tab'-e-hassaas ab is sath pe le aai hamein — Afzal Kiratpuri

"lo 'umr bhar ko TuuT gae gulsitaan se ham nikle the kis 'ajib ghaDi aashiyaan se ham ye aur baat hai ki qadam ham-qadam nahin pichhe nahin hain qaafila-e-raftagaan se ham jab yaad ye nahin ki pahunchnaa thaa kis jagah ab ye bhi kyaa bataaein chale the kahaan se ham rah jaae naa-tamaam na phir daastaan-e-shauq tum ruk gae jahaan pe sunaaein vahaan se ham ghairon mein aa ke ji ki ghuTan kuchh to kam hui apnon ke darmiyaan the baDe sargiraan se ham taarikh ham ko bhuul gai hai to bhuul jaae zinda raheinge tazkira-e-digaraan se ham 'afzal' hamaari tarh koi kam-sukhan na ho hote hue zabaan ke bhi hain be-zabaan se ham"

"banda-parvar pahle dil par haath rakh kar dekhnaa phir kisi ke haath mein poshida patthar dekhnaa apne maslak mein nahin yaa apni qismat mein nahin jaane vaali har hasin rut ko palaT kar dekhnaa be-taghayyur roz-o-shab mein bhi uchaT jaataa hai dil ek mausam dekhnaa aur zindagi bhar dekhnaa aap bhi kab se musir hain tark-e-rasm-o-raah par ham bhi rakh leinge kabhi siine pe patthar dekhnaa kyaa bataaein ahl-e-saahil kaa muqaddar hai yahi bebasi se Dubne vaalon kaa manzar dekhnaa is ko kyaa kahiye ba-juz kotaahi-e-zauq-e-amal apne haathon ki lakiron mein muqaddar dekhnaa sarsari si ik nazar 'afzal' na Daalo sher par hai nazar kaa kaam qatre mein samundar dekhnaa"

"na dasht dasht ki surat na ghar hai ghar ki tarah badal gai hai har ik shai tiri nazar ki tarah hai lamha lamha ik anjaan rahguzar ki tarah guzar rahe hain shab-o-roz bhi safar ki tarah vahi muhib andheraa vahi dilon pe hiraas nai sahar bhi nahin dosto sahar ki tarah Dhali hai raat magar mere ghar kaa darvaaza khulaa huaa hai abhi chashm-e-rah-guzar ki tarah shikast-o-rekht ke baa-vasf ham khaDe hain abhi fasil-e-shahr ke derina baam-o-dar ki tarah na harf aane diyaa aabru-e-fan pe kabhi ham anjuman mein rahe harf-e-mo'tabar ki tarah tilism-e-laala-o-gul taa fareb-e-daam 'afzal' main har maqaam se guzraa huun dida-var ki tarah"

"chalaa huun chand qadam aur bhaTak gayaa huun main mujhe ye zo'm thaa manzil se aashnaa huun main khushi se khauf-zada huun gurez-paa huun main ghamon ko apnaa muqaddar samajh rahaa huun main jahaan junun ke sivaa aur koi raah nahin shu’ur-o-fikr ke us moD par khaDaa huun main har ek shai ko samajhne ki justuju thi mujhe khud apni zaat mein gum ho ke rah gayaa huun main rafiq-e-khaas hai barson se meri tanhaai kisi ne mujh ko pukaaraa to Dar gayaa huun main na jaane kaun saa jhonkaa havaa kaa gul kar de abhi to ye hai ki jaltaa huaa diyaa huun main hayaat ho gai mahrumiyon ke naam 'afzal' navaa-e-naala huun main aah-e-naa-rasaa huun main"

"is baras khoshon ke daane khet mil kar khaa gae sipiyaan baaqi rahin moti samundar khaa gae ab fazaa mein DhunDte rahiye vo paikar ab kahaan kaise kaise dil-nashin chehron ko manzar khaa gae paar jo utre vahi apni kahaani kah sake kaun jaane kashtiyaan kitni samundar khaa gae bhiiD mein jab tak rahe shaamil rahe mahfuz ham bhiiD se bach kar zaraa nikle to patthar khaa gae jin ko qismat ne banaayaa ban gae vo kuchh se kuchh kyaa karein vo jin ki tadbirein muqaddar khaa gae ab khudaa jaane masihaa kis liye khaamosh hain shor to ye hai ki bimaaron ko bistar khaa gae ehtiyaaton par bhi 'afzal' laghzishein hain naa-guzir har qadam par dekhte chalte bhi Thokar khaa gae"

"jo ek pal bhi sukun kaa kabhi kabhi mil jaae to phir balaa se hamesha ki bekali mil jaae khudaa gavaah tabassum kaa ek lamha bahut tamaam 'umr mein jis ko bhi jab kabhi mil jaae jo khanda-zan hain gharibon ki tira-bakhti par unhein hamaare muqaddar ki tirgi mil jaae safar ke baa'd bhi zauq-e-safar tamaam na ho qadam ko ‘ishrat-e-manzil hazaar bhi mil jaae qubul zahmat-e-yak-gaam bhi nahin jin ko vo chaahte hain zamaane ki har khushi mil jaae hazaar saal se do din ki zindagi behtar agar kisi ko saliqe ki zindagi mil jaae kahaan kahaan se na guzre ye soch kar 'afzal' koi khushi kahin shaayad giri-paDi mil jaae"

"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"