Reading at a library

Early into a reading last Sunday, poet Akhil Katyal asked his audience: “How many of you know Hindi?” Many hands shot up instantly. “And, how many of you know Urdu?” he added. This time, the number of hands was few. Amused by the response, Katyal tried to explain how the two languages were siblings, even twins: “So what do you say: ‘Mere mann mein khayal aaya’, or, ‘Mere hriday mein vichaar aaya’?” Naturally, the audience chose the former. “Well, then you know Urdu as well,” Katyal declared, commenting on how those who associate languages with religions do so only out