vaajib-ul-ehtiraam aadmi thaa — Iqbal Ejaz Baig

"zard rukhsaaron mein Dhal jaane kaa fan phulon ko aataa hai kumhlaane kaa fan aadmi ik shahr ki buniyaad hai jaantaa hai paanv phailaane kaa fan kyaa hue jo gul khilaati thi sabaa kyaa huaa vo khushbu phailaane kaa fan ghere rahti hain hazaar aankhein use jis ko aataa hai nazar aane kaa fan raah kaa patthar huun mujh se puchhiye Thokaron par Thokarein khaane kaa fan jaantaa hai koi koi aadmi aadmi ko kaam mein laane kaa fan shahr mein yusuf ko tanhaa kar gayaa apne apne chehre chamkaane kaa fan"

"liye hue jo mujhe saath saath phirtaa thaa ye baat un dinon ki hai vo jab akelaa thaa vo din gae ki hunar ki thi garm-baazaari tamaashaa-gar bhi bahut moajize dikhaataa thaa main ik zavaal ke aalam mein ho rahaa thaa buland miraa kamaal kisi aur hi tarah kaa thaa main muD ke dekhtaa thaa aur mere saamne se guzar rahaa thaa jo guzraa huaa zamaana thaa vo khaali shahr jo khaali nahin huaa thaa abhi kisi makaan mein abhi ek shakhs rahtaa thaa agar kahin koi rasta use khulaa na mile vo aane vaale zamaanon ko jaa nikaltaa thaa jo rahne vaale the mil kar akele rahte the har ek aadmi kaa apnaa apnaa kamra thaa"

"chhat na ham par koi giri saahab koi neamat hai be-ghari saahab dekhne ko kahin nahin hai kuchh aankhon par gard jam gai saahab kabhi afsar bhi bannaa paDtaa hai ek ye bhi hai naukri saahab ghup andhere mein bhi chali aai raushni raushni rahi saahab is mein divaar ki khataa kyaa hai girne vaali thi gir gai saahab vaqt se aage jaa rahaa thaa main main ne dekhi nahin ghaDi saahab ek arsa paDi rahi be-kaar thi jo ik chiiz kaam ki saahab ghaur se dekhtaa huun aadmi ko muTThi bhar khaak rah gai saahab nazar aai hazaar chehron mein koi surat thi vaajibi saahab"

"jo gali bhi thi mire shahr ki baDi aafaton mein ghiri rahi kabhi kaal chehron kaa paD gayaa kabhi khiDkiyon ki kami rahi jo guzarne vaale zamaane the baDi khaamushi se guzar gae jo ghaDi bandhi thi kalaai se vo kalaai hi se bandhi rahi jo kivaaD band paDe hue the vo saare khulte chale gae magar ik sadaa miri dastakon ki jo tere dar pe paDi rahi vo jo paTriyaan thiin chamak chamak ke kisi ki aankh mein bujh gaiin vo jo rail thi kahin raste mein baDi bebasi se khaDi rahi vo jo dastaras mein thaa moajiza use koi rasta nahin milaa mire haath mein thi jo raushni mire haath hi mein rakhi rahi baDaa gahraa rishta hai abr kaa mire dil ki haalat-e-zaar se miri chhat pe baarishein bhi huiin miri aankh mein bhi nami rahi"

"havaa se duur agar rahaa karti gard itni nahin uDaa karti us kaa koi khudaa nahin hotaa anaa sajda nahin kiyaa karti ik tamaasha dikhaanaa paDtaa hai taali yunhi nahin bajaa karti thamaa deti hai haath mein pyaala pyaas paani nahin piyaa karti karne aate hain saare kaam mujhe mujhe fursat nahin milaa karti havaa ko hote hain zaruri kaam raaste mein nahin rukaa karti din jo niklaa to bujh gae taare raushni raushni kaa kyaa karti ghar ko jannat banaanaa paDtaa hai ghar mein jannat nahin milaa karti din hi kuchh der se nikaltaa hai raat lambi nahin huaa karti"

"vo jo dariyaaon ke paani pe palaa kartaa hai vahi naan khud ko samundar jo kahaa kartaa hai chahchahaanaa meri 'aadat bhi hai majburi bhi mere saath ek parinda bhi rahaa kartaa hai aadmi koi bharose kaa nahin miltaa hai koi ham-shakl zarur us kaa huaa kartaa hai sinon mein aag dabi rahti hai khaamoshi se is liye laavaa chaTaanon mein rahaa kartaa hai aasmaan aur hai jo ham ko nazar aataa hai uDne vaalon ke liye aur huaa kartaa hai meri majburi kaa rakhtaa hai bahut ziyaada khayaal mujh se hotaa nahin jo kaam khudaa kartaa hai"

"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"

"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"

"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"

"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"