Laila Majnu and other shorts

1.
When she saw the sea, she was appalled
Shouldn't the waves be covered in a veil



2.
Oh
If only, I could afford a Kiyonabu-Shakaru print
Instead of a cheap kimono
And miniature tea cups
From the duty free


3.
Seeing the empty bed on her left side
Makes her weep
Now, the soiled sheets need to be sent to the dhobhi


4.
Dear PM
Please begin your next speech
From the Red Fort
With a qawwali
To the accompaniment of a pakhawaj


5.
The season of cherry came
Petals, all fallen
No time to complete the woodblock
The paint refuses to dry


6.
The handwriting expert
In Chotti Bazaar
Worries what binary codes will do to his profession


7.
When Qays was prevented to marry Laila
He wrote distichs, and wandered the streets of the walled city
One day, someone called the naked Qays, a Majnu
That's how the first chapter of Laila-Majnu was born