dil kaa saaraa ghor andheraa duur huaa — Kalim Akhtar

"miTTi kaa rang-rup banaae hue hain log lekin dilon mein sang chhupaae hue hain log ai abr-e-haq-pasand zaraa jhuum kar baras chehre pe jhuTi shaan jamaae hue hain log chehre pe doston ke riyaa naachti mili chaahat ki kaisi dhuup ugaae hue hain log is baar kaun daam mein aa jaae kyaa khabar maasumiyat kaa jaal bichhaae hue hain log shaayad vajud apnaa salaamat na rah sake shoala-numaa mizaaj banaae hue hain log daamaan-e-ishtiyaaq kaa bachnaa muhaal hai 'akhtar' havas ki aag jalaae hue hain log"

"ek dushman ko baDe pyaar se mehmaan kiyaa ham ne kaanTon se saje tasht ko gul-daan kiyaa ham ne sinchaa hai dil-o-tan ke lahu se is ko varna ye ek bayaabaan thaa gulistaan kiyaa phir bhi ham tujh pe luTaate hain dil-o-tan kaa lahu tere rishte ne magar ham ko bhi anjaan kiyaa gaanv bhi Duub gayaa mauj-e-balaa mein ai dost ab ke barsaat ne har mauj ko tufaan kiyaa ham ne insaan ko naslon mein yahaan baanT diyaa sayyad-o-shaikh kiyaa mir-o-mughal khaan kiyaa kis ne tahzib ki divaar giraa di 'akhtar' ek ik shahr ko kam-bakht ne viraan kiyaa"

"koi markaz se alag hai koi mehvar se alag aadmi khud ho gayaa hai apne paikar se alag kitne khaanon mein baTaa hai ahd-e-nau kaa aadmi koi baahar se judaa hai koi andar se alag be-libaasi ke sivaa ab kuchh nazar aataa nahin is qadar hai jism khuddaari ki chaadar se alag daagh-e-dil kashmir kaa gujraat kaa dil dardnaak haadisa koi kahaan hai chhe december se alag band thiin almaariyon mein chaahaton ki filein kis ne ki 'akhtar' ye dastaavez daftar se alag"

"tere mere ghar ki haalat baahar kuchh aur andar kuchh jaise ho phulon ki rangat baahar kuchh aur andar kuchh baahar baahar khaamoshi hai andar andar hangaama kaisi hai ye jism ki hiddat baahar kuchh aur andar kuchh lafz hai kuchh aur maani kuchh har misre mein fankaar hai gham aise vaise sher ki lazzat baahar kuchh aur andar kuchh kyuun na aankh mein aansu aae kyuun na dil ko choT lage apne apne des ki haalat baahar kuchh aur andar kuchh koi na shaayad jaan sakegaa suraj ki matvaali chaal shahr mein kyuun hai dhuup ki shiddat baahar kuchh aur andar kuchh gahri nazar vaalon mein 'akhtar' raushan hai pahchaan alag phir bhi kyuun hai aap ki izzat baahar kuchh aur andar kuchh"

"zikr munh par bahaar jaisaa hai piiTh pichhe kaTaar jaisaa hai sach kaa daaman babul ki surat jhuuT kaa fan chinaar jaisaa hai khud ko kab tak sanbhaal kar rakkhein apnaa ham bhi shikaar jaisaa hai phuul kaanTon mein bhi nikal aae zehn lekin sharaar jaisaa hai jis ko dekho vo pujtaa hai ise vaqt bhi kyaa mazaar jaisaa hai dafatan mujh pe aap kaa ye karam shisha-e-dil pe baar jaisaa hai dard-o-gham kyon na hon sharik-e-hayaat dil kaa rishta bhi haar jaisaa hai roz dete ho phuul kaa tohfa ye bhi 'akhtar' udhaar jaisaa hai"

"har taraf be-chehragi hai kis kaa chehra dekhiye aaina be-aab hai to aaina kyaa dekhiye kis yaqin ne kis gumaan ne kar diyaa hai be-naqaab mere hone aur na hone kaa tamaashaa dekhiye ik bulandi par pahunch kar ham sitaare ki tarah khud chamak jaate hain to phir kyaa sitaaraa dekhiye duur tak phailaa huaa hai naqsh-e-sahraa-e-sukut zindagi ke moD par khush-rang sahraa dekhiye TukDe-TukDe ho gai hai aainon ki zindagi ab inhi TukDon mein 'akhtar' apnaa chehraa dekhiye"

"phir khuun mein vahshat raqsaan hai tajdid sitam karne ke liye ik taaza zakhm ki khvaahish hai ik sadma kam karne ke liye ham din-bhar duniyaa-daari mein hans hans ke baatein karte hain phir saari raat pighalte hain ik ashk raqam karne ke liye vo vasl ki jis ne ham donon ko yaksar be-buniyaad kiyaa ab fursat hai aa mil baiThein us vasl kaa gham karne ke liye ik kaari zakhm ki chaahat ne kyaa kyaa na hamein gulzaar kiyaa ham kis kis se mansub hue ik hijr baham karne ke liye insaan ke jiine marne ke majburi ke mukhtaari ke ye saare khel zaruri hain taamir adam karne ke liye"

