Babul moseNaaharchoota jaye, I read these streaks few months back, in a story book published by Katha Publication, Delhi. Book was actually written for the children and I bought it for my four year old daughter. And these lines were written in the back page, where the book actually ends.
Meanwhile soon I forgot these lines as so many things we instantly forget just to secure two times meal and something that we call maintain a life standards. Last week I was in Lucknow, I reached there early morning, took a not very expensive hotel and slept for almost two hours in morning. At around eleven in morning I had a meeting with a bookseller at Hazrat ganj, one of the oldest markets in Luck now. It was sultry weather and I was perspiringbadly, as I finish meeting it starts drizzling and then a quick rain outburst. As to dodge being wet I looked around, on both side of roads there were shops: bookshops, grocery, cloths, and ornaments shops. I was looking for a shelter then suddenly in a shop nearby, or around I hear these lines:babulmoseneharchootajaye re in a female voice with a thumri. The voice was mesmerising, I stood there near a shadow of a shop and listened carefully the lines.
At evening I had free time, the shower has stopped, and I had no further schedules. So I thought to have a walk in city. I called to one of my old friend, Mishra, who is a residential representative of a big publication house in Lucknow. He came half an hour later on a bike and we went to charbagh, Ameenabad, Gomtinagar and many other historical places. As we were walking in a park at Begum Hazratmahal I told him about those lines that first I read in a book then listen as a Thumri at Hazratganj.ThenMisra told me an historical story.
He said that he does not know what is the origin or exact origin of this poem, but as far as he knows, it was actually written by Nawabwajidalishah, the last Nawab of Awadh. It was the time when Lucknow was known for art, culture, food, garden and Music. Nawab himself was a big music lover, and he was the one who Introduced Kathakdance in utterpradesh. In spite of these qualities Nawab was little bit lazy and spent lavishly on his hobbies. So he was in debt to East India company. East India Company knew his weakness, and once when debt became enormous high company attacked the Lucknow and Nawab was dethroned. So it was when Nawab was taken to Kolkota he wrote this poem.
I liked the story, who knows it was a real story, as Nawab was taken out, or ferrying the Gomtiriver as a prisonor of company. I don’t know and I imagined about the players of chess, a story written by MunshiPremchand and later cinematic adapted by Satyajit ray, in which Miyanmeer and Mirja were so engrossed in their game of chess, near a ravines at river, as both watched silently Nawabwazidali shah taken out as prisoner by east India company.
Lucknow is full of such stories, the story of of a courtseonUmroajan written by MirzaRusva and a Hasim shop which was mentioned in a story, selling the foreign goods, when Mahatma Gandhi revolutionised khaddar in India.
Well all these are a past and I am travelling back to Delhi in a second class compartment of a train. Train is speeding fast and lucknow is behind. Next stop is Kanpur we will cross the Ganga river then heading to north to Delhi. There are few people in compartment discussing about the foreign direct Investment in retail sector, their fear their anxieties for unemployment, for price rising, increasing in dieasal price. One young boy said Wal-Martsells everything from needle to Aeroplane under one roof. Sooner I felt disinterested, disengaged as no one had invited me to participate in debate. I looked outside, trees looking fresh after a heavy shower and I murmured- Babul moseNeharchootajaye re.
