us ko takte bhi nahin the pahle — Mahmood Shaam

"dinner pe aaj koi us saa aashnaa bhi na thaa vo is se pahle agarche kahin milaa bhi na thaa usi ne aaj bataayaa mujhe ki kaun huun main vo jis ko aaj se pahle main jaantaa bhi na thaa kahaan huun kyuun huun har ik saans puchhti hai mujhe kabhi main apne savaalon mein yuun ghiraa bhi na thaa kisi ki mez pe hi rah gai na jaane kyuun vo Diary ki abhi jis pe kuchh likhaa bhi na thaa tamaam shahr sadaaon ke ik bhanvar mein hai miraa makaan kabhi aise Doltaa bhi na thaa mujhe na jaane vo siine se kyuun lagaae phiraa main koi gul bhi na thaa mauja-e-havaa bhi na thaa vo jis ki dhun mein ham itvaar ko bhi ghar na rahe milaa to apni taraf 'shaam' dekhtaa bhi na thaa"

"roz-o-shab ki shaakh se bichhDaa huaa pattaa huun main vaqt bhi ab DhunDhtaa hai jis ko vo lamha huun main dil ke shishe TuuT jaate hain miri aavaaz se ik shikasta saaz se ubhraa huaa naghma huun main ham-nashinon ko kabhi aati nahin hai aanch tak kitni ThanDi aag hai jis mein sadaa jaltaa huun main zindagi ke shor mein simTe rahe zarre mire ik zaraa tanhaa huaa to kis tarah bikhraa huun main rangton kaa sail thaa yaa khushbuon ki lahr thi ab talak us husn mein us jhiil mein Duubaa huun main in chamakti shaah-raahon par kise apnaa kahun shahr hain aabaad apnon se magar tanhaa huun main 'shaam' yuun to ab khalaaon mein hain apni manzilein aur dekhun to usi dharti se be-rishta huun main"

"umr guzri ki tiri dhun mein chalaa thaa dariyaa jaa-ba-jaa ghumtaa hai aaj bhi paglaa dariyaa banti jaati hain guhar kitni hi bholi yaadein ye miraa dil hai ki Thahraa huaa gahraa dariyaa na kisi mauj kaa naghma hai na girdaab kaa raqs jaane kyaa baat hai khaamosh hai saaraa dariyaa thal ke siine pe pighal jaati hai jab chaand ki barf duur tak ret pe bahtaa hai sunahraa dariyaa haae vo rang bhare pyaar ke maskan pattan haae vo naav se rah rah ke lipaTtaa dariyaa 'shaam' aakaash pe jab phailtaa hai din kaa lahu Duub jaataa hai kisi soch mein bahtaa dariyaa"

"zindagi jis se jaagti hai abhi vo kahaani to an-kahi hai abhi raah mein aur bhi main koh-e-giraan ek divaar hi giri hai abhi jumbish-e-lab hi ban gai tufaan sainkaDon harf guftani hai abhi"

"TuuTe hain kaise khvaahishon ke aainon ko dekh palkon ki tah mein bikhri hui kirchiyon ko dekh main huun tiraa hi aks mire rang par na jaa aankhon mein jhaank apni hi tanhaaiyon ko dekh ye aasmaan ke badle hue rang ghaur kar in mausamon ke biphre hue tevaron ko dekh sun to dar-e-khayaal pe fardaa ki dastakein khud kaa hisaar toD ke jaati ruton ko dekh galiyon mein ghumti hain hazaaron kahaaniyaan chehron pe naqsh vaqt ki pahnaaiyon ko dekh ik ik palak pe chhaai hai mahrumiyon ki shaam zabt-e-sukhan ki aag mein jalte labon ko dekh kahti hai 'shaam' kuchh to makaanon ki khaamushi be-muddaaa nahin hain khule rauzanon ko dekh"

"phir ik saathi mujhe akelaa chhor gayaa aap sidhaaraa apnaa saayaa chhoD gayaa us ko kitne peD sadaaein dete the vo to sab ko yunhi bulaataa chhoD gayaa ab tak maidaanon ke jism chamakte hain jaane kaisi miTTi dariyaa chhoD gayaa lipaT lipaT kar ik duuje se rote hain jin patton ko havaa kaa jhonkaa chhoD gayaa chaandni shab tu jis ko DhunDne aai hai ye kamra vo shakhs to kab kaa chhoD gayaa chaal thi kitni tez badalte mausam ki kitne hi lamhon ko sisaktaa chhoD gayaa saari munDerein viraan viraan rahti hain jab se 'shaam' nagar tu apnaa chhoD gayaa"

"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"

"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"

"Tuut kar ab sanvar gayaa huun main is tarah se bikhar gayaa huun main jo tire naam ki gali hai vo us gali se guzar gayaa huun main yaadein teri sameT laayaa huun aaj jab se udhar gayaa huun main khud mukarnaa sikhaa diyaa us ne phir kahaa ki mukar gayaa huun main kal talak jo na kar sakaa thaa main aaj vo kaam kar gayaa huun main yuun kahin main nahin Thahartaa par tere dar par Thahar gayaa huun main"

"bistar-e-karb pe jab niind jalaai main ne tab kisi khvaab ki buniyaad uThaai main ne zakhm aise the ki har shakhs ke aage rakkhe baat aisi thi ki khud se bhi chhupaai main ne hurmat-e-gham ke liye khud ko aziyyat bakhshi phir usi dard se taskin bhi paai main ne main ne zakhmon ko kuredaa unhein taaza rakkhaa tab kahin dasht mein ki naghma-saraai main ne apni khiDki se yunhi khud ko pukaaraa kal shab aur phir khud ko vo aavaaz sunaai main ne jaane vaale se rag-e-jaan kaa bhi rishta thaa 'samir' ye samajhne mein bahut der lagaai main ne"

"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"

"jahaan-e-dard-o-gham hai aur main huun tiraa naqsh-e-qadam hai aur main huun kisi ki aankh nam hai aur main huun vufur-e-shauq kam hai aur main huun mujhe hai daulat-e-kaunain haasil mire rab kaa karam hai aur main huun main apne aap ko pahchaantaa huun miraa apnaa bharam hai aur main huun yahi kyaa kam hai duniyaa-e-vafaa mein mujhe ehsaas-e-gham hai aur main huun kisi ki yaad kaa ehsaan hai mujh par sukun-e-dil baham hai aur main huun mujhe 'mahmud' koi Dar nahin hai miraa apnaa qalam hai aur main huun"