main apni sochon mein ek dariyaa banaa rahaa thaa — Muhammad Atiq Ahmad

"manzilon ke shauq mein paagal rahi hai zindagi be-nishaan raston pe kab se chal rahi hai zindagi go tumhaari aankh se ojhal rahi hai zindagi lamha-lamha kis qadar be-kal rahi hai zindagi vaadi-e-naaraan ki yakh-basta fazaa ko kyaa khabar kis taraf daamaan hai kyon jal rahi hai zindagi saans ko roke khaDaa huun main magar ye dekhiye kis tarah apni Dagar pe chal rahi hai zindagi tujh se jab aankhein mili thiin dil se aai thi sadaa umr guzri hai magar is pal rahi hai zindagi muddaton ke baad dekhaa hai use main ne 'atiq' khul rahaa hai mujh pe jaise phal rahi hai zindagi"

"qurbaton mein kho gayaa ki faaslon mein kho gayaa qaafila imkaan kaa kin raaston mein kho gayaa ek hi rasta milaa thaa tujh tak aane ke liye aur main us raaste ki mushkilon mein kho gayaa phir sukhan ke daaere mein aa gayaa teraa khayaal phir faulun faaelun ke silsilon mein kho gayaa go ki mere saamne vo jhiil si aankhein na thiin main magar un ke khayaali manzaron mein kho gayaa phuul hain 'ahmad' kahaan is gulshan-e-barbaad mein phir ye nakhl-e-dil khizaan ki vusaton mein kho gayaa"

"main apni khaak ko jab aaina banaataa huun to is ke vaaste dil bhi nayaa banaataa huun har ik parind rahe taa-abad yahaan shaadaab isi liye main shajar bhi haraa banaataa huun bhaTak na jaae kahin shahr-e-gham mein apnaa dil so tere khvaab ko main rahnumaa banaataa huun kare na kyuun ye tire dil mein ghar mire hamdam main apne sher ko dard-aashnaa banaataa huun main pahle bhartaa huun us dil mein vahshatein aur phir savaad-e-dasht ko bhi ham-navaa banaataa huun vo faaelaat-o-mafaail ke nahin bas mein main apne sher mein jo zaaviya banaataa huun talaash karti hain khud manzilein jise 'ahmad' main dasht-e-shauq mein vo raasta banaataa huun"

"khile hain phuul usi rang ki sataaish mein jo be-misaal rahaa aap apni taabish mein vo ek din hi miri zindagi kaa haasil hai ki mere paas koi ruk gayaa thaa baarish mein bas ek jhiil hai aur peD kaa ghanaa saayaa sulag rahe hain kai log jin ki khvaahish mein kabhi huaa jo kahin par ghazal-saraa main bhi to mere yaar jale hain hasad ki aatish mein main jis ko sochtaa rahtaa huun raat-din 'ahmad' usi ne rang bhare hain miri nigaarish mein"

"khvaab-e-sahar kaa dekhne vaalaa to main bhi huun suraj nahin huun shaam kaa taaraa to main bhi huun yusuf ko dekhtaa huun main chashm-e-zulekhaa se gauhar nahin guhar kaa shanaasaa to main bhi huun dariyaa ke saath chalnaa gavaaraa nahin mujhe bahtaa huun apni rau mein ki dhaaraa to main bhi huun dekhaa nahin kisi ne bhi meri taraf magar aankhon ki raahguzaar se guzraa to main bhi huun dariyaa ko main bhi dariyaa samajhtaa huun dosto Duubaa agar nahin huun safina to main bhi huun vahshat mire sipurd bhi kar mujh se bhi to mil sahraa nahin huun ret kaa zarra to main bhi huun"

"khvaahish-o-khvaab ki numu mein hai zindagi shauq-o-justuju mein hai der tak dhuup mein khaDe rahnaa ai shajar kyaa tire lahu mein hai dekhte rah gae rafu-gar bhi chaak jo jism-e-aabru mein hai main jo tasvir le ke aayaa huun ghar kaa ghar us ki aarzu mein hai raushni ki naved laao kabhi raushni vo jo guftugu mein hai un labon ko khabar nahin 'ahmad' kis qadar tishnagi subu mein hai"

"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"

"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"

"kahe detaa huun go hai to nahin ye baat kahne ki tiri khvaahish nahin dil mein ziyaada der rahne ki bachaa kar dil guzartaa jaa rahaa huun har ta’alluq se kahaan us aable ko taab hai ab choT sahne ki rag-o-pai mein na hangaama kare to kyaa kare aakhir ijaazat jab nahin is ranj ko aankhon se bahne ki bas apni apni tarjihaat apni apni khvaahish hai tujhe shohrat kamaane ki mujhe ik she'r kahne ki jahaan kaa huun vahin ki raas aaegi fazaa mujh ko ye duniyaa bhi bhalaa koi jagah hai mere rahne ki jo kal 'irfaan' par guzri sunaa kuchh us ke baare mein khabar tum ne suni tufaan mein dariyaa ke bahne ki"

"kal shab dil-e-aavaara ko siine se nikaalaa ye aakhiri kaafir bhi madine se nikaalaa ye fauj nikalti thi kahaan khaana-e-dil se yaadon ko nihaayat hi qarine se nikaalaa main khuun bahaa kar bhi huaa baagh mein rusvaa us gul ne magar kaam pasine se nikaalaa Thahre hain zar-o-sim ke haqdaar tamaashaai aur maar-e-siyah ham ne dafine se nikaalaa ye soch ke saahil pe safar khatm na ho jaae baahar na kabhi paanv safine se nikaalaa"

"Tuut kar ab sanvar gayaa huun main is tarah se bikhar gayaa huun main jo tire naam ki gali hai vo us gali se guzar gayaa huun main yaadein teri sameT laayaa huun aaj jab se udhar gayaa huun main khud mukarnaa sikhaa diyaa us ne phir kahaa ki mukar gayaa huun main kal talak jo na kar sakaa thaa main aaj vo kaam kar gayaa huun main yuun kahin main nahin Thahartaa par tere dar par Thahar gayaa huun main"

"bistar-e-karb pe jab niind jalaai main ne tab kisi khvaab ki buniyaad uThaai main ne zakhm aise the ki har shakhs ke aage rakkhe baat aisi thi ki khud se bhi chhupaai main ne hurmat-e-gham ke liye khud ko aziyyat bakhshi phir usi dard se taskin bhi paai main ne main ne zakhmon ko kuredaa unhein taaza rakkhaa tab kahin dasht mein ki naghma-saraai main ne apni khiDki se yunhi khud ko pukaaraa kal shab aur phir khud ko vo aavaaz sunaai main ne jaane vaale se rag-e-jaan kaa bhi rishta thaa 'samir' ye samajhne mein bahut der lagaai main ne"