aa gae ho to raho saath sahar hone tak — Athar Shakeel

"jaise hi chashm-e-ravaaq se gir gayaa jagmagaataa diyaa taaq se gir gayaa ek laghzish se donon hi rusvaa hue vo nazar se main aafaaq se gir gayaa she'r kahne ko likkhaa thaa main ne abhi ek mazmun auraaq se gir gayaa us ki nazron se main kyaa giraa ek baar yuun lagaa jaise aafaaq se gir gayaa ek beTaa takabbur ke aakaash se baap ke lafz ik aaq se gir gayaa tirgi jab na miT paai sukhaa diyaa TimTimaataa huaa taaq se gir gayaa tamkanat ke sabab ik amir-ul-muluk yaad rakh chashm-e-khallaaq se gir gayaa"

"subh bhi hoti rahi mahtaab bhi Dhaltaa rahaa zindagi kaa kaarvaan chaltaa rahaa chaltaa rahaa saaneha kyaa us pe guzraa kaun uTh kar dekhtaa ahl-e-khaana so gae lekin diyaa jaltaa rahaa mere khvaabon ki koi buniyaad bhi thi kyaa kahun barf kaa parbat thaa ik galtaa rahaa galtaa rahaa aakhiri vaqt aa gayaa to sochtaa huun dosto aaj kaa jo masala thaa kal pe kyuun Taltaa rahaa saamne ke dushmanon se bach ke rahnaa sahl thaa aastin kaa saanp thaa baDhtaa rahaa paltaa rahaa haadse ki vo kahaani mukhtasar si hai 'shakil' baansuri bhi baj rahi thi shahr bhi jaltaa rahaa"

"dekhne mein to lagte hain insaan se be-khabar hain sab apni hi pahchaan se hai tujhe yaad karne ki khvaahish bahut dil jo ghaafil kabhi ho tire dhyaan se dushmani kaa koi daav-kaari nahin jiit lete hain dushman ko ehsaan se dil mein shafqat ho chaahat ho ikhlaas ho ghar kaa matlab nahin saaz-o-saamaan se yuun sar-e-raah un se taqaabul huaa jaise miltaa hai anjaan anjaan se ghar se baahar to the mutmain mutmain ghar mein 'athar' mile hain pareshaan se"

"haasil kabhi jo us ki mohabbat na ho hamein pal-bhar ki bhi hayaat mein raahat na ho hamein shikve jo tum se hain vo tavaqqoa ke saath hain ummid gar na ho to shikaayat na ho hamein jazbaatiyat mein tark-e-taalluq to kar chuke kal apne faisle pe nadaamat na ho hamein ye aur baat hai ki labon se nahin ayaan ye to nahin ki tum se mohabbat na ho hamein neamat ki tarah dil pe lage hain tumhaare zakhm kaafir kaho jo Tiis mein raahat na ho hamein kahte nahin zabaan se 'athar-shakil' ham ye to nahin ki gham se aziyyat na ho hamein"

"chaahat ko zindagi ki zarurat samajh liyaa ab gham ko ham ne teri inaayat samajh liyaa khaate rahe hain ziist mein kyaa kyaa mughaalate qaamat ko is hasin ki qayaamat samajh liyaa kirdaar kyaa rahaa hai kabhi ye bhi sochte sajde kiye to un ko ibaadat samajh liyaa resham se narm lahje ke pichhe mafaad thaa is taajiri ko ham ne sharaafat samajh liyaa ab hai koi husain na lashkar husain kaa sar kaT gae to ham ne shahaadat samajh liyaa is tarah umr chain se kaaTi 'shakil' ne dukh us se jo milaa use raahat samajh liyaa"

"vaae-taqdir kyaa ye alamiya nahin sab hain apne magar koi apnaa nahin dida-o-dil ki sunsaan sahraa hue dil mein jazba to aankhon mein sapnaa nahin ishq ko tark karne mein diqqat na thi ishq ko mashghala ham ne samjhaa nahin ab ke mujh se milaa vo to aisaa lagaa vo hi chehra hai lekin vo chehra nahin phunk rahaa hai badan kunj-e-tanhaai mein sar pe chhat hai magar maan kaa saaya nahin meri nazron mein duniyaa bhi uqbaa bhi hai aadmi huun main 'athar' farishta nahin"

