On the idiomatic grammar of expressions, see 191,8 . The verse begins with a brief report from the lover. The beloved 'considers it a game'. (On the usage of , see 90,3 .) But what is it that she considers a game? Apparently something delightful, since the lover greatly fears that she might tire of it, or might forget about it. In mushairah -verse style, the verse is careful not to tell us in the first line, so that we must remain curious until (after a suitable delay) we're allowed to hear the second line. Even then, the nature of the game-- its consisting of 'torment'-- is not revealed until the last possible moment. Far from lamenting this 'torment' (see the definition above), the lover longs only for it to be guaranteed to continue. After all, anything is better than being ignored by her (as we're reminded in 148,2 ). s so often, we're also back to the basic pain-equals-pleasure paradox that lies at the heart of the ghazal world; for more on this, see 17,7 . The second line of the verse reveals a simpler form of the same wordplay as that of the previous verse, 191,2 . Instead of we have only ; but in the immediate aftermath of the previous verse and the astonishingly complex second line of the first verse, even this much sound-play and script-play still resonates enjoyably. (On the grammar of , see 191,02 .) Bekhud Mohani approvingly cites Shaukat's alternative reading of the first line, which is apparently one of fear on the beloved's part: 'She has considered it [=the lover's devotion] a game [on his part]-- [she thinks,] "May he not forget, may he not leave off!"'. But even apart from the highly un-beloved-like behavior that it envisions, this reading doesn't seem to offer any real connection with the second line, so it hardly seems sustainable. graphics/hypnotictorment.jpg