aaina rukh pe be-naqaab huaa — Mahboob Mashmiri

"jo kuchh sochaa jo kuchh likkhaa tere naam meri ziist kaa lamha lamha tere naam rakh duun tere sar pe taaj mohabbat kaa kar duun apne pyaar ki duniyaa tere naam meri zaat kaa mehvar teri zaat faqat ik ik bandhan ik ik rishta tere naam us ki khushbu shaayad tujh tak pahunch sake dariyaa mein ik phuul bahaayaa tere naam dil saahil par tez havaa se kuchh pahle main ne ik paighaam likhaa thaa tere naam jaane vaale kaash kabhi tu lauT aae mere ghar kaa har ik rasta tere naam aankhon mein 'mahbub' jo rim-jhim rim-jhim hai is baarish kaa qatra qatra tere naam"

"ye suhulat to hai bichhaDne mein koi diqqat na ho mukarne mein ab havaa ko bhi e'tiraaz nahin taaqche par charaagh dharne mein shaam to kab ki ho chuki hui thi lag gai der dhuup Dhalne mein sab kaa nuqsaan ek jaisaa hai faaeda kuchh nahin jhagaDne mein daaere kaa safar zaruri hai aage baDhne mein pichhe haTne mein bas saliqe kaa farq hotaa hai baat kahne mein baat karne mein us ne khud par nigaah Daalni thi aaine lag gae sanvarne mein faisla ek pal kaa thaa 'mahbub' ik sadi lag gai guzarne mein"

"safar-nasib tiri khair ho salaamati ho jahaan-jahaan bhi tiraa pair ho salaamati ho ai achchhe dost duaa hai kabhi khudaa na kare kisi ko tujh se koi bair ho salaamati ho main apne-pan se huun mahv-e-duaa tumhaare liye ye aur baat abhi ghair ho salaamati ho bichhaa diye hain mah-o-mehr maan ke qadmon mein ki ghar mein baiThe hue sair ho salaamati ho khile rahein yunhi sab ke liye duaa ke gulaab mire labon pe sadaa khair ho salaamati ho"

"din mein sote hain raat jaagte hain ham charaaghon ke saat jaagte hain us ke bistar se lams chunte hue niind soti hai haath jaagte hain niind mein hain musaafiraan-e-kiraam khvaab mein pul-siraat jaagte hain dard hain laa-zavaal-o-pazhmurda zakhm hain be-sabaat jaagte hain dil ko yaksui chaahiye 'mahbub' zehn mein shash-jihaat jaagte hain"

"sabz-baaghon pe dosh dharte hue sahl thaa vaadon se mukarte hue aaine ko aqab se dekhnaa thaa saamne se use sanvarte hue kyaa bataaun jo dil pe guzri hai aaj munh pher kar guzarte hue saans baahar hi rok li main ne khaali siine mein aah bharte hue aankh pighli to jam gayaa aansu jaane kyaa yaad aaya marte hue honT rakkhe the pahle haathon par aag chumi thi Darte Darte hue sar se chhat hi ganvaa li hai 'mahbub' siDhiyaan chaDhte aur utarte hue"

"jaane ujlat mein kyaa huaa thaa mujhe mashvara der se milaa thaa mujhe saazishein ho rahi hain mere khilaaf sach mein aisaa hi lag rahaa thaa mujhe ab jo main sochtaa huun baiThaa huaa ye to pahle hi sochnaa thaa mujhe aks par pheinktaa thaa qahqaha main aks ro-ro ke dekhtaa thaa mujhe be-hisi bhi koi ilaaj nahin is kaa ehsaas ho chukaa thaa mujhe us ne vaapas zarur kar diyaa dil haan magar toD kar diyaa thaa mujhe main akelaa thaa apne lashkar mein bhaag jaane mein faaeda thaa mujhe"

"muzhda ai zauq-e-asiri ki nazar aataa hai daam-e-khaali qafas-e-murgh-e-giraftaar ke paas jigar-e-tishna-e-aazaar tasalli na huaa ju-e-khun ham ne bahaai bun-e-har khaar ke paas mund gaiin kholte hi kholte aankhein hai hai khuub vaqt aae tum is 'aashiq-e-bimaar ke paas main bhi ruk ruk ke na martaa jo zabaan ke badle dashna ik tez saa hotaa mire gham-khvaar ke paas dahan-e-sher mein jaa baiThe lekin ai dil na khaDe ho jiye khubaan-e-dil-aazaar ke paas dekh kar tujh ko chaman bas-ki numu kartaa hai khud-ba-khud pahunche hai gul gosha-e-dastaar ke paas mar gayaa phoD ke sar 'ghaalib'-e-vahshi hai hai baiThnaa us kaa vo aa kar tiri divaar ke paas kab faqiron ko rasaai bu-e-mai-khvaar ke paas to bane bu dijiye maikhaane ki divaar ke paas"

