vo bahut be-qaraar hai shaayad — Muzaffar Eraj

"tumhaare shahr mein jaane kahaan se utraa thaa ki un dinon bhi koi us ke dil mein bastaa thaa main jaan-bujh ke hone ko aaya thaa nilaam kisi ne tum ko bhi boli lagaate dekhaa thaa ye haadisa thaa ki imaan main bhi le aaya ye saaneha hai ki main ne tumhin ko puujaa thaa churaa ke le gayaa meraa sukun meraa qaraar vo barson saath mire ghar mein mere rahtaa thaa balaa se chhin ke le jaae zindagi meri main mutmain huun ki meraa bhi koi apnaa thaa main is tarah se bikaa yuun luTaa phir aisaa huaa vo apni totaa kahaani sunaane aaya thaa use sadaa hi rahaa zo'm paarsaai kaa agarche us ko darindon ne roz nochaa thaa main apni be-sar-o-saamaaniyaan chhapaaun kyaa vo ham-safar thaa miraa jis ne mujh ko luuTaa thaa zabaan se zakhm lagaane se baaz aa 'iraj' ye zakhm maanaa tujhe baar baar lagtaa thaa"

"sulagti dhuup thi dasht-o-jabal the banjar the jahaan jahaan se bhi guzre ajiib manzar the jo maan ki kokh se nikle tiri talaash rahi lahad nasib hui jab bhi tere khugar the badal chuki hai achaanak haraarat-e-arzi javaalaa phuuT rahe hain jahaan samundar the saraab jaise guzaari hai zindagi ham ne ki duur hi se lubhaane mein ham hunar-var the na but taraashe na puuje na toD Daale magar kisi bhi shahr mein aae ba-shakl-e-aazar the hamaari maut se pahle hi kitne logon ne hamaare baare mein likkhaa thaa ham gadaagar the main jin ke biich mein leTaa thaa be-his-o-harakat luTe-piTe the musaafir kaTe hue sar the vo din ki maan ki du'aaein panaah thiin 'iraj' kanval the raat ki raani the ham gul-e-tar the"

"vo bahut be-qaraar hai shaayad us ko bhi intizaar hai shaayad nafratein sar se paanv tak dekhin dil mein thoDaa saa pyaar hai shaayad kar ke tai marhale udaas thaa vo jiit mein us ki haar hai shaayad zindagi aakhiri Thikaane par qaabil-e-e'tibaar hai shaayad gham bhi phal phultaa hai aae din shajar-e-saaya-daar hai shaayad mere rone pe koi baat na ki aaj vo sogvaar hai shaayad guftugu mein na mujh se jiit sakaa is liye sharmsaar hai shaayad jis ko dekhun vo girtaa paDtaa hai har taraf intishaar hai shaayad kaj-kulaahi tumhaari 'iraj' ji baais-e-iftikhaar hai shaayad"

"basaaein kitni bhi ham bastiyaan khalaaon mein uThe hain khaak se rahnaa to hai saraabon mein hamein na bor karo saahab-e-adaa kah kar rahe hain ham to hamesha hi kaj-adaaon mein na dhuup mujh ko gavaara na chaand ki khushbu miraa vajud bikhartaa na yuun havaaon mein dikhaai mujh ko diyaa thaa vo chaand saa chehra sitaara aankhein magar kho gaiin kitaabon mein vo lakht-lakht to utraa thaa khuun mein 'iraj' main us ki khoj mein huun apne ham-navaaon mein"

"apne bojh se TuuT rahaa huun main bhi kaanch kaa ik TukDaa huun koi kahaani yaad nahin hai raddi kaaghaz bech chukaa huun ziist ne apne par phailaae ret ke sahraaon mein khaDaa huun apni baat kahun to kyunkar un ki baaton mein uljhaa huun sab miTTi ke saudaagar hain jin ke bhi haathon mein bikaa huun mujh se tark-e-taalluq kar lo main andar se TuuT chukaa huun tum hi becho tum hi kharido sud-o-ziyaan se laa-parvaa huun laakh sanvaaro laakh bigaaDo vaisaa rahungaa main jaisaa huun nuqta ek huun 'iraj' lekin samton hi samton mein baTaa huun"

