The end of an affair leads to 62 ghazals for one sufferer

Hyder launches his new book ‘Wehshaton mein Gum’.

KARACHI: The most magnificent poetry often emanates from the greatest misery and Shakeel Hyder, whose perfect life was suddenly shattered by an affair, has something to offer via this thorny journey. 

The launch of Hyder’s book, ‘Wehshaton mein Gum’ (Engulfed in Melancholies), was held at the Jasmine Hall of the Beach Luxury Hotel on November 4. The book is a collection of 62 ‘ghazals’ that he has penned over the past three years. Inside the hall, a number of collages prepared by the poet himself were set up to add visual aesthetics to the verse.

Hyder told the audience that the first 37 years of life were wonderful, with loving parents, an attractive, caring wife and three beautiful children. He was an architect whose expertise elevated him to the upper crust of society.

Despite this, he was afflicted with a periodic but undying sense of emptiness. All of this changed after a short and impulsive affair. The encounter not only introduced him to the pain of heartbreak, but also triggered the artist inside him to pour out his feelings in the form of poetry.

“I count this as a distinct experience of self-fulfillment,” Hyder told the audience. “My wife comforted and supported me every step of the way as a friend and a confidante.”

Through a metaphor, Hyder explained how misery can emancipate poetry that lies latent within us. “A piece of land that appears to be barren but is actually capable of yielding crops looks helplessly towards the sky. It yearns for a beloved to sow the seeds by tearing its chest so that it can manifest its creation above the surface.”

The following verse penned by him describes his state of mind before the encounter:

Garche dil hamara nahin wehshaton mein gum

Aankhen magar hamesha rahen wehshaton mein gum

[‘Though my heart is not engulfed in melancholies yet, my eyes have been yearning for them for ages’]

Barrister Aitezaz Ahsan, who was the chief guest, found another dimension in Hyder’s poetry. “All the qualms and pessimism in Hyder’s poetry initially sprang from his personal experience but once he became acquainted with sorrow, his domain broadened towards the state of the society in which he was raised.”

Poet Manzar Ayubi appreciated Hyder’s unconventional poetic diction or choice of words that makes him unique among the new generation.

“Hyder takes ideas from conventional Urdu poetry and lets them speak in what I’d call modern language,” he remarked. The book was designed by Hyder himself and was published by Roots Media International. It is currently available at the Welcome Book Port in Main Urdu Bazaar at a price of Rs200.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 7^th,  2011.

Correction: An earlier version of the story had incorrectly named 'Shakeel Hyder' as 'Rizwan Hyder'. The error has been rectified.