vo harf thaa na sitaara magar chamaktaa thaa — Ishrat Afreen

"'adaavatein nasib ho ke rah gaiin mohabbatein raqib ho ke rah gaiin parind hain na aanganon mein peD hain ye bastiyaan 'ajib ho ke rah gaiin taras rahi hain yuun bahaar ko rutein gharib kaa nasib ho ke rah gaiin bas ek pal dhanak ki saari shokhiyaan mire bahut qarib ho ke rah gaiin mire dukhon kaa zikr shahr shahr hai udaasiyaan naqib ho ke rah gaiin main khud se jab bichhaD gai to bas tiri du'aaein hi habib ho ke rah gaiin rivaayaton ki qatl-gaah-e-‘ishq mein ye laDkiyaan salib ho ke rah gaiin"

"kapaas chunte hue haath kitne pyaare lage mujhe zamin se mohabbat ke isti'aare lage tamaam raat jo laDte rahe the tufaan se 'ajib log the thak haar kar kinaare lage mujhe to baagh bhi mahkaa huaa alaav lagaa mujhe to phuul bhi Thahre hue sharaare lage vo ham na the jise aankhein nichoD kar di thiin vo tum na the jise ham apni jaan se pyaare lage us ek raat qayaamat ki baarishein TuTin miri shikasta haveli pe jab puchaare lage"

"laDkiyaan maaon jaise muqaddar kyon rakhti hain tan sahraa aur aankh samundar kyon rakhti hain aurtein apne dukh ki viraasat kis ko deingi sanduqon mein band ye zevar kyon rakhti hain vo jo aap hi puuji jaane ke laaeq thiin champaa si poron mein patthar kyon rakhti hain vo jo rahi hain khaali peT aur nange paanv bachaa bachaa kar sar ki chaadar kyon rakhti hain band haveli mein jo saanahe ho jaate hain un ki khabar divaarein aksar kyon rakhti hain subh-e-visaal ki kirnein ham se puchh rahi hain raatein apne haath mein khanjar kyon rakhti hain"

"miThi narm sajili dhuup saahil ki chamkili dhuup kab tak maayon baiThegi saavan ki sharmili dhuup ghuTnon ghuTnon dariyaa khet Daali Daali giili dhuup shokh pahaaDi doshiza chanchal tez nukili dhuup phulon phulon utregi uudi niili piili dhuup konpal konpal phuTegi komal surkh rasili dhuup basti ki viraan fazaa aur sailaab ki siili dhuup paani laash vabaa insaan bhuki aur zahrili dhuup"

"dil ne ik jashn manaayaa kal raat yaad koi bahut aaya kal raat duur tak chaand ki surat hamraah tu thaa yaa vo tiraa saaya kal raat chashm-e-giryaan ne to had hi kar di kis qadar hashr uThaayaa kal raat teri khushbu ki paziraai mein chaand ne giit sunaayaa kal raat niind ne niind ki saughaatein diin khvaab ne khvaab dikhaayaa kal raat"

"paani mein chhap-chhayyaa karti shor machaati shaam jaise mujh mein Thahar gai hai jal barsaati shaam giili lakDi jaisaa jivan dhuaan-dhuaan se khvaab saavan jaise dhuup chhaanv din aag jalaati shaam tanhaai ki shaal mein lipTe unche unche ghar aur gali mein nange paaon udham machaati shaam nange pairon kaajal Tiika tan par phaTi qamis tez havaa se laDte-bhiDte jashn manaati shaam ummidein TuTe-phuTe taaqon mein hanste phuul khvaahish suuni dargaahon mein diye jalaati shaam rail ki paTri jaisi yaadein uljhe-suljhe raste aadhi khuli hui khiDki se haath hilaati shaam"

"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"