Marketplace Sad'r City

Marketplace Sad'r City
at the busy intersection
the mother in black chador
clasping the hands of a child
with baleful eyes and shy smile
a ragged doll pressed to her bosom
cacophony of the bazaar
a car, like any other car
one moment and a cascading
inferno raining mayhem next
people shouting, cursing His name
running in every direction
stunned, felt something hit my foot
it was a small hand clasping
another hand very tightly

sad'r bazaar
ik na bhoolnay wali muskurahat
khail rahi thee oos ma'som kay labaouN per
ik haath maiN maaN ka haath, doosray may ik guRRiya
achanak hu'a ik dhamaka aur phaila
her soo' dhuwaaN, sho'lay aur aah o pukaar
is afra-tafri may paire m'ra jo takraya
tou dekhay do haath - aik chota aik baRa haath