"ba-zom-e-aql ye kaisaa gunaah main ne kiyaa ik aainaa thaa usi ko siyaah main ne kiyaa ye shahr-e-kam-nazaraan ye dayaar-e-be-hunaraan kise ye apne hunar kaa gavaah main ne kiyaa harim-e-dil ko jalaane lagaa thaa ek khayaal so gul use bhi ba-yak sard aah main ne kiyaa vahi yaqin rahaa hai javaaz-e-ham-safari jo gaah us ne kiyaa aur gaah main ne kiyaa bas ek dil hi to hai vaaqif-e-rumuz-e-hayaat so shahr-e-jaan kaa use sarbaraah main ne kiyaa har ek ranj usi baab mein kiyaa hai raqam zaraa saa gham thaa jise be-panaah main ne kiyaa ye raah-e-ishq bahut sahl ho gai jab se hisaar-e-zaat ko paivand-e-raah main ne kiyaa ye umr ki hai basar kuchh ajab tavaazun se tiraa huaa na hi khud se nibaah main ne kiyaa khirad ne dil se kahaa tu junun-sifat hi sahi na puchh us ki ki jis ko tabaah main ne kiyaa"

"kaam liyaa jab lafzon hi se khud ko bas naakaam kiyaa baat asar-andaaz hui jab she'ron ko paighaam kiyaa ye kaise saari duniyaa mein aaj bahut mashhur ho tum vaise to saari duniyaa ne tum ko bahut gumnaam kiyaa yak-rangi se 'aajiz aa kar rangaa-rangi ki khaatir jo mujh ko raas aayaa thaa us nilam ko nilaam kiyaa aksar tanhaai mein mujh ko yaad aa jaataa hai vo sab haan aaghaaz se pahle hi jis ko main ne anjaam kiyaa khaamoshi pas fan hai khudaa kaa sikhaa ham ne bhi lekin har-su roz machaayaa tahalka yaa paidaa kohraam kiyaa vaqt ke saath aur aap ke haathon qadrein kitni badli hain ek ilzaam se kitnaa kam hai haasil jo in'aam kiyaa kahiye husn aur 'ishq ko de kar apne dil ke khuun kaa lams kis ne use gul-rang kiyaa phir kis ne use gulfaam kiyaa ab kaa fasaad aaraam se guzre is koshish mein us ne to qashqa khinchaa dair mein baiThaa kab kaa tark islaam kiyaa"

"log kahte hain ki qaatil ko masihaa kahiye kaise mumkin hai andheron ko ujaalaa kahiye chehre paDhnaa to sabhi siikh gae hain lekin kaisi tahzib hai apnon ko paraayaa kahiye jaane pahchaane hue chehre nazar aate hain vaqt qaatil hai yahaan kis ko masihaa kahiye aap jis peD ke saae mein khaDe hain is ko sehn-e-gulshan nahin jaltaa huaa sahraa kahiye sab ke chehron pe hain akhlaaq-o-muravvat ke naqaab kis ko apnaa yahaan aur kis ko paraayaa kahiye shab ke maathe pe koi saaya numudaar huaa us ko ab pyaar ke aangan kaa saveraa kahiye zahr-e-tanhaai-e-gham pi ke mohabbat mein 'khayaal' kis tarah maut ko jiine kaa sahaaraa kahiye"

"vo dost thaa to usi ko adu bhi honaa thaa lahu pahan ke mujhe surkh-ru bhi honaa thaa sunahri haath mein taaza lahu ki fasl na di ki apne haq ke liye jang-ju bhi honaa thaa bagula ban ke samundar mein khaak uDaanaa thi ki lahar lahar mujhe tund-khu bhi honaa thaa mire hi harf dikhaate the meri shakl mujhe ye ishtihaar mire ru-ba-ru bhi honaa thaa kashish thi phuul si is mein to laa-muhaala mujhe asir-e-rang giraftaar-e-bu bhi honaa thaa sazaa to milnaa thi mujh ko barahna lafzon ki zabaan ke saath labon ko rafu bhi honaa thaa safar kaa bojh uThaane se peshtar 'saajid' mizaaj-daan-e-rah-e-justuju bhi honaa thaa"

"ab tire lams ko yaad karne kaa ik silsila aur divaana-pan rah gayaa tu kahin kho gayaa aur pahlu mein teri shabaahat liye ik badan rah gayaa vo saraapaa tiraa vo tire khaal-o-khad meri yaadon mein sab muntashir ho gae lafz ki justuju mein laraztaa huaa nim-vaa saa faqat ik dahan rah gayaa harf ke harf se kyaa tazaadaat hain tu ne bhi kuchh kahaa main ne bhi kuchh kahaa tere pahlu mein duniyaa simaTti gai mere hisse mein harf-e-sukhan rah gayaa tere jaane se mujh par ye uqda khulaa rang-o-khushbu to bas teri miraas the ek hasrat saji rah gai gul-ba-gul ek maatam chaman-dar-chaman rah gayaa ek be-naam khvaahish ki paadaash mein teri palkein bhi baaham piro di gaiin ek vahshat ko sairaab karte hue mein bhi aankhon mein le kar thakan rah gayaa arsa-e-khvaab se vaqt maujud ke raaste mein ganvaa di gai guftugu ek israar ki bebasi rah gai ek inkaar kaa baankpan rah gayaa tu sitaaron ko apni jilau mein liye jaa rahaa thaa tujhe kyaa khabar kyaa huaa ik tamannaa dariche mein baiThi rahi ek bistar kahin be-shikan rah gayaa"