vo jis kaa aks lahu ko jagaa diyaa kartaa — Akhtar Shumar

"hisaar-e-qarya-e-khunbaar se nikalte hue ye dil malul thaa aazaar se nikalte hue baDi hi der talak dhuup mujh ko chhu na saki tumhaare saaya-e-divaar se nikalte hue ki phir se takht ko aanaa thaa mere qadmon mein main pur-yaqin thaa darbaar se nikalte hue shuaa-e-nur ke phuTe se jaan larazti thi tumhaari garmi-e-rukhsaar se nikalte hue tumhaare dhyaan mein gum ho gai thi mahki havaa hudud-e-jaada-e-gulzaar se nikalte hue main lauT aayaa tujhe chhoD kar magar aadhaa vahin rahaa dar-o-divaar se nikalte hue fazaa mein der talak khuub jagmagaate 'shumaar' vo lafz shokhi-e-guftaar se nikalte hue"

"paDe the ham bhi jahaan raushni mein bikhre hue kai sitaare mile us gali mein bikhre hue miri kahaani se pahle hi jaan le pyaare ki haadse hain miri zindagi mein bikhre hue dhanak si aankh kahe baansuri ki lai mein mujhe sitaare DhunD ke laa naghmagi mein bikhre hue main pur-sukun rahun jhiil ki tarah yaani kisi khayaal kisi khaamushi mein bikhre hue vo muskuraa ke koi baat kar rahaa thaa 'shumaar' aur us ke lafz bhi the chaandni mein bikhre hue"

"ai duniyaa tere raste se haT jaaeinge aakhir ham bhi apne saamne DaT jaaeinge ham khud ko aabaad kareinge apne dil mein tere aankh-jazire se ab kaT jaaeinge dhund se paar bhi kaam kareingi apni nazrein aankh ke saamne se ye baadal chhaT jaaeinge aakhir Dhal jaaegaa ''jivan-rog'' kaa suraj ham bhi ''okhe-din'' hain lekin kaT jaaeinge log hamein mahsus kareinge phuul aur taare aur ham sochti ''dil-aankhon'' mein baT jaaeinge dekhnaa aisi raat bhi aaegi jab 'akhtar' dhire dhire ham taaron se aT jaaeinge"

"us ki chaah mein naam nahin aane vaalaa ab meraa anjaam nahin aane vaalaa husn se kaam paDaa hai aakhiri saanson mein aur vo kisi ke kaam nahin aane vaalaa meri sadaa par vo nazdik to aaegaa lekin zer-e-daam nahin aane vaalaa ek jhalak se pyaas kaa rog baDhegaa aur is se mujhe aaraam nahin aane vaalaa ishq ke naam pe teraa rang na badle yaar tujh par kuchh ilzaam nahin aane vaalaa kaam ko baiThe hain aur sar par aai shaam lagtaa hai ab kaam nahin aane vaalaa kyuun be-kaar us shakhs kaa rasta dekhte ho vo to 'shumaar' is shaam nahin aane vaalaa"

"yaa to suraj jhuuT hai yaa phir ye saayaa jhuuT hai aankh to is par bhi hairaan hai ki kyaa kyaa jhuuT hai muddaton mein aaj dil ne faisla aakhir diyaa khub-surat hi sahi lekin ye duniyaa jhuuT hai khuun mein shaamil achhuti khushbuon ke saath saath kyuun kahun mujh mein jo bahtaa hai vo dariyaa jhuuT hai zindagi ke baare itnaa hi kahaa sach jaaniye dasht mein bhaTkaa huaa jaise bagulaa jhuuT hai"

"khvaahish-e-jaada-e-raahat se nikaltaa kaise dil miraa ku-e-malaamat se nikaltaa kaise saaya-e-vahm-o-gumaan chaar taraf phailaa hai main abhi karb-o-aziyyat se nikaltaa kaise meri rusvaai agar saath na deti meraa yuun sar-e-bazm main izzat se nikaltaa kaise meri nazrein jo na paDtin to vahaan pichhli shab ik sitaaraa saa tiri chhat se nikaltaa kaise main ki barbaad huaa diid ki khaatir jis ki vo mire dida-e-hairat se nikaltaa kaise us ke dam hi se to qaaem hai miraa jaah-o-jalaal vo mire dil ki hukumat se nikaltaa kaise jaag baiThaa huun to dil Duubaa nahin hai 'akhtar' soyaa rahtaa to musibat se nikaltaa kaise"

