badan ko chaak anaa ko burida kyaa karnaa — Akhtar Shaikh

"iraadon kaa badan koi bhi paainda nahin rakhtaa miraa ism-e-mukabbir hi mujhe zinda nahin rakhtaa ab us ki haakimiyyat chand pahron tak simaT aai vo aise haal mein bhi fikr-e-aainda nahin rakhtaa chalaa aataa huun main ilzaam se pahle kaTahre mein adaalat mein anaa ki khud ko sharminda nahin rakhtaa sabhi lahjon ne dars-e-aafiyat to yaad rakkhaa hai musaavi soch lekin koi baashinda nahin rakhtaa main aise sar-phire logon mein bastaa huun jahaan 'akhtar' qabila khatm ho jaae numaainda nahin rakhtaa"

"pyaas ke phuul khilein gham ki tamaazat jaage is baras fikr ki ik aur rivaayat jaage koi tanhaai kaa maatam bhi kare to kaise ek divaar bhi gunje to qayaamat jaage ruuh suqraat ki hai jism hai tiryaak miraa zahr pi luun to har ik samt halaavat jaage meri taabir kaa suraj bhi chamaknaa sikhe khvaab ke shahr mein mere bhi to khilqat jaage raas kyon aae na phir jaagtaa maahaul 'akhtar' shahr so jaae to logon mein adaavat jaage"

"shoala huun phir bhi barf ke ik pairahan mein huun mahsus ho rahaa hai ki zinda kafan mein huun ab jaahilon si baat bhi karnaa muhaal hai kaaTi hui zabaan ki surat dahan mein huun kyaa marhala hai ahd-e-safar se safar talak paanv ruke hue hain musalsal thakan mein huun chaahat ke har muhit se baahar hain valvale hijrat kare hai soch magar khud vatan mein huun phailaa huaa huun dhuup ki surat nagar nagar 'akhtar' main bu-e-gul ki tarah har chaman mein huun"

"lafz likhnaa hai to phir kaaghaz ki niyyat se na Dar is qadar izhaar ki be-maanaviyyat se na Dar dekh! gulshan mein abhi shaakh-e-tahayyur baanjh hai phuul honaa hai to khilne ki aziyyat se na Dar hamrah-e-mausam safar ki bastiyon ke darmiyaan naqsh-bar-divaar baarish ki vasiyyat se na Dar ek halki si sadaa to bin zabaan rakhtaa hai tu chaar jaanib khaamushi ki aksariyyat se na Dar aasmaan ik din patingaa ho sar-e-sham-e-zamin mom kar apne lahu ko jal aziyyat se na Dar"

"be-hisi ki dhuul mein behis aTe rah jaaeinge log apne apne firqon mein baTe rah jaaeinge Dhaanp legi jabr ki dharti parindon ke badan aur baal-o-par fazaaon mein kaTe rah jaaeinge log utar aaeinge ghurbat se mahaaz-aaraai par shahr mein har samt zaalim marhaTe rah jaaeinge jangalon ki samt bah jaaegaa jismon kaa hujum shahr ki viraaniyon mein sar kaTe rah jaaeinge khvaahishein uD jaaeingi taaza havaa ke saath saath bistaraon par silvaTon ke jamghaTe rah jaaeinge aandhiyaan malba banaa ke chhoD jaaeingi unhein hausle apne makaanon ke DaTe rah jaaeinge guftugu zehnon mein kuchh tahlil si ho jaaegi khud-bakhud mafhum honTon par raTe rah jaaeinge manzilein 'akhtar' palaT kar dekhti rah jaaeingi ham talab ki raah mein pichhe haTe rah jaaeinge"

"pahaaD se koi raah utre to main bhi dekhun bulandiyon se nigaah utre to main bhi dekhun gunaah-karda badan hai us kaa to tum bhi dekho salib se be-gunaah utre to main bhi dekhun sahe hain basti ne mausamon ke azaab kyaa kyaa chhaton se aab-o-giyaah utre to main bhi dekhun yahaan kise raas aai hai rasm-e-khud-numaai saron se zauq-e-kulaah utre to main bhi dekhun kahaan kahaan jism dhuup se ho gae hain jal-thal nagar mein shaam-e-siyaah utre to main bhi dekhun"

"is ishq-e-junun-khez mein kyaa kyaa nahin hotaa divaana hai jo qais se lailaa nahin hotaa kuchh hashr lahad par abhi barpaa nahin hotaa aae ho to Thahro koi zinda nahin hotaa kyuun kar ye kahun husn kaa nashsha nahin hotaa hotaa to bahut hai magar itnaa nahin hotaa kuchh kahiye to sharmaa ke jhukaa lete hain gardan bhule se bhi ab vaada-e-fardaa nahin hotaa milte hain vo dil surkh hui jaati hai chuTki naazuk hain bahut khun-e-tamannaa nahin hotaa deti hai mazaa mai kaa hamein talkhi-e-tauba jab haath mein paimaana-e-sahbaa nahin hotaa vo hashr ke din kushte ko Thukraa chuke sau-baar kuchh jaan si paD jaati hai zinda nahin hotaa boli ye tamannaa jo ruke vo dar-e-dil par ghar aap kaa hai aap se pardaa nahin hotaa tiron ko jagah dete hain jo siine mein apne un logon ke ai jaan kaleja nahin hotaa sahraa se qadam ghar ki taraf khaak uThaaun kaanTe se judaa paanv kaa chhaalaa nahin hotaa baiThe nazar aate hain vahi teri gali mein jin kaa kahin duniyaa mein Thikaanaa nahin hotaa furqat mein hai kyuun nazaa ki taklif gavaaraa mar jaaein 'riyaaz' aap se itnaa nahin hotaa"

"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"

"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"

"kahe detaa huun go hai to nahin ye baat kahne ki tiri khvaahish nahin dil mein ziyaada der rahne ki bachaa kar dil guzartaa jaa rahaa huun har ta’alluq se kahaan us aable ko taab hai ab choT sahne ki rag-o-pai mein na hangaama kare to kyaa kare aakhir ijaazat jab nahin is ranj ko aankhon se bahne ki bas apni apni tarjihaat apni apni khvaahish hai tujhe shohrat kamaane ki mujhe ik she'r kahne ki jahaan kaa huun vahin ki raas aaegi fazaa mujh ko ye duniyaa bhi bhalaa koi jagah hai mere rahne ki jo kal 'irfaan' par guzri sunaa kuchh us ke baare mein khabar tum ne suni tufaan mein dariyaa ke bahne ki"

"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"

"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"