This Independence Day, a reader from Bombay imagines, what if an Indian soldier and a Pakistani ranger come face-to-face on the Line of Control where they rap about their respective countries.
A Pakistani Ranger says
Hum hai azaad Pakistan ke sipahi,
Border pe bhi saath hota hai illahi.
Jinnah Saab ne banaya Pakistan,
Mulk ki chahat mai awaam kurbaan.
Shayaron aur nazmon ka hai ghar,
Dil ko music jaaye choo kar.
Yaha pe Pashto hai, yaha pe Baloch hai,
Duniya ko badal dene ki soch hai.
Khoobsurati hai pahaadon aur dariyaaon mai yahan,
Waisi hi awaam, ka mulk hai ye jahaan.
And the Indian jawaan replies...
Hum hai Indian Army ke jawaan,
Ye Bharat ka tirangaa hai humaari pehchaan.
Bharat humara hai bada vishal,
Kisaan kheton mai yaha kare kamaal.
Wo traffic ka shor, woh garmi ki dhoop,
Yaha ek bhagwan ke kahi hai roop.
Science se lekar khel mai hum aage,
Border ke us paar padosi zara jage,
Mars tak pohach gaye hum Kashmir kya Cheez hai.
Dushman ko bhi hum kheer khila de itni tameez hai.
Eye-to-eye, a Jugalbandi starts between the two
Pakistani Ranger: Humara hai Karachi, Lahore aur Multan.
Indian Solider: Humara hai Mumbai, Delhi aur Rajasthan.
Pakistani Ranger: Aa jao Lahore tumko Punjabi lassi pila de!
Indian Solider: Aa jao Chandigarh tumko Punjabi lassi pila de!
Pakistani Ranger: Peshawar aaja mere bhai, doon tujko ko kabab kar ke fry
Indian Solider: Lucknow sheher mai hai nawaab,
Aaja khilaunga tujhe behtar kabab.
Pakistani Ranger: Hai shaan se khada Minaar- e- Pakistan.
Indian Solider: Taj Mahal ko dekhne log aye Hindustan.
Indian Solider: Hai Kashmir humaare paas,
Pakistani Ranger: Hai Kashmir humaara bhi khaas
A pause... on either side of the border, the two soldiers realised they have much in common
Indian Solider: Jab dono hai ek jaise.
Pakistani Ranger: Toh dushman bane kaise?
Pakistani Ranger: Hum dono kyon lade,
Indian Solider: Dushman kyon itne bade?
Indian Solider: Hindustan mai bhi puri kare Allah bande ki muraad.
Pakistani Ranger: Pakistan mai bhi milta hai Mata ka prasaad.
Indian Solider: Beech hai sirf ye ek taar,
Rehta hai koi mere jaisa us paar
Pakistani Ranger: Hum 14 ko manaye tum 15 ko,
Dono desh hamesha azaad ho!!
(This article was sent to The Quint by Saad Khan for our Independence Day campaign, BOL – Love your Bhasha. Saad is a Mumbai-based aspiring screenwriter and poet.
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