suraagh-e-jaada-o-manzil agar nahin miltaa — Mohammad Ahmad

"ab kis se kahein ki kyaa huaa thaa ik hashr yahaan bapaa rahaa thaa dastaar ki paanv mein paDi thi sardaar kisi pe hans rahaa thaa vo shaam guzar gai thi aa ke ranjur udaas main khaDaa thaa dahliz jakaD rahi thi paanv pindaar magar uDaa huaa thaa sad shukr gaDhaa huaa thaa qissa kam-bakht yaqin aa gayaa thaa ik baar hi aazmaa to lete dar band na thaa bhiDaa huaa thaa shab-khun mein raushni bahut thi thaa kaun jo dekhtaa rahaa thaa juzdaan mein aayatein chhupi thiin gul-daan mein phuul khil rahaa thaa ik shakhs ki thaa vafaa kaa paikar vo shakhs bhi maail-e-jafaa thaa dastur vahi thaa hasb-e-dastur insaaf kaa qatl ho rahaa thaa kuchh phuul khile hue the ghar mein kuchh yaad se dil mahak rahaa thaa kuchh ashk gire hue the khat par ik lafz thaa jo miTaa huaa thaa us shaam thaa dil bahut akelaa main hanste hanste ro paDaa thaa thi baat bahut zaraa si 'ahmad' is dil ko na jaane kyaa huaa thaa"

"yaad aate rahnaa bas dil dukhaate rahnaa bas aur kaam kyaa tum ko aazmaate rahnaa bas dil pe gard kitni ho chamchamaate rahnaa bas zindagi yahi to hai muskuraate rahnaa bas haal-e-dil rahe dil mein gungunaate rahnaa bas sikhnaa har achchhi baat aur sikhaate rahnaa bas baat baat par hansnaa aur hansaate rahnaa bas dil shikasta koi ho dil baDhaate rahnaa bas dil ke saaz par aksar giit gaate rahnaa bas"

"pas-e-marg-e-tamannaa kaun dekhe mire naqsh-e-kaf-e-paa kaun dekhe koi dekhe miri aankhon mein aa kar magar dariyaa mein sahraa kaun dekhe ab is dasht-e-talab mein kaun aae saraabon kaa tamaasha kaun dekhe agarche daaman-e-dil hai darida darun-e-nakhl-e-taaza kaun dekhe bahut marbut rahtaa huun main sab se miri be-rabt duniyaa kaun dekhe shumaar-e-ashk-e-sham-e-bazm mumkin hamaaraa dil pighaltaa kaun dekhe main kyaa dekhun ki tum aae ho milne khuli aankhon se sapnaa kaun dekhe main jaisaa huun main vaisaa to nahin huun magar jaisaa huun vaisaa kaun dekhe"

"saDkon par ik sail-e-balaa thaa logon kaa main tanhaa thaa us mein kyaa thaa logon kaa duniyaa thi be-faiz rifaaqat ki basti jivan kyaa thaa ik sahraa thaa logon kaa sud-o-ziyaan ke mashkize par laDte the dil kaa dariyaa suukh gayaa thaa logon kaa main pahunchaa to meraa naam fazaa mein thaa hanste hanste rang uDaa thaa logon kaa nafrat ki tahrirein har su likkhi thiin divaaron pe rang chaDhaa thaa logon kaa main in ko vo mujh ko dekh ke Darte the shahr-e-sitam thaa khauf bajaa thaa logon kaa kuchh logon ne nafrat boi logon mein phir saDkon par khuun bahaa thaa logon kaa hansnaa bhule hansi uDaanaa siikh liyaa pahle kab ye rang huaa thaa logon kaa ab jo kahein to kis ko baavar aaegaa mehr-o-muravvat taur rahaa thaa logon kaa duniyaa mein thaa 'ahmad' duniyaa se aajiz khud ko ganvaa kar soch rahaa thaa logon kaa"

"huaa chale yaa ruke khushnumaa samaan ho jaae ye saat rang kaa aanchal jo baadbaan ho jaae sulag rahaa huun kai din se apne kamre mein daricha kholun to duniyaa dhuaan dhuaan ho jaae badal ke naam sunaa rakkhi hai use har baat ye ek baat bataa duun to raaz-daan ho jaae main apne aap ko chhoD aayaa huun kahin pichhe kuchh aur tez chalun main to kaarvaan ho jaae yahin kahin vo mire saath thaa main sochtaa huun yahaan ghaDi do ghaDi koi saaebaan ho jaae ye intishaar hai tartib-e-nau na jaan ise ki kaaenaat ki har shai yahaan vahaan ho jaae sarishk-e-gham ko tabassum ki siip mein rakhiye ki raaz raaz rahe haal-e-dil bayaan ho jaae paron pe titli ke paighaam likh ke bhejun main havaa kaa jhonkaa kisi din khabar-rasaan ho jaae jahaan ki riit hai kohraam machne lagtaa hai kisi ko ishq ho yaa marg-e-naa-gahaan ho jaae abhi to jism miraa dhuup ki amaan mein hai paraae saae mein aa kar na be-amaan ho jaae hai is jahaan ki har baat aam si lekin jo sachche sher mein Dhal jaae daastaan ho jaae"

