aankh bhar aai hai meri siile siile lafz hain — Mahnaz Anjum

"is khvaab ki nadi ki ravaani mein kahin ho paani mujhe kahtaa hai ki paani mein kahin ho tum peD kaa kirdaar nibhaane chale aae tum dhuup ki surat bhi kahaani mein kahin ho ye mausam-e-sarsabz ye khilti hui yaadein dil kahtaa hai tum raat ki raani mein kahin ho yaaron mein mohabbat nahin maujud zaraa bhi ye baat kisi dushman-e-jaani mein kahin ho Thahre hue pal mein jo sukun DhunD rahi huun mumkin hai kisi naql-e-makaani mein kahin ho ye kaun dhanak laayaa mire dil ke ufuq par lagtaa hai ki tum rang-rasaani mein kahin ho"

"ye paani saaaton kaa aaine saa kyon nahin hai nadi se aasmaani rang jhalkaa kyon nahin hai miri raaton ko jis jugnun ki itni aarzu thi vo meri justuju mein jaltaa bujhtaa kyon nahin hai main muDne dungi us ko ajnabi manzil ki jaanib vo mere khuun mein bahtaa hai meraa kyon nahin hai ta'ajjub hai ki main raste banaane mein lagi huun vo dariyaa hai to divaarein giraataa kyon nahin hai ye gham ki chaap tham jaae to dil se puchhti huun khushi ke aarizon kaa rang gahraa kyon nahin hai main hansti huun to aansu khaulne lagte hain 'mahnaaz' ye paani gham ke shoalon par ubaltaa kyon nahin hai"

"sitaare ki sajal jhilmil ke resham se bani main hujum-e-khalq do ruuyaa khaDaa hai aur chali main ye jo sahraaon ke abaad aankhon mein khule hain bagulon ko bhali lagne lagi huun hijrati main main soti rah gai bedaar lamhe ke umuq mein koi khvaabida saaat thi ki jis mein jaagti main kai sahraa the meri pyaas ki pahnaaiyon mein kisi dariyaa ke taT tak aa ke phir vaapas muDi main ye tum jo kesari niilaa ba-nafsi DhunDte ho tumhein ye rang mil sakte hain par meri hansi main kisi rahrav mein itnaa dam nahin aae dham ko pichhal piiri koi phirti hai khvaahish ki gali mein ye le kaari ye girdaa-e-ghinaa ye ahmarin sur kisi ke honT ghul kar aa rahe hain baansuri main zaruri thaa ki dil ke pech-o-kham par aankh paDti pataa teraa bhalaa logon se kaise puchhti main khanak uThti hai rah rah kar miri aavaaz 'mahnaaz' bahut nam-saaz miTTi gundh kar shaayad bani main"

"harf ko phuul banaate hue itraati huun main tujhe apnaa bataate hue itraati huun saahil-e-vaqt pe chalte hue dekhaa tum ne naqsh-e-paa apne banaate hue itraati huun hai koi khvaabcha kab se miri ungli thaame main use chalnaa sikhaate hue itraati huun utar aati hain miri chhat pe hansti raatein aur main chaand uDaate hue itraati huun anginat najm tah-e-jaan mein utar aate hain aankh ki putli ghumaate hue itraati huun lahlahaataa hai khayaalon mein tumhaaraa chehra aur main haath lagaate hue itraati huun dhuup ki barkhaa hai ye chhaajon baras jaati hai der tak is mein nahaate hue itraati huun kaise gulnaar se ho jaate hain aariz mere main tire saamne aate hue itraati huun chahchahaati hain khayaalaat ki chiDiyaan 'mahnaaz' dard ki fasl ugaate hue itraati huun"

"main apne par bhi uDaanein bhi khud banaaungi nishaana leti kamaanein bhi khud banaaungi havaa se faiz ki ummid tak nahin mujh ko so unchi nichi uDaanein bhi khud banaaungi main harf likhungi pahle varaq pe ghaayal saa phir us ki zakhm ki taanein bhi khud banaaungi mukaalima bhi nayaa hogaa aapsi sab kaa jahaan-e-nau ki zabaanein khud banaaungi main munhadim karungi sab ghanim divaarein qile ke gird chaTTaanein bhi khud banaaungi hansi ko main ne hi show-case mein sajaa diyaa thaa aur ab khushi ki dukaanein bhi khud banaaungi kahin se milte hain paataal ab taalluq ke main ye amiiq Dhalaanein bhi khud banaaungi"

"vo mujhe zindagi bataataa hai phir bhalaa kyon nazar churaataa hai main usi ko uThaa rahaa thaa par vo mujhe hi faqat giraataa hai yaad us ko kiyaa yahaan main ne par mujhe vo vahaan bhulaataa hai raaz saare bataa diye main ne kyon magar raaz vo chhupaataa hai log masruf hain mohabbat mein aur vo dil miraa dukhaataa hai"

