Quote by Mirza Ghalib: “Love is not to be forced, it is a fire. It cannot be lit at will, nor extinguished.”

This quote describes love as an uncontrollable, elemental force. It suggests that genuine affection arises spontaneously and cannot be commanded or suppressed by rational will, much like a natural fire that follows its own course.

From one of Ghalib's renowned ghazals, published in his 'Divan-e Ghalib.' This period saw Urdu poetry flourishing under the patronage of the Mughal court, even as its power waned, leading to rich philosophical and romantic expressions.

The preeminent Urdu and Persian poet of the Mughal twilight era, born in Agra in 1797. His ghazals explored desire, loss, and mysticism with unmatched linguistic sophistication, and his work remains the cornerstone of the Urdu literary canon.