'aadat-e-shab-bedaari baDhti jaati hai — Jamal Ehsani

"vo log mere bahut pyaar karne vaale the guzar gae hain jo mausam guzarne vaale the nai ruton mein dukhon ke bhi silsile hain nae vo zakhm taaza hue hain jo bharne vaale the ye kis maqaam pe sujhi tujhe bichhaDne ki ki ab to jaa ke kahin din sanvarne vaale the hazaar mujh se vo paimaan-e-vasl kartaa rahaa par us ke taur-tariqe mukarne vaale the tumhein to fakhr thaa shiraaza-bandi-e-jaan par hamaaraa kyaa hai ki ham to bikharne vaale the tamaam raat nahaayaa thaa shahr baarish mein vo rang utar hi gae jo utarne vaale the us ek chhoTe se qasbe pe rail Thahri nahin vahaan bhi chand musaafir utarne vaale the"

"mujh ko vo bhi basaa-ghanimat thaa us se jo rishta-e-shikaayat thaa ab ye 'uqda khulaa ki us ke liye main mohabbat nahin zarurat thaa tu ne ehsaas hi na hone diyaa jo bhi kuchh thaa tiri badaulat thaa mujh pe us chashm-e-tar ne sahl kiyaa varna ye 'ishq to musibat thaa main ne vo hijr bhi guzaara hai jab tiraa qurb bhi nihaayat thaa"

"nashe ki lahr taari ho rahi hai miri aavaaz bhaari ho rahi hai raqibon par 'inaayat barsar-e-bazm bahut khaatir hamaari ho rahi hai sabhi mere maraz ko koste hain ye kyaa timaar-daari ho rahi hai chaman kaa raasta mat gher ke baiTh khafaa baad-e-bahaari ho rahi hai sab apne apne ghar mein mutmain hain mujhe kyon be-qaraari ho rahi hai gali ke ek ghar mein 'iid ke roz ye kaisi aah-o-zaari ho rahi hai sunaa hai us gali se 'aashiqon ki nai fehrist jaari ho rahi hai jo aae puchhtaa hai 'umr meri 'ajab timaardaari ho rahi hai mire pahlu mein vo hai aur mujh par 'ajab vahshat si taari ho rahi hai"

"muddaton baa'd shab-e-maah use dekhaa thaa par kisi aur ke hamraah use dekhaa thaa kyaa khabar thi ki kahaani koi ban jaaegi main ne kal bazm mein naagaah use dekhaa thaa vasl ki raat sitaaron ne baDi hasrat se gaah dekhaa thaa mujhe gaah use dekhaa thaa log use DhunDhne nikle to ye maa'lum huaa jis ne dekhaa thaa sar-e-raah use dekhaa thaa aaj ik 'umr ke baa'd us se milaa thaa lekin apne ahvaal se aagaah use dekhaa thaa us kaa kyaa Thiik ki logon ne ba-yak-vaqt 'jamaal' sar-e-mai-khaana-o-dargaah use dekhaa thaa"

"raat aati rahti hai din nikaltaa rahtaa hai aur khudaa ke bandon kaa kaam chaltaa rahtaa hai phir rahaa huun basti mein ye pata liye kab se ik charaagh us ghar mein din ko jaltaa rahtaa hai ek ghar hai main jis mein rahtaa huun khush-o-khurram ek baat hai jis se dil dahaltaa rahtaa hai main bhi aasmaanon mein roz izaafa kartaa huun vo bhi in zaminon kaa rukh badaltaa rahtaa hai ziist ki tamaazat mein shaakh-e-marg se aage raah-rau Thahartaa hai rasta chaltaa rahtaa hai 'ishq karne vaalon ko sirf ye suhulat hai kuchh na karne se bhi kuchh dil bahaltaa rahtaa hai main bisaat-e-duniyaa ko jab lapeT detaa huun koi dusraa mujh mein ghar badaltaa rahtaa hai"

