bas ik jahaan-e-tahayyur se aane vaalaa hai — Ahmad Shanas

"zamaana ho gayaa hai khvaab dekhe lahu mein dard kaa shab-taab dekhe manaazir ko bahut muddat hui hai nigaahon mein nayaa ik baab dekhe sitaara shaam ko jab aankh khole achaanak chaand ko paayaab dekhe vo chingaari si de qurbat ki mujh ko to phir suraj ki aab-o-taab dekhe kai raatein huiin khiDki mein ghar ki ta'alluq kaa nayaa mahtaab dekhe main lafzon ki nai faslein ugaaun vo sannaaTon ke taaza khvaab dekhe meri aankhon mein saavan rang bhar de mujhe ai kaash vo sairaab dekhe na vo aavaargi kaa shauq 'ahmad' na koi dasht ko betaab dekhe"

"lamha lamha roz o shab ko der hoti jaaegi ye safar aisaa hai sab ko der hoti jaaegi sabz lamhon ko ugaane kaa hunar bhi sikhnaa varna is rang-e-talab ko der hoti jaaegi is havaa mein aadmi patthar kaa hotaa jaaegaa aur rone ke sabab ko der hoti jaaegi dekhnaa teraa havaala kuchh se kuchh ho jaaegaa dekhnaa sher o adab ko der hoti jaaegi rafta rafta jism ki partein utarti jaaeingi kaaghzi naam o nasab ko der hoti jaaegi aam ho jaaegaa kaaghaz ke gulaabon kaa chalan aur khushbu ke sabab ko der hoti jaaegi saaraa manzar hi badal jaaegaa 'ahmad' dekhnaa mausam-e-rukhsaar-o-lab ko der hoti jaaegi"

"yahaan har lafz maani se judaa hai haqiqat zindagi se maavaraa hai abhi chehre kaa khaaka ban rahaa hai abhi kuchh aur bhi mere sivaa hai hamein jo kuchh milaa naaqis milaa hai magar khush-fahmiyon ki intihaa hai koi chehra nahin khushbu kaa lekin tamaashaa phuul vaalon kaa lagaa hai main us ki baarishon kaa muntazir huun vo mujh se mere aansu maangtaa hai yahi baais hai meri tishnagi kaa samundar mujh se paani maangtaa hai jahaalat rog thaa jo dil ke andar vahi mazhab hamaaraa ho gayaa hai muqaddas ho gayaa hai jhuuT meraa mujhe to ab usi kaa aasraa hai main pyaasaa huun puraane mausamon kaa magar ab vo zamaana jaa chukaa hai kahaani barg-e-sozaan se ibaarat vagarna bahr-o-bar bhi haashiya hai nahin hai khvaab si tasvir jis ki to phir us khvaab ki taabir kyaa hai gumaan hangaama-aaraai kaa aadi yaqin tanhaaiyon mein boltaa hai ye duniyaa be-khabar logon ki 'ahmad' vo duniyaa kaa nahin jo jaantaa hai"

"phulon mein ek rang hai aankhon ke niir kaa manzar tamaam-tar hai ye fasl-e-zamir kaa rishta vo kyaa huaa miri aankhon se niir kaa muddat hui hai haadsa dekhe zamir kaa paani utar gayaa to zamin sanglaakh thi tikhaa saa har savaal thaa raanjhe se hiir kaa teri azaan ke saath main uThtaa huun pau phaTe sar mein liye hue koi sajda asiir kaa dekhaa na doston ne imaarat ke us taraf puchhaa kabhi na haal kisi ne faqir kaa aaina gir paDaa thaa mire haath se kabhi phir yaad haadsa nahin koi zamir kaa sahraa-e-jism ruuh ke andar utar gayaa ab kyaa dikhaae mo'jiza insaan zamir kaa aansu ki ek buund ko aankhein taras gaiin is dhuup mein jhulas gayaa dohaa kabir kaa aadhaa falak ke paas thaa aadhaa zamin par main naa-tamaam khvaab thaa badr-e-munir kaa pakke huruf gard ki surat bikhar gae siine mein ghaav rah gayaa kachchi lakir kaa hoti raheingi baarishein 'ahmad' visaal ki khaali rahegaa jaam hamesha faqir kaa"

