'ajib dhuup ke zer-e-asar rahaa huun main — Devang Thakur

"ek sitaara TuuT ke chaknaa-chur huaa us ke aa jaane se itnaa nuur huaa apne mutaabiq sab ne apnaa hijr chunaa kaun kisi ki khaatir kis se duur huaa us ke dil par ishq-tajalli utri thi dhire dhire vo patthar bhi tuur huaa dil-mandir mein yaar ki puujaa hoti hai yaani ki ye ishq nahin kaafur huaa hanste hanste di thi us ne kun ki sadaa aur tamaasha phir dekho bharpur huaa qisse jitne hijr-zada the yaad rahe mil ke bichhaDnaa aise hi dastur huaa sab ne us ke pairon mein jaagir dhari phir main bhi dil dharne ko majbur huaa"

"khema-e-sabr ke logon ko sazaa di gai hai umr-e-ummid-e-sahar aur baDhaa di gai hai shab-e-dijur mein karne ko nahin thaa kuchh so aag se chaand ki tasvir banaa di gai hai peD ghamnaak khaDe hain ye sabhi se sun kar sukhe patton ko kahin aag lagaa di gai hai shor-e-girya hai bapaa nam bhi nahin hain aankhein vo jo rone ki suhulat thi haTaa di gai hai raqs-e-khaamoshi huaa to hai yahaan par khul kar jo bhi aavaaz uThi thi vo dabaa di gai hai teri duniyaa mein bhi khushiyon ki ho baarish har dam pyaasi aankhon se kisi ko ye duaa di gai hai"

"apne hi ek khvaab se haare hue hain ham kaisi hasin raat ke maare hue hain ham vo ashk-baar aankh hai lab chumti hui pi kar udaas lams hi khaare hue hain ham ik jang laD rahe hain bilaa tegh be-sipar dushman bhi soch mein hai ki haare hue hain ham ronaa paDegaa haar ke aakhir khudaa ko bhi kab se duaa ko haath pasaare hue hain ham ik raushni si kaundh gai aasmaan mein bujhti hui do aankhon ke taare hue hain ham milnaa hai teri ruuh se ham ko badan baghair apnaa libaas-e-jism utaare hue hain ham"

"ham par jachti khuub udaasi hai apni mahbub udaasi tanhaa marne se Dartaa huun saath mein tu bhi Duub udaasi ham donon mein rabt hai itnaa main taalib matlub udaasi haath thaam kar chalti hai ye mujh se hai mansub udaasi us kaa chehra khushiyon jaisaa aur meraa uslub udaasi chaar Thikaane hain duniyaa mein dukh tanhaai uub udaasi"

"jaise ho marham lagaayaa tiir ne is tarah kaaTaa galaa shamshir ne sar paTak kar dekhnaa hai ek baar ishq ko patthar kahaa thaa 'mir' ne us musavvir ke hunar ko dekh kar rang khud mein bhar liye tasvir ne hai vo manzar chashm-e-tar ki qaid mein hans ke chhoDaa thaa ki jab zanjir ne khvaab pyaase the hamaare mar gae khuun maangaa thaa bahut taabir ne"

"jo DhunDne gayaa thaa vo ab tak milaa nahin gharqaab kashtiyon kaa koi naa-khudaa nahin ik dhund barqaraar hai donon ke darmiyaan yaani ki dekh kar bhi use dekhtaa nahin meri fazaa bani hai yahaan tere naam se lekin hai ye sitam ki tujhe kuchh pata nahin khushiyaan tumhaare saath hi chalne kaa naam hain tum se kisi ne aaj tak aisaa kahaa nahin puuri tarah se is ko koi ek hi paDhe meri badan-kitaab pe aisaa likhaa nahin kuza-gari kaa kaam hai shaayad khudaa kaa kaam jis se kabhi bhi chaak par achchhaa banaa nahin"

"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"

"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"

"aisaa to yahaan kuchh bhi nahin hadd-e-nazar tak ham ko to pahunchnaa thaa kisi khvaab-nagar tak ab paanv nahin raah mein dil thakne lagaa hai lekin hamein chalnaa to hai anjaam-e-safar tak ham shor bhi sunte hain samaaat se bahut kam aavaaz bhi jaati hai to bas hadd-e-nazar tak mumkin hai main ab sabr kaa ye peD giraa duun jab haath pahunchtaa hi nahin shaakh-e-samar tak ham apne hi mausam se parakhte hain jahaan ko maahaul kaa lete hi nahin koi asar tak main apne hi andar ki taraf chikh rahaa huun ab dekhiye jaati hai ye aavaaz kidhar tak"

"tire jamaal se ham runumaa nahin hue hain chamak rahe hain magar aaina nahin hue hain dhaDak rahaa hai tu ik ism ki hai ye barakat vagarna vaaqiye is dil mein kyaa nahin hue hain bataa na paaein to khud tum samajh hi jaao ki ham bilaa javaaz to be-maajraa nahin hue hain tiraa kamaal ki aankhon mein kuchh zabaan pe kuchh hamein to moajize aise ataa nahin hue hain ye mat samajh ki koi tujh se munharif hi nahin abhi ham ahl-e-junun lab-kushaa nahin hue hain ba-naam-e-zauq-e-sukhan khud-numaai aap karein ham is maraz mein abhi mubtalaa nahin hue hain hami vo jin kaa safar maavaraa-e-vaqt-o-vajud hami vo khud se kabhi jo rihaa nahin hue hain khud-aagahi bhi khaDi maangti hai apnaa hisaab junun ke qarz bhi ab tak adaa nahin hue hain kisi ne dil jo dukhaayaa kabhi to ham 'irfaan' udaas ho gae lekin khafaa nahin hue hain"

"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"

"faqat saje hue divaar-o-dar kaa kyaa matlab jahaan sukun nahin aise ghar kaa kyaa matlab kisi ke kaam na aae to zar kaa kyaa matlab na phal na chhaanv hai aise shajar kaa kyaa matlab na raaston kaa Thikaana na manzilon kaa pataa tire baghair mire is safar kaa kyaa matlab koi hayaat ke maani bataa ke samjhaae tavil kyaa hai bhalaa mukhtasar kaa kyaa matlab"