jaagti shab khudaa-haafiz — 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"

"diyon se vaade vo kar rahi thi ajiib rut thi havaa charaaghon se Dar rahi thi ajiib rut thi baDi haveli ke gate aage darida daaman gharib laDki jo mar rahi thi ajiib rut thi ThiThurti shab mein vidaai siiTi ki guunj sun kar ye aankh paani se bhar rahi thi ajiib rut thi zaiif maan ke liye thaa mushkil ki ghar se jaati utaar gaThri vo dhar rahi thi ajiib rut thi khizaan ke mausam mein shaam bhi thi udaas 'baabar' vo ban ke patjhaD bikhar rahi thi ajiib rut thi"

"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"

"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"

"zindagi bojhal hui aazaar se jism jhuktaa jaa rahaa hai baar se doston ne is qadar dhoke diye aur raghbat baDh gai aghyaar se zindagi kaa ik nayaa imkaan huaa ik daricha khul gayaa divaar se ab bayaan kaise karun rudaad-e-gham kaam mushkil hai dil-e-naa-chaar se hijr ki raaton mein bahtaa hi rahaa ek naala chashm-e-dariyaa-baar se misl-e-majnun regzaaron mein rahe sar paTakte ret ki divaar se ham asiraan-e-mohabbat hain yahaan uljhe hain ab gesu-e-khamdaar se 'qalb' teri ghazlein yuun shaadaan karein dard nikle hai tire ashaar se"

"is ishq-e-junun-khez mein kyaa kyaa nahin hotaa divaana hai jo qais se lailaa nahin hotaa kuchh hashr lahad par abhi barpaa nahin hotaa aae ho to Thahro koi zinda nahin hotaa kyuun kar ye kahun husn kaa nashsha nahin hotaa hotaa to bahut hai magar itnaa nahin hotaa kuchh kahiye to sharmaa ke jhukaa lete hain gardan bhule se bhi ab vaada-e-fardaa nahin hotaa milte hain vo dil surkh hui jaati hai chuTki naazuk hain bahut khun-e-tamannaa nahin hotaa deti hai mazaa mai kaa hamein talkhi-e-tauba jab haath mein paimaana-e-sahbaa nahin hotaa vo hashr ke din kushte ko Thukraa chuke sau-baar kuchh jaan si paD jaati hai zinda nahin hotaa boli ye tamannaa jo ruke vo dar-e-dil par ghar aap kaa hai aap se pardaa nahin hotaa tiron ko jagah dete hain jo siine mein apne un logon ke ai jaan kaleja nahin hotaa sahraa se qadam ghar ki taraf khaak uThaaun kaanTe se judaa paanv kaa chhaalaa nahin hotaa baiThe nazar aate hain vahi teri gali mein jin kaa kahin duniyaa mein Thikaanaa nahin hotaa furqat mein hai kyuun nazaa ki taklif gavaaraa mar jaaein 'riyaaz' aap se itnaa nahin hotaa"

"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"

"jab tak mizaaj-e-dost mein kuchh barhami rahi goyaa bujhi bujhi si miri zindagi rahi jis par nigaah-e-lutf-e-karam aap ki rahi hairat se har nigaah use dekhti rahi go main rahaa kashaakash-e-dauraan se ham-kanaar lekin mire labon pe hansi khelti rahi laayaa hai ishq ne mujhe aise maqaam par khud-aagahi rahi na khudaa-aagahi rahi josh-e-junun ne manzil-e-maqsud paa liyaa aql-e-salim dekhti hi dekhti rahi sab kuchh mujhe 'khayaal' ki duniyaa mein mil gayaa lekin tumhaare husn-e-nazar ki kami rahi"

"aaina toD de rihaa kar de bevafaa ik yahi vafaa kar de rishta-e-dard toD de dil se rang ko phuul se judaa kar de zindagi-bhar tujhi ko chaahaa hai qarz kuchh to miraa adaa kar de de rahaa hai zakaat-e-husn agar mire haq se zaraa baDhaa kar de muddatein ho gaiin tujhe dekhe ab to milne kaa silsila kar de phir koi gul khile sar-e-mizhgaan phir dar-e-khvaab koi vaa kar de ik sitaare ko bakhsh kar mire khvaab phir use meraa aaina kar de baiThtaa jaa rahaa hai jaan kaa ghubaar ab use mujh se maavaraa kar de ai faqir-e-dayaar-e-laili-jaan mire haq mein bhi kuchh duaa kar de"