"jis din se meraa khvaab suhaanaa badal gayaa us din se zindagi kaa fasaana badal gayaa sunne lagaa huun jab se nasihat baDon ki main jaari thaa jo labon pe taraana badal gayaa pahchaan kaa havaala bhi baaqi nahin rahaa chehre ke saath aaina-khaana badal gayaa uThti nahin hai aankh bhi ab aasmaan ki samt jab se gali kaa chaand puraanaa badal gayaa tahzib jin ke ghar ki 'alaamat thi kal talak afsos aaj un kaa gharaanaa badal gayaa 'azmat kaa taaj sar pe hai 'akhilesh' ke sajaa aisi havaa chali ki zamaana badal gayaa itni sharaafaton mein kami aa gai hai aaj pahle thaa jo libaas puraanaa badal gayaa ahl-e-vafaa ne jis ki thi taarikh ki raqam 'faaruq' 'ishq kaa vo fasaana badal gayaa"

"tirgi shama bani raahguzar mein aai saaat ik aisi bhi kal apne safar mein aai jis jagah chehra hi meyaar-e-vafaa Thahraa hai khaak hi khaak vahaan dast-e-hunar mein aai teri nazron mein thi duniyaa to yahi kyaa kam thaa hashr ye hai ki tu duniyaa ki nazar mein aai baar-haa yaaron ne saahil se kahaa thaa ham hain baar-haa naav magar apni bhanvar mein aai zindagi samjhun ise yaa ki ise maut kahun vo jo mehmaan ki surat mire ghar mein aai yuun bhi taarikh ki taarikh raqam hoti hai nikli taarikh mahal se to khanDar mein aai khvaab hi khvaab ki taabir huaa to jaanaa zindagi kyuun kisi aankhon ke asar mein aai shama jalte hi bujhi aur dhuaan aisaa uThaa lazzat-e-shaam yahaan khvaab-e-sahar mein aai zindagi kuchh hai 'ataa' sher-o-adab hai kuchh aur ye do-rangi ki vabaa kaisi hunar mein aai"

"khaamushi ke batn se ye guftani paidaa hui main ba-zaahir chup huaa aur shaaeri paidaa hui is tarah saabit huaa gham aur khushi kaa imtizaaj hanste hanste us ki aankhon mein nami paidaa hui jurm ki paadaash mein ham khaak par pheinke gae so yahaan par intiqaaman zindagi paidaa hui khauf ne hi maslahat ki raah bhi ijaad ki main andheron se Daraa aur raushni paidaa hui dil mein kab utri kisi ke be-maaani guftugu baat karne se to bas aavaaz hi paidaa hui"

"shab ki taarik raahdaari hai aur miraa khauf iztiraari hai sabz khvaabon ki kam se kam qimat zindagi bhar ki ashk-baari hai ik musallat-shuda tamaddun ko ye na kahiye ki ikhtiyaari hai shash-jihaati mushaahida hai miyaan tajrabon ki sanad pe bhaari hai shukriya aap ki mohabbat kaa dil kaa maqsum sogvaari hai tajziye sun ke muskuraa denaa apni itni hi zimmedaari hai"

"ye hai mai-kada yahaan rind hain yahaan sab kaa saaqi imaam hai ye haram nahin hai ai shaikh ji yahaan paarsaai haraam hai jo zaraa si pi ke bahak gayaa use mai-kade se nikaal do yahaan tang-nazar kaa guzar nahin yahaan ahl-e-zarf kaa kaam hai koi mast hai koi tishna-lab to kisi ke haath mein jaam hai magar is pe koi kare bhi kyaa ye to mai-kade kaa nizaam hai ye janaab-e-shaikh kaa falsafa hai 'ajib saare jahaan se jo vahaan piyo to halaal hai jo yahaan piyo to haraam hai tujhe apne husn kaa vaasta mere shauq-e-did pa rahm khaa zaraa muskuraa ke naqaab uThaa ki nazar ko shauq-e-salaam hai na sunnaa to huur o qusur ki ye hikaayatein mujhe vaa'izaa koi baat kar dar-e-yaar ki dar-e-yaar hi se to kaam hai na to e'tikaaf se kuchh gharaz na savaab-o-zuhd se vaasta tiri diid aisi namaaz hai na sujud hai na qayaam hai ye durust ki 'aib hai mai-kashi ye ba-jaa ki baada haraam hai magar ab savaal ye aa paDaa ki tumhaare haath mein jaam hai jo uThi to subh-e-davaam thi jo jhuki to shaam hi shaam thi tiri chashm-e-mast mein saaqiyaa miri zindagi kaa nizaam hai miraa farz hai ki paDaa rahun tiri baargaah mein saaqiyaa koi tishna-lab hai ki sair hai yahi dekhnaa tiraa kaam hai isi kaaenaat mein ai 'jigar' koi inqalaab uThegaa phir ki buland ho ke bhi aadmi abhi khvaahishon kaa ghulaam hai"