kabhi zamin pe kabhi niile aasmaan mein huun — Ehtisham Akhtar

"Thahre paani mein nihaan ek hasin khvaab bhi hai aas ki jhiil mein aks-e-rukh-e-mahtaab bhi hai dasht-e-tanhaai ke tapte hue viraane mein teri yaadon kaa hai ik peD jo shaadaab bhi hai paar karnaa baDaa mushkil hai ki ye bahr-e-havas kahin gahraa hai bahut aur kahin paayaab bhi hai is ki tasvir mein aankhon mein basaa luun ki ye shai laakh arzaan sahi mere liye naayaab bhi hai yuun to lagtaa hai samundar baDaa khaamosh magar us ke siine mein nihaan karb kaa sailaab bhi hai ye tamannaaon ki sukhi hui nadi 'akhtar' apni aankhon mein sajaae hue ik khvaab bhi hai"

"khabar ye kahaan thi ki yuun haar hogi ki dast-e-hinaai mein talvaar hogi guzar jaaeinge vo to aasaan samajh kar hamaare liye raah dushvaar hogi jise tum samajhte ho anmol kal tak mohabbat ki vo jins-e-bekaar hogi sunaa hai ki aaegaa vo paas mere magar darmiyaan ek divaar hogi milan ke liye tum taDapte ho jin ke kabhi un ki furqat bhi darkaar hogi kinaare pe aa kar sukun mil gayaa ab bahut fikr thi naav kab paar hogi vo gaThri havas ki liye jaa rahaa hai musaafir pe jangal mein yalghaar hogi bahut khushk hai ye zamin-e-mohabbat jo barseingi aankhein to gulzaar hogi"

"dil-e-barbaad ko chhoTaa saa makaan bhi degaa jab nayaa zakhm bharegaa to nishaan bhi degaa pahle guzrungaa main ummid-o-yaqin ki rah se phir tiraa pyaar mujhe vahm-o-gumaan bhi degaa paikar-e-rang jo pal-bhar mein bikhar jaaegaa jaagti aankhon ko khvaabon kaa jahaan bhi degaa tum jalaanaa mujhe chaaho to jalaa do lekin nakhl-e-taaza jo jalegaa to dhuaan bhi degaa vaqt detaa hai jinhein aaj khilaune 'akhtar' unhin atfaal ko kal tir-o-sinaan bhi degaa"

"vo jo kuein mein Duubaa hogaa shaayad koi pyaasaa hogaa man ke nagar mein aag lagi hai gham kaa dipak bhaDkaa hogaa saari chizein bikhri paDi hain ghar mein koi aaya hogaa pyaar kaa jangal sabz huaa hai gham kaa saavan barsaa hogaa phulon par shabnam ke qatre koi 'akhtar' royaa hogaa"

"sataa rahi hai bahut machhliyon ki baas mujhe bulaa rahaa hai samundar phir apne paas mujhe havas kaa shisha-e-naazuk huun phuuT jaaungaa na maar khinch ke is tarah sang-e-yaas mujhe main qaid mein kabhi divaar-o-dar ki rah na sakaa na aa sakaa kabhi shahron kaa rang raas mujhe main tere jism ke dariyaa ko pi chukaa huun bahut sataa rahi hai phir ab kyuun badan ki pyaas mujhe mire badan mein chhupaa hai samundaron kaa fusun jalaa sakegi bhalaa kyaa ye khushk ghaas mujhe giregaa TuuT ke sar par ye aasmaan kabhi Daraae rakhtaa hai har dam miraa qayaas mujhe jhulas rahaa huun main sadiyon se gham ke sahraa mein magar hai abr-e-gurezaan ki phir bhi aas mujhe"

"go us ki shakl ab hai kuhan-saal ki tarah bhulaa nahin main gaanv ki chaupaal ki tarah sahraa-e-hirs-o-aaz mein koi to aaegaa phailaaun apne aap ko main jaal ki tarah andar kaa ras nichoDaa to shaadaab thaa bahut lagtaa thaa yuun to sukhi hui Daal ki tarah mujh se kahaan bachegaa ki har rag mein huun nihaan phailaa huun tere jism mein main jaal ki tarah kab se hai intizaar ki aae koi idhar main dasht mein huun jaada-e-paamaal ki tarah"

