hanste hue chehre mein koi shaam chhupi thi — Ambar Bahraichi

"burida baazuon mein vo parind laala-baar thaa shikaariyon ke ghol mein ajiib intishaar thaa hare phalon ko toDti hui havaa guzar gai bujhi bujhi fazaa mein har darakht sogvaar thaa safar kaa aakhiri paDaav aa gayaa thaa aur main jo ham-safar bichhaD rahe the un pe ashk-baar thaa gae the ham bhi bahr ki tahon mein jhumte hue har ek siip ke labon mein sirf regzaar thaa dhuli dhuli fazaa mein ho gai abas vo justuju ki manzar-e-nazar-navaaz to pas-e-ghubaar thaa dam-e-sahar na jaane jaane kaun aa gayaa use ravaan the ashk ankhDiyon se haath mein sitaar thaa jo vaqt aa gayaa tamaam tiir TuTte gae usi nai kamaan pe to mujhe bhi e'tibaar thaa baras rahi thi aag is dayaar-e-sang mein magar mire lahu mein gul-fishaan vo champai azaar thaa ajiib thi sarisht bhi hamaare dhaan paan ki kabhi to bahr-e-be-karaan kabhi saraab-zaar thaa"

"mire chehre pe jo aansu giraa thaa na jaane kitne shoalon mein jalaa thaa hamaare kaan bahre ho gae the udhar vo daastaan-go hans rahaa thaa andheri raat sannaaTe kaa aalam nadi ke paar ik lapkaa jagaa thaa bahut aazaar the raste mein lekin lahu mein phul-mausam hans rahaa thaa havaa-e-garm yuun dil mein chali thi miri aankhon mein saavan bas gayaa thaa andhere dasht se nikle ki dekhaa savaa neze pe suraj aa chukaa thaa labon pe thi mire subh-e-tabassum mire baatin mein koi ro rahaa thaa bahut din baad khul kar mil rahe the mire bachchon ko jaane kyaa huaa thaa bahut mushtaaq thaa shahr-e-khamoshaan ki basti mein faqat 'amabar' bachaa thaa"

"har taraf us ke sunahre lafz hain phaile hue aur ham kaajal ki ik tahrir mein Duube hue chaandni ke shahr mein hamraah thaa vo bhi magar duur tak khaamoshiyon ke saaz the bajte hue hans rahaa thaa vo hari rut ki suhaani chhaanv mein daf'atan har ik shajar ke pairahan maile hue aaj ik maa'sum bachchi ki zabaan khinchi gai meri basti mein andhere aur bhi gahre hue har gali mein thiin siyah parchhaaiyon ki yurishein shab kai gunge malak har chhat pe the baiThe hue sab adaaein vaqt ki vo jaantaa hai is liye TaaT ke niche sunahraa taaj hai rakkhe hue soup ke daane kabutar chug rahaa thaa aur vo sahn ko mahkaa rahi thi sunnatein paDhte hue raat 'ambar' kahkashaan se duub ye kahne lagi chhaanv mein meri hazaaron chaand hain soe hue"

"chehron pe zar-posh andhere phaile hain ab jiine ke Dhang baDe hi mahnge hain haathon mein suraj le kar kyuun phirte hain is basti mein ab dida-var kitne hain qadron ki shab-rezi par hairaani kyuun zehnon mein ab kaale suraj palte hain har bhare jangal kaT kar ab shahr hue banjaare ki aankhon mein sannaaTe hain phulon vaale Taapu to gharqaab hue aag agle nae jazire ubhre hain us ke bosida-kapDon par mat jaao mast qalandar ki jholi mein hiire hain zikr karo ho mujh se kyaa tughyaani kaa saahil par hi apne rain basere hain is vaadi kaa to dastur niraalaa hai phuul saron par kankar patthar Dhote hain 'amabar' laakh savaa pankhi mausam aaein olon ki zad mein anmol parinde hain"

"darvaaza vaa kar ke roz nikaltaa thaa sirf vahi apne ghar kaa sarmaaya thaa khaDe hue the peD jaDon se kaT kar bhi tez havaa kaa jhonkaa aane vaalaa thaa usi nadi mein us ke bachche Duub gae usi nadi kaa paani us kaa piinaa thaa sabz qabaaein roz luTaataa thaa lekin khud us ke tan par bosida kapDaa thaa baahar saare maidaan jiit chukaa thaa vo ghar lauTaa to pal bhar mein hi TuuTaa thaa but ki qimat aank rahaa thaa vaise vo mandir mein to puujaa karne aayaa thaa chikh paDin saari divaarein 'amabar'-ji main sab se chhup kar kamre mein baiThaa thaa"

"main apni vusaton ko us gali mein bhuul jaataa huun na jaane kaun se jaadu ke haathon mein khilaunaa huun safar ye paaniyon kaa jab mujhe be-aab kartaa hai main dariyaa ki rupahli ret ko bistar banaataa huun savaalon ke kai patthar uThaae log baiThe hain main apnaa nanhaa bachcha qabr mein dafnaa ke lauTaa huun na jaane kis fazaa mein kho gayaa vo dudhiyaa aanchal ki jis ke faiz se main kitni aankhon kaa ujaalaa huun vo suraj mere chaaron samt hai phailaa huaa lekin main aksar ajnabi dhundlaahaTon mein Duub jaataa huun lipaT jaati hai meri ungliyon se khud shafaq aa kar sahar ki samt jab main apne haathon ko baDhaataa huun koi to hai ki jo mujh ko ujaale bakhsh jaataa hai ba-zaahir main kisi taarik Taapu mein akelaa huun mire siine mein 'ambar' ik dhanak si phail jaati hai main apne aansuon ki chaandni mein she'r likhtaa huun"

"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"