On a busy street in Delhi, between the clatter of plates and the chatter of customers waiting for panipuri, Harsh Bhatnagar quietly observes the world around him. 

For many people, life is about earning a livelihood and grinding through responsibilities, often burying their passions deep within. For Harsh Bhatnagar, a panipuri vendor on a busy street in Delhi, life is about doing his job while sprinkling it with two poetic lines that together form a complete meaning.

Harsh discovered his talent for writing couplets when he once tried to impress a friend at a party. With a bachelor’s degree in fine arts, he never neglected the importance of education, though it was always clear to him that he would eventually support his family business. What is fascinating is his clarity in not mixing work with passion, carefully dividing his time between the two worlds. Harsh understands the importance of earning money as well as the urge to follow the path of his soul.

“Due to the nature of my work, I can easily observe and understand people, whether someone arrives on a bicycle or in a BMW,” he says thoughtfully. “These characters inspire me to write and to pack the meaning of life into just two lines.”

Home has never been his comfort zone for writing. Instead, he finds solace sitting at a tea stall on a busy street, where the chaos around him often gives birth to new thoughts. 

Coming from a conventional background, Harsh’s family never fully understood or supported his passion until his work began gaining recognition. He has won multiple awards for his couplet recitations within the poetry community, yet he still hesitates to present his work to his family. His father silently shows support by pressing the “like” button on every post he shares but has never openly praised him.

At 26, Harsh had already faced ageism in the creative industry. Many people find it difficult to accept that someone so young could have so much to express. During his five years of learning and performing, he realized that his poetic style is bold and aggressive in nature, and he carries no stage fear.

Harsh gracefully accepted that patience is key. For him, the only thing that matters is taking one step at a time and trusting that the universe will eventually unfold opportunities in magical ways.

He has his own collection of couplets — some that remain exclusively his, some meant only for close friends, and others for the wider world. “Not every couplet is meant for a gathering,” says Harsh. “I am very clear that I don’t want to become a full-time poet. If I do, I might fall into depression, because then I will begin to feel that this world itself is meaningless.”

Harsh is now writing lyrics for songs and hopes to create music soon, guided by an unshakable faith in himself.

In a world that often moves too quickly to pause and listen, Harsh manages to add mystery and charm through just two lines: 

“Halaat zindagi mein badalte rahenge par,
Sab theek hi batana tu bachchon ke saamne.”