After such a long time

Today, I had to visit the campus for some reason and there were hardly any people around. A class-mate of mine was accompanying me. After our research meeting we went to the canteen to have tea. We sat right in front of the main-library stairs and talked endlessly about various things in life. People, relationships, university, du'as and what not! Then we both got up and started walking towards the parking lot. It was officially her last day at the university. And while walking, both of us continuously reflected on the passage of time and shared our views with each other on the topic. Wasn't it eerie how moments just elapsed. Never to return. Where were those steps that we had just taken, when we began our walk from the canteen to the parking lot. My friend said, "it was scary!" Indeed it is. I smiled at her remark and for some unknown reason said, "Derrida wasn't really a fool, after all!" And both of us started laughing. We stayed quiet for a few more moments and then again I broke the silence saying: "S, you know ,it all eventually boils down to one thing. Nothing is here to stay! Let me recite you a couplet by a Sufi,

Yeh aalam aish-o-ishrat ka, yeh dunya kaif-o-masti ki
Buland apna takhayyul kar, yeh baatein sabb hain pasti ki
Jahaan darasal hai veeraana, go suurat hai yeh basti ki
Keh bass itni haqeeqat hai faraib-e-khwab-e-hasti ki

Yeh aankhain band hon, aur aadmi afsaana ho jaye!"

(Khwaja Azizul Hasan Majzuub)

And I was amazed when I listened to myself reciting, this couplet to her. I was repeating it to myself after such a long time... It felt as if it had come back to me after ages.