vafur-e-hausla-e-arz-e-muddaaa na rahaa — Akhtar Siddiqui

"yuun to ehsaas-e-ziyaan pe khun-e-dil rotaa rahaa zindagi kaa bojh phir bhi dosto Dhotaa rahaa intihaa-e-gham mein bhi mauj-e-tabassum lab pe thi dard ki baarish mein bhi ye dil dhanak hotaa rahaa baarhaa is baat kaa mujh ko huaa hai tajraba jis ke haq mein ki duaa kaanTe vahi botaa rahaa dil ke darvaaze pe koi bhi sadaa ubhri nahin pyaar-dastak ke liye main umr-bhar rotaa rahaa us kaa ghar bhi shoalon ki zad se na aakhir bach sakaa jo lagaa kar aag khud thaa chain se sotaa rahaa gham nahin 'akhtar' ko barbaadi kaa apni ai khudaa haan magar sab kuchh tire hote hue hotaa rahaa"

"ehtiraam-e-gardish-e-ayyaam karnaa hi paDaa gham ghalat karne ko shaghl-e-jaam karnaa hi paDaa muztarib rakhtaa thaa pal pal karb-e-ehsaas-e-ziyaan aakhir is muuzi ko zer-e-daam karnaa hi paDaa saath deti kab talak purkhon ki chhoDi jaaidaad ek ik karke sabhi nilaam karnaa hi paDaa pai-ba-pai naakaamiyon kaa karb thaa sohaan-e-ruh qalb ko begaana-e-aalaam karnaa hi paDaa mehrbaan kahnaa paDaa 'akhtar' kisi be-mehr ko jo nahin karnaa thaa vo bhi kaam karnaa hi paDaa"

"phulon ko sharmsaar kisi ne nahin kiyaa kaanTon ko jhuk ke pyaar kisi ne nahin kiyaa yuun to gilaa khizaan kaa sabhon ne kiyaa magar shukraana-e-bahaar kisi ne nahin kiyaa buniyaad-e-ishq maslahat-aamez ho gai malbus taar-taar kisi ne nahin kiyaa talvaarein be-niyaam hain mazhab ke naam par nau-e-bashar se pyaar kisi ne nahin kiyaa haq ki duhaai de sabhi khaamosh ho gae baatil ko sangsaar kisi ne nahin kiyaa 'akhtar' baDhe chale gae sab rah-ravaan-e-shauq kuchh meraa intizaar kisi ne nahin kiyaa"

"chain de kar dard kaa saudaa kiyaa ai dil-e-naadaan ye tu ne kyaa kiyaa zindagi ho jaise muflis ki davaa sar Dhakaa to paanv baahar ho gayaa kal talak aabaad thaa ye gulsitaan kis ki vahshat ne use sahraa kiyaa har taraf girdaab se bante rahe jhiil se saahil ko aakhir kyaa milaa meraa haadi aur murshid meraa dil gyaan jo mujh ko milaa us se milaa zulm ki purvaaiyaan jab bhi chalin dard-e-pinhaan sher mein naazil huaa khushnumaa thi aarzuon ki salib jis se 'akhtar' umr-bhar laTkaa rahaa"

"teraa har raaz chhupaae hue baiThaa hai koi khud ko divaana banaae hue baiThaa hai koi saaqi-e-bazm ke makhsus ishaaron ki qasam jaam honTon se lagaae hue baiThaa hai koi is numaaish-gah-e-aalam mein kami hai ab tak ashk aankhon mein chhupaae hue baiThaa hai koi shab ki devi kaa sukut aur hi kuchh kahtaa hai phir bhi do shamein jalaae hue baiThaa hai koi meri ik aarzu-e-did kaa eajaaz na puchh munh ko haathon se chhupaae hue baiThaa hai koi yaad bhi teri ik aazaar-e-musalsal hai magar apne siine se lagaae hue baiThaa hai koi ham ko maalum hai 'akhtar' ki hamaari khaatir ek aalam ko bhulaae hue baiThaa hai koi"

