sochnaa chhoD diyaa ham ne ki kal kyaa hogaa — Akhtar Gwaliori

"chhu liyaa shoala-e-rukhsaar-e-sanam dekho to kitne naa-aaqibat-andesh hain ham dekho to koi shikva hai na fariyaad na gham dekho to jaane ab kaun si manzil pe hain ham dekho to ranj-o-aalaam ki jalti hui dopahron mein tum bhi chal kar kabhi do-chaar qadam dekho to Duubi Duubi si nazar aati hai kyon nabz-e-hayaat aaj kyaa baat hai kyon dard hai kam dekho to dida-o-dil mein liye phirte hain ham aag hi aag tum ko andaaz-e-taghaaful ki qasam dekho to kyaa kisi rind kaa dil toD diyaa zaahid ne kyon larazne lagi divaar-e-haram dekho to ham se taamir-e-zamaana hai hamin par yaaro toDe jaate hain zamaane ke sitam dekho to un ko ehsaas hai aksar meri barbaadi kaa kis bulandi pe hai ab qismat-e-gham dekho to"

"daaman-e-zist ko ashkon se bhigo lete hain jin ko hansnaa nahin aataa hai vo ro lete hain har khushi gham ke andheron mein samo lete hain dafatan ham jo tiri yaad mein ro lete hain ham vo vahshi hain ki jab niind hamein aati hai tauq-o-zanjir ke pahlu mein bhi so lete hain ab ye aalam hai ki jab yaad tiri aati hai ik zaraa der ko maghmum se ho lete hain tum bhi guzre hue haalaat kaa maatam kar lo ham bhi apne dil-e-marhum ko ro lete hain"

"dil-o-dimaagh jalaae hain is 'amal ke liye nai zamin nikaali nai ghazal ke liye nafaasaton mein bhi apni misaal aap hain ham gulon ke bose bhi ham ne sanbhal sanbhal ke liye safar mein rahte hain har-vaqt khushbuon ki tarah sukun milaa na kahin ham ko ek pal ke liye ye raah-e-ishq-o-vafaa hai yahaan kaa maslak hai qadam qadam raho tayyaar tum ajal ke liye havaa mein is qadar tezaabiyat samaai hai ki shaakh shaakh tarasti hai phul-o-phal ke liye hare bhare hain har ik haal mein vo ai 'akhtar' qalandaron ko koi gham nahin hai kal ke liye"

"rahin-e-minnat-o-ehsaan-e-yaar main bhi huun fareb-khurda-e-fasl-e-bahaar main bhi huun mujhe bhi lete chalo apne saath divaano nisaar-e-azmat-e-zanjir-o-daar main bhi huun sunaa hai rang-e-bahaaraan nikharne vaalaa hai ye dekhne ke liye be-qaraar main bhi huun idhar bhi dekh le ai malika-e-bahaar-e-ghazal ki teri chaah mein ik dil-figaar main bhi huun tire khayaal ke dar par jabin-e-dil rakh kar zamaana biit gayaa ashk-baar main bhi huun rukh-e-hayaat mein nashtar utaarne vaale ye soch le ki tiraa raazdaar main bhi huun jahaan pe sirf mohabbat kaa raaj hai 'akhtar' usi dayaar kaa ek khaaksaar main bhi huun"

"misaal-e-mauj-e-nasim-e-bahaar guzri hai vo zindagi jo sar-e-ku-e-yaar guzri hai vo ik nigaah jo paighaam-e-sad-nashaat bhi hai na jaane kyon vo mire dil pe baar guzri hai vo tishnagi jo sar-e-mai-kada nikharnaa thi vo tishnagi bhi yunhi be-bahaar guzri hai abhi abhi to na aa ai khayaal-e-aamad-e-yaar abhi abhi to shab-e-intizaar guzri hai hamein to un ki nigaahon kaa eatibaar nahin jo kah rahe hain idhar se bahaar guzri hai tamaam umr kiyaa un kaa intizaar 'akhtar' tamaam umr baDi be-qaraar guzri hai"

"phuul jalte hain kahin barg-o-samar jalte hain fasl-e-gul aai hai baaghon mein shajar jalte hain allah allaah jabin-e-rukh-e-jaanaan ki tapish aisaa lagtaa hai ki ab shams-o-qamar jalte hain kyaa ghazab hai ki tire shahr mein ai jaan-e-ghazal jism-o-jaan zehn-o-nazar qalb-o-jigar jalte hain jis taraf dekhiye ik aag kaa dariyaa hai ravaan raaste khuun mein Duube hain nagar jalte hain bujh chukaa huun main magar ab bhi mire naqsh-e-qadam dekh lo jaa ke sar-e-raahguzar jalte hain jin ke sinon mein farozaan hai vafaa ki shamein roz-o-shab jalte hain vo shaam-o-sahar jalte hain aap jis shahr ko pur-amn samajhte hain huzur vaaqia ye hai usi shahr mein ghar jalte hain dafatan niind se main chaunk uThaa ai 'akhtar' main ne jab khvaab mein dekhaa ki hunar jalte hain"

"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"

"zindagi bojhal hui aazaar se jism jhuktaa jaa rahaa hai baar se doston ne is qadar dhoke diye aur raghbat baDh gai aghyaar se zindagi kaa ik nayaa imkaan huaa ik daricha khul gayaa divaar se ab bayaan kaise karun rudaad-e-gham kaam mushkil hai dil-e-naa-chaar se hijr ki raaton mein bahtaa hi rahaa ek naala chashm-e-dariyaa-baar se misl-e-majnun regzaaron mein rahe sar paTakte ret ki divaar se ham asiraan-e-mohabbat hain yahaan uljhe hain ab gesu-e-khamdaar se 'qalb' teri ghazlein yuun shaadaan karein dard nikle hai tire ashaar se"

"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"