DhunDte ho jise dafinon mein — Akhtar Imam Rizvi

"jo sang ho ke mulaaem hai saadgi ki tarah pighal rahaa hai mire dil mein chaandni ki tarah mujhe pukaaro to divaar huun suno to sadaa main gunjtaa huun fazaaon mein khaamushi ki tarah main us ko nuur kaa paikar kahun ki jaan-e-khayaal jo mere dil pe utartaa hai shaairi ki tarah kisi ki yaad ne mahkaa diyaa hai zakhm-e-talab sabaa ke haath se masli hui kali ki tarah thakaa huaa huun kisi saae ki talaash mein huun bichhaD gayaa huun sitaaron se raushni ki tarah main apne karb mein ghaltaan vo apne kaif mein gum hai is ki jiit bhi meri shikast hi ki tarah khizaan ke zahr kaa tiryaak agar nahin yaaro gulon ki baat hai be-vaqt raagni ki tarah"

"jurm-e-hasti ki sazaa kyuun nahin dete mujh ko log jiine ki duaa kyuun nahin dete mujh ko sarsar-e-khun ke tasavvur se larazte kyuun ho khaak-e-sahraa huun uDaa kyuun nahin dete mujh ko kyuun takalluf hai mire naam pe taaziron kaa main buraa huun to bhalaa kyuun nahin dete mujh ko ab tumhaare liye khud apnaa tamaashaai huun dosto daad-e-vafaa kyuun nahin dete mujh ko main musaafir hi sahi raat ki khaamoshi kaa tum sahar ho to sadaa kyuun nahin dete mujh ko jins-e-baazaar ki surat huun jahaan main 'akhtar' log shishon mein sajaa kyuun nahin dete mujh ko"

"chaandni ke haath bhi jab ho gae shal raat ko apne siine par sambhaalaa main ne bojhal raat ko raat bhar chhaayaa rahaa ghar ki fazaa par ik hiraas dastakein detaa thaa dar par koi paagal raat ko chaandni mein ghul gayaa jab dil ki maayusi kaa zahr main ne khud kafnaa diyaa saayon mein komal raat ko karb ke laave ubalte the sukun ke aas-paas uf vo nindein vo giraan-khvaabi ki daldal raat ko aaj phir dhundlaa gai 'akhtar' miri shaam-e-firaaq sochtaa huun aaj phir barseinge baadal raat ko"

"vo khud to mar hi gayaa thaa mujhe bhi maar gayaa vo apne rog miri ruuh mein utaar gayaa samundaron ki ye shorish usi kaa maatam hai jo khud to Duub gayaa mauj ko ubhaar gayaa havaa ke zakhm khule the udaas chehre par khizaan ke shahr se koTi to pur-bahaar gayaa andheri raat ki parchhaaiyon mein Duub gayaa sahar ki khoj mein jo bhi ufuq ke paar gayaa vo raushni kaa musaafir main tirgi kaa dhuaan to phir bhalaa vo mujhe kis liye pukaar gayaa mein apne soch ke ham-zaad kaa pujaari thaa tiraa jalaal miri aaqibat sanvaar gayaa"

"dil vo pyaasaa hai ki dariyaa kaa tamaashaa dekhe aur phir lahr na dekhe kaf-e-dariyaa dekhe main har ik haal mein thaa gardish-e-dauraan kaa amiin jis ne duniyaa nahin dekhi miraa chehra dekhe ab bhi aati hai tiri yaad pa is karb ke saath TuTti niind mein jaise koi sapnaa dekhe rang ki aanch mein jaltaa huaa khushbu kaa badan aankh us phuul ki tasvir mein kyaa kyaa dekhe koi choTi nahin ab to mire qad se aage ye zamaana to abhi aur bhi unchaa dekhe phir vahi dhund mein lipTaa huaa paikar hogaa kaun be-kaar mein uThtaa huaa parda dekhe ek ehsaas-e-nadaamt se laraz uThtaa huun jab ram-e-mauj miri vusat-e-sahraa dekhe"

"ashk jab dida-e-tar se niklaa ek kaanTaa saa jigar se niklaa phir na main raat gae tak lauTaa Dubti shaam jo ghar se niklaa ek mayyat ki tarah lagtaa thaa chaand jab qaid-e-sahar se niklaa mujh ko manzil bhi na pahchaan saki main ki jab gard-e-safar se niklaa haae duniyaa ne use ashk kahaa khuun jo zakhm-e-nazar se niklaa ik amaavas kaa nasiba huun main aaj ye chaand kidhar se niklaa jab uDaa jaanib-e-manzil 'akhtar' ek shoala mire par se niklaa"

"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"