"bujhe agar badan ke kuchh charaagh tere hijr mein jalaa liye sukhan ke kuchh charaagh tere hijr mein chaman khizaan khizaan ho jab bujhaa bujhaa huaa ho dil karein bhi kyaa chaman ke kuchh charaagh tere hijr mein shab-e-firaaq par huaa shab-e-visaal kaa gumaan mahak uThe milan ke kuchh charaagh tere hijr mein udaasiyon ke habs mein jo teri yaad aa gai to jal uThe pavan ke kuchh charaagh tere hijr mein so kyon na dil ke daagh gin ke kaaT liije aaj shab gine the kal gagan ke kuchh charaagh tere hijr mein"

"is ishq-e-junun-khez mein kyaa kyaa nahin hotaa divaana hai jo qais se lailaa nahin hotaa kuchh hashr lahad par abhi barpaa nahin hotaa aae ho to Thahro koi zinda nahin hotaa kyuun kar ye kahun husn kaa nashsha nahin hotaa hotaa to bahut hai magar itnaa nahin hotaa kuchh kahiye to sharmaa ke jhukaa lete hain gardan bhule se bhi ab vaada-e-fardaa nahin hotaa milte hain vo dil surkh hui jaati hai chuTki naazuk hain bahut khun-e-tamannaa nahin hotaa deti hai mazaa mai kaa hamein talkhi-e-tauba jab haath mein paimaana-e-sahbaa nahin hotaa vo hashr ke din kushte ko Thukraa chuke sau-baar kuchh jaan si paD jaati hai zinda nahin hotaa boli ye tamannaa jo ruke vo dar-e-dil par ghar aap kaa hai aap se pardaa nahin hotaa tiron ko jagah dete hain jo siine mein apne un logon ke ai jaan kaleja nahin hotaa sahraa se qadam ghar ki taraf khaak uThaaun kaanTe se judaa paanv kaa chhaalaa nahin hotaa baiThe nazar aate hain vahi teri gali mein jin kaa kahin duniyaa mein Thikaanaa nahin hotaa furqat mein hai kyuun nazaa ki taklif gavaaraa mar jaaein 'riyaaz' aap se itnaa nahin hotaa"

"muzhda ai zauq-e-asiri ki nazar aataa hai daam-e-khaali qafas-e-murgh-e-giraftaar ke paas jigar-e-tishna-e-aazaar tasalli na huaa ju-e-khun ham ne bahaai bun-e-har khaar ke paas mund gaiin kholte hi kholte aankhein hai hai khuub vaqt aae tum is 'aashiq-e-bimaar ke paas main bhi ruk ruk ke na martaa jo zabaan ke badle dashna ik tez saa hotaa mire gham-khvaar ke paas dahan-e-sher mein jaa baiThe lekin ai dil na khaDe ho jiye khubaan-e-dil-aazaar ke paas dekh kar tujh ko chaman bas-ki numu kartaa hai khud-ba-khud pahunche hai gul gosha-e-dastaar ke paas mar gayaa phoD ke sar 'ghaalib'-e-vahshi hai hai baiThnaa us kaa vo aa kar tiri divaar ke paas kab faqiron ko rasaai bu-e-mai-khvaar ke paas to bane bu dijiye maikhaane ki divaar ke paas"

"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"

"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"

"kahe detaa huun go hai to nahin ye baat kahne ki tiri khvaahish nahin dil mein ziyaada der rahne ki bachaa kar dil guzartaa jaa rahaa huun har ta’alluq se kahaan us aable ko taab hai ab choT sahne ki rag-o-pai mein na hangaama kare to kyaa kare aakhir ijaazat jab nahin is ranj ko aankhon se bahne ki bas apni apni tarjihaat apni apni khvaahish hai tujhe shohrat kamaane ki mujhe ik she'r kahne ki jahaan kaa huun vahin ki raas aaegi fazaa mujh ko ye duniyaa bhi bhalaa koi jagah hai mere rahne ki jo kal 'irfaan' par guzri sunaa kuchh us ke baare mein khabar tum ne suni tufaan mein dariyaa ke bahne ki"

"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"