sahraa saagar sab paani — Khalid Karrar

"dasht hai kaun-o-makaan aur laa-makaan duur tak vahm-o-gumaan aur laa-makaan ibtidaa na intihaa na raasta main abad ke darmiyaan aur laa-makaan ek dhaDkaa khaak mein Daalaa huaa ek sa’i-e-raaegaan aur laa-makaan jal-bujhaa hai aag mein meraa paDaao chaar-su meraa dhuaan aur laa-makaan ik zamin-e-be-yaqini mere saath ik gumaan-e-laa-gumaan aur laa-makaan ek sahraa zaat se aage kahin ek hijrat darmiyaan aur laa-makaan baadalon mein gum hue jaate hain sab kaarvaan-dar-kaarvaan aur laa-makaan ek sayyaara mire raste mein hai varna main thaa aasmaan aur laa-makaan"

"ravaan hai mauj-e-fanaa jism o jaan utaar mujhe utaar ab ke sar-e-aasmaan utaar mujhe miraa vajud samundar ke iztiraab mein hai ki khul rahaa hai tiraa baadbaan utaar mujhe bahut aziiz huun khaaraan-e-taaza-kaar ko main bahut udaas hai dasht-e-javaan utaar mujhe koi jazira jahaan hast-o-bud ho na fanaa vajud ho na zamaana vahaan utaar mujhe"

"vurud-e-jism thaa jaan kaa azaab hone lagaa lahu mein utraa magar zahr aab hone lagaa koi to aae sunaae naved-e-taaza mujhe uTho ki hashr se pahle hisaab hone lagaa use shubah hai jhulas jaaegaa vo saath mire mujhe ye khauf ki main aaftaab hone lagaa phir us ke saamne chup ki kaDi labon pe lagi miraa ye mansab-e-harf aab aab hone lagaa main apne khol mein khush bhi thaa mutmain bhi thaa main apni khaak se niklaa kharaab hone lagaa zarur mujh se ziyaada hai us mein kuchh 'khaalid' miraa harif agar fatah-yaab hone lagaa"

"baat ye hai ki koi baat puraani bhi nahin aur is khaak mein ab koi nishaani bhi nahin ye to zaahir mein tamavvuj thaa balaa kaa lekin ye badan meraa jahaan koi ravaani bhi nahin yaa to ik mauj-e-balaa-khez hai meri khaatir yaa ki mashkiza-e-jaan mein kahin paani bhi nahin baat ye hai ki sabhi bhaai mire dushman hain masala ye hai ki main yusuf-e-saani bhi nahin sach to ye hai ki mire paas hi dirham kam hain varna is shahr mein is darja giraani bhi nahin saare kirdaar hain angusht-ba-dandaan mujh mein ab to kahne ko mire paas kahaani bhi nahin ek benaam-o-nasab sach miraa izhaar huaa varna alfaaz mein vo sail-e-maaani bhi nahin"

"kisi ke khvaab ko ehsaas se baandhaa huaa hai bahut pukhta bahut hi paas se baandhaa huaa hai hamaare takht ko mashrut kar rakkhaa hai us ne hamaare taaj ko ban-baas se baandhaa huaa hai siyaahi umr bhar mere taaaqub mein rahegi ki main ne jism ko qirtaas se baandhaa huaa hai mire isbaat ki chaabi ko apne paas rakh kar mire inkaar ko ehsaas se baandhaa huaa hai hamaare baad in aabaadiyon ki khair kiijo samundar ham ne apni pyaas se baandhaa huaa hai sajaa rakkhi hai us ne apni khaatir ek masnad mire aafaaq ko anfaas se baandhaa huaa hai ajab pahre mire afkaar par rakkhe hain 'khaalid' ajab khaTkaa mire ehsaas se baandhaa huaa hai"

"hai mol-bhaao mein baazaar mein hai saath mire vo ek kaar-e-fanaa-zaar mein hai saath mire salib-e-jaan se visaal aasmaan ke saahil tak har ek lazzat-e-aazaar mein hai saath mire kabhi to hero banaataa hai aur kabhi joker har ek rang ke kirdaar mein hai saath mire yahi bahut hai mire jism o jaan kaa hissa hai kahin to mauja-e-khun-baar mein hai saath mire ajab gumaan hai jaise ki sarfaraaz huun main ajiib fitna-e-dastaar mein hai saath mire kabhi mujhe bhi zaraa mojaza-numaa kartaa jo apni zaat ke asraar mein hai saath mire vo dastaras mein hai lekin nazar se ghaaeb hai harif-e-jaan koi paikaar mein hai saath mire main ik nigaah ko mahsus kar rahaa huun mudaam koi to reg-e-fanaa-zaar mein hai saath mire vo saare kheme lagaataa hai phir ukhaaDtaa hai saraab-e-manzil-o-aasaar mein hai saath mire jo chhoD detaa hai dasht-e-zavaal mein tanhaa vo rel-pel mein baazaar mein hai saath mire"

"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"

"kyaa apne shahr mein koi aisaa makaan hai samjhun jise ki asl mein vo ik jahaan hai DhunDo haqiqat is mein na afsaana hi koi is kaa bayaan kuchh nahin us kaa bayaan hai apnaa shi'aar ab hai faqat amn-dushmani ye aur baat faakhta apnaa nishaan hai likhne ko ek harf na kahne ko ek lafz yuun to qalam hai haath mein munh mein zabaan hai vo lams jis ke baa'd zamaane guzar gae vo lams ab bhi taaza hai ab bhi javaan hai ho jaaegaa yaqin sabhon kaa hi kal jo aaj meraa yaqin aur sabhon kaa gumaan hai shatranj ki bisaat ki thi apni mez par shatranj ki bisaat ki saaraa jahaan hai"

"charaaghon se kuchh to churaayaa gayaa hai jo thi aag us ko bujhaayaa gayaa hai likhaa thaa jinhein sirf apne lahu se mire un khaton ko jalaayaa gayaa hai hazaaron daf'a us ne ki bevafaai mujhe bevafaa kyon bataayaa gayaa hai mujhe khud nikalnaa paDaa apne ghar se ye mat sochnaa ki bhagaayaa gayaa hai khabar ye mili hai ki mere hi ghar mein kisi ghair ko ab basaayaa gayaa hai mujhe hi sataa kar mujhe hi rulaa kar ye ilzaam mujh par lagaayaa gayaa hai tumhein kyaa bataaun mohabbat mein 'raavat' mujhe kis qadar aazmaayaa gayaa hai"

"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"