"is samay koi nahin meri nigahbaani par ye ghaDi sakht kaDi hai tire zindaani par baa-khabar kar ke rah-e-ishq ki mushkil se tujhe faisla chhoD diyaa hai tiri aasaani par na havaa aur na miTTi pe kabhi ho paayaa jo bharosaa hai mujhe bahte hue paani par main abhi pahle khasaare se nahin niklaa huun phir bhi tayyaar hai dil dusri naadaani par kisi bhi vaqt badal saktaa hai lamha koi is qadar khush bhi na ho meri pareshaani par khatm hone ko hain ashkon ke zakhire bhi 'jamaal' roe kab tak koi is shahr ki viraani par"

"charaaghon se kuchh to churaayaa gayaa hai jo thi aag us ko bujhaayaa gayaa hai likhaa thaa jinhein sirf apne lahu se mire un khaton ko jalaayaa gayaa hai hazaaron daf'a us ne ki bevafaai mujhe bevafaa kyon bataayaa gayaa hai mujhe khud nikalnaa paDaa apne ghar se ye mat sochnaa ki bhagaayaa gayaa hai khabar ye mili hai ki mere hi ghar mein kisi ghair ko ab basaayaa gayaa hai mujhe hi sataa kar mujhe hi rulaa kar ye ilzaam mujh par lagaayaa gayaa hai tumhein kyaa bataaun mohabbat mein 'raavat' mujhe kis qadar aazmaayaa gayaa hai"

"kyaa apne shahr mein koi aisaa makaan hai samjhun jise ki asl mein vo ik jahaan hai DhunDo haqiqat is mein na afsaana hi koi is kaa bayaan kuchh nahin us kaa bayaan hai apnaa shi'aar ab hai faqat amn-dushmani ye aur baat faakhta apnaa nishaan hai likhne ko ek harf na kahne ko ek lafz yuun to qalam hai haath mein munh mein zabaan hai vo lams jis ke baa'd zamaane guzar gae vo lams ab bhi taaza hai ab bhi javaan hai ho jaaegaa yaqin sabhon kaa hi kal jo aaj meraa yaqin aur sabhon kaa gumaan hai shatranj ki bisaat ki thi apni mez par shatranj ki bisaat ki saaraa jahaan hai"

"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"

"zindagi dushvaar hogi ye kabhi sochaa na thaa vo bagule gham ke uTThe jin kaa andesha na thaa saamne tum aa gae ho to bataa duun jaan-e-jaan jaise dil dhaDkaa thaa ab ki vaise dil dhaDkaa na thaa ye iraada kar liyaa thaa ham na bichhDeinge kabhi TuTeinge ik pal mein rishte ye kabhi sochaa na thaa yaad-e-maazi miT rahi hai vaqt ki raftaar se ab tasavvur mein hamaare koi bhi chehra na thaa sakht hairat ho rahi hai dekh kar apnaa vajud dhuup mein the sab ke saaye par miraa saayaa na thaa shauq-e-manzil dekh meri dekh meraa hausla shahr-e-dil ke raaston mein main kabhi Thahraa na thaa 'qalb' ko sahraa-navardi raas kyaa aati bhalaa vo kabhi aavaargi mein dar-ba-dar bhaTkaa na thaa"

"ajab mushkil ki dil kaa haal aisaa ho gayaa hai sabhi ab puchhte hain mujh se ye kyaa ho gayaa hai main ye samjhaa ki gham kaa ab mudaavaa ho gayaa hai kuredaa zakhm to ye aur taaza ho gayaa hai kabhi fursat mile to khud se main baatein karungaa mujhe khud se mile bhi to zamaana ho gayaa hai magar ab sochtaa huun toD duun saare maraasim magar dil bhi tire gham se shanaasaa ho gayaa hai miri barbaad hasti kaa nazaara dekhne ko vo aae aur gham mein phir izaafa ho gayaa hai isi dariyaa mein ab khud ko Dubonaa chaahtaa huun ki is dil kaa talaatum mein kinaare ho gayaa hai chalo bhi 'qalb' ab tum dusraa dekho Thikaanaa ki is basti mein apnaa sab paraayaa ho gayaa hai"

"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"