Word Meaning
वैसा
waisā
Meaning
Like that; in that manner; of that kind.
Detailed Meaning
In Urdu poetry, 'waisā' functions as a demonstrative adverb or adjective meaning 'in that manner' or 'like that'. In this couplet, it serves as the correlative pair to 'jaisā' (just as), drawing a sharp, tragic parallel between past devotion and present regret. It emphasizes that the speaker now wrings their hands in grief with the exact same intensity with which they once rubbed the beloved's feet.
Etymology
Derived from Middle Indo-Aryan, evolving from Sanskrit distal demonstrative elements blended with 'tādṛśa' / 'īdṛkśa' (of that sort) through Apabhramsha into Hindavi.
Usage
Frequently paired with 'jaisā' in ghazals to construct poetic symmetry, ironic reversals, or balanced comparisons between two emotional states.
Examples
Rubbing our hands in regret just as we once adored them.
Never again did the heart find that kind of comfort.