Khdiki || a Hindi poem | खिड़की || हिन्दी कविता |
One evening in September 2021, my artist friend Snehal Ekbote and I found ourselves deep in conversation about our respective art forms. She had been working on a mesmerizing series of acrylic paintings on canvas, crafted with intricate dots and dashes. One particular piece struck a chord within me. Inspired by her artwork, I penned a poem—our very first artistic collaboration.
What began as a spontaneous exchange of creativity soon evolved into something more. On a whim, we decided to merge our artistic expressions into a desk calendar for 2022. And just like that, रेखांकित शब्दांकित २०२२ was born. What started as a single project soon became an annual tradition. Now, in 2025, we proudly celebrate our fourth consecutive year of collaboration. Each year, we explored new themes. Snehal experimented with colors and forms. I delved into diverse subjects and poetic structures, from free verse to Haiku and चारोळी (four-liners)
This particular creation holds a special place in my heart. One of her paintings was so evocative that I couldn’t resist capturing its essence in a free verse poem. I am sharing it today as part of a blogging challenge hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla. Originally written in Marathi, I have translated it into Hindi to reach a wider audience.
मराठी कविता
हो, सवयच लागलीये आम्हाला
सारं सारं काही त्या एका खिडकीतून पहायची.
दिवसभराचं कामाचं ओझं मानेवरून उतरवून,
जेव्हा आम्ही आमच्या चार भिंतींमध्ये स्वतःला बंद करून घेतो.
तेव्हा आमच्यासमोर संपूर्ण विश्व उभं असतं या खिडकीमध्ये.
अगदी छोट्या ५-६ इंची झरोक्यापासून ते भिंतभर पसरलेली मोठ्ठी फ्रेंच विंडो!
हे सारे पर्याय आम्ही खिशाला खार लावून घेतले आहेतच.
दिवसभराचा शिणवटा घालवण्यासाठी चहा कॉफी,
सोबतीला दोन चार बिस्किट्स…
आणि हो, जर हिचा मूड चांगला असेल,
तर पोहे उपमा किंवा तत्सम काहीतरी…
या साऱ्याची जमवाजमव होऊन खिडकीपाशी जोडीनं बैठक पडते,
पण, बऱ्याचदा एकट्यानेच…
खिडकीतून दिसणारी भकास सिमेंट काँक्रीट ची जंगल बघण्यात तिला रस नसतो, आणि तिचं बहारदार जग मला रुचत नसतं……
~~~
आदित्य साठे
३०/०८/२०२१
हिन्दी अनुवाद
हा, हमे अब आदत सी हो गई है,
सब कुछ उसी एक खिड़की से देखने की।
दिन भर के कामों का बोझा पीठ से उतार के,
जब हम अपने आप को, बंद कर लेते है उन चार दीवारों में।
तो उसी खिड़की में हमारे लिए खुला तैयार होता है सारा जहां।
बेहद छोटे ५ बाय ६ के झरोखें से लेकर एक पूरी दीवार बने इतनी बड़ी फ्रेंच विंडो तक!
सारे विकल्प हमने अपनी खुद की जेबें काट कर खरीदे है।
दिनभर की थकान मिटाने के लिए, चाय कॉफ़ी और साथ ने दो चार बिस्कुट,
और हा, अगर श्रीमती जी का मूड बढ़िया हो, तो कुछ समोसे कचौरी भी…
ये सारी सामग्री जमा कर जोड़े से बैठ जाते है हम खिड़की में।
पर, ज़्यादातर अकेले ही…
खिड़की से देखने वाला उदास कॉन्क्रीट का जंगल देखने में उसे कोई दिलचस्पी नहीं है,
और उसकी खिलखिलाती दुनिया मुझे रास नहीं आती…
~~~
आदित्य साठे
१७/०२/२०२५
This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla.
Read more of my poems here.
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Kya jugalbandi hai! A collaboration between a painter and a poet!!! Giving words to paintings is truly innovative. The poem is so heartfelt! Thank you for the Hindi translation.
It’s amazing how a simple conversation led to something so meaningful and lasting. The blend of poetry and painting feels like a perfect harmony of expression. Loved the imagery in the poem—especially how the window becomes a whole world in itself. Looking forward to seeing more of your creative work. Very well penned.
This is such a beautiful reflection on how a simple window can hold so many different perspectives. The way you captured the contrast between two worlds is truly thought-provoking. I love the depth of emotion in this poem, feels like a glimpse into the heart of both the writer and the window!
Aditya, please don’t mind my saying so , but I enjoyed the poem”Khidki” in marathi more than its translation in Hindi , even though I am not great at understanding marathi word by word.I can’t pinpoint the reason either.
Beautifully composed and very evocative. How urban people are confined to that window or balcony to feel some connect with our surrounding.
Loved your idea of the spontaneous collaboration for a desktop calendar too. The illustration is equally mind blowing.
I wouldn’t mind it at all. Many times, poetic charm is lost in translation. Original poem is most of the times spontaneous.
Nostalgia… लहानपणी माझी एक खिडकी होती. जिथं बसून मी अभ्यास, खेळ, जेवण केले तेही त्याच खिडकीतून बाहेर बघत 😊 त्याच खिडकीतून मित्र मैत्रीनि खेळायला हाक मारत असे. तुम्ही अगदी खूप छान टिपले adult मनोगत. खिडकी खूपच छान
What a lovely collaboration! Where can we get to see it, other than the lovely poem! The poem quite captures today’s lifestyle.
Simplicity is at the core of beauty! A simple window, and the thoughts that flow reek of wonder and magic! Chai, biscuit, pakoras to boot, and I am in a world of bliss! You’ve set the tone for my day with your poem as I seek a peek into simple joys of life.
The way you described Khidki as more than just a window but a gateway to emotions, memories, and reflections was so beautifully done. It made me pause and think about how often we overlook such simple yet profound elements in our daily lives.
When we were young, we lived in a joint family. Each family had their room. Ours had a window in which we (child/children)could sit. Somehow my grandfather built it that way. Everyday after school, for about an hour, I would sit on that window space and just watch…such a variety of sights of neighbors, walkers, elder and young, happiness, sorrows, fights–I’ve seen it all from that space. Your poem took me back to that place….it brought tears to my eyes. Thank you.
I am glad that I was able to make you tap into your memories!
We need to talk about this, Aditya. The movie Bangalore Days had a similar expression and it has stuck with me. It’s always the perspective!
Now I am intrigued by Banglore Days! I will watch it soon.
Life through a window is a great boost for creativity for sure! And such different perceptions! Congratulations on your initiative and collaboration! So amazing!
Oh wow this collaboration seems to be an interesting one. I’m sorry but I don’t know Hindi only understood that it’s about window.