"jism ke bayaabaan mein dard ki duaa maangein phir kisi musaafir se raushni zaraa maangein kho gae kitaabon mein titliyon ke baal-o-par soch mein hain ab bachche kyaa chhupaaein kyaa maangein zaafraani kheton mein ab makaan ugte hain kis tarah zaminon se dil kaa raabta maangein ham bhi ho gae shaamil masnui tijaarat mein ham ki chehra-saamaan the ab ke aainaa maangein varna ilm naamon kaa uTh na jaae dharti se aadmi phale-phule aao ye duaa maangein is se peshtar ki ye raat muund le aankhein nanhe-munne jugnu se raushni zaraa maangein vo sadaaein detaa hai aakhiri jazire se aur ham nigaahon kaa husn-e-ibtidaa maangein kis ke saamne rakhiye khol kar razaa apni aur kis se jaadu kaa boltaa diyaa maangein"

"dasht-e-ummid mein khvaabon kaa safar karnaa thaa tu ki ik lamha-e-naapaid basar karnaa thaa ham ne kyuun aapsi azdaad ke nukte DhunDe? ham ne to khud ko baham shir-o-shakar karnaa thaa naqsh bantaa hi nahin sang-e-samaaat pe koi kund alfaaz ko phir tir-o-tabar karnaa thaa saaat-e-dard ki be-chehra o be-naam rahi qatra-e-ashk ki mahfuz guhar karnaa thaa tishnagi maahi-e-be-aab si likh honTon par varna yuun bosa-e-saaghar se hazar karnaa thaa mujh pe aayat na koi lafz hi utraa 'ahmad' meri mushkil ki bayaan mujh ko safar karnaa thaa"

"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"

"bahr-e-rang-e-daastaan rahne diyaa ik tajassus darmiyaan rahne diyaa ab zamin ban kar bichhaa jaataa hai vo main ne jis ko aasmaan rahne diyaa raushni aur khvaab saare hech the apni aankhon mein dhuaan rahne diyaa vo jagah raushan nahin hogi kabhi is mohabbat ko jahaan rahne diyaa maan ne maathaa chuum kar rukhsat kiyaa maamtaa kaa saaebaan rahne diyaa kul milaa ke ye hai raaz-e-tishnagi ham ne dil ko sargiraan rahne diyaa khud hami paamaal Thahre shauq se khush-gumaan ko khush-gumaan rahne diyaa"

"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"

"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"

"khurshid jhaanktaa hai ridaa-e-sahaab se yaa nuur chhan rahaa hai kisi ke naqaab se baahar jo aaj dekh liyaa hai hijaab se suraj laraz rahaa hai tumhaare shabaab se naaseh Daraa rahe the khudaa ke 'azaab se khud hi janaab baaz na aae sharaab se lamhe guzar chuke hain jo phulon ki sej par is daur-e-pur-khatar mein vo lagte hain khvaab se khud ko to pahle dekhiye phir kahiye bevafaa bas itni iltijaa hai hamaari janaab se har roz ik na ik nai zid hai zabaan par tang aa gayaa huun main dil-e-khaana-kharaab se ahl-e-vafaa mein meraa vahi naam paD gayaa tum ne mujhe navaaz diyaa jis khitaab se kin manzilon pe meraa nishaan-e-qadam nahin puchho miraa maqaam mah-o-aaftaab se jo husn kaa kahin bhi tahaffuz na kar sake phir kaun saa hai faaeda aisi naqaab se saaya bhi jis hasin kaa DhunDe na mil sakaa be-misl vo khudaa ke hue intikhaab se sun kar hamaare she'r vo kuchh muskuraa diye 'faaruq' aaj ham bhi rahe kaamyaab se"