mujhe khud se bhi khaTkaa saa lagaa thaa — Anwar Masood

"kaisi kaisi aayatein mastur hain nuqte ke biich kyaa ghane jangal chhupe baiThe hain ik daane ke biich rafta rafta rakhna rakhna ho gai miTTi ki geind ab khalijon ke sivaa kyaa rah gayaa naqshe ke biich main to baahar ke manaazir se abhi faarigh nahin kyaa khabar hai kaun se asraar hain parde ke biich ai dil-e-naadaan kisi kaa ruThnaa mat yaad kar aan Tapkegaa koi aansu bhi is jhagDe ke biich saare akhbaaron mein dekhun haal apne burj kaa ab mulaaqaat us se hogi kaun se hafte ke biich main ne 'anvar' is liye baandhi kalaai par ghaDi vaqt puchheinge kai mazdur bhi raste ke biich"

"main dekh bhi na sakaa mere gird kyaa gayaa thaa ki jis maqaam pe main thaa vahaan ujaalaa thaa durust hai ki vo jangal ki aag thi lekin vahin qarib hi dariyaa bhi ik guzartaa thaa tum aa gae to chamakne lagi hain divaarein abhi abhi to yahaan par baDaa andheraa thaa labon pe khair tabassum bikhar bikhar hi gayaa ye aur baat ki hansne ko dil tarastaa thaa sunaa hai log bahut se mile the raste mein miri nazar se to bas ek shakhs guzraa thaa ulajh paDi thi muqaddar se aarzu meri dam-e-firaaq use roknaa bhi chaahaa thaa mahak rahaa hai chaman ki tarah vo aaina ki jis mein tu ne kabhi apnaa ruup dekhaa thaa ghaTaa uThi hai to phir yaad aa gayaa 'anvar' 'ajib shakhs thaa aksar udaas rahtaa thaa"

"ishaaraton ki vo sharhein vo tajziya bhi gayaa jo gird-e-matn banaa thaa vo haashiya bhi gayaa vo dil-rubaa se jo sapne the le uDiin nindein dhanak-nagar se vo dhundlaa saa raabta bhi gayaa 'ajib lutf thaa naadaaniyon ke 'aalam mein samajh mein aaiin to baaton kaa vo maza bhi gayaa hamein bhi banne sanvarne kaa dhyaan rahtaa thaa vo ek shakhs ki thaa ek aaina bhii, gayaa baDaa sukun milaa aaj us ke milne se chalo ye dil se tavaqqo' kaa vasvasa bhi gayaa gulon ko dekh ke ab raakh yaad aati hai khayaal kaa vo suhaanaa talaazma bhi gayaa musaafirat pe main teshe ke sang niklaa thaa jidhar gayaa huun mire saath raasta bhi gayaa hamein to ek nazar nashr kar gai 'anvar' hamaare haath se dil kaa musavvada bhi gayaa"

"ab kahaan aur kisi chiiz ki jaa rakkhi hai dil mein ik teri tamannaa jo basaa rakkhi hai sar-ba-kaf main bhi huun shamshir-ba-kaf hai tu bhi tu ne kis din pe ye taqrib uThaa rakkhi hai dil sulagtaa hai tire sard ravayye se miraa dekh is barf ne kyaa aag lagaa rakkhi hai aaina dekh zaraa kyaa main ghalat kahtaa huun tu ne khud se bhi koi baat chhupaa rakkhi hai jaise tu hukm kare dil miraa vaise dhaDke ye ghaDi tere ishaaron se milaa rakkhi hai mutmain mujh se nahin hai jo raiyat meri ye miraa taaj rakhaa hai ye qabaa rakkhi hai gauhar-e-ashk se khaali nahin aankhein 'anvar' yahi punji to zamaane se bachaa rakkhi hai"

