kargas ko surkhaab banaanaa chaahoge — Asra Rizvi

"udaas aankhein ghazaal aankhein javaab aankhein savaal aankhein hazaar raaton kaa bojh uThiye vo bhigi palkein vo laal aankhein vo subh kaa vaqt niind kachchi khumaar se be-misaal aankhein bas ik jhalak ko taDap rahi hain rahin-e-shauq-e-visaal aankhein jhuki jhuki si mundi mundi si amin-e-naaz-e-jamaal aankhein vo hijr ke mausamon se uljhi thaki thaki si niDhaal aankhein na jaane kyuun khoi khoi si hain bujhi bujhi pur-khayaal aankhein hain shokhiyon se chhalakne vaali mohabbaton se nihaal aankhein agar nigaahon se mil gaiin to kareingi jiinaa muhaal aankhein chhupe hue hain hazaar jazbe balaa ki hain ye kamaal aankhein"

"baalidagi-e-zarf pe dikhlaae gae log har gaam pe gum-naam hai miTvaae gae log is farsh-e-tilismi ko ataa kar di faraaghat yuun tasht-e-farebi mein hi bikhraae gae log qismat ki lakiron mein jinhein baandh ke rakkhaa aazaadi ki masnad pe bhi biThlaae gae log har roz nayaa ek tamaasha huaa jaari aaraaish-e-duniyaa mein jo uljhaae gae log pechidgi-e-fikr mein kyaa khuub phansaayaa ehsaas ke shaanon se hi suljhaae gae log duniyaa mein darindon ko baDe fakhr se bhejaa har zulm pe phir sabr se samjhaae gae log ik khauf thaa us jaa-e-pareshaan ki fazaa mein be-khauf jo kuchh nikle vo dhamkaae gae log be-khaufi se jab khauf baDhaa ahl-e-jahaan kaa maqtul hue khaak mein dafnaae gae log haq chup hi rahe lab na khulein sar na uThaae is vaaste be-maut bhi marvaae gae log nairangi-e-kirdaar pe hairaan hain 'asraa' sau pahlu se ik bazm mein milvaae gae log"

"adaavaton kaa ye us ko sila diyaa ham ne anaa ko us ki hamin mein Dubaa diyaa ham ne malaal-o-huzn se ho kar guzarti raahon ko yaqin-o-shauq se paiham milaa diyaa ham ne misaal ban gai mahbub aur habib ki zaat ye aaina sar-e-aalam dikhaa diyaa ham ne tamaam jabr-o-tashaddud ki had bhi khatm hui ki jab se sabr ko mehvar banaa diyaa ham ne kisi khayaal kaa aanaa muhaal hai ab to tasavvuraat kaa khema jalaa diyaa ham ne abhi bhi ungli uThaane ki rasm baaqi hai har ik sabab ko agarche miTaa diyaa ham ne ab aur gharq-e-tajassus na ho miri khaatir tumhein to faisla apnaa sunaa diyaa ham ne ye laazmi hai ki 'asraa' bhulaa diyaa jaae jo raaz dil ki zamin mein dabaa diyaa ham ne"

"main tire shahr mein phirti rahi maari maari kabhi gulshan kabhi sahraa kabhi vaadi vaadi raah pur-peinch thi tanhaai thi andhiyaaraa thaa bebasi kahti rahi dasht mein haadi haadi uljhanein aur kasak ho gai taqdir miri khaanqaahon mein bhi jhaank aae hain jaali jaali chhiD gayaa phir dil-e-betaab par ik saaz nayaa rukh-e-hasti pe chhalakne lagi laali laali jaane kaisi ye taDap hai nahin rukne deti jo thake mere qadam aah main haari haari ratjagon kaa bhi asar hone lagaa hai kuchh kuchh surkh rahne lagi aankhein miri kaali kaali husn hi husn thaa aur jalve hi jalve har-su kaanpte honTon se kahti rahi vaari vaari muntazir jis ki rahi us ne to dekhaa bhi nahin baaqi sab aa ke mile bazm mein baari baari us ke jaane ke tasavvur se bhar aaiin aankhein dil miraa lagne lagaa khud mujhe khaali khaali"

"aisaa ye dard hai ki bhulaayaa na jaaegaa meaar-e-ishq un se baDhaayaa na jaaegaa is baar un se kah do qadam soch kar rakhein ujDaa jo phir ye shahr basaayaa na jaaegaa jo log bughz dil mein chhupaae hain aaj bhi un se mire makaan mein aayaa na jaaegaa haq baat bolne se kiyaa jis kisi ne khauf mahfil mein phir kabhi bhi bulaayaa na jaaegaa the muttafiq to baat se meri sabhi magar sheva miraa khayaal banaayaa na jaaegaa shaayad isi liye nahin aae vo mere paas jo aa gae to chhoD ke jaayaa na jaaegaa gar ehtiraam kar na sake bazm-e-naaz kaa sharmindagi se sar ko uThaayaa na jaaegaa zahr-aab mere vaaste vo le to aaegaa saaqi se jaam ham ko pilaayaa na jaaegaa 'asraa' banaa lo shauq ko apne junun ki aag ik baar bujh gai to jalaayaa na jaaegaa"

"aag jo dil mein lagi hai vo bujhaa di jaae phir koi taaza ghazal aaj sunaa di jaae zinat-e-jism bane ruuh ko chhalni kar de aisi har rasm zamaane se miTaa di jaae sunte hain ishq kaa baazaar bahut garm hai phir qimat-e-husn zaraa aur baDhaa di jaae ik jhalak ke liye sau baar sar-e-baam gayaa aatish-e-shauq ko kuchh aur havaa di jaae raaz siine mein dabaa hai jo sar-e-bazm kahun sirf ik baar mujhe us ki razaa di jaae zindagi dhuup mein jalte hue kaaTi jis ne saaya mil jaae koi us ko duaa di jaae jaa-ba-jaa aks meri aankhon mein ubhre jis kaa us ki tasvir bhi ab dil se haTaa di jaae vaqt aajil hai safar tuul hai dam aankhon mein rukh-e-jaanaan se naqaab ab to uThaa di jaae tishnagi aankh ki kam ho koi surat nikle pas-e-parda hi jhalak kaash dikhaa di jaae munjamid koh-e-nidaa par hai taghaaful se tire hiddat-e-chashm-e-karam us pe luTaa di jaae muskuraate hue sar siine pe rakh kar bole maraz-e-ishq hai laazim hai davaa di jaae ye bhi mumkin hai magar tab ki vo khud aa ke kahe baat jo dil ko dukhaati hai bhulaa di jaae"