In the spring of 2011, I found myself in the city of Dushanbe, among people whose language carried a familiar melody. At a literary gathering, I narrated the romantic tale of ‘Layla and Majnun’ by Nezami. When the ancient Persian words flowed from my tongue, the smiles of the audience bore witness to an unbreakable cultural bond. There, I realized that stories, like roaring rivers, transcend geographical boundaries and keep our collective memory alive. Whether in the form of a simple “ghazal” or a resonant epic, these narratives find a home in hearts and leave behind an eternal legacy. With each story, we honour this shared heritage.
