javaab maangtaa thaa main savaal de diyaa gayaa — Asim Bakhshi

"jaane kyuun hai zehn ghaalib ki main soyaa huaa huun aaina-khaana-e-aflaak mein khoyaa huaa huun huun musallas yaa koi daaera tajridi saa zehn-e-yazdaan mein main tamsil saa goyaa huaa huun naddiyaan bhar gaiin labrez hain dariyaa saare hai ye barsaat ki jal-thal ki main royaa huaa huun jaantaa huun ki ye hasrat hi miri manzil hai shauq ki tishna zaminon mein jo boyaa huaa huun dard kaa kyaa hai mire chhed mujhe pyaare hain main tamannaaon ke kaanTon mein piroyaa huaa huun chirti hai jo sadaa maut se sannaaTe ko kyaa ye tu hai yaa main apne hi se goyaa huaa huun mere chehre ki darakhshaani se maayus na ho sirf itnaa hai ki ashkon se main dhoyaa huaa huun gasht-e-aflaak ki haajat mujhe kyuun kar hogi main khud apne hi khalaaon mein samoyaa huaa huun 'aasim' ab ke jo main Dubun to kuchh aise niklun jaise lafzon ke samundar mein bhigoyaa huaa huun"

"raat bhar shoala-e-jaan khuub baDhaayaa jaae phir dam-e-subh hi khvaabon ko jalaayaa jaae jab qazaa likh hi chuki silsila-e-raah-e-fanaa kyuun na phir vaqt-e-ajal jald bulaayaa jaae saaat-e-shaam-e-gham-e-hijr kaa sannaaTaa hai shahr-e-auhaam ko sapnon se sajaayaa jaae jiddat-e-vahshat-e-sahraa ke liye laazim hai dasht ke beach ab ik shahr basaayaa jaae baar-e-jaan laad liyaa sar pe aur ab sochte hain itnaa kaafi hai ki kuchh bojh baDhaayaa jaae kurra-e-did ko dauraan-e-taqaazaa-e-nazar kashish-e-saql-e-nazaara se chhuDaayaa jaae shorish-e-khaak-o-lahu dekh ke us ne sochaa kyuun na ab ashk se insaan banaayaa jaae tah se le aaein use ham magar itnaa to khule kitni gahraai mein jaa kar use paayaa jaae"

"gumaan ke rakhsh-e-subuk ki ayaal thaame hue bhaTak rahaa huun junun mein khayaal thaame hue baqaa ki jang mein khud se falak se duniyaa se main laD rahaa huun tamannaa ki Dhaal thaame hue vo kashmakash bhi shanaasaaiyon ki kyaa hogi mileinge khud se jab apne sifaal thaame hue har ek pal koi baar-e-garaan saa lagtaa hai ki jaise lamha guzaartaa huun saal thaame hue sarosh-e-ghaib ke maabad ke saamne masjud sabhi javaab hain gum-sum savaal thaame hue main zer-e-mauj-e-balaa sirf itnaa dekh sakaa zaiif haath puraanaa saa jaal thaame hue zamin-e-chashm ki andhi amiiq tah mein kahin ghusil khvaab hain 'aasim' kudaal thaame hue"

"zindagaani se lipaT kar khud ko bahlaataa huun main ye kahaani roz apne aap dohraataa huun main subh-dam main kholtaa huun qufl jis zindaan kaa din Dhale us qaid-khaane mein palaT aataa huun main paaTtaa rahtaa huun din bhar ik khalij-e-zaat ko phir kisi anjaan andeshe se pachhtaataa huun main din chaDhe auhaam ki manDi mein saudaa bech kar raat ko afkaar ke bistar pe gir jaataa huun main oDh letaa huun main chaadar aql-o-istidlaal ki daastaanon loriyon se khud ko bahlaataa huun main khvaab mein aksar kinaare chashma-e-imkaan ke masti-e-harf-o-sukhan ki lai mein chakraataa huun main chhoDtaa huun haath apnaa shaahraah-e-shauq par manzil-e-maqsud par phir khud ko mil jaataa huun main jab bhi miltaa huun khud apne aap se tanhaai mein puchhtaa huun kyaa ganvaayaa aur kyaa paataa huun main khud hi kartaa huun tiri yaadein main maazi ke sipurd phir kahin se ek lamha DhunD kar laataa huun main tujh mein aksar DhunDhtaa huun main tujhe 'aasim' magar tu kahaan hai kaun hai kab kis ko samjhaataa huun main"