"jab se ujDaa hai mire dil kaa jahaan mausam-e-gul ho gayaa fasl-e-khizaan le rahi hai zindagi har gaam par mujh se mere hauslon kaa imtihaan jab hisaar-e-zaat se baahar huaa ho gayaa har shakhs meraa ham-zabaan jis ko tere shahr se nisbat hui khush na aaya us ko koi gulsitaan saanahe dil par guzarte hi rahe hausle lekin rahe har dam javaan doston ki mehrbaani kam nahin kis liye karte ho fikr-e-dushmanaan aaj tak jis ko koi bujhaa nahin zindagi 'akhtar' hai aisi chistaan"

"bahr-e-rang-e-daastaan rahne diyaa ik tajassus darmiyaan rahne diyaa ab zamin ban kar bichhaa jaataa hai vo main ne jis ko aasmaan rahne diyaa raushni aur khvaab saare hech the apni aankhon mein dhuaan rahne diyaa vo jagah raushan nahin hogi kabhi is mohabbat ko jahaan rahne diyaa maan ne maathaa chuum kar rukhsat kiyaa maamtaa kaa saaebaan rahne diyaa kul milaa ke ye hai raaz-e-tishnagi ham ne dil ko sargiraan rahne diyaa khud hami paamaal Thahre shauq se khush-gumaan ko khush-gumaan rahne diyaa"

"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"

"kisi ki mehrbaani ho gai hai ayaan dil ki kahaani ho gai hai hare mausam ki pahli khvaahishein uf khushi gham ki divaani ho gai hai sabhi afraad ghar ke so gae hain bahut lambi kahaani ho gai hai rivaayat kaa hai ab bhi sahar qaaem har ik jiddat puraani ho gai hai pas-e-chehra milaa ik aur chehra 'aqidat paani paani ho gai hai"

"aakhiri hal thaa yahi pesh-e-nazar jaane diyaa ek gahri saans li phir khvaab mar jaane diyaa saarbaanaa de gavaahi mujh ko pyaari thi anaa rakh liyaa zaad-e-safar aur ham-safar jaane diyaa hazrat-e-naaseh ki khush-uftaadgi pe daad hai khud jidhar se aae the sab ko udhar jaane diyaa is harim-e-naaz mein yuun be-mahaabaa guftugu kuchh bharam rakkhaa to hotaa tum ko gar jaane diyaa tujh ko rokaa jaa rahaa thaa raushni thi jab talak shaam ke Dhalte samay suraj ko ghar jaane diyaa aankh sapne dekhti thi aansuon se kyon bhari chaahti to puchh leti main magar jaane diyaa dostaa qismat na ho to koshishein bekaar hain sabr kaa paimaana ham ne khud hi bhar jaane diyaa dil musir thaa baarhaa kuchh jaanchne ko ruk gae aakhirash us ne hamein baar-e-digar jaane diyaa"

"aisaa to yahaan kuchh bhi nahin hadd-e-nazar tak ham ko to pahunchnaa thaa kisi khvaab-nagar tak ab paanv nahin raah mein dil thakne lagaa hai lekin hamein chalnaa to hai anjaam-e-safar tak ham shor bhi sunte hain samaaat se bahut kam aavaaz bhi jaati hai to bas hadd-e-nazar tak mumkin hai main ab sabr kaa ye peD giraa duun jab haath pahunchtaa hi nahin shaakh-e-samar tak ham apne hi mausam se parakhte hain jahaan ko maahaul kaa lete hi nahin koi asar tak main apne hi andar ki taraf chikh rahaa huun ab dekhiye jaati hai ye aavaaz kidhar tak"

"bahut shaadaab ho lekin bayaabaani nahin jaati ki baam-e-auj chhune se bhi arzaani nahin jaati kai chehron ne aavaazon ne dil aabaad rakkhaa hai magar aankhon mein raqsaan hai jo viraani nahin jaati mujhe apni numu ke vaaste tum se bichhaDnaa hai tumhaare saath rahne se tan-aasaani nahin jaati main is dil ki sabhi sachchaaiyaan taslim kartaa huun magar ik baat aisi bhi hai jo maani nahin jaati hujum-e-shor-o-ghul mein kaun thaa kis ne pukaaraa thaa yahaan to apni bhi aavaaz pahchaani nahin jaati 'samir' is ishq mein insaan kyaa itnaa badaltaa hai main khud par ghaur kartaa huun to hairaani nahin jaati"