daastaan-e-zindagi likhte magar rahne diyaa — Azra Naqvi

"ik muddat ke baa'd mili ehsaas jagaati tanhaai khaamoshi se dhire dhire ghar mahkaati tanhaai aavaazon ki bhiiD mein jab bhi mujh ko pareshaan dekhaa hai haath pakaD kar le aai hai kuchh samjhaati tanhaai aankhon se jab niind bhaTak kar sahraa sahraa ghumti hai mere sirhaane raat gae tak lori gaati tanhaai bachpan mein jab garm do-pahri nange paanv phirti thi aam ke baaghon mein milti thi ras barsaati tanhaai pyaar ki khvaab-ruton mein kaisi jaagi soi rahti thi chaand hinDole mein jhuli thi jab madh-maati tanhaai pahron ham ne baatein ki hain pahron khvaab sajaae hain main roi to mujh se chhup kar ashk bahaati tanhaai bahut dinon ke baa'd sanvar kar apnaa chehra dekhaa thaa aaine se jhaank rahi thi aankh churaati tanhaai"

"kabhi ik nayaa aasmaan DhunDhti huun kabhi koi jaa-e-amaan DhunDhti huun vo ik khvaab jo main ne dekhaa nahin thaa ab us khvaab ki dhajjiyaan DhunDhti huun mujhe meri hasti se aazaad kar de vo ik lamha-e-jaavedaan DhunDhti huun adaakaar chehron ki gahraaiyon mein kahin sach ki parchhaaiyaan DhunDhti huun jo patthar se alfaaz mein jaan Daale vo andaaz-e-sehrul-bayaan DhunDhti huun nahin koi divaar-e-girya mayassar koi meherbaan raaz-daan DhunDhti huun"

"har raat sitaaron kaa safar mere liye hai har roz nai taaza sahar mere liye hai ik shahr-e-tilismaat mujhe DhunD rahaa hai bechain koi raahguzar mere liye hai jab chaahun takhayyul se kisi daur mein ji luun lamhon mein ye sadiyon kaa safar mere liye hai kahte hain samundar mein kai raaz chhupe hain sandes liye koi bhanvar mere liye hai guzre hue fankaaron ki miraas mili hai un sab ki riyaazat kaa samar mere liye hai shikve to bahut tujh se hain ai jaan magar tu chhitnaar mohabbat kaa shajar mere liye hai"

"kis ki parchhaain mire saath safar karti hai kaun hai ye jo miri umr basar karti hai khvaab ke shahr banaati hai miri ik hamraaz aur phir khud hi mujhe shahr-badar karti hai koi aavaaz kahin DhunDhti phirti hai mujhe intizaar arse se ik raahguzar karti hai isi ummid pe likhti huun hadis-e-dil-e-zaar dil se nikli hui har baat asar karti hai lafz-o-maani ke samundar mein koi saaat-e-nur kisi takhliq ke lamhe ko guhar karti hai"

"aadhi jaagi aadhi soi raat bhi thi gahnaai si aankh khuli to dar pe khaDi thi subh bhi kuchh kumhlaai si din-bhar piiTh pe Dhoyaa suraj chehre par thi gard jami saath mein daftar se ghar lauTi shaam bhi kuchh uktaai si andeshon ki ungli thaame saal guzarte rahte hain kabhi kabhi lagne lagti hai apni umr paraai si lauT ke jaanaa naa-mumkin hai aage manzar dhundle hain baDhte qadmon mein haail hai khauf ki gahri khaai si sukhe sukhe jamunaa taT par piilaa piilaa taaj-mahal subh-e-banaras dhundli dhundli gangaa ji gadlaai si"

"airport station saDkon par hain kitne saare log jaane kaun se sukh ki khaatir phirte maare maare log shaam gae ye manzar ham ne mulkon mulkon dekhaa hai ghar lauTein bojhal qadmon se bujhe hue angaare log sab se shaaki khud se naalaan apni aag mein jalte hain dukh ke sivaa aur kyaa baanTeinge in jaise andhiyaare log pur-nam aankhon bojhal dil se kitni baar vidaai li kitnaa bojh liye phirte hain ham jaise banjaare log vo kitne khush-qismat the jo apne gharon ko lauT gae shahron shahron ghuum rahe hain ham haalaat ke maare log raat gae yaadon ke jangal mein divaali hoti hai diip sajaae aa jaate hain bhule bisre pyaare log bachpan kitnaa pyaaraa thaa jab dil ko yaqin aa jaataa thaa marte hain to ban jaate hain aasmaan ke taare log"

"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"

"zindagi bojhal hui aazaar se jism jhuktaa jaa rahaa hai baar se doston ne is qadar dhoke diye aur raghbat baDh gai aghyaar se zindagi kaa ik nayaa imkaan huaa ik daricha khul gayaa divaar se ab bayaan kaise karun rudaad-e-gham kaam mushkil hai dil-e-naa-chaar se hijr ki raaton mein bahtaa hi rahaa ek naala chashm-e-dariyaa-baar se misl-e-majnun regzaaron mein rahe sar paTakte ret ki divaar se ham asiraan-e-mohabbat hain yahaan uljhe hain ab gesu-e-khamdaar se 'qalb' teri ghazlein yuun shaadaan karein dard nikle hai tire ashaar se"

"zindagi dushvaar hogi ye kabhi sochaa na thaa vo bagule gham ke uTThe jin kaa andesha na thaa saamne tum aa gae ho to bataa duun jaan-e-jaan jaise dil dhaDkaa thaa ab ki vaise dil dhaDkaa na thaa ye iraada kar liyaa thaa ham na bichhDeinge kabhi TuTeinge ik pal mein rishte ye kabhi sochaa na thaa yaad-e-maazi miT rahi hai vaqt ki raftaar se ab tasavvur mein hamaare koi bhi chehra na thaa sakht hairat ho rahi hai dekh kar apnaa vajud dhuup mein the sab ke saaye par miraa saayaa na thaa shauq-e-manzil dekh meri dekh meraa hausla shahr-e-dil ke raaston mein main kabhi Thahraa na thaa 'qalb' ko sahraa-navardi raas kyaa aati bhalaa vo kabhi aavaargi mein dar-ba-dar bhaTkaa na thaa"

"jaagte hi nazar akhbaar mein kho jaati hai zindagi dard ke ambaar mein kho jaati hai naa-khudaa aql ke patvaar uThaataa hai ki jab kashti-e-dil miri manjdhaar mein kho jaati hai be-sabab sochne vaale kabhi sochaa tu ne aagahi kasrat-e-afkaar mein kho jaati hai uDte rahte hain khayaalaat ke jugnu phir bhi baat kyuun parda-e-izhaar mein kho jaati hai us ke kaamon kaa hai rangin khushaamad pe madaar aur mehnat miri isaar mein kho jaati hai hurmat-e-parda zaruri hai 'ataa-ji' varna chiiz jaisi bhi ho baazaar mein kho jaati hai"