khuli aankhon mein dar aane se pahle — Aftab Ahmad

"ye reg-e-ravaan yaad-dahaani to nahin kyaa sahraa kisi dariyaa ki nishaani to nahin kyaa dekho miraa kirdaar kahin par bhi nahin hai dekho ye koi aur kahaani to nahin kyaa raushan hai nayaa aks sar-e-chashm-e-tamaasha biite hue manzar ki ravaani to nahin kyaa is ghar ke dar-o-baam bhi apne nahin lagte qismat mein nai naql-e-makaani to nahin kyaa khvaabon pe paDi os kaa matlab to yahi hai ashkon ke jo shoale vo the paani to nahin kyaa main misra-e-ulaa huun to aaine mein saahab jo aks hai vo misra-e-saani to nahin kyaa puchhungaa kisi roz charaaghon se main 'ahmad' ye lau koi paighaam zabaani to nahin kyaa"

"umr-e-rafta main tire haath bhi kyaa aayaa huun din bitaane the magar khud ko bitaa aayaa huun dhuul bhi aise qarine se uDaai hai ki main ek marte hue raste ko bachaa aayaa huun kal ko de aaungaa jaa kar use binaai bhi aankh divaar pe filhaal banaa aayaa huun vaadi-e-saut nahin mujh ko bhulaane vaali naqsh yuun kar ke vahaan apni sadaa aayaa huun sirf paanv hi nahin qaid se baahar aae apni zanjir ko bhi kar ke rihaa aayaa huun apne aansu bhi kiye nazr kisi paani ke pyaas dariyaa ki bahar-taur bujhaa aayaa huun zindagi tu bhi bahut yaad karegi mujh ko tere hisse ke bhi dukh-dard uThaa aayaa huun ab pareshaan huun ki taabir kaa jaane kyaa ho band kaanon ko nayaa khvaab sunaa aayaa huun jaane kis ghaaT lage umr ki kashti 'ahmad' khud ko sukhe hue dariyaa mein bahaa aayaa huun"

"kisi nishaan se alaamat se yaa sanad se na ho agar main huun to ye honaa bhi khaal-o-khad se na ho main ek aise zamaane mein basnaa chaahtaa huun zamaana jis kaa taalluq azal abad se na ho mire adu vo haqiqat bhi kyaa haqiqat hai subut jis kaa mayassar usi ke rad se na ho isi liye to main rakhtaa huun khushbuon saa mizaaj main chaahtaa huun ki meraa shumaar had se na ho banaane vaalaa huun haathon se apne fardaa kaa vo zaaicha jo lakiron se yaa adad se na ho vajud vaahima hai ai badan-nazhaad samajh ye teraa saaya bhi shaayad tire jasad se na ho main apnaa aap usi ke supurd kar dungaa ik aisaa shakhs jo amboh-e-nek-o-bad se na ho"

"mumkin hai shai vahi ho magar hu-ba-hu na ho reg-e-ravaan bhi dekh kahin aabju na ho qaaem isi tazaad ke dam se hai kaaenaat main aarzu huun jis ki miri aarzu na ho manzar badal badal ke bhi dekhaa hai baarhaa jo zakhm ab hai aankh pe shaayad rafu na ho sahtaa rahaa huun ek tasalsul se is liye ye TuT-phuT hi miri vajh-e-numu na ho main khud hi bujhne lagtaa huun jalte hue charaagh jis roz teri lau se miri guftugu na ho dekho badal ke zaaviya apni nigaah kaa jo ru-ba-ru nahin hai vahi ru-ba-ru na ho mere vajud se hai ye duniyaa-e-rang-o-bu lekin miraa jahaan faqat rang-o-bu na ho mushkil miri hadon kaa taayyun hai 'aaftaab' vo raushni bhi kyaa hai ki jo chaar su na ho"

"tujh ko khiffat se bachaa luun paani tishnagi apni chhupaa luun paani khaak uDti hai har ik chehre par kis ki aankhon se nikaalun paani dhuup dariyaa pe nazar rakhti hai tujh ko kuuze mein chhupaa luun paani uDte phirte hain saron par baadal khvaab aankhon mein basaa luun paani roz bachchon ko sulaa duun yunhi roz patthar ko ubaalun paani aag se kheltaa hai kal mujh ko aa tujhe apnaa banaa luun paani khaarzaaron pe chalun nange paanv khushk dharti ki duaa luun paani sabr ki had bhi to kuchh hoti hai kitnaa palkon pe sambhaalun paani bhuul jaaun na kahin tairaaki kyuun na kashti hi jalaa luun paani apni vahshat kaa ik izhaar sahi kar ke sard aag jalaa luun paani zakhm ho phuul ho yaa angaara ho jo raushan to bulaa luun paani shart hai teri rifaaqat varna vaqt ki aag mein Daalun paani aag matlub-e-lab-e-tishna hai main tujhe kaise bulaa luun paani chashm-e-ahbaab jo ho khushk 'ataa' khuun ko apne banaa luun paani"

