tamaashaa is baras aisaa huaa hai — Mohsin Ehsan

"maut se yaari na thi hasti se be-zaari na thi us safar par chal diye ham jis ki tayyaari na thi ham usi ki khaak se uTThe hain kundan ban ke aaj dosto jis shahr mein rasm-e-vafaadaari na thi ham ne khun-e-aarzu de kar munaqqash kar diyaa varna divaar-e-talab par aisi gul-kaari na thi mar gae sar phoD ke divaar-e-zindaan se asiir zindagi kunj-e-qafas mein maut se pyaari na thi ab shikast-e-aarzu hai baais-e-taskin-e-dil is se pahle to kabhi ye kaifiyat taari na thi jal rahaa hai har nafas ab apne gham ki aanch se saans lene mein kabhi 'mohsin' ye dushvaari na thi"

"thirakti lau ki bas ik aakhiri duaa suntaa phir us ke baad na kuchh mauja-e-havaa suntaa mujhe bhi lagti kuchh aasaan manzil-e-dushvaar jo dusron ki sadaa-e-naqush-e-paa suntaa kuchh is qadar bhi zamaane mein qaht-e-harf na thaa vo aashnaa thaa to aavaaz-e-aashnaa suntaa ba-juz zakhira-e-auhaam paas kuchh bhi nahin ye baat kaash vo girvida-e-anaa suntaa use pukaar chukaa zindagi mein haar chukaa miraa khudaa thaa to phir meri iltijaa suntaa ham ek umr se 'mohsin' khumaar-e-khvaab mein hain hamaari baat zamaane mein koi kyaa suntaa"

"durusht kyuun thaa vo itnaa kalaam se pahle ki meraa naam na thaa us ke naam se pahle vo sab charaagh ki thi jin mein raushni ki ramaq bujhaa diye gae basti mein shaam se pahle vo mehrbaan bhi hue dushmani pe aamaada ham aashnaa bhi na the jin ke naam se pahle khud-e'timaad kabhi the par ab ye aalam hai hazaar vasvase dil mein hain kaam se pahle hamaare dars-e-mohabbat kaa puchhte kyaa ho kitaabi chehra paDhaa hai kalaam se pahle subuk-ravaan-e-rah-e-gham ne zindagi 'mohsin' musaafiraana guzaari qayaam se pahle"

"bahte hue lamhon ki kahaani hi badal de dariyaa to badaltaa nahin paani hi badal de yaa ghar ko mire daulat-e-aaraam-o-sukun bakhsh yaa aarzu-e-naql-makaani hi badal de kyaa us se karein zahmat-e-takraar ki jo shakhs alfaaz ke mahfum-o-maaani hi badal de tarmim-o-tanvvo hai kahaani mein zaruri raajaa to badaltaa nahin raani hi badal de us ghar ki taraf us ki nishaani pe chale ho 'mohsin' vo agar ghar ki nishaani hi badal de"

"libaas tan pe salaamat hain haath khaali hain ham ek mulk-e-khudaa-daad ke savaali hain na ham mein aql-o-faraasat na hikmat-o-tadbir magar hai zoam ki jamiyyat-e-misaali hain munaafiqat ne lahu tan mein itnaa garmaayaa ki guftugu mein riyaa-kaariyaan sajaa li hain khud apne aap se kad is qadar hamein hai ki ab rivaayatein hi gulistaan ki phunk Daali hain hamaare dil hain ab aamaaj-gaah-e-hirs-o-havas ki ham ne sinon mein taarikiyaan ugaa li hain nashemanon ko ujaaDaa kuchh is tarah jaise ki faakhtaaein darakhton se uDne vaali hain kisi gharib apaahij faqir ki 'mohsin' kisi amiir ne baisaakhiyaan churaa li hain"

"saae ki ummid thi taarikiyaan phailaa gayaa jo shajar phuTaa zamin se biij hi ko khaa gayaa kyaa gila tujh se ki gulshan kaa muqaddar hai yahi abr ghir kar jab bhi aayaa aag hi barsaa gayaa ab kinaaron se na maange qatre qatre kaa hisaab kyuun samundar ki taraf bahtaa huaa dariyaa gayaa meri sairaabi bhi meri tishnagi se kam na thi main misaal-e-abr aayaa surat-e-sahraa gayaa husn ke hamraah chaltaa thaa julusi-e-tishnagaan ishq tanhaa dahr mein aayaa thaa aur tanhaa gayaa 'mohsin'-ehsaan kisi baadal kaa TukDaa hai ki jo ek lamhe ke liye aayaa ghiraa barsaa gayaa"

"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"

"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"

"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"

"khurshid jhaanktaa hai ridaa-e-sahaab se yaa nuur chhan rahaa hai kisi ke naqaab se baahar jo aaj dekh liyaa hai hijaab se suraj laraz rahaa hai tumhaare shabaab se naaseh Daraa rahe the khudaa ke 'azaab se khud hi janaab baaz na aae sharaab se lamhe guzar chuke hain jo phulon ki sej par is daur-e-pur-khatar mein vo lagte hain khvaab se khud ko to pahle dekhiye phir kahiye bevafaa bas itni iltijaa hai hamaari janaab se har roz ik na ik nai zid hai zabaan par tang aa gayaa huun main dil-e-khaana-kharaab se ahl-e-vafaa mein meraa vahi naam paD gayaa tum ne mujhe navaaz diyaa jis khitaab se kin manzilon pe meraa nishaan-e-qadam nahin puchho miraa maqaam mah-o-aaftaab se jo husn kaa kahin bhi tahaffuz na kar sake phir kaun saa hai faaeda aisi naqaab se saaya bhi jis hasin kaa DhunDe na mil sakaa be-misl vo khudaa ke hue intikhaab se sun kar hamaare she'r vo kuchh muskuraa diye 'faaruq' aaj ham bhi rahe kaamyaab se"

"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"