"bajaT main ne dekhe hain saare tire anokhe anokhe khasaare tire alalle-talalle udhaare tire bhalaa kaun qarze utaare tire giraani ki saughaat haasil miraa mahaasil tire goshvaare tire mushiron kaa jamghaT salaamat rahe bahut kaam jis ne sanvaare tire miri saada-lauhi samajhti nahin hisaabi kitaabi ishaare tire kai istilaahon mein gundhe hue kinaae tire isti'aare tire tu arbon ki kharbon ki baatein kare 'adad kaun itne shumaare tire tujhe kuchh gharibon ki parvaa nahin vaDere hain pyaare dulaare tire idhar se liyaa kuchh udhar se liyaa yunhi chal rahe hain idaare tire"

"use to paas-e-khulus-e-vafaa zaraa bhi nahin magar ye aas kaa rishta ki TuTtaa bhi nahin ghire hue hain khamoshi ki barf mein kab se kisi ke paas koi tesha-e-sadaa bhi nahin maaal-e-ghunch-o-gul hai miri nigaahon mein mujhe tabassum-e-kaazib kaa hausla bhi nahin tulu-e-subh-e-azal se main DhunDhtaa thaa jise milaa to hai pa miri samt dekhtaa bhi nahin miri sadaa se bhi raftaar tez thi us ki mujhe gila bhi nahin hai jo vo rukaa bhi nahin bikhar gai hai nigaahon ki raushni varna nazar na aae vo itnaa to faasla bhi nahin sunaa hai aaj kaa mauzu-e-majlis-e-tanqid vo sher hai ki abhi main ne jo kahaa bhi nahin simaT rahe hain sitaaron ke faasle 'anvar' paDosiyon ko magar koi jaantaa bhi nahin"

"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"

"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"

"na koi dost ho meraa na ho adu meraa tum apne munh se agar kah do mujh ko tu meraa fasurdagi mein junun-e-havaa-e-gul yaani khizaan ke daur mein saudaa-e-rang-o-bu meraa jo tum nahin to bahaar-e-jinaan mein khaak nahin bahut vasia hai daamaan-e-aarzu meraa nibhegi ai dil-e-aavaara ab na tujh se miri bas aaj se na main teraa huun aur na tu meraa banaa rahe hain vo jalve ki apne tasvirein dikhaa dikhaa ke tamaashaa-e-rang-o-bu meraa kisi ki zulf-e-siyah kah rahi hai khul khul kar ghaTaa ne rang uDaayaa hai hu-ba-hu meraa mah-e-siyaam kaa aur intizaam kyaa karte janaab-e-shaikh uDaa le gae subu meraa jafaa kaa rang judaa hai vafaa kaa rang judaa malo na dast-e-hinaai mein tum lahu meraa taDap rahi hai jo abr-e-siyaah mein bijli firaaq mein yahi naqsha thaa hu-ba-hu meraa suhaani raat hai chhiTki hai chaandni 'muztar' miri nigaah mein phirtaa hai maah-ru meraa"

"kisi ki mehrbaani ho gai hai ayaan dil ki kahaani ho gai hai hare mausam ki pahli khvaahishein uf khushi gham ki divaani ho gai hai sabhi afraad ghar ke so gae hain bahut lambi kahaani ho gai hai rivaayat kaa hai ab bhi sahar qaaem har ik jiddat puraani ho gai hai pas-e-chehra milaa ik aur chehra 'aqidat paani paani ho gai hai"

"aakhiri hal thaa yahi pesh-e-nazar jaane diyaa ek gahri saans li phir khvaab mar jaane diyaa saarbaanaa de gavaahi mujh ko pyaari thi anaa rakh liyaa zaad-e-safar aur ham-safar jaane diyaa hazrat-e-naaseh ki khush-uftaadgi pe daad hai khud jidhar se aae the sab ko udhar jaane diyaa is harim-e-naaz mein yuun be-mahaabaa guftugu kuchh bharam rakkhaa to hotaa tum ko gar jaane diyaa tujh ko rokaa jaa rahaa thaa raushni thi jab talak shaam ke Dhalte samay suraj ko ghar jaane diyaa aankh sapne dekhti thi aansuon se kyon bhari chaahti to puchh leti main magar jaane diyaa dostaa qismat na ho to koshishein bekaar hain sabr kaa paimaana ham ne khud hi bhar jaane diyaa dil musir thaa baarhaa kuchh jaanchne ko ruk gae aakhirash us ne hamein baar-e-digar jaane diyaa"