"dam-ba-khud meri anaa teri adaa bhi dam-ba-khud tere pahlu mein rahaa main aur rahaa bhi dam-ba-khud dekhiye pahle lahu Tapke ki phailein kirchiyaan dam-ba-khud teri nazar bhi aaina bhi dam-ba-khud itnaa sannaaTaa ki jaise avvalin shaam-e-firaaq dam-ba-khud hai aasmaan bhi aur havaa bhi dam-ba-khud yaad hai tujh ko vo pahle lams ki hiddat ki jab rah gai thi dafatan teri hayaa bhi dam-ba-khud ek se aalam mein donon mukhtalif asbaab se dam-ba-khud teraa karam meri duaa bhi dam-ba-khud aisaa lagtaa hai ki donon se nahin nisbat mujhe dam-ba-khud umr-e-ravaan sail-e-fanaa bhi dam-ba-khud khauf-e-tajdid-e-taaluq darmiyaan haail rahaa dam-ba-khud teraa sitam meraa galaa bhi dam-ba-khud yuun gumaan hotaa hai donon ki tavaqqoa ek thi dam-ba-khud teri vafaa meri sazaa bhi dam-ba-khud jab khule meri haqiqat tum vo manzar dekhnaa dam-ba-khud naa-aashnaa bhi aashnaa bhi dam-ba-khud"

"yaar ke bhes mein mahbub sitamgar niklaa phuul ham jis ko samajhte the vo patthar niklaa ek roTi ke evaz de gayaa jannat ki duaa mere kuche kaa bhikaari bhi mukhayyar niklaa aaj-kal aankh kaa dekhaa bhi ghalat hotaa hai jis ko samjhe the apaahij vo tavangar niklaa vaqt kamzor ko shah-zor banaa detaa hai shaam ko Duubaa magar subh mein khaavar niklaa ghar badalne se bhi taqdir badal jaati hai siip mein paani paDaa ban ke vo gauhar niklaa jo mire zehn-o-takhayyul mein bahut unchaa thaa us kaa qad taalib-e-duniyaa ke baraabar niklaa jis ke zimme thi mire ghar ki hifaazat 'muztar' dushmanon kaa mire vo shakhs bhi ham-sar niklaa"

"ilaahi mahshar mein bahr-e-pursish jab ek darbaar aam hogaa miri baghal mein suraahi hogi zabaan par teraa naam hogaa nasib tujh ko nahin ye neamat to zahmat-e-tur kar gavaaraa yahaan to hote hain roz jalve kalim tujh ko kalaam hogaa nigah rahe aasmaan pe teri hai taair-e-arsh-aashiyaan tu nazar mein jis ki zamin hogi vahi giraftaar-e-daam hogaa qubul kar markaz-e-haqiqat tiraa makaan laa-makaan hai ai dil majaaz ke daaere mein aakar fuzul paaband-e-naam hogaa harim-e-kaaba-o-dair donon hain qaabil-e-ehtiraam lekin nazaaa-e-baaham ke hon na markaz to phir dili-ehtiraam hogaa tu nashsha-e-zohd kaa hai taalib tujhe kahaan vajd-e-jaavedaani jo rind-e-mast-e-mudaam hogaa vo raazdaar-e-davaam hogaa shuur kahte hain jis ko aaqil vo roz mehvar badal rahaa hai jo aa gayaa jaada-e-junun mein sukun mein us kaa qiyaam hogaa na hongi hal mushkilaat 'aiman' fuzul sab koshishein hain teri khudaa se imdaad ki duaa kar baghair is ke na kaam hogaa"

"khauf dil mein na tire dar ke gadaa ne rakkhaa din ko kashkol bharaa shab ko sirhaane rakkhaa fikr-e-meaar-e-sukhan baais-e-aazaar hui tang rakkhaa to hamein apni qabaa ne rakkhaa raat fōtpath pe din bhar ki thakan kaam aai us kaa bistar bhi kyaa sar pe bhi taane rakkhaa khauf aayaa nahin saanpon ke ghane jangal mein mujh ko mahfuz miri maan ki duaa ne rakkhaa ye alag baat samundar pe vo barsi 'saajid' aur kisi khet ko pyaasaa na ghaTaa ne rakkhaa"

"dard kab dil mein mehrbaan na rahaa haan magar qaabil-e-bayaan na rahaa ham jo gulshan mein the bahaar na thi jab bahaar aai aashiyaan na rahaa gham garaan jab na thaa garaan thaa mujhe jab garaan ho gayaa garaan na rahaa doston kaa karam maaaz-allaah shikva-e-jaur-e-dushmanaan na rahaa bijliyon ko duaaein detaa huun dosh par baar-e-aashiyaan na rahaa"