koi baiThaa rahaa shabaab samet — Ikram Arfi

"baagh se muttasil hai ek gali jahaan khilti hai mere dil ki kali mahbas-e-dil mein tum nahin aae ek din to yahaan havaa bhi chali teri furqat ke daagh dil mein rakhe tere kuche ki khaak munh pe mali ek tu hai ki hai nazar aataa ek main huun ki huun khafi na jali zar-e-khairaat pheink detaa huun kaun chakkhe sakhaavaton ki Dali sukhne vaale phir hare na hue raah ki ghaas phir na phuli-phali puchhte ho ki kaun hai 'ikraam' kabhi dekhaa hai kyaa jadid 'vali'"

"dar-e-havas pe sharaafat ne ghuTne Tek diye gharib ghar ki zarurat ne ghuTne Tek diye havas-nazhaad professoron ne zulm kiyaa kitaab chhoD ke 'iffat ne ghuTne Tek diye sunaa hai aaj kisi mafiyaa ki peshi thi sunaa hai aaj 'adaalat ne ghuTne Tek diye qarib thaa ki mire haq mein boltaa insaaf muqaddame ki samaa'at ne ghuTne Tek diye ghulaam dekh ke shahzaadi ne salaam kiyaa to baadshaah salaamat ne ghuTne Tek diye hamaare dam se mohabbat kaa bol-baalaa thaa hamaare baa'd mohabbat ne ghuTne Tek diye hamaari pyaar ki 'aadat nahin gai 'ikraam' hamaare saamne 'aadat ne ghuTne Tek diye"

"ye mire ghar ke tiin chaar darakht hain disaavar ke tiin chaar darakht phir havaa shaakh shaakh se lipTi aashnaa kar ke tiin chaar darakht jaise kaaghaz ki ek do kaliyaan jaise patthar ke tiin chaar darakht dasht darpesh hai so chaltaa huun aankh mein bhar ke tiin chaar darakht shaah ne baagh mein ugaae hain sang-e-marmar ke tiin chaar darakht dasht-e-dil is qadar phalaa-phulaa dekhe mar mar ke tiin chaar darakht aakhiri vaqt bas havaaein thiin aur sanobar ke tiin chaar darakht"

"shab ki hairaan kar gae mire uunT subh sahraa se bhar gae mire uunT ret mahki to gungunaane lage chalte chalte Thahar gae mire uunT jabl-e-taariq pe dekh kar ghoDe paaniyon mein utar gae mire uunT sajne vaalaa thaa kumbh kaa mela aaina dekh kar gae mire uunT khushk honTon se maa'zarat kar li dil ke sahraa mein mar gae mire uunT ret ke is qadar shanaavar the nakhl dekhe to Dar gae mire uunT aur bhi raaste the ghar ki taraf ret par chal ke ghar gae mire uunT ek bhi sidhi kal nahin 'ikraam' apne ajdaad par gae mire uunT"

"pahle pahle bulaayaa gayaa Daakiyaa phir kai baar aaya gayaa Daakiyaa kachche raston se niklaa to khat gir paDe ek patthar se Takraa gayaa Daakiyaa log divaar-o-dar se lipaTne lage ek din gaanv mein aa gayaa Daakiyaa kachche ghar ki pahunch se bahut duur thaa baad-o-baaraan se ghabraa gayaa Daakiyaa dil pe dastak sunaai na di phir kabhi aankh se duur hotaa gayaa Daakiyaa haath malti rahi khvaahish-e-khvaandagi jo bataayaa vo likhtaa gayaa Daakiyaa aakhiri khat liye aakhiri moD par aakhiri baar dekhaa gayaa Daakiyaa"

"ye jo suraahi jaam ghaDe hain janaab-e-man khaali kisi sabab se paDe hain janaab-e-man vaa'don ke jis maqaam pe chhoDaa thaa aap ne ham aaj tak vahin pe khaDe hain janaab-e-man daulat nahin to kyaa hai miri shaa'iri to hai har har ghazal mein moti juDe hain janaab-e-man ye jo machi hai baans ke jangal mein khalbali ham jogiyon ko saanp laDe hain janaab-e-man ginvaa rahe the 'aib mire thoDi der qabl ab sharm se zamin mein gaDe hain janaab-e-man kaj-bahsiye bhi fahm-o-faraasat mein kam nahin shaa'ir bhi aap jaise baDe hain janaab-e-man raah-e-junun mein saath muqaddar hi de to de ye marhale hanuz kaDe hain janaab-e-man aisaa nahin ki phuul darakhton hi se gire kuchh shaakh-e-chashm se bhi jhaDe hain janaab-e-man yaa to mushaa'ire ko uThaataa hai ye faqir yaa vo ki jin ke baal baDe hain janaab-e-man ikraam jhulte hain mohabbat ke peD se kuchh din se shaakh-e-dil pe aDe hain janaab-e-man"

"ba-zom-e-aql ye kaisaa gunaah main ne kiyaa ik aainaa thaa usi ko siyaah main ne kiyaa ye shahr-e-kam-nazaraan ye dayaar-e-be-hunaraan kise ye apne hunar kaa gavaah main ne kiyaa harim-e-dil ko jalaane lagaa thaa ek khayaal so gul use bhi ba-yak sard aah main ne kiyaa vahi yaqin rahaa hai javaaz-e-ham-safari jo gaah us ne kiyaa aur gaah main ne kiyaa bas ek dil hi to hai vaaqif-e-rumuz-e-hayaat so shahr-e-jaan kaa use sarbaraah main ne kiyaa har ek ranj usi baab mein kiyaa hai raqam zaraa saa gham thaa jise be-panaah main ne kiyaa ye raah-e-ishq bahut sahl ho gai jab se hisaar-e-zaat ko paivand-e-raah main ne kiyaa ye umr ki hai basar kuchh ajab tavaazun se tiraa huaa na hi khud se nibaah main ne kiyaa khirad ne dil se kahaa tu junun-sifat hi sahi na puchh us ki ki jis ko tabaah main ne kiyaa"