"dil shaad nahin karte aabaad nahin karte mahsus ye hotaa hai vo yaad nahin karte naashaad zamaane ke dil shaad nahin karte kam-aql parindon ko aazaad nahin karte mohtaaj-e-karam aksar rahte hain gharibon ke jo log gharibon ki imdaad nahin karte kuchh log shikaayat ko haq apnaa samajhte hain kuchh log kabhi tum se fariyaad nahin karte ham apne iraadon mein rakhte hain tavaanaai ham daad ke taalib ko bedaad nahin karte jo aap ki niyyat kaa kuchh ilm hamein hotaa ham apni mohabbat ko barbaad nahin karte is daur-e-siyaasat mein 'mahmud' qayaamat hai ahbaab jo karte hain jallaad nahin karte"

"kyaa apne shahr mein koi aisaa makaan hai samjhun jise ki asl mein vo ik jahaan hai DhunDo haqiqat is mein na afsaana hi koi is kaa bayaan kuchh nahin us kaa bayaan hai apnaa shi'aar ab hai faqat amn-dushmani ye aur baat faakhta apnaa nishaan hai likhne ko ek harf na kahne ko ek lafz yuun to qalam hai haath mein munh mein zabaan hai vo lams jis ke baa'd zamaane guzar gae vo lams ab bhi taaza hai ab bhi javaan hai ho jaaegaa yaqin sabhon kaa hi kal jo aaj meraa yaqin aur sabhon kaa gumaan hai shatranj ki bisaat ki thi apni mez par shatranj ki bisaat ki saaraa jahaan hai"

"charaaghon se kuchh to churaayaa gayaa hai jo thi aag us ko bujhaayaa gayaa hai likhaa thaa jinhein sirf apne lahu se mire un khaton ko jalaayaa gayaa hai hazaaron daf'a us ne ki bevafaai mujhe bevafaa kyon bataayaa gayaa hai mujhe khud nikalnaa paDaa apne ghar se ye mat sochnaa ki bhagaayaa gayaa hai khabar ye mili hai ki mere hi ghar mein kisi ghair ko ab basaayaa gayaa hai mujhe hi sataa kar mujhe hi rulaa kar ye ilzaam mujh par lagaayaa gayaa hai tumhein kyaa bataaun mohabbat mein 'raavat' mujhe kis qadar aazmaayaa gayaa hai"

"bahr-e-rang-e-daastaan rahne diyaa ik tajassus darmiyaan rahne diyaa ab zamin ban kar bichhaa jaataa hai vo main ne jis ko aasmaan rahne diyaa raushni aur khvaab saare hech the apni aankhon mein dhuaan rahne diyaa vo jagah raushan nahin hogi kabhi is mohabbat ko jahaan rahne diyaa maan ne maathaa chuum kar rukhsat kiyaa maamtaa kaa saaebaan rahne diyaa kul milaa ke ye hai raaz-e-tishnagi ham ne dil ko sargiraan rahne diyaa khud hami paamaal Thahre shauq se khush-gumaan ko khush-gumaan rahne diyaa"

"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"

"ajab mushkil ki dil kaa haal aisaa ho gayaa hai sabhi ab puchhte hain mujh se ye kyaa ho gayaa hai main ye samjhaa ki gham kaa ab mudaavaa ho gayaa hai kuredaa zakhm to ye aur taaza ho gayaa hai kabhi fursat mile to khud se main baatein karungaa mujhe khud se mile bhi to zamaana ho gayaa hai magar ab sochtaa huun toD duun saare maraasim magar dil bhi tire gham se shanaasaa ho gayaa hai miri barbaad hasti kaa nazaara dekhne ko vo aae aur gham mein phir izaafa ho gayaa hai isi dariyaa mein ab khud ko Dubonaa chaahtaa huun ki is dil kaa talaatum mein kinaare ho gayaa hai chalo bhi 'qalb' ab tum dusraa dekho Thikaanaa ki is basti mein apnaa sab paraayaa ho gayaa hai"