vo thi zulfein thiin aur shaana thaa — Ahsan Ahmad Ashk

"main thaa ik sham-e-sozaan raat bhar uTThaa dhuaan mujh se suni duniyaa ne sau sau tarah dil ki daastaan mujh se Dubo di aabru-e-soz-e-pinhaan tu ne aankhon ki shikaayat kar rahe hain qatra-haa-e-raaegaan mujh se rafiq-e-kaarvaan-e-nighat-e-gul hai miri vahshat na aage baDh sakegi tu nigaah-e-baaghbaan mujh se mujhe niind aa gai thi raah ki ThanDi havaaon mein main ik vaamaanda huun puchho hadis-e-kaarvaan mujh se mire dil ki tamanna turra-e-dastaar-e-gulchin ho aur us par ye qayaamat daad maange baaghbaan mujh se saraapaa maatam-e-nazzaara hai aankhon ki maayusi ki parda uTh chukaa hai aur jalve hain nihaan mujh se"

"main thaa ik sham-e-sozaan raat bhar uThThaa dhuaan mujh se suni duniyaa ne sau sau tarah dil ki daastaan mujh se mujhe niind aa gai thi raah ki ThanDi havaaon mein main ik vaamaanda huun puchho hadis-e-kaarvaan mujh se mire dil ki tamanna turra-e-dastaar-e-gulchin ho aur us par ye qayaamat daad maange baaghbaan mujh se saraapaa maatam-e-nazzaara hai aankhon ki maayusi ki parda uTh chukaa hai aur jalve hain nihaan mujh se main chup huun 'ashk' lekin baavajud-e-zabt-e-betaabi vo aankhein kar rahi hain pursish-e-jurm-e-fughaan mujh se"

"ridaa koi dilrubaa nahin hai nigah koi dil-nashin nahin hai tilism-e-zauq-e-nazar hain jalve vagarna koi hasin nahin hai hamaare maqsad ki gumrahi se qadam qadam par bane hain kaa'be yahaan jhuki hai vahaan jhukegi kuchh kuchh e'tibaar-e-jabin nahin hai azal se ye rind-e-laa-ubaali gadaa-e-maikhaana-e-nazar hai qasam tiri kaafir ankhDiyon ki sharaab aisi kahin nahin hai ham apnaa dukhDaa sunaa rahe hain vo baiThe sun bhi rahe hain lekin kuchh is tarah muskuraa rahe hain ki jaise un ko yaqin nahin hai qasam hai un surkh aansuon ki ki jin ki laDiyaan kabhi na TuTin ki ab un aankhon mein koi qatra mataa-e-'ashk'-e-hazin nahin hai"

"nigaah-e-baaghbaan kyaa kah gai gulhaa-e-khandaan se ki uTThaa kaarvaan-e-rang-o-bu sehn-e-gulistaan se madad ai dida-e-binaa madad ai taab-e-nazzaara tajalli muskuraati hai naqaab-e-ru-e-jaanaan se nasim-e-subh ke jhonkon se kyaa khaTkaa bhalaa us ko miri sham-e-tamannaa vo hai jo laDti hai tufaan se maaaz-allaah sahraa ki shab-e-taarik-o-tufaani musaafir khud na jal jaae charaagh-e-zer-e-daamaan se laraz uThtaa huun bedaari mein yuun takhil-e-ishrat par ki jaise chaunk uThtaa ho koi khvaab-e-pareshaan se junun ki tarbiyat kar 'ashk' ye nang-e-mohabbat hai kisi kaa raaz rusvaa ho tire chaak-e-garebaan se"

"ang ang jhalak uThtaa hai angon ke darpan ke beach maansarover umDe umDe hain bharpur badan ke beach chaand angDaai par angDaai lete hain joban ke beach maddham maddham diip jale hain soe soe nayan ke beach mukhDe ke kai ruup dudhiyaa chaandni bhor sunahri dhuup raat ki kaliyaan chuTki chuTki si baalon ke ban ke beach mathuraa ke peDon se kulhe chikne chikne se gore ruup nirt ke jaage jaage chhatiyon ki thirkan ke beach jaise hiron kaa minaara chamke ghor andhere mein divaali ke diip jale hain choli aur daaman ke beach man mein basaa kar murat ik an-dekhi kaamani raadhaa ki 'ahmad' ham to kho gae brindaaban ki kunj galiyan ke beach"

"taavil-e-ahd-e-fan hi to vahshat kaa hal nahin pesh-e-nazar junun hai yaaro ghazal nahin ab is ke baad ahd ki taarik raat hai ye ikhtitaam-e-shaam hai subh-e-azal nahin ai dost ishq mansab-e-fahm-o-shuur hai ye irtiqaa hai zehn kaa koi khalal nahin ik umr ratjagon ki aziyyat mein kaaT di ab mere khvaab niind kaa radd-e-amal nahin kyaa kyaa ataa-e-neamat-e-rabb-e-karim hai lekin 'samir' dard kaa nemul-badal nahin"

"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"

"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"

"jaagte hi nazar akhbaar mein kho jaati hai zindagi dard ke ambaar mein kho jaati hai naa-khudaa aql ke patvaar uThaataa hai ki jab kashti-e-dil miri manjdhaar mein kho jaati hai be-sabab sochne vaale kabhi sochaa tu ne aagahi kasrat-e-afkaar mein kho jaati hai uDte rahte hain khayaalaat ke jugnu phir bhi baat kyuun parda-e-izhaar mein kho jaati hai us ke kaamon kaa hai rangin khushaamad pe madaar aur mehnat miri isaar mein kho jaati hai hurmat-e-parda zaruri hai 'ataa-ji' varna chiiz jaisi bhi ho baazaar mein kho jaati hai"

"chaand bhi khoyaa khoyaa saa hai taare bhi khvaabida hain aaj fazaa ke bojhal-pan se lahje bhi sanjida hain jaane kin kin logon se is dard ke kyaa kyaa rishte the hijr ki is aabaad saraa mein sab chehre naadida hain itne barson baad bhi donon kaise TuuT ke milte hain tu hai kitnaa saada-dil aur ham kitne pechida hain sun jaanaan ham tark-e-taalluq aur kisi din kar leinge aaj tujhe bhi ujlat si hai ham bhi kuchh ranjida hain kaanon mein ik sargoshi hai be-maani si sargoshi aankhon mein kuchh khvaab saje hain khvaab bhi umr-rasida hain ghar ki vo makhdush imaarat gir ke phir taamir hui ab aangan mein peD hain jitne saare shaakh burida hain is basti mein ek saDak hai jis se ham ko nafrat hai us ke niche pagDanDi hai jis ke ham girvida hain"

"kis ajab saaat-e-naayaab mein aayaa huaa huun tujh se milne main tire khvaab mein aayaa huaa huun phir vahi main huun, vahi hijr kaa dariyaa-e-amiq koi dam aks-e-sar-e-aab mein aayaa huaa huun kaise aaine ke maanind chamaktaa huaa main ishq ke shahr-e-abad-taab mein aayaa huaa huun meri har taan hai az-roz-e-azal taa-ba-abad ek sur ke liye mizraab mein aayaa huaa huun koi parchhaain kabhi jism se karti hai kalaam? be-sabab saaya-e-mahtaab mein aayaa huaa huun har guzarte hue lamhe mein Tapaktaa huaa mein dard huun, vaqt ke aasaab mein aayaa huaa huun kaisi gahraai se niklaa huun adam ki 'irfaan' kaise paayaab se taalaab mein aayaa huaa huun"