din kaa suraj bhi andheron ke nagar jaaegaa — Akhtar Saeedi

"sharik-e-gham miraa saaya nahin thaa vagarna dastaras mein kyaa nahin thaa sar-e-sahraa-e-gham tishna-labi thi lab-e-dariyaa koi pyaasaa nahin thaa ujaale duur tak phaile hue the pas-e-parda koi chehra nahin thaa vo chehre hi tamaazat kho chuke the ghubaar-aaluda aaina nahin thaa mire khvaabon mein kaise Dhal gayaa hai jise main ne kabhi sochaa nahin thaa mujhe bhi bad-gumaani ho gai thi tiraa lahja bhi shaaista nahin thaa andhere mein nishaan gum ho gae the musaafir raasta bhulaa nahin thaa"

"tirgi shoala-e-nafrat ko havaa deti hai raushni zauq-e-yaqin fikr-e-rasaa deti hai tirgi baais-e-aazaar musaafir ke liye raushni shokhi-e-raftaar-e-sabaa deti hai tirgi sarhad-e-auhaam se aage na baDhi raushni qarya-e-shab mein bhi sadaa deti hai tirgi rang-e-alaamat ke sivaa kuchh bhi nahin raushni aks-e-shafaq rang-e-hinaa deti hai tirgi jahl ko rakhti hai dil-o-jaan ki tarah raushni ilm ki raahon kaa pata deti hai mukhtasar ye ki shab-e-gham ki sahar hone tak raushni nuur kaa ik jaal bichhaa deti hai raushni surat-e-paighaam-e-sahar hai 'akhtar' raushni hi sila-e-ahd-e-vafaa deti hai"

"didani jism-o-jaan kaa rishta hai ye samundar bhi kitnaa gahraa hai ghar ho yaa ho nagar bahar-surat aadmi to safar mein rahtaa hai log to ajnabi nahin lekin raasta ajnabi saa lagtaa hai saamne sar-phiri havaaon ke kab kisi kaa charaagh jaltaa hai DhunDhti hain tujhe miri aankhein jab koi qaafila guzartaa hai log to aaine se Darte hain aaina kab kisi se Dartaa hai koi aalam ho in dinon 'akhtar' ek chehra nazar mein rahtaa hai"

"hisaar-e-chashm se baahar nahin milaa koi main DhunDhtaa hi rahaa par nahin milaa koi mire vajud mein khushbu kahaan se aaegi bahut dinon se gul-e-tar nahin milaa koi fasil-e-jism se baahar bhi jhaank kar dekhaa mujhe to mere baraabar nahin milaa koi pas-e-ghubaar bhi main aaina-ba-dast rahaa magar nigaah ko manzar nahin milaa koi hain tere dast-e-tasarruf mein anfus-o-aafaaq mujhe khulus kaa paikar nahin milaa koi havaa chali to makaan tirgi mein Duub gae charaagh raahguzar par nahin milaa koi ye khud-sari kaa ajab daur hai ki 'akhtar' se gharib-e-shahr samajh kar nahin milaa koi"

"Dubti nabz chalti havaa dekhnaa mausam-e-hijr mein aur kyaa dekhnaa rut badalte hue vaqt lagtaa nahin ghar se niklo to pahle fazaa dekhnaa zindagi ik safar hai musalsal safar TuTnaa hai kahaan silsila dekhnaa chhin legi mataaa-e-gham-e-ishq bhi ek din mujh se meri anaa dekhnaa mashghala ban gayaa zindagi kaa miri ek hi shakhs kaa raasta dekhnaa khvaab taskin bhi hai aziyyat bhi hai khvaab ke baa'd taa۔bir kyaa dekhnaa ab kisi ki bhi pahchaan mushkil nahin aa gayaa hai mujhe aaina dekhnaa sochnaa shahr mein amn kaa raaj hai jab bhi 'akhtar' koi dar khulaa dekhnaa"

"nashaat-e-duniyaa ko khvaab likhnaa masarraton ko saraab likhnaa jo ho sake to gham-o-alam ki hikaayat-e-pur-kitaab likhnaa main sarguzisht-e-hayaat apni sahifa-e-dil pe likh rahaa huun tu ahd-e-rafta ke mausamon ko nae dinon kaa azaab likhnaa main apni tahzib ke havaale sipurd-e-qirtaas kar chukaa huun tire muqaddar mein kyaa nahin hai koi darakhshanda baab likhnaa hain meri aankhon mein khvaab tere isi liye to hain zakhm gahre kisi ke bas mein nahin hai shaayad hikaayat-e-iztiraab likhnaa main apni chashm-e-mushaahida se jo dekhtaa huun vahi likhungaa khilaaf-e-shaan-e-sukhanvari hai qasida-e-aab-o-taab likhnaa ye dasht-e-imkaan-e-aarzu hai yahin khayaabaan-e-justuju hai yahaan ke mausam ki sar-kashi ko alaamat-e-inqalaab likhnaa dayaar-e-ehsaas ke makinon ke sar pe taaj-e-sukhanvari hai to aise zinda dilon ko 'akhtar' hamesha izzat-maaab likhnaa"

"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"

"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"

"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"