KAR ACHI: Two graduates and now members of visiting faculty of the National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa) Fawad Khan and Nazr-UlHasan paid tribute at T2F on Wednesday evening to one of the reputed Urdu literary magazines of the country, Aaj, by reading a few poems and a story published in it.

Before the reading session, Khan introduced the audience to the magazine. He said Aaj was being published since 1981 and carried a variety of works of literature, including translations from world literature.

Performances began with Khanreading the editorial from the first edition of the magazine. Then Hasan read out a ghazal by Saghir Malal which had the following opening couplet: Khud se niklun to alag aik samaan hota hai Aur gehrai mein utrun to dhuaan hota hai [The ambience changes when I part ways with myself And when I explore its depth, I`m engulfed in a miasmic realm] Khan also recited a ghazal by Saghir Malal. A verse from it was: Saya na de saka jisey deewar ka wujud Uss ka wujud naqsh-ba-deewar ho gaya [The one to whom the wall couldn`t give shelterHis being became the writing on the wall] Then the artists read out a poem each by Zeeshan Sahil and Afzal Ahmed Syed. While the two sounded comfortable reading the nazms, it was the manner with which they recited the ghazals, especially Hasan, which left a little to be desired.

The auditory balance, that the two corresponding lines of each ghazal have, was not taken into consideration. That being said, the nazm-reading managed to create the requisite effect and elicit the right response.

The last item on the programme`s list was a story by Jeem Abbasi published in Aaj, which Khan and Hasan read. They did a decent job.