vo lamha mujh ko shashdar kar gayaa thaa — Ambar Bahraichi

"burida baazuon mein vo parind laala-baar thaa shikaariyon ke ghol mein ajiib intishaar thaa hare phalon ko toDti hui havaa guzar gai bujhi bujhi fazaa mein har darakht sogvaar thaa safar kaa aakhiri paDaav aa gayaa thaa aur main jo ham-safar bichhaD rahe the un pe ashk-baar thaa gae the ham bhi bahr ki tahon mein jhumte hue har ek siip ke labon mein sirf regzaar thaa dhuli dhuli fazaa mein ho gai abas vo justuju ki manzar-e-nazar-navaaz to pas-e-ghubaar thaa dam-e-sahar na jaane jaane kaun aa gayaa use ravaan the ashk ankhDiyon se haath mein sitaar thaa jo vaqt aa gayaa tamaam tiir TuTte gae usi nai kamaan pe to mujhe bhi e'tibaar thaa baras rahi thi aag is dayaar-e-sang mein magar mire lahu mein gul-fishaan vo champai azaar thaa ajiib thi sarisht bhi hamaare dhaan paan ki kabhi to bahr-e-be-karaan kabhi saraab-zaar thaa"

"mire chehre pe jo aansu giraa thaa na jaane kitne shoalon mein jalaa thaa hamaare kaan bahre ho gae the udhar vo daastaan-go hans rahaa thaa andheri raat sannaaTe kaa aalam nadi ke paar ik lapkaa jagaa thaa bahut aazaar the raste mein lekin lahu mein phul-mausam hans rahaa thaa havaa-e-garm yuun dil mein chali thi miri aankhon mein saavan bas gayaa thaa andhere dasht se nikle ki dekhaa savaa neze pe suraj aa chukaa thaa labon pe thi mire subh-e-tabassum mire baatin mein koi ro rahaa thaa bahut din baad khul kar mil rahe the mire bachchon ko jaane kyaa huaa thaa bahut mushtaaq thaa shahr-e-khamoshaan ki basti mein faqat 'amabar' bachaa thaa"

"har taraf us ke sunahre lafz hain phaile hue aur ham kaajal ki ik tahrir mein Duube hue chaandni ke shahr mein hamraah thaa vo bhi magar duur tak khaamoshiyon ke saaz the bajte hue hans rahaa thaa vo hari rut ki suhaani chhaanv mein daf'atan har ik shajar ke pairahan maile hue aaj ik maa'sum bachchi ki zabaan khinchi gai meri basti mein andhere aur bhi gahre hue har gali mein thiin siyah parchhaaiyon ki yurishein shab kai gunge malak har chhat pe the baiThe hue sab adaaein vaqt ki vo jaantaa hai is liye TaaT ke niche sunahraa taaj hai rakkhe hue soup ke daane kabutar chug rahaa thaa aur vo sahn ko mahkaa rahi thi sunnatein paDhte hue raat 'ambar' kahkashaan se duub ye kahne lagi chhaanv mein meri hazaaron chaand hain soe hue"

"chehron pe zar-posh andhere phaile hain ab jiine ke Dhang baDe hi mahnge hain haathon mein suraj le kar kyuun phirte hain is basti mein ab dida-var kitne hain qadron ki shab-rezi par hairaani kyuun zehnon mein ab kaale suraj palte hain har bhare jangal kaT kar ab shahr hue banjaare ki aankhon mein sannaaTe hain phulon vaale Taapu to gharqaab hue aag agle nae jazire ubhre hain us ke bosida-kapDon par mat jaao mast qalandar ki jholi mein hiire hain zikr karo ho mujh se kyaa tughyaani kaa saahil par hi apne rain basere hain is vaadi kaa to dastur niraalaa hai phuul saron par kankar patthar Dhote hain 'amabar' laakh savaa pankhi mausam aaein olon ki zad mein anmol parinde hain"

"darvaaza vaa kar ke roz nikaltaa thaa sirf vahi apne ghar kaa sarmaaya thaa khaDe hue the peD jaDon se kaT kar bhi tez havaa kaa jhonkaa aane vaalaa thaa usi nadi mein us ke bachche Duub gae usi nadi kaa paani us kaa piinaa thaa sabz qabaaein roz luTaataa thaa lekin khud us ke tan par bosida kapDaa thaa baahar saare maidaan jiit chukaa thaa vo ghar lauTaa to pal bhar mein hi TuuTaa thaa but ki qimat aank rahaa thaa vaise vo mandir mein to puujaa karne aayaa thaa chikh paDin saari divaarein 'amabar'-ji main sab se chhup kar kamre mein baiThaa thaa"

"main apni vusaton ko us gali mein bhuul jaataa huun na jaane kaun se jaadu ke haathon mein khilaunaa huun safar ye paaniyon kaa jab mujhe be-aab kartaa hai main dariyaa ki rupahli ret ko bistar banaataa huun savaalon ke kai patthar uThaae log baiThe hain main apnaa nanhaa bachcha qabr mein dafnaa ke lauTaa huun na jaane kis fazaa mein kho gayaa vo dudhiyaa aanchal ki jis ke faiz se main kitni aankhon kaa ujaalaa huun vo suraj mere chaaron samt hai phailaa huaa lekin main aksar ajnabi dhundlaahaTon mein Duub jaataa huun lipaT jaati hai meri ungliyon se khud shafaq aa kar sahar ki samt jab main apne haathon ko baDhaataa huun koi to hai ki jo mujh ko ujaale bakhsh jaataa hai ba-zaahir main kisi taarik Taapu mein akelaa huun mire siine mein 'ambar' ik dhanak si phail jaati hai main apne aansuon ki chaandni mein she'r likhtaa huun"

"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"

"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"

"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"

"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"

"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"