I had once gone to Ujjaini On the banks of the river Shipra Far far away in that land of dreams To seek the first love of my former life. She had lodhra* powder on her face A lotus she playfully held in her hand She stuck buds of kunda in her ears And kurubak flower in her hair Her slim body she dressed in red With a knot at her waist Anklets gently jingled on her feet. It was on a day in spring To find my way I had to travel long In that unknown land. In the temple of Mahakal The evening prayer bell rang The crowded roads were now empty The dusk was falling And the rooftops were glowing With the rays of setting sun. My beloved`s home On a lonely narrow serpentine street Was difficult to reach. On the door was painted A conchshell and a discus On either side of its entrance Grew two young mango trees Like two beloved sons On a white pillar at the gate The statue of a lion stood. Her pigeons had returned home And on a golden bar Her peacock had gone to sleep With a lamp in her hand My Malabika slowly came down. She descended the stairs like a goddess Holding an evening star in her hand. The scent of flowers and her body Fell on me like warm breaths Her half-slipped dress Revealed her left breast Painted in chandan paste. Seeing me my beloved Put down the lamp on the stairs And stood before me. She held my hand And silently asked with her anxious eyes, `How are you, my friend?` Looking at her I tried to reply But no words came. I had forgotten her language Both of us tried hard But failed to remember our names. Only silent tears Trickled down our eyes. Sitting under the tree We thought and thought As a bird seeks its nest at the day`s end Her hands sought mine Like a lotus bending on its stem She slowly bent her head on my breast And our warm eager breaths Silently mingled. In the darkness of night Ujjaini was lost At the gate The lamp went out In the temple On the banks of Shipra The prayers stopped.SourceThe script ran 0.001 seconds.
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