raah-e-safar mein chiiz koi kyaa thi mere paas — Javed Shaheen

"kashaakash-e-gham-e-hasti mein koi kyaa suntaa hamin tak aa na saki dil ke TuTne ki sadaa har ek phuul ke chehre pe gard jamne lagi kahin se aaj ai abr-e-bahaar jhuum ke aa chale the jis ke bharose pe rah-ravaan-e-bahaar vo maahtaab sar-e-dasht pichhli shab niklaa kahin sadaa-e-jaras hai na gard-e-raah-e-safar Thahar gayaa hai kahaan qaafila tamannaa kaa hujum-e-laala-o-gul raaste se haT jaae talaash-e-khaar mein niklaa hai koi aabla-paa guzar ke aayaa huun un sakht manzilon se jahaan tumhaari yaad kaa saaya bhi aas-paas na thaa kahin se koi pukaare ki aaj phir 'shaahin' dilon ko Dasne lagaa hai dilon kaa sannaaTaa"

"nayaa khayaal kabhi yuun dimaagh mein aayaa ki shola chaltaa huaa khud charaagh mein aayaa badan pe us ke thi shokhi bhari qabaa-e-bahaar vo ek baagh ke ham-raah baagh mein aayaa pareshaan tangi-e-jaa se hai garche duud bahut ye kam hai daagh kaa sarmaaya daagh mein aayaa kisi ne Daal diyaa shak kisi gae kal par main muD ke haal se us ke suraagh mein aayaa main sochtaa thaa use kyaa bhulaa bhi paaungaa magar ye kaam baDe hi faraagh mein aayaa vufur-e-garmi-e-andesha ne kharaab kiyaa ki baal tundi-e-mai se ayaagh mein aayaa akelaa ghumtaa phirtaa rahaa main dariyaa par vahaan se shaam Dhale ek baagh mein aayaa qarib-e-aakhir-e-shab khatm ho gai mahfil aur is ke saath dhuaan bhi charaagh mein aayaa vo mere saath thaa jab tak to Thiik thaa 'shaahin' futur baad mein us ke dimaagh mein aayaa"

"kanaar-e-dasht akele Thaharne par hogaa dilon mein khauf kaa andaaza Darne par hogaa samajhtaa hai miri aadat vo husn-e-be-parvaa sameT lungaa use jab bikharne par hogaa payaam de na saki gul kaa bu-e-sust-khiraam na jaane ab kahaan mausam guzarne par hogaa kahin pe kaai kahin habs aur kahin daldal ye haal shahr kaa paani utarne par hogaa main sochtaa huun darakhton ki chhaanv mein 'shaahin' ki tai tamaam safar sirf karne par hogaa"

"ye barf-zaar badan se na jaan se niklegaa lahu ho sard to shoala kahaan se niklegaa hazaar ghere rahe jabr kaa hisaar-e-siyah ki baab-e-raah-e-amaan darmiyaan se niklegaa jo talkh harf pas-e-lab hai 'aam bhi hogaa chaDhaa hai tiir to aakhir kamaan se niklegaa jo peD phal nahin dete vo kaaTte jaao khizaan kaa zahr yunhi gulsitaan se niklegaa zaraa chale to sahi paaniyon pe tez havaa khaDaa safina khule baadbaan se niklegaa koi to kaam lo gham se ragein hi chamkaao jaleingi sham'ein andheraa makaan se niklegaa khule hain raaston ke bhed tu samajh 'shaahin' ye kaarvaan safar-e-raaegaan se niklegaa"

"us ke liye aankhein dar-e-be-khvaab mein rakh duun phir shab ko jalaa kar unhein mehraab mein rakh duun surat hai yahi ab to guzarnaa hai yunhi vaqt jis baat ko dil chaahe use khvaab mein rakh duun phirte hain sadaa jis mein samundar bhi zamin bhi ye puuraa falak bhi usi girdaab mein rakh duun ye saare sitaare kisi dariyaa mein bahaa duun bas chaand pakaD kar kisi taalaab mein rakh duun kapDe jo mujhe tang hon pahnaa duun khalaa ko aur khvaab puraane kahin mahtaab mein rakh duun itnaa bhi na aasaan ho yahaan pyaas bujhaanaa bahtaa huaa dhoka saa kahin aab mein rakh duun sab kuchh hi ganvaa dene se behtar hai ki 'shaahin' khaashaak-e-dil-o-jaan rah-e-sailaab mein rakh duun"

"mauja-e-dard se jismon mein ravaani de jaa khushk dariyaaon nadi naalon ko paani de jaa kuchh to samjhaa de tilismaat-e-shab-o-roz mujhe in hisaaron mein koi baab-e-maaani de jaa zulmat-e-habs dil-o-jaan mein jalaa shama huaa tu kahin hai to mujhe apni nishaani de jaa main subuk-sair sahi mujh ko tu pur-khas na banaa in havaaon mein mujhe thoDi giraani de jaa naa-mukammal hai koi baab-e-chaman jin ke baghair qissa-e-gul ke vo auraaq-e-khizaani de jaa kab se be-aab hain aaine miri aankhon ke un nae chehron mein kuchh shaklein puraani de jaa aag barsaate hue din ki hadein baandh kabhi garm shaamon mein koi shaam suhaani de jaa har ghaDi dil se gurezaan hain umidein 'shaahin' in makinon ko zaraa shauq-e-makaani de jaa"