"kaam liyaa jab lafzon hi se khud ko bas naakaam kiyaa baat asar-andaaz hui jab she'ron ko paighaam kiyaa ye kaise saari duniyaa mein aaj bahut mashhur ho tum vaise to saari duniyaa ne tum ko bahut gumnaam kiyaa yak-rangi se 'aajiz aa kar rangaa-rangi ki khaatir jo mujh ko raas aayaa thaa us nilam ko nilaam kiyaa aksar tanhaai mein mujh ko yaad aa jaataa hai vo sab haan aaghaaz se pahle hi jis ko main ne anjaam kiyaa khaamoshi pas fan hai khudaa kaa sikhaa ham ne bhi lekin har-su roz machaayaa tahalka yaa paidaa kohraam kiyaa vaqt ke saath aur aap ke haathon qadrein kitni badli hain ek ilzaam se kitnaa kam hai haasil jo in'aam kiyaa kahiye husn aur 'ishq ko de kar apne dil ke khuun kaa lams kis ne use gul-rang kiyaa phir kis ne use gulfaam kiyaa ab kaa fasaad aaraam se guzre is koshish mein us ne to qashqa khinchaa dair mein baiThaa kab kaa tark islaam kiyaa"

"log kahte hain ki qaatil ko masihaa kahiye kaise mumkin hai andheron ko ujaalaa kahiye chehre paDhnaa to sabhi siikh gae hain lekin kaisi tahzib hai apnon ko paraayaa kahiye jaane pahchaane hue chehre nazar aate hain vaqt qaatil hai yahaan kis ko masihaa kahiye aap jis peD ke saae mein khaDe hain is ko sehn-e-gulshan nahin jaltaa huaa sahraa kahiye sab ke chehron pe hain akhlaaq-o-muravvat ke naqaab kis ko apnaa yahaan aur kis ko paraayaa kahiye shab ke maathe pe koi saaya numudaar huaa us ko ab pyaar ke aangan kaa saveraa kahiye zahr-e-tanhaai-e-gham pi ke mohabbat mein 'khayaal' kis tarah maut ko jiine kaa sahaaraa kahiye"

"vo dost thaa to usi ko adu bhi honaa thaa lahu pahan ke mujhe surkh-ru bhi honaa thaa sunahri haath mein taaza lahu ki fasl na di ki apne haq ke liye jang-ju bhi honaa thaa bagula ban ke samundar mein khaak uDaanaa thi ki lahar lahar mujhe tund-khu bhi honaa thaa mire hi harf dikhaate the meri shakl mujhe ye ishtihaar mire ru-ba-ru bhi honaa thaa kashish thi phuul si is mein to laa-muhaala mujhe asir-e-rang giraftaar-e-bu bhi honaa thaa sazaa to milnaa thi mujh ko barahna lafzon ki zabaan ke saath labon ko rafu bhi honaa thaa safar kaa bojh uThaane se peshtar 'saajid' mizaaj-daan-e-rah-e-justuju bhi honaa thaa"

"ab tire lams ko yaad karne kaa ik silsila aur divaana-pan rah gayaa tu kahin kho gayaa aur pahlu mein teri shabaahat liye ik badan rah gayaa vo saraapaa tiraa vo tire khaal-o-khad meri yaadon mein sab muntashir ho gae lafz ki justuju mein laraztaa huaa nim-vaa saa faqat ik dahan rah gayaa harf ke harf se kyaa tazaadaat hain tu ne bhi kuchh kahaa main ne bhi kuchh kahaa tere pahlu mein duniyaa simaTti gai mere hisse mein harf-e-sukhan rah gayaa tere jaane se mujh par ye uqda khulaa rang-o-khushbu to bas teri miraas the ek hasrat saji rah gai gul-ba-gul ek maatam chaman-dar-chaman rah gayaa ek be-naam khvaahish ki paadaash mein teri palkein bhi baaham piro di gaiin ek vahshat ko sairaab karte hue mein bhi aankhon mein le kar thakan rah gayaa arsa-e-khvaab se vaqt maujud ke raaste mein ganvaa di gai guftugu ek israar ki bebasi rah gai ek inkaar kaa baankpan rah gayaa tu sitaaron ko apni jilau mein liye jaa rahaa thaa tujhe kyaa khabar kyaa huaa ik tamannaa dariche mein baiThi rahi ek bistar kahin be-shikan rah gayaa"

"phir khuun mein vahshat raqsaan hai tajdid sitam karne ke liye ik taaza zakhm ki khvaahish hai ik sadma kam karne ke liye ham din-bhar duniyaa-daari mein hans hans ke baatein karte hain phir saari raat pighalte hain ik ashk raqam karne ke liye vo vasl ki jis ne ham donon ko yaksar be-buniyaad kiyaa ab fursat hai aa mil baiThein us vasl kaa gham karne ke liye ik kaari zakhm ki chaahat ne kyaa kyaa na hamein gulzaar kiyaa ham kis kis se mansub hue ik hijr baham karne ke liye insaan ke jiine marne ke majburi ke mukhtaari ke ye saare khel zaruri hain taamir adam karne ke liye"