shuur-e-faasla-e-khair-o-shar diyaa hai mujhe — Akhtar Usman

"kis or le chali hai havaa-e-numu mujhe miltaa hai gaam-gaam ik aashufta-rau mujhe kahnaa to aur kuchh thaa dam-e-guftugu mujhe ik or samt Daal gae rang-o-bu mujhe donon hi dard-kesh the donon hi besh the main tujh ko kam samajhtaa rahaa aur tu mujhe bazm-e-numud-o-naam saji shor saa uThaa main chal diyaa ki raas na thi haao-hu mujhe 'akhtar' baDi kaDi thi masaafat aur us ke baad mujh par khulaa ki apni hi thi justuju mujhe"

"main dekh hi rahaa thaa ki yak-dam bhanvar phiraa ghumaa sadaf nigaah mein us mein guhar phiraa sidhe subhaav ziist samajhnaa muhaal hai is kaam ko bhi chaahiye mujh saa hi sar-phiraa ham to sadaa se basta-e-yak-taar-e-chashm hain khadsha saa teri samt se hai tu agar phiraa yak-dam kisi ki yaad mein aankhein bhar aai thiin ik din yunhi khayaal su-e-chashm-e-tar phiraa 'akhtar' zar-e-sukhan ki kisi ko talab nahin main to ise uThaae hue dar-ba-dar phiraa"

"vo bhi na khulaa basta-e-pindaar the ham bhi khaamosh thaa vo surat-e-divaar the ham bhi had-bandi-e-ehsaas rahi umr-e-muayyan aur daaera-e-kaar mein parkaar the ham bhi ai nargis-e-vaa-chashm tire auj ke din hain teri hi tarah dida-e-bedaar the ham bhi ham bhi the unhi mein jo zabaan se na phire the phir khalq ne dekhaa ki sar-e-daar the ham bhi aajir se jo ujrat hamein pahunchi yahi pahunchi jab qasr giraa thaa tah-e-divaar the ham bhi"

"jab duur hain tujh se to ye uftaad bhi aae tufaan-e-shab-e-dasht mein tu yaad bhi aae hairaan hai is baat pe amboh-e-aasiraan par khulne ki taqrib mein sayyaad bhi aae haare hue lashkar kaa alam gir bhi chukaa hai ab kyaa jo kisi samt se imdaad bhi aae ik umr hui nazr-e-kharaabaat hamaari sad-shukr sar-e-qarya-e-aabaad bhi aae ik bu ki baghal-gir hui dasht mein ham se jaise yahaan pahle kabhi ajdaad bhi aae"

"fareb-khaana-e-duniyaa bhi dekhte chaliye ravaa-ravi mein tamaashaa bhi dekhte chaliye khud apnaa maskan-e-fardaa bhi dekhte chaliye ab aa gae hain to sahraa bhi dekhte chaliye na-jaane phir ye talaatum nasib ho ki na ho is auj mauj mein dariyaa bhi dekhte chaliye ba-qadr-e-sairi-e-irfaan koi bhi rang nahin dukaan-e-zist ko jitnaa bhi dekhte chaliye charaagh-e-naqsh-e-kaf-e-paa jalaaiye har-su magar havaa kaa ishaara bhi dekhte chaliye"

"ik sehr-e-tahayyur thaa ki ehsaas ki rau thi din ko bhi nigaahon mein shabih-e-mah-e-nau thi ham log to vaabasta-e-yak-taar-e-nazar the maa'lum nahin is ke sivaa bhi koi lau thi tab zehn pe zulmaat kaa partav na paDaa thaa jhilmil the kamaalaat khayaalaat mein zau thi phir khvaab-e-khirad-khvaar se bedaar hue to har zehn pe zangaar thaa har chashm giro thi khas-khaana-e-afkaar mein kuchh bhi to nahin thaa chand ek sharaare the aur un ki tag-o-dau thi"

"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"

"ajab mushkil ki dil kaa haal aisaa ho gayaa hai sabhi ab puchhte hain mujh se ye kyaa ho gayaa hai main ye samjhaa ki gham kaa ab mudaavaa ho gayaa hai kuredaa zakhm to ye aur taaza ho gayaa hai kabhi fursat mile to khud se main baatein karungaa mujhe khud se mile bhi to zamaana ho gayaa hai magar ab sochtaa huun toD duun saare maraasim magar dil bhi tire gham se shanaasaa ho gayaa hai miri barbaad hasti kaa nazaara dekhne ko vo aae aur gham mein phir izaafa ho gayaa hai isi dariyaa mein ab khud ko Dubonaa chaahtaa huun ki is dil kaa talaatum mein kinaare ho gayaa hai chalo bhi 'qalb' ab tum dusraa dekho Thikaanaa ki is basti mein apnaa sab paraayaa ho gayaa hai"

"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"