Word Meaning
जवाब
Jawaab
Meaning
An answer, reply, or response; also a match or dismissal.
Detailed Meaning
In Urdu poetry, 'jawaab' primarily denotes a spoken response or an answer to a lover's yearning. In this couplet, it represents the bare minimum interaction begged of the beloved; if a kiss is denied, even a vocal refusal is welcomed just to see the movement of their lips. It also frequently bears the secondary sense of a match, equal, or counterstroke.
Etymology
Arabic origin, from the triconsonantal root j-w-b (ج و ب), denoting to respond, answer, or traverse.
Usage
In ghazal tradition, the lover's anticipation of a 'jawaab'—whether to an oral plea or a dispatched letter—serves as a central motif of painful suspense.
Examples
Even a harsh reply is sweeter than complete silence.
Awaiting a reply that was never destined to come.