"shahr-e-be-saut mein amaan mil jaae koi patthar miri taraf hi aae ik fasil-e-havaa na rang na ruup ik khayaal-e-khudaa mujhe bahkaae meraa chehra utaarne vaalo meri surat kise kise bahlaae niilaa piilaa ghubaar tanhaa peD mere aangan mein chaand bhi ghabraae khiDkiyaan apne jism ki kholo kyaa ajab dhuup shaam tak aa jaae yakh-zada munjamid kohar-aalud kaun chaTTaan se phisalne paae muztarib raat chashm-e-nam 'iraj' phuul shabnam ko bhi lahu rulvaae"

"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"

"jis din se meraa khvaab suhaanaa badal gayaa us din se zindagi kaa fasaana badal gayaa sunne lagaa huun jab se nasihat baDon ki main jaari thaa jo labon pe taraana badal gayaa pahchaan kaa havaala bhi baaqi nahin rahaa chehre ke saath aaina-khaana badal gayaa uThti nahin hai aankh bhi ab aasmaan ki samt jab se gali kaa chaand puraanaa badal gayaa tahzib jin ke ghar ki 'alaamat thi kal talak afsos aaj un kaa gharaanaa badal gayaa 'azmat kaa taaj sar pe hai 'akhilesh' ke sajaa aisi havaa chali ki zamaana badal gayaa itni sharaafaton mein kami aa gai hai aaj pahle thaa jo libaas puraanaa badal gayaa ahl-e-vafaa ne jis ki thi taarikh ki raqam 'faaruq' 'ishq kaa vo fasaana badal gayaa"

"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"

"khaamushi ke batn se ye guftani paidaa hui main ba-zaahir chup huaa aur shaaeri paidaa hui is tarah saabit huaa gham aur khushi kaa imtizaaj hanste hanste us ki aankhon mein nami paidaa hui jurm ki paadaash mein ham khaak par pheinke gae so yahaan par intiqaaman zindagi paidaa hui khauf ne hi maslahat ki raah bhi ijaad ki main andheron se Daraa aur raushni paidaa hui dil mein kab utri kisi ke be-maaani guftugu baat karne se to bas aavaaz hi paidaa hui"

"shab ki taarik raahdaari hai aur miraa khauf iztiraari hai sabz khvaabon ki kam se kam qimat zindagi bhar ki ashk-baari hai ik musallat-shuda tamaddun ko ye na kahiye ki ikhtiyaari hai shash-jihaati mushaahida hai miyaan tajrabon ki sanad pe bhaari hai shukriya aap ki mohabbat kaa dil kaa maqsum sogvaari hai tajziye sun ke muskuraa denaa apni itni hi zimmedaari hai"

"ye hai mai-kada yahaan rind hain yahaan sab kaa saaqi imaam hai ye haram nahin hai ai shaikh ji yahaan paarsaai haraam hai jo zaraa si pi ke bahak gayaa use mai-kade se nikaal do yahaan tang-nazar kaa guzar nahin yahaan ahl-e-zarf kaa kaam hai koi mast hai koi tishna-lab to kisi ke haath mein jaam hai magar is pe koi kare bhi kyaa ye to mai-kade kaa nizaam hai ye janaab-e-shaikh kaa falsafa hai 'ajib saare jahaan se jo vahaan piyo to halaal hai jo yahaan piyo to haraam hai tujhe apne husn kaa vaasta mere shauq-e-did pa rahm khaa zaraa muskuraa ke naqaab uThaa ki nazar ko shauq-e-salaam hai na sunnaa to huur o qusur ki ye hikaayatein mujhe vaa'izaa koi baat kar dar-e-yaar ki dar-e-yaar hi se to kaam hai na to e'tikaaf se kuchh gharaz na savaab-o-zuhd se vaasta tiri diid aisi namaaz hai na sujud hai na qayaam hai ye durust ki 'aib hai mai-kashi ye ba-jaa ki baada haraam hai magar ab savaal ye aa paDaa ki tumhaare haath mein jaam hai jo uThi to subh-e-davaam thi jo jhuki to shaam hi shaam thi tiri chashm-e-mast mein saaqiyaa miri zindagi kaa nizaam hai miraa farz hai ki paDaa rahun tiri baargaah mein saaqiyaa koi tishna-lab hai ki sair hai yahi dekhnaa tiraa kaam hai isi kaaenaat mein ai 'jigar' koi inqalaab uThegaa phir ki buland ho ke bhi aadmi abhi khvaahishon kaa ghulaam hai"