tumhi bataao savaal-o-javaab kyaa karte — Abid Akhtar

"jo andheron mein misaal-e-yad-e-baizaa Thahre bas vahi log zamaane mein tamaashaa Thahre jo masihaa ki tavajjoh ho kisi aur taraf manzil-e-dard mein kis tarah mudaavaa Thahre aap ko rang-e-mohabbat bhi nazar aa jaae meri aankhon mein zaraa khuun kaa dariyaa Thahre darmiyaan apne agar dard kaa rishta na rahe phir to duniyaa mein har ik shakhs akelaa Thahre dosto sang-e-malaamat pe na israar karo ham se ye baar na uTThegaa ki shisha Thahre ab na shirin hai na vo vaa’da-e-fardaa kaa yaqin dast-e-farhaad mein phir kis liye tesha Thahre"

"jab kabhi dil ne tamannaaon ko mehmaan kiyaa daaman-e-hosh ko vahshat ne garebaan kiyaa qatl-gaahon se ye aai hai sadaa rah-rah kar kaun hai kis ne yahaan jiine kaa armaan kiyaa sajda-e-dil se baDhaate rahe jin ki qimat un buton ne hi sanam-khaanon ko viraan kiyaa yuun to gumnaami muqaddar mein likhi thi lekin azm ne qatra-e-be-naam ko tufaan kiyaa lazzat-e-dard kahaan DhunDne jaate 'akhtar' ajnabi ho ke baDaa aap ne ehsaan kiyaa"

"jab shu'ur-o-fikr ke lamhe gurezaan ho gae ham bhi apne aap se dast-o-garebaan ho gae jin kaa har chehra thaa tafsir-e-mizaaj-e-kaaenaat vo sanam-khaane to yaaro kab ke viraan ho gae jab charaagh-e-'ilm-o-fan ki raushni ghaTne lagi khaak se phir kuchh nae chehre numaayaan ho gae vus'aton ke naam par itni baDhi hain vahshatein kal ke daaman aaj ke haathon garebaan ho gae ai chaman vaalo yahaan do-chaar das kaa zikr kyaa jaane kitne aashiyaan nazr-e-gulistaan ho gae"

"kucha-e-tamannaa se kaar-gaah-e-aazar tak sang sang milte hain vaqt ke payambar tak kaam ki kharaabi se naam Duub jaate hain gaaliyon ki zad mein hain qaatilon ke khanjar tak intizaar karte hain log kyon masihaa kaa faasla nazar kaa hai zakhm-e-dil se nashtar tak tishnagi kaa ruumaa hai ab unhin ke honTon par jo sulagti raaton mein pi gae samundar tak jo ghaTaaein bo kar bhi tishnagi ugaataa hai us ki naa-muraadi par hans diyaa muqaddar tak khud ko maan lo yusuf is liye nahin hai ye aaine ki siDhi se pahunchiye sikandar tak un ke paanv ke niche maah TuuT jaataa hai tum ki aa nahin sakte apne ghar ke 'akhtar' tak"

"dil bahut be-taab thaa un ko muqaabil dekh kar haan magar main hosh mein thaa rang-e-mahfil dekh kar kyaa kahun mauj-e-havaadis ke guzar jaane ke baad kyon uThaa tufaan miri aankhon mein saahil dekh kar sham’-e-dil raushan rakho jahd-o-amal ki raah mein varna zulmat luuT legi tum ko ghaafil dekh kar ab taghaaful kaa gila bejaa hai daur-e-hijr mein dil ko dete vaqt dete laaiq-e-dil dekh kar kyon mire chehre pe gard-e-gham na ho ai ham-nafas aa rahaa huun aandhiyaan manzil-ba-manzil dekh kar maah-e-kaamil ki haqiqat ho gai ham par ayaan ham ne jab bhi un ko dekhaa maah-e-kaamil dekh kar"

"haan aur nahin ki baahami takraar dekhiye inkaar ke libaas mein iqraar dekhiye jo chhu rahe hain azmat-o-rifat ki sarhadein vo raaste azal se hain dushvaar dekhiye aavaaz de rahaa hai yahi vaqt kaa naqib muD muD ke ab na saaya-e-divaar dekhiye bahke qadam machalti nigaahon ke saath saath Thahri hui havaa ki bhi raftaar dekhiye aankhon mein jaag jaae na nafrat kaa devtaa duniyaa ke saath khud ko bhi ik baar dekhiye zarf-o-zamir bech rahe hain agar janaab ik baar samt ru-e-kharidaar dekhiye kirdaar aadmi ke liye laazmi sahi shaair ki zaat chhoDiye ashaar dekhiye"