Ilahi

And sometimes, when the wind carried the smell of saffron and rain, people swore they could hear, beneath the city, the slow counting of a clock keeping all the small things that make us human: regrets mended into lessons, apologies rolled like coins into pockets, and the steady, gentle metronome of thank.

In South Asian music, particularly Qawwali, songs often begin or feature the refrain "Ilahi," invoking God's presence and seeking spiritual enlightenment. And sometimes, when the wind carried the smell

At its core, is derived from the Arabic word Ilāh (God), combined with the possessive suffix -i (my). It is a heartfelt cry, a direct address used in prayer: people swore they could hear