"raftagaan ki sadaa nahin main huun ye tiraa vaahima nahin main huun tere maazi ke saath dafn kahin meraa ik vaaqi'a nahin main huun kyaa milaa intihaa-pasandi se kyaa main tere sivaa nahin main huun ek muddat mein jaa ke mujh pe khulaa chaand hasrat-zada nahin main huun us ne mujh ko muhaal jaan liyaa main ye kahtaa rahaa nahin main huun main hi 'ujlat mein aa gayaa thaa idhar ye zamaana nayaa nahin main huun meri vahshat se Dar gae shaayad yaar baad-e-fanaa nahin main huun main tire saath rah gayaa huun kahin vaqt Thahraa huaa nahin main huun gaahe gaahe sukhan zaruri hai saamne aaina nahin main huun sarsari kyuun guzartaa hai mujh se ye miraa maajraa nahin main huun us ne puchhaa kahaan gayaa vo shakhs kyaa bataataa ki thaa nahin main huun ye kise dekhtaa hai mujh se udhar tere aage khalaa nahin main huun"

"phir khuun mein vahshat raqsaan hai tajdid sitam karne ke liye ik taaza zakhm ki khvaahish hai ik sadma kam karne ke liye ham din-bhar duniyaa-daari mein hans hans ke baatein karte hain phir saari raat pighalte hain ik ashk raqam karne ke liye vo vasl ki jis ne ham donon ko yaksar be-buniyaad kiyaa ab fursat hai aa mil baiThein us vasl kaa gham karne ke liye ik kaari zakhm ki chaahat ne kyaa kyaa na hamein gulzaar kiyaa ham kis kis se mansub hue ik hijr baham karne ke liye insaan ke jiine marne ke majburi ke mukhtaari ke ye saare khel zaruri hain taamir adam karne ke liye"

"nahin piitaa main par navaazish hui hai baDi mausamon ki sifaarish hui hai bahut din se sahraa ke jaisaa ye dil hai na baadal ghire hain na baarish hui hai yahaan hai bulandi jo kirdaar ki to vahaan khaal-o-khad ki numaaish hui hai tiri jhiil jaisi jo dekhi hain aankhein miri Duub jaane ki khvaahish hui hai chhalaktaa nahin khuun zakhmon se aise kahin naakhunon ki bhi kaavish hui hai hamein 'ishq mein mubtalaa kar rahe hain nazar aur dil mein ye saazish hui hai vahaan dushmanon ki baDi yaad aai jahaan doston ki navaazish hui hai vafaa-daariyon kaa sila mil rahaa hai hamaari sadaa aazmaaish hui hai pareshaaniyon mein jo ham mubtalaa hain yaqinan koi ham se laghzish hui hai vahin apni aankhon ko ham chhoD aae jahaan manzaron ki numaaish hui hai raqibon ko hai chhuT mahfil mein un ki mire aane jaane pe bandish hui hai ghazal kahnaa 'faaruq' main chhoD dungaa isi baat par un se ranjish hui hai"

"jab se aayaa huun tere gaanv mein rang hi rang hain fazaaon mein aa ki dukh sukh ki koi baat karein baiTh kar shishamon ki chhaanv mein main bhi kartaa huun zabt ki koshish to bhi takhfif kar adaaon mein vo tiraa dafatan bichhaD jaanaa vo miraa dekhnaa khalaaon mein ho agar koi gosh-bar-aavaaz ik khamoshi bhi hai sadaaon mein yahi mere liye ghanimat hai saans le luun khuli fazaaon mein"

"bas ki ik lams ki ummid pe vaare hue hain so tire saamne ye khaak pasaare hue hain jaane kab un ko bujhaa baiThe koi baad-e-alam sar-e-mizhgaan-e-tamannaa jo sitaare hue hain zindagi tu bhi hamein vaise hi ik roz guzaar jis tarah ham tujhe barson se guzaare hue hain nit-nae naqsh karein us pe aziyyat ke raqam aa ki ham takhti-e-dil apni pachaare hue hain kab kuchal jaaein kisi paanv se ham barg-e-vajud vaqt ki dhuup mein vaise hi karaare hue hain jaante hain ki tu hi ishq-badan ko hai libaas ham tiraa ruup jo aashuftagi dhaare hue hain apni jurat ki sataaish ho ki ham chob-mizaaj rabt rakhte hain sadaa un se jo aare hue hain"

"phir bahaar aai hai phir josh mein saudaa hogaa zakhm-e-derinaa se phir khuun Tapaktaa hogaa biiti baaton ke vo naasur hare phir honge baat niklegi to phir baat ko rakhnaa hogaa yurishein kar ke umanD aaeingi suuni shaamein laakh bhaTkein kisi unvaan na saveraa hogaa ji ko samjhaaeinge matvaali havaa ke jhonke phir koi laakh sambhaale na sambhalnaa hogaa kaisi rut aai havaa chalti hai ji Doltaa hai ab to hansnaa bhi taDapne kaa bahaanaa hogaa TuuT jaaegaa ye laachaari-e-daaem kaa fusun aur is tarah ki jaise koi aataa hogaa dil dhaDakne ki sadaa aaegi sune-pan mein duur baadal kahin parbat pe garajtaa hogaa"