Game of Chess- The Shiraz, The END!
By Asrar Chowdhury

Oh Khoda, did you ever tell me what I had?
The echoes of yesterday we once had

The Gul Bahar blossomed and fell as she pleased
The perfume still makes you feel like a lad

Gone are the days--let them rest in peace
There are many without love and not glad

Mem'ries linger of civilisations-- come and gone
The journeys we took, though were not bad

If this was to be 'The' Game of Chess
My 'Reds' have written the couplets on this silk pad

Give me some Persian Shiraz, and then some clouds
After that, even mem'ries can't make me mad

Oh, what a strange life Asrar's has been
Alone, but not lonely, sorrowful, but not sad!

-- Sometime somewhere in England

Fume, Flute and Your Feet 
By Sabreena Ahmed

I glow in your fume,

May be you don’t know at all.

A word or two—here and there,

Smells like

Incense on burning coal.

I dance to your tune,

And your fingers linger on—

Me— the flute,

When I open my lips to sing,

You’ve already changed your song!

I step on to your feet

And wish that you would stoop down,

Within a blink of eyes,

You turn to leave this town!

Sometimes it takes a minute,

Or sometimes even ages,

To realise that someone,

Somewhere, is waiting—

Till stories beget histories,

On mere yellowish pages.

The Ghost 
By Sabreena Ahmed

“Ma, I couldn’t sleep last night.”

“Why dear?”

“I dreamt the strangest dream…….

A shadow came near the mosquito net.”

“Did you get scared? Why didn’t you call me?”

“I thought you were too tired Ma,

So I didn’t bother you”.

“What did the shadow tell you?”

“I……., don’t remember.

I guess it was a ghost.

A ghost in a human form.

Just like the story I’d read a few days ago”.

“There is nothing called GHOST my daughter.

Trust me!”

“But Ma, it was real!

It played with my fingers,

Just as I used to play in the childhood.”

“Didn’t you forbid it to bother you?”

“No, Ma, but it played with me for a long time.

And just before dawn, it disappeared.”

“It was just a dream. Don’t think about it so much.

Look, I have bought a new doll for you!”

“Thanks Ma! I am so happy!

 It’s just the one I wanted.

Oh! Ma, I forgot to tell you!”

“What did you forget to tell me?”

“That shadow smelt very familiar to me.

In the moonlight coming through the window;

It looked just like Pa!”