durusht kyuun thaa vo itnaa kalaam se pahle — Mohsin Ehsan

"maut se yaari na thi hasti se be-zaari na thi us safar par chal diye ham jis ki tayyaari na thi ham usi ki khaak se uTThe hain kundan ban ke aaj dosto jis shahr mein rasm-e-vafaadaari na thi ham ne khun-e-aarzu de kar munaqqash kar diyaa varna divaar-e-talab par aisi gul-kaari na thi mar gae sar phoD ke divaar-e-zindaan se asiir zindagi kunj-e-qafas mein maut se pyaari na thi ab shikast-e-aarzu hai baais-e-taskin-e-dil is se pahle to kabhi ye kaifiyat taari na thi jal rahaa hai har nafas ab apne gham ki aanch se saans lene mein kabhi 'mohsin' ye dushvaari na thi"

"tamaashaa is baras aisaa huaa hai samundar suukh kar sahraa huaa hai hamein bhejaa to hai duniyaa mein lekin hamaare saath kuchh dhokaa huaa hai mujhe lagtaa hai jaadugar ne mujh ko kisi zanjir se baandhaa huaa hai jahaan par shaadyaane baj rahe hain miraa lashkar vahin paspaa huaa hai jo mere aur us ke darmiyaan thi usi divaar par jhagDaa huaa hai asiraan-e-qafas ye puchhte hain muqimaan-e-chaman ko kyaa huaa hai kai din se bas ik harf-e-mohabbat sar-e-nok-e-zabaan aTkaa huaa hai guzargaahon mein sannaaTaa hai 'mohsin' ghubaar-e-ham-rahaan baiThaa huaa hai"

"thirakti lau ki bas ik aakhiri duaa suntaa phir us ke baad na kuchh mauja-e-havaa suntaa mujhe bhi lagti kuchh aasaan manzil-e-dushvaar jo dusron ki sadaa-e-naqush-e-paa suntaa kuchh is qadar bhi zamaane mein qaht-e-harf na thaa vo aashnaa thaa to aavaaz-e-aashnaa suntaa ba-juz zakhira-e-auhaam paas kuchh bhi nahin ye baat kaash vo girvida-e-anaa suntaa use pukaar chukaa zindagi mein haar chukaa miraa khudaa thaa to phir meri iltijaa suntaa ham ek umr se 'mohsin' khumaar-e-khvaab mein hain hamaari baat zamaane mein koi kyaa suntaa"

"bahte hue lamhon ki kahaani hi badal de dariyaa to badaltaa nahin paani hi badal de yaa ghar ko mire daulat-e-aaraam-o-sukun bakhsh yaa aarzu-e-naql-makaani hi badal de kyaa us se karein zahmat-e-takraar ki jo shakhs alfaaz ke mahfum-o-maaani hi badal de tarmim-o-tanvvo hai kahaani mein zaruri raajaa to badaltaa nahin raani hi badal de us ghar ki taraf us ki nishaani pe chale ho 'mohsin' vo agar ghar ki nishaani hi badal de"

"libaas tan pe salaamat hain haath khaali hain ham ek mulk-e-khudaa-daad ke savaali hain na ham mein aql-o-faraasat na hikmat-o-tadbir magar hai zoam ki jamiyyat-e-misaali hain munaafiqat ne lahu tan mein itnaa garmaayaa ki guftugu mein riyaa-kaariyaan sajaa li hain khud apne aap se kad is qadar hamein hai ki ab rivaayatein hi gulistaan ki phunk Daali hain hamaare dil hain ab aamaaj-gaah-e-hirs-o-havas ki ham ne sinon mein taarikiyaan ugaa li hain nashemanon ko ujaaDaa kuchh is tarah jaise ki faakhtaaein darakhton se uDne vaali hain kisi gharib apaahij faqir ki 'mohsin' kisi amiir ne baisaakhiyaan churaa li hain"

"saae ki ummid thi taarikiyaan phailaa gayaa jo shajar phuTaa zamin se biij hi ko khaa gayaa kyaa gila tujh se ki gulshan kaa muqaddar hai yahi abr ghir kar jab bhi aayaa aag hi barsaa gayaa ab kinaaron se na maange qatre qatre kaa hisaab kyuun samundar ki taraf bahtaa huaa dariyaa gayaa meri sairaabi bhi meri tishnagi se kam na thi main misaal-e-abr aayaa surat-e-sahraa gayaa husn ke hamraah chaltaa thaa julusi-e-tishnagaan ishq tanhaa dahr mein aayaa thaa aur tanhaa gayaa 'mohsin'-ehsaan kisi baadal kaa TukDaa hai ki jo ek lamhe ke liye aayaa ghiraa barsaa gayaa"

"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"