awaaz
Jee chah raha tha pyaar se
seene se laga lun tumhe
Bolun, Doshi tum nahi...doshi tum nahi
Dosh unka hain, jinhone nahi diya tumhe
ek swasth parivesh,
jinhone vanchit kiya tumhe
phool ke rang ko sarahne se, panchiyon ke geet sunne se
Jinhone parichit nahi karaya tumhe is prithvi se
Anubhav karna nahi sikhaya, ek safed kabootar ko chhoone ka sukh.
Doshi tum nahi...doshi tum nahi
Isliye, itna kuch hone ke baad bhi,
jee chah raha hain dekhne ko tumhara nispandh chehra
Dard se phat rahi hain maa ki chhaati
Haar gayi, main haar gayi
Ye meri hi akshamata
Main nahi bana saki tumhe ek suljha hua insaan.

- Anita Kathuria
(very crudely translated by Payel Kathuria)

(My thoughts on the Mumbai terror attack of 26/11 . Glued to the
television screen, hands folded in prayer, as I watched helplessly for
days...when I heard Imran Babar's(a terrorist holed up at Nariman House
in Mumbai) conversation with a reporter, all I could do was put my pen
to paper.)
** Sharing a poem my mom wrote about the Mumbai terror attack of 26/11/2008