phulon mein ek rang hai aankhon ke niir kaa — Ahmad Shanas

"zamaana ho gayaa hai khvaab dekhe lahu mein dard kaa shab-taab dekhe manaazir ko bahut muddat hui hai nigaahon mein nayaa ik baab dekhe sitaara shaam ko jab aankh khole achaanak chaand ko paayaab dekhe vo chingaari si de qurbat ki mujh ko to phir suraj ki aab-o-taab dekhe kai raatein huiin khiDki mein ghar ki ta'alluq kaa nayaa mahtaab dekhe main lafzon ki nai faslein ugaaun vo sannaaTon ke taaza khvaab dekhe meri aankhon mein saavan rang bhar de mujhe ai kaash vo sairaab dekhe na vo aavaargi kaa shauq 'ahmad' na koi dasht ko betaab dekhe"

"bas ik jahaan-e-tahayyur se aane vaalaa hai vo ajnabi mujhe apnaa banaane vaalaa hai gulaab sang ki surat dikhaane vaalaa hai kahaan kahaan vo mujhe aazmaane vaalaa hai koi to dekhne vaalaa hai meri aankhon se koi to hai jo tamaasha dikhaane vaalaa hai ye chaand aur sitaare to ik bahaana hain kuchh aur hai jo yahaan jagmagaane vaalaa hai har ek jism yahaan ruuh ki alaamat hai ye regzaar bhi naghma sunaane vaalaa hai bas ik savaal ki takhliq hai bashar jaise kahaan se aayaa hai kis or jaane vaalaa hai use khabar hai kahaan raushni kaa maakhaz hai vo tirgi mein dilon ko jalaane vaalaa hai amiir us ki amaanat uThaa nahin saktaa faqir asal mein us kaa khazaane vaalaa hai vo ek pyaas kaa lamha jo mere andar hai kabhi kabhi to samundar luTaane vaalaa hai vo khaaksaar ko detaa hai phuul hisse mein vo sang-zaar mein dariyaa bahaane vaalaa hai bahut aziiz hai zer-o-zabar kaa khel use bujhaa bujhaa ke tamannaa jagaane vaalaa hai vo ek gauhar-e-yaktaa hai mere saagar mein vo ek ashk ki aankhon mein aane vaalaa hai samar ko baandh ke rakhtaa hai vo darakhton par jo pak gayaa use niche giraane vaalaa hai vo apne aap hi ghar lauT aaegaa 'ahmad' kisi ko kaun hamesha bulaane vaalaa hai"

"lamha lamha roz o shab ko der hoti jaaegi ye safar aisaa hai sab ko der hoti jaaegi sabz lamhon ko ugaane kaa hunar bhi sikhnaa varna is rang-e-talab ko der hoti jaaegi is havaa mein aadmi patthar kaa hotaa jaaegaa aur rone ke sabab ko der hoti jaaegi dekhnaa teraa havaala kuchh se kuchh ho jaaegaa dekhnaa sher o adab ko der hoti jaaegi rafta rafta jism ki partein utarti jaaeingi kaaghzi naam o nasab ko der hoti jaaegi aam ho jaaegaa kaaghaz ke gulaabon kaa chalan aur khushbu ke sabab ko der hoti jaaegi saaraa manzar hi badal jaaegaa 'ahmad' dekhnaa mausam-e-rukhsaar-o-lab ko der hoti jaaegi"