"chaand bhi khoyaa khoyaa saa hai taare bhi khvaabida hain aaj fazaa ke bojhal-pan se lahje bhi sanjida hain jaane kin kin logon se is dard ke kyaa kyaa rishte the hijr ki is aabaad saraa mein sab chehre naadida hain itne barson baad bhi donon kaise TuuT ke milte hain tu hai kitnaa saada-dil aur ham kitne pechida hain sun jaanaan ham tark-e-taalluq aur kisi din kar leinge aaj tujhe bhi ujlat si hai ham bhi kuchh ranjida hain kaanon mein ik sargoshi hai be-maani si sargoshi aankhon mein kuchh khvaab saje hain khvaab bhi umr-rasida hain ghar ki vo makhdush imaarat gir ke phir taamir hui ab aangan mein peD hain jitne saare shaakh burida hain is basti mein ek saDak hai jis se ham ko nafrat hai us ke niche pagDanDi hai jis ke ham girvida hain"

"raftagaan ki sadaa nahin main huun ye tiraa vaahima nahin main huun tere maazi ke saath dafn kahin meraa ik vaaqi'a nahin main huun kyaa milaa intihaa-pasandi se kyaa main tere sivaa nahin main huun ek muddat mein jaa ke mujh pe khulaa chaand hasrat-zada nahin main huun us ne mujh ko muhaal jaan liyaa main ye kahtaa rahaa nahin main huun main hi 'ujlat mein aa gayaa thaa idhar ye zamaana nayaa nahin main huun meri vahshat se Dar gae shaayad yaar baad-e-fanaa nahin main huun main tire saath rah gayaa huun kahin vaqt Thahraa huaa nahin main huun gaahe gaahe sukhan zaruri hai saamne aaina nahin main huun sarsari kyuun guzartaa hai mujh se ye miraa maajraa nahin main huun us ne puchhaa kahaan gayaa vo shakhs kyaa bataataa ki thaa nahin main huun ye kise dekhtaa hai mujh se udhar tere aage khalaa nahin main huun"

"dast-kash hon na mai-e-gul ke khush-aashaam abhi ki labaalab hain mah-o-mehr ke do-jaam abhi zehn mein saaqi hai mai-khaana hai hai jaam abhi hosh kahtaa huun ise hosh kaa kyaa kaam abhi mujh ko darkaar na hai kufr na islaam abhi sidhe sidhe hi chale aate hain paighaam abhi tu bhi baaqi tiri rahmat bhi hai baaqi saaqi rahne de hai mai-e-isyaan se baDaa kaam abhi khaal-o-gesu se hai ye silsila-e-raaz-o-niyaaz daana sad-daana ho ye daam ho sad-daam abhi ziist ke khvaab ki taabir abhi baaqi hai ibtidaa dekh chuke hai magar anjaam abhi rah-rav-e-ishq abhi duur hai mearaaj-e-habib rashk-e-manzil na huaa raah mein har gaam abhi zarra-zarra hai ik aatish-kada-e-nur kalim dekh agar tu na ho aatish-zada-e-baam abhi imtiyaaz-e-man-o-tu raaz-e-khafi hai lekin khaasgaan ke liye kahtaa huun sar-e-aam abhi aks ko zo'm hai be-misli-e-rang-o-bu kaa turfa ye hai ki muqaabil hai vo gulfaam abhi raaz-goi tiri 'aiman' hai gunaah-e-akbar maang le afv ki us kaa hai karam aam abhi"

"baad-e-shimaal chalne lagi ang ang mein lipTaa hai kaun mujh se ye patjhaD ke rang mein khvaahish ke kaarobaar se bachnaa muhaal hai utregaa tu bhi saath mire is surang mein main aandhiyon mein haath bhi pakDun tiraa to kyaa ik shaakh-e-be-siper huun havaaon ki jang mein 'raanjhaa' main 'ahd-e-nau kaa qabilon mein baT gayaa to 'hir' ban ke pi na saki zahr jhang mein garmaa sakin na chaahatein teraa kaThor jism har ek jal ke bujh gai tasvir sang mein aage 'musavvir' aag 'aqab mein hai ye sadaa pichhe na muD ke dekhnaa is dasht-e-sang mein"

"tifli piiri o naujavaani hech tiin din ki hai zindagaani hech umr-e-do-roza par ghamanD itnaa munimon ki hai lan-taraani hech raat thoDi hai aao pyaar karein subh ko hogi ye kahaani hech chaar din ki bahaar hai saari ye takabbur hai yaar-e-jaani hech dil ke haathon 'haqir' jhagDon mein meri guzri sadaa javaani hech"