№ MMXXVI

RACHNA · A LIVING ARCHIVE

Rachna by M.

Loading the archive

MM · XXVI

Canvas
Draupadi Vastraharan

Hasya

जन्नत का नज़ारा

Jannat Ka Nazara

Pratibha Saxena
1 min read 2 versesव्यंग्यsatirepatriarchy

2 verses · ~1 min

बहत्तर कुआँरियाँ एक आदमी के लिये! वाह क्या बात है! यह है जन्नत का नज़ारा! यहाँ तो चार पर ही मन मार कर रह जाना पड़ता है , और वे चारों भी समय के साथ , कितनों की माँ बन-बन कर हो जाती हैं रूढ़ी, पुरानी ,

अल्लाह की रहमत! बहत्तर कुआँरियां , हमेशा जवान रहेंगी ,हर समय तुम्हारा मुँह देखेंगी ,राह तकेंगी! न माँ ,न बहन ,न बेटी , ये सब फ़लतू के रूप हैं औरत के! सामने न आयें! बस बहत्तर कुआँरियाँ और दिन रात भोग-विलास! और हमें क्या चाहिये! अल्लाह को ख़ुश करने के लिये , सैकड़ों की मौत बने हमारे शरीर के चाहे चीथड़े उड़ जायें , बस, बहत्तर कुआँरियाँ हमें मिल जायें!

इति

Pratibha Saxena

The Poet

प्रतिभा सक्सेना

Pratibha Saxena

Dr. Pratibha Saxena holds a distinct and vital place in contemporary Hindi literature. Her work connects the rigorous intellectual demands of academia with the sensitive realities of human relationships. Born on February 9, 1938, in Madhya Pradesh, her life path took her from the lecture halls of Kanpur, where she worked as an educator, to a diasporic existence in the United States. This geographical shift is highly visible in her diverse literary output, which includes poetry, short stories, and satire. In collections like Uttar Katha and Seema Ke Bandhan, she examines the modern domestic sphere. She highlights the subtle constraints placed upon women and the shifting dynamics of family life with deep psychological insight. Her language carries a quiet and confident thoughtfulness that never shouts but still commands complete attention. Saxena has spent decades enriching Hindi literature, demonstrating that a writer can remain deeply rooted in their native culture while living far from home.

Draupadi Vastraharan

Paired Painting

Draupadi Vastraharan

Open the viewer →

If this held you

Four more, in the same key.

Chosen for their rasa and their register, not their popularity. Each one carries some part of what Jannat Ka Nazara carries.