Mosquito Music

Thanks Nikhat. Glad my poem brought back pleasant memories

Funny but interesting; It reminds me of one of the piece I read during my childhood. It was by famous Urdu storywriter for kids of our generation named Mr. Saeed Lakht. Though we read many of his stories but one of his book ‘Hafiz Jee’ which comprises of funny stories and carried many unusual characters like Hafiz Jee Mulla Pulao, Nani Takkho were simply unforgettable and for good. The statement written on the back of the book published by ‘Feeroz Sons’ truly depicts the spirit of that book, which goes like that “This book is for kids of nine to ninety years old”.
The story I am referring to was about Mosquitoes titled “Ai Hazrat Machar-r-r-r-r”. The whole piece still brings smile on my lips, (like many other stories from that cute book) whenever I go back to my home and grab the book from my kiddies section in my Dad’s library. As I am away from hometown, so I just could not write the exact excerpt but few lines from my memory are as follows.
He compared bed bugs (Khatmul) and Mosquito (machar) in his peculiar funny way.
“Aakhir khatmul bhee to hain , kitne naik, kitne shareef, kitne khuda tars. Ager kabhee kaatein to seidhe leite hoan to kerwat le leijye. Phir kaat lein to pehlo bad leijye. Phir bhee na maanein to sirhana doosree taraf ker lein. Ager is per bhee kambakht na maanein to bister choar dein, Allah allah Kheir Salla. Aur aik hain Hazrat Macharrrr, chahe chit leito, put leito,bister badlo ya karma choar jao yeh tub bhee aapka peecha naheen choarte.”
The translation would be difficult for me and may lack the flavor. Nevertheless,
Thanks a million, for bringing back the old memories of childhood and giving me chance to share the work of that wonderful kids’ storywriter of Urdu. I hope someone at chowk surely have read Mr. Saeed Lakht’s sweet stories and so they can understands and share the feeling.


Nikhat Riaz