"ajiib shakhs huun fart-e-vabaal hote hue firaaq maang rahaa huun visaal hote hue niDhaal apne tamaashaaiyon ke jhurmuT mein main khud ko dekh rahaa huun khayaal hote hue bas ek varzish-e-tahrir lauh-e-hasti par bas ik savaal ki dhun khud savaal hote hue kuchh is kamaal se raundaa gayaa huun masti mein bahut sukun hai ab paaemaal hote hue sharaar-e-sang ko kyaa ab bhi istiaara kahun in aansuon ki ye zinda misaal hote hue guzar gayaa huun misaal-e-zamaana khud par se main lamha lamha alal-ittisaal hote hue main apne aks ko 'aasim' khudaa samajh baiThaa khataa hui thi ye mahv-e-jamaal hote hue"

"miraa gumaan hai shaayad ye vaaqia ho jaae ki shaam mujh mein Dhale aur sab fanaa ho jaae ho baat us se kuchh aise ki vaqt saakit ho kalaam apnaa takallum se maavaraa ho jaae bachaa ke aankh main khud apni khoj mein niklun mire vajud mein ek chor raasta ho jaae kuchh is tarah vo nigaah-e-khayaal mein utre ki us ke aage jhukun aur vo khudaa ho jaae ataa ho chashm-e-tamannaa ko vo qarina-e-did ki shauq dast-e-taqaazaa se maa-sivaa huaa jaae rahe ye tishna-labi dasht-e-shauq mein qaaem vo intihaaein milein meri ibtidaa ho jaae nasib ho kabhi aisi bhi ik sahar 'aasim' ki shaam-e-hijr ki furqat kaa saaneha ho jaae"

"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"

"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"

"taavil-e-ahd-e-fan hi to vahshat kaa hal nahin pesh-e-nazar junun hai yaaro ghazal nahin ab is ke baad ahd ki taarik raat hai ye ikhtitaam-e-shaam hai subh-e-azal nahin ai dost ishq mansab-e-fahm-o-shuur hai ye irtiqaa hai zehn kaa koi khalal nahin ik umr ratjagon ki aziyyat mein kaaT di ab mere khvaab niind kaa radd-e-amal nahin kyaa kyaa ataa-e-neamat-e-rabb-e-karim hai lekin 'samir' dard kaa nemul-badal nahin"

"na koi dost ho meraa na ho adu meraa tum apne munh se agar kah do mujh ko tu meraa fasurdagi mein junun-e-havaa-e-gul yaani khizaan ke daur mein saudaa-e-rang-o-bu meraa jo tum nahin to bahaar-e-jinaan mein khaak nahin bahut vasia hai daamaan-e-aarzu meraa nibhegi ai dil-e-aavaara ab na tujh se miri bas aaj se na main teraa huun aur na tu meraa banaa rahe hain vo jalve ki apne tasvirein dikhaa dikhaa ke tamaashaa-e-rang-o-bu meraa kisi ki zulf-e-siyah kah rahi hai khul khul kar ghaTaa ne rang uDaayaa hai hu-ba-hu meraa mah-e-siyaam kaa aur intizaam kyaa karte janaab-e-shaikh uDaa le gae subu meraa jafaa kaa rang judaa hai vafaa kaa rang judaa malo na dast-e-hinaai mein tum lahu meraa taDap rahi hai jo abr-e-siyaah mein bijli firaaq mein yahi naqsha thaa hu-ba-hu meraa suhaani raat hai chhiTki hai chaandni 'muztar' miri nigaah mein phirtaa hai maah-ru meraa"

"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"

"chaahe khoTe hain yaa khare hain ham Dast-e-qudrat ke laaDle hain ham 'aks-e-rafta ko dekhiye saahib kitne maa'sum lag rahe hain ham raat jivan kaa giit gaati hai khvaab-e-tanvim dekhte hain ham 'umr lag jaaegi sanbhalne mein kis bulandi se yuun gire hain ham ek hangaam hai taghayyur kaa kunj-e-nisyaan mein paDe hain ham ab bhi mehndi kaa rang gahraa hai sandalin haath par rache hain ham ik tamaashaa hai kaar-zaar-e-hayaat dekh kar ser ho chuke hain ham jhilmilaate hain aarzu ke kanval dil-jharoke se jhaankte hain ham"