faaeda hai yaa khasaara ham ko sab maalum hai — Ahmad Iftikhar Khatak

"miraa ham-safar kabhi vahm thaa kabhi khvaab thaa kabhi kyaa rahaa main ajiib haal mein mast thaa so miraa mazaaq banaa rahaa miri mushkilon ne ayaan kiyaa miraa yaar dost koi nahin so qabil-e-hirs-o-havaas mein main akelaa DaT ke khaDaa rahaa mire aashiyaan ko jalaa gaiin mire khaam soch ki hiddatein miraa sar hayaa se na uTh sakaa main nadaamaton mein paDaa rahaa tujhe fakhr thaa tire husn par mujhe zoam thaa mire ishq kaa tu paDi rahi kisi sej par main bhi gard-e-raah banaa rahaa tire lams lams se ji uThaa mire sard jism kaa rome rome tu miri gali se chali gai main tiri gali mein paDaa rahaa mire baagh-e-dil pe khizaan rahi miri shaakh shaakh ujaD gai mire paanv khuun se tar-ba-tar miraa zakhm yuun bhi haraa rahaa"

"kyuun ke baare mein kyaa ke baare mein aql chup hai khudaa ke baare mein jab saubat mein saans ghuTne lage sochiye karbalaa ke baare mein sab ko taftish ho rahi hogi dusre naqsh-e-paa ke baare mein khaamushi saadh li gai yak dam sukhan-e-naa-rasaa ke baare mein intihaa ho chuki mohabbat ki kuchh kaho ibtidaa ke baare mein meri apni hi ek raae hai maani-o-muddaaa ke baare mein ham ne kyaa kyaa na likh diyaa 'ahmad' apni apni fazaa ke baare mein"

"miraa vajud hi jab khaar-o-khas ke andar thaa main us samay bhi tiri dastaras ke andar thaa main dekhtaa thaa baraabar amal kaa radd-e-amal dabi hui thi saDak shor bus ke andar thaa mujhe samajhte the kuchh log barguzida shajar havas-parast nahin thaa havas ke andar thaa main kis tarah se mohabbat ki baat kar paataa vo khush-mizaaj parinda qafas ke andar thaa pachaas saal masaafat hi kaaTnaa thi mujhe vagarna marnaa to pahle baras ke andar thaa"

"tujh se mil kar yaqin huaa hai mujhe ishq ab tak nahin huaa hai mujhe khaak hi khaak hai jahaan dekhun aasmaan bhi zamin huaa hai mujhe khuun aankhon se kyon nahin Tapkaa dard dil ke qarin huaa hai mujhe naqs laataa hai saamne mere aaina nukta-chin huaa hai mujhe ye jo ehsaas-e-zindagi hai ye shaairi ke taiin huaa hai mujhe main kaDi dhuup mein huun aur tiraa dhyaan saaya-e-ambarin huaa hai mujhe is se pahle main khairiyat se thaa jo huaa hai yahin huaa hai mujhe meri yaad-daasht kho gai 'ahmad' kyaa huaa kyaa nahin huaa hai mujhe"

"khvaab to khulte the mujh par dar koi khultaa na thaa aasmaan sab khul chuke the par koi khultaa na thaa saamne se saare manzar saaf dikhte the magar ek manzar aisaa ki andar koi khultaa na thaa jaane kaise shahr mein apne qadam paDne lage band dil ke log the khul kar koi khultaa na thaa gu-magu ke din the vo masjid koi chalti na thi khauf ki devi kaa Dar mandir koi khultaa na thaa ab jidhar se bhi main guzrun dekhte hain mujh ko log mujh pe aise din bhi guzre dar koi khultaa na thaa dekhtaa rahtaa thaa shab bhar aasmaanon ki taraf dida-e-khun-baar se manzar koi khultaa na thaa mil hi jaanaa thaa mujhe apne lahu kaa bhi suraagh bad-nasibi thi miri khanjar koi khultaa na thaa khvaab dekhaa aarzu-e-shahr mein vo 'iftikhaar' sab guzarte the magar mujh par koi khultaa na thaa"

"badan ke dasht ko aabaad kyon nahin karte havas bhi hai to kuchh ijaad kyon nahin karte har ik khayaal ko baandhaa huaa hai lafzon se na jaane tum unhein aazaad kyon nahin karte jalaate kyon nahin is qabr par charaagh koi miraa khayaal mire baad kyon nahin karte agar milaa hai tumhein dard to bataao hamein karaahte nahin fariyaad kyon nahin karte tamaam log azal se hain gosh-bar-aavaaz khamosh rahte ho irshaad kyon nahin karte ye jabr-e-naaravaa apni samajh se hai baahar jo yaad aae use yaad kyon nahin karte buraa hi kyaa hai mohabbat mein raat-din 'ahmad' sulag ke yaad ki imdaad kyon nahin karte"

"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"