"dil shaad nahin karte aabaad nahin karte mahsus ye hotaa hai vo yaad nahin karte naashaad zamaane ke dil shaad nahin karte kam-aql parindon ko aazaad nahin karte mohtaaj-e-karam aksar rahte hain gharibon ke jo log gharibon ki imdaad nahin karte kuchh log shikaayat ko haq apnaa samajhte hain kuchh log kabhi tum se fariyaad nahin karte ham apne iraadon mein rakhte hain tavaanaai ham daad ke taalib ko bedaad nahin karte jo aap ki niyyat kaa kuchh ilm hamein hotaa ham apni mohabbat ko barbaad nahin karte is daur-e-siyaasat mein 'mahmud' qayaamat hai ahbaab jo karte hain jallaad nahin karte"

"bahr-e-rang-e-daastaan rahne diyaa ik tajassus darmiyaan rahne diyaa ab zamin ban kar bichhaa jaataa hai vo main ne jis ko aasmaan rahne diyaa raushni aur khvaab saare hech the apni aankhon mein dhuaan rahne diyaa vo jagah raushan nahin hogi kabhi is mohabbat ko jahaan rahne diyaa maan ne maathaa chuum kar rukhsat kiyaa maamtaa kaa saaebaan rahne diyaa kul milaa ke ye hai raaz-e-tishnagi ham ne dil ko sargiraan rahne diyaa khud hami paamaal Thahre shauq se khush-gumaan ko khush-gumaan rahne diyaa"

"tere tasavvuraat se aage nahin gayaa ye dil tavahhumaat se aage nahin gayaa jo biich raah chhoD gayaa shukr hai vo shakhs meri tavaqqu'aat se aage nahin gayaa shaayad use pasand thiin jhuTi numaaishein lekin main dil ki baat se aage nahin gayaa jazbaat-e-dil ko vo bhi na kuchh Dhang de sakaa main bhi takallufaat se aage nahin gayaa tohfa bhi us ke vaaste kangan liyaa 'zarim' vallah main us ke haath se aage nahin gayaa"

"na koi dost ho meraa na ho adu meraa tum apne munh se agar kah do mujh ko tu meraa fasurdagi mein junun-e-havaa-e-gul yaani khizaan ke daur mein saudaa-e-rang-o-bu meraa jo tum nahin to bahaar-e-jinaan mein khaak nahin bahut vasia hai daamaan-e-aarzu meraa nibhegi ai dil-e-aavaara ab na tujh se miri bas aaj se na main teraa huun aur na tu meraa banaa rahe hain vo jalve ki apne tasvirein dikhaa dikhaa ke tamaashaa-e-rang-o-bu meraa kisi ki zulf-e-siyah kah rahi hai khul khul kar ghaTaa ne rang uDaayaa hai hu-ba-hu meraa mah-e-siyaam kaa aur intizaam kyaa karte janaab-e-shaikh uDaa le gae subu meraa jafaa kaa rang judaa hai vafaa kaa rang judaa malo na dast-e-hinaai mein tum lahu meraa taDap rahi hai jo abr-e-siyaah mein bijli firaaq mein yahi naqsha thaa hu-ba-hu meraa suhaani raat hai chhiTki hai chaandni 'muztar' miri nigaah mein phirtaa hai maah-ru meraa"

"kisi ki mehrbaani ho gai hai ayaan dil ki kahaani ho gai hai hare mausam ki pahli khvaahishein uf khushi gham ki divaani ho gai hai sabhi afraad ghar ke so gae hain bahut lambi kahaani ho gai hai rivaayat kaa hai ab bhi sahar qaaem har ik jiddat puraani ho gai hai pas-e-chehra milaa ik aur chehra 'aqidat paani paani ho gai hai"

"aakhiri hal thaa yahi pesh-e-nazar jaane diyaa ek gahri saans li phir khvaab mar jaane diyaa saarbaanaa de gavaahi mujh ko pyaari thi anaa rakh liyaa zaad-e-safar aur ham-safar jaane diyaa hazrat-e-naaseh ki khush-uftaadgi pe daad hai khud jidhar se aae the sab ko udhar jaane diyaa is harim-e-naaz mein yuun be-mahaabaa guftugu kuchh bharam rakkhaa to hotaa tum ko gar jaane diyaa tujh ko rokaa jaa rahaa thaa raushni thi jab talak shaam ke Dhalte samay suraj ko ghar jaane diyaa aankh sapne dekhti thi aansuon se kyon bhari chaahti to puchh leti main magar jaane diyaa dostaa qismat na ho to koshishein bekaar hain sabr kaa paimaana ham ne khud hi bhar jaane diyaa dil musir thaa baarhaa kuchh jaanchne ko ruk gae aakhirash us ne hamein baar-e-digar jaane diyaa"