"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"

"jis din se meraa khvaab suhaanaa badal gayaa us din se zindagi kaa fasaana badal gayaa sunne lagaa huun jab se nasihat baDon ki main jaari thaa jo labon pe taraana badal gayaa pahchaan kaa havaala bhi baaqi nahin rahaa chehre ke saath aaina-khaana badal gayaa uThti nahin hai aankh bhi ab aasmaan ki samt jab se gali kaa chaand puraanaa badal gayaa tahzib jin ke ghar ki 'alaamat thi kal talak afsos aaj un kaa gharaanaa badal gayaa 'azmat kaa taaj sar pe hai 'akhilesh' ke sajaa aisi havaa chali ki zamaana badal gayaa itni sharaafaton mein kami aa gai hai aaj pahle thaa jo libaas puraanaa badal gayaa ahl-e-vafaa ne jis ki thi taarikh ki raqam 'faaruq' 'ishq kaa vo fasaana badal gayaa"

"tirgi shama bani raahguzar mein aai saaat ik aisi bhi kal apne safar mein aai jis jagah chehra hi meyaar-e-vafaa Thahraa hai khaak hi khaak vahaan dast-e-hunar mein aai teri nazron mein thi duniyaa to yahi kyaa kam thaa hashr ye hai ki tu duniyaa ki nazar mein aai baar-haa yaaron ne saahil se kahaa thaa ham hain baar-haa naav magar apni bhanvar mein aai zindagi samjhun ise yaa ki ise maut kahun vo jo mehmaan ki surat mire ghar mein aai yuun bhi taarikh ki taarikh raqam hoti hai nikli taarikh mahal se to khanDar mein aai khvaab hi khvaab ki taabir huaa to jaanaa zindagi kyuun kisi aankhon ke asar mein aai shama jalte hi bujhi aur dhuaan aisaa uThaa lazzat-e-shaam yahaan khvaab-e-sahar mein aai zindagi kuchh hai 'ataa' sher-o-adab hai kuchh aur ye do-rangi ki vabaa kaisi hunar mein aai"

"khaamushi ke batn se ye guftani paidaa hui main ba-zaahir chup huaa aur shaaeri paidaa hui is tarah saabit huaa gham aur khushi kaa imtizaaj hanste hanste us ki aankhon mein nami paidaa hui jurm ki paadaash mein ham khaak par pheinke gae so yahaan par intiqaaman zindagi paidaa hui khauf ne hi maslahat ki raah bhi ijaad ki main andheron se Daraa aur raushni paidaa hui dil mein kab utri kisi ke be-maaani guftugu baat karne se to bas aavaaz hi paidaa hui"

"shab ki taarik raahdaari hai aur miraa khauf iztiraari hai sabz khvaabon ki kam se kam qimat zindagi bhar ki ashk-baari hai ik musallat-shuda tamaddun ko ye na kahiye ki ikhtiyaari hai shash-jihaati mushaahida hai miyaan tajrabon ki sanad pe bhaari hai shukriya aap ki mohabbat kaa dil kaa maqsum sogvaari hai tajziye sun ke muskuraa denaa apni itni hi zimmedaari hai"

"ye hai mai-kada yahaan rind hain yahaan sab kaa saaqi imaam hai ye haram nahin hai ai shaikh ji yahaan paarsaai haraam hai jo zaraa si pi ke bahak gayaa use mai-kade se nikaal do yahaan tang-nazar kaa guzar nahin yahaan ahl-e-zarf kaa kaam hai koi mast hai koi tishna-lab to kisi ke haath mein jaam hai magar is pe koi kare bhi kyaa ye to mai-kade kaa nizaam hai ye janaab-e-shaikh kaa falsafa hai 'ajib saare jahaan se jo vahaan piyo to halaal hai jo yahaan piyo to haraam hai tujhe apne husn kaa vaasta mere shauq-e-did pa rahm khaa zaraa muskuraa ke naqaab uThaa ki nazar ko shauq-e-salaam hai na sunnaa to huur o qusur ki ye hikaayatein mujhe vaa'izaa koi baat kar dar-e-yaar ki dar-e-yaar hi se to kaam hai na to e'tikaaf se kuchh gharaz na savaab-o-zuhd se vaasta tiri diid aisi namaaz hai na sujud hai na qayaam hai ye durust ki 'aib hai mai-kashi ye ba-jaa ki baada haraam hai magar ab savaal ye aa paDaa ki tumhaare haath mein jaam hai jo uThi to subh-e-davaam thi jo jhuki to shaam hi shaam thi tiri chashm-e-mast mein saaqiyaa miri zindagi kaa nizaam hai miraa farz hai ki paDaa rahun tiri baargaah mein saaqiyaa koi tishna-lab hai ki sair hai yahi dekhnaa tiraa kaam hai isi kaaenaat mein ai 'jigar' koi inqalaab uThegaa phir ki buland ho ke bhi aadmi abhi khvaahishon kaa ghulaam hai"