Friday, 21 March 2014

The Pen has Dried


Khushwant—The Pen has Dried


1915-2014

                This is an ode to Khushwant
            Who fearlessly aired his vent

Through his pen which was mightier than the proverbial sword
His masthead column ’With Malice...’ touched many a chord

            His simple English coupled with Urdu verse
            Made an impact on readers across the universe

From provocative articles to authentic works of history
Supporter of the Emergency to a revealing autobiography

            He was a master writer in his own way
            And did not spare anybody come what may

He personally replied to all the letters he received by mail
Those hand written letters and post cards tell its own tale

            He played a game of tennis till in his eighties
            And enjoyed the crossword well into his nineties

He loved his daily peg of whisky
As much as his pen and the diary

            It was he who turned it around-- The Illustrated Weekly of India
            When Mario’s  creative ‘Sardar in a bulb’ stormed the print media

To date it has remained one of the most syndicated columns
Printed in newspapers and magazines across various regions



            His sense of humour needs special mention
            With his Joke Books running into multiple editions

In his death, his well wishers and admirers may not have cried
But they are deeply saddened that ‘the pen’ has forever dried!

            May God rest his soul in Peace.

-         Ghumakkad Harsh
Secunderabad

21st March 2014
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