"yahaan har lafz maani se judaa hai haqiqat zindagi se maavaraa hai abhi chehre kaa khaaka ban rahaa hai abhi kuchh aur bhi mere sivaa hai hamein jo kuchh milaa naaqis milaa hai magar khush-fahmiyon ki intihaa hai koi chehra nahin khushbu kaa lekin tamaashaa phuul vaalon kaa lagaa hai main us ki baarishon kaa muntazir huun vo mujh se mere aansu maangtaa hai yahi baais hai meri tishnagi kaa samundar mujh se paani maangtaa hai jahaalat rog thaa jo dil ke andar vahi mazhab hamaaraa ho gayaa hai muqaddas ho gayaa hai jhuuT meraa mujhe to ab usi kaa aasraa hai main pyaasaa huun puraane mausamon kaa magar ab vo zamaana jaa chukaa hai kahaani barg-e-sozaan se ibaarat vagarna bahr-o-bar bhi haashiya hai nahin hai khvaab si tasvir jis ki to phir us khvaab ki taabir kyaa hai gumaan hangaama-aaraai kaa aadi yaqin tanhaaiyon mein boltaa hai ye duniyaa be-khabar logon ki 'ahmad' vo duniyaa kaa nahin jo jaantaa hai"

"jism ke bayaabaan mein dard ki duaa maangein phir kisi musaafir se raushni zaraa maangein kho gae kitaabon mein titliyon ke baal-o-par soch mein hain ab bachche kyaa chhupaaein kyaa maangein zaafraani kheton mein ab makaan ugte hain kis tarah zaminon se dil kaa raabta maangein ham bhi ho gae shaamil masnui tijaarat mein ham ki chehra-saamaan the ab ke aainaa maangein varna ilm naamon kaa uTh na jaae dharti se aadmi phale-phule aao ye duaa maangein is se peshtar ki ye raat muund le aankhein nanhe-munne jugnu se raushni zaraa maangein vo sadaaein detaa hai aakhiri jazire se aur ham nigaahon kaa husn-e-ibtidaa maangein kis ke saamne rakhiye khol kar razaa apni aur kis se jaadu kaa boltaa diyaa maangein"

"dasht-e-ummid mein khvaabon kaa safar karnaa thaa tu ki ik lamha-e-naapaid basar karnaa thaa ham ne kyuun aapsi azdaad ke nukte DhunDe? ham ne to khud ko baham shir-o-shakar karnaa thaa naqsh bantaa hi nahin sang-e-samaaat pe koi kund alfaaz ko phir tir-o-tabar karnaa thaa saaat-e-dard ki be-chehra o be-naam rahi qatra-e-ashk ki mahfuz guhar karnaa thaa tishnagi maahi-e-be-aab si likh honTon par varna yuun bosa-e-saaghar se hazar karnaa thaa mujh pe aayat na koi lafz hi utraa 'ahmad' meri mushkil ki bayaan mujh ko safar karnaa thaa"

"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"

"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"

"zindagi dushvaar hogi ye kabhi sochaa na thaa vo bagule gham ke uTThe jin kaa andesha na thaa saamne tum aa gae ho to bataa duun jaan-e-jaan jaise dil dhaDkaa thaa ab ki vaise dil dhaDkaa na thaa ye iraada kar liyaa thaa ham na bichhDeinge kabhi TuTeinge ik pal mein rishte ye kabhi sochaa na thaa yaad-e-maazi miT rahi hai vaqt ki raftaar se ab tasavvur mein hamaare koi bhi chehra na thaa sakht hairat ho rahi hai dekh kar apnaa vajud dhuup mein the sab ke saaye par miraa saayaa na thaa shauq-e-manzil dekh meri dekh meraa hausla shahr-e-dil ke raaston mein main kabhi Thahraa na thaa 'qalb' ko sahraa-navardi raas kyaa aati bhalaa vo kabhi aavaargi mein dar-ba-dar bhaTkaa na thaa"

"jahaan-e-dard-o-gham hai aur main huun tiraa naqsh-e-qadam hai aur main huun kisi ki aankh nam hai aur main huun vufur-e-shauq kam hai aur main huun mujhe hai daulat-e-kaunain haasil mire rab kaa karam hai aur main huun main apne aap ko pahchaantaa huun miraa apnaa bharam hai aur main huun yahi kyaa kam hai duniyaa-e-vafaa mein mujhe ehsaas-e-gham hai aur main huun kisi ki yaad kaa ehsaan hai mujh par sukun-e-dil baham hai aur main huun mujhe 'mahmud' koi Dar nahin hai miraa apnaa qalam hai aur main huun"