Day 22

"Toay" (तोय) is the twenty-second alphabet. This is a letter with a dental T sound. Rather like "toy" except that the T is soft and the O in "oy" is more like the one in "go" than in "joy". 

Here is how it looks in its detached, initial, medial and final position: 

The word I've picked is one that we all love: "khat" ख़त which means letter, which is a beloved form of communication for me. 

And here is my attempt at writing the word "khat" which contains the harf "toay": 

The idea of letters is one that engages the sub-continental imagination in a big way. For a culture where the free mingling of the two sexes is even today not all that easy, letters form a wonderful, poetic, romantic connect between people. And who better to espouse their cause than the great Mirza Ghalib himself. 

Here's a selection of his sh'ers on the matter of letters. Apologies for those who do not understand Urdu, the cultural context of this poetry is so unique and layered, that it would be impossible to translate into any language on earth. 

Magar likhwaaye koii usko Khat to humse likhwaaye

huyi subah aur ghar se kaan par rakh kar qalam nikale

~

Gair phirta hai liye yuun tere Khat ko ki agar 

koii puchhe ki ye kya hai to chhupaaye na bane

~

Deke Khat munh dekhata hai naamabar

kuchh to paigham-e-zubaani aur hai

~

Ho liye kyo.n naamabar ke saath saath

ya Rab, apne Khat ko hum pahuunchayein kya

~

Qaasid ke aate aate Khat ik aur likh rahuun

main jaanata huun jo woh likhenge jawaab mein