diyon se vaade vo kar rahi thi ajiib rut thi — Ahmad Sajjad Babar

"bujhti hui aankhon kaa akelaa vo diyaa thaa hijraan ki kaDi shab mein aziyyat se laDaa thaa ruktaa hi nahin tujh pe nigaahon kaa tasalsul kal shaam tire haath mein kangan bhi nayaa thaa ik chashm-e-tavajjoh se udhaDtaa hi gayaa thaa vo zakhm ki jis ko baDi mehnat se siyaa thaa bargad ke isi peD pe utreinge parinde sailaab-zada ghar ke jo aangan mein khaDaa thaa darvesh ki kuTiyaa ke ye laashe pe bani hai viraan shikasta si haveli pe likhaa thaa tasvir mein us ko hi sar-e-baam dikhaayaa mazdur zamaane ke jo paanv mein paDaa thaa vo zakhm judaai kaa bhalaa kaise dikhegaa malba jo mire jism kaa andar ko giraa thaa 'baabar' ho ki bahkaa huaa jhonkaa yaa sitaara teri hi gali mein hamein jaataa vo milaa thaa"

"aankh rakkhe hue sitaare par kashtiyaan jaa lagin kinaare par vaqt paDne pe aazmaa lenaa jaan de deinge ik ishaare par moD par us ne muD ke dekhaa thaa ji rahe hain isi sahaare par jhiil aankhon mein surmagin aansu chaand be-khud thaa is nazaare par lab-o-rukhsaar aatishin us ke shabnami raqs thaa sharaare par oT mein phir chhapaa liyaa maan ne laash maan ki giri dulaare par shahr saaraa chhaton pe thaa 'baabar' chaand utraa thaa phir chaubaare par"

"jis jagah aagahi muqayyad hai us jagah zindagi muqayyad hai bujh rahe hain gulaab se chehre kyaa yahaan taazgi muqayyad hai chaand jis kaa tavaaf kartaa thaa ab vahaan khaak si muqayyad hai ek arzi liye main haazir huun munsifaa raushni muqayyad hai khaak-e-karbal mein aaj bhi logo ik ajab tishnagi muqayyad hai kachche ghar ke nasib mein 'baabar' jaa-ba-jaa khastagi muqayyad hai"

"phuul khushbu un pe uDti titliyon ki khair ho sab ke aangan mein chahakti beTiyon ki khair ho jitne miThe lahje hain sab giit honge ek din miThe lahjon se mahakti boliyon ki khair ho chunriyon mein khvaab le kar chal paDi hain beTiyaan in paraae des jaati Doliyon ki khair ho baarishon ke shor mein kyuun jaagte hain dard bhi sehn-e-jaan mein raqs karti badliyon ki khair ho rakht-e-dil ko thaam kar vo aa gai hain ret par khvaahishon ki khair ho un pagliyon ki khair ho ab kabutar faakhtaaein jaa chuki hain gaanv se ai khudaavand peD ki aur bastiyon ki khair ho raat hai 'baabar' khaDi sailaab kaa bhi zor hai saahilon ki maanjhiyon ki kashtiyon ki khair ho"

"raat dekhaa thaa bhaagtaa jangal ek vahshat mein haanptaa jangal ik shikaari ne faakhta maari dard maare thaa kaanptaa jangal mujh ko apnaa hi khauf hai saahab mere andar hai jaagtaa jangal baarishon mein dhamaal paDti hai buund pi kar hai naachtaa jangal kis ne boe hain sahn mein kaanTe kaun ghar ghar hai baanTtaa jangal raat basti mein phir utarti hai pahle us ko hai paaltaa jangal ab darinde hain shahr mein phirte kaash 'baabar' na kaaTtaa jangal"

"kab vo bhalaa hamaari mohabbat mein aa gae haae vo log jo ki zarurat mein aa gae vaise to un ko saae se uljhan balaa ki thi momi badan the dhuup ki nafrat mein aa gae reza vajud meraa abhi tak havaa mein hai tum to qarib mere sharaarat mein aa gae kuchh to hamein bhi jaagte rahne kaa shauq thaa kuchh ratjage bhi khvaab ki qimat mein aa gae aavaaz de rahaa hai abhi kuza-gar mujhe yuun lag rahaa hai chaak se ujlat mein aa gae yaadon ke is hujum se fursat nahin hamein tujh se bichhaD ke kaisi ye fursat mein aa gae ab aankh se pilaa do mire yaar zindagi ki khaal-o-khad ke paar to vahshat mein aa gae yaani hamaare naam ki shohrat hai auj par yaani faqih-e-shahr ki tohmat mein aa gae bhaai sabhi pasand ki shaadi ke haq mein the bahnon ne khvaab dekhe to ghairat mein aa gae shaahi mizaaj rakhte hain munsif sabhi yahaan 'baabar' ye kis tarah ki adaalat mein aa gae"

"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"