Ishtiaaq

For the benefit of those who are not familiar with Urdu (like me), Ishtiaaq means a longing, a craving, a desire. I have been thinking of doing something like this for quiet some time now. During the last few years, I have come across such literary material (in English, Hindi and Urdu), that it has almost swept me from my feet more than once. I have admired the finesse with which the most eloquent minds express themselves. I have been floored by the exact, almost incisive observations of those piercing eyes. I have loved the spiritual trance with which the words written by such geniuses dance and sway. I have felt small, almost insignificant, in the presence of the soulful music which takes shape from the myriad combinations of amazingly beautiful words. I have longed for even a fraction of such a talent. I have pined for their ability of seeing beauty in sadness. It has been a lifelong Ishtiaaq. This blog, in my small way, is a tribute to such transcendental beauty.