ye jo ham atlas o kim-khvaab liye phirte hain — Sultan Akhtar

"main laDkhaDaayaa to mujh ko gale lagaane lage gunaahgaar bhi meri hansi uDaane lage miri qadim rivaayat ko aazmaane lage mukhaalifin bhi ab kashtiyaan jalaane lage dil-e-haris se taamir ki havas na gai vo sath-e-aab pe kaaghaz kaa ghar banaane lage kisi ki raah-e-munavvar mein moajaza ye huaa hamaare naqsh-e-kaf-e-paa bhi jagmagaane lage na jaane kis kaa hamein intizaar rahne lagaa ki taaq-e-dil pe diyaa roz ham jalaane lage hue kuchh itne mohazzab ki saans ghuTne lagi junun-pasand gale tak baTan lagaane lage jinhon ne kaanTon pe chalnaa hamein sikhaayaa thaa hamaari raah mein vo phuul ab bichhaane lage shurua ho gayaa aankhon mein jashn-e-khush-khvaabi hui jo raat to har samt shaamiyaane lage"

"jhuuT raushan hai ki sachchaai nahin jaante hain log ab vahm o gumaan ko hi yaqin jaante hain ye alag baat ki aati nahin duniyaa-daari ahl-e-duniyaa ko magar gosha-nashin jaante hain taaq o mehraab kaa ronaa ho ki divaar kaa gham baam o dar par jo guzarti hai makin jaante hain varaq-e-dil pe abhi naqsh hai shab-naama-e-gham phir bhi har subh ko ham subh-e-hasin jaante hain jhuk ke milte to hain vo khaak-nashinon se magar aasmaan vaalon ko ham ahl-e-zamin jaante hain sab ke honTon pe munavvar hain hamaare qisse aur ham apni kahaani bhi nahin jaante hain koi dar qaabil-e-taazim nazar to aae sar jhukaanaa hai kahaan ahl-e-jabin jaante hain"

"apni tahzib ki divaar sambhaale hue hain mere bachche miraa ghar-baar sambhaale hue hain tu ne kuchh bhi na diyaa ham ko aziyyat ke sivaa zindagi ham tujhe bekaar sambhaale hue hain koi aataa nahin ab un ki qadam-bosi ko donon haathon se vo dastaar sambhaale hue hain vaqt se aage nikal jaaeinge jab chaaheinge dil-girafta abhi raftaar sambhaale hue hain muflisi jhaankti hai rauzan o dar se lekin ham larazti hui divaar sambhaale hue hain ye bhi ik turfa tamaashaa hai khudaa-vand-e-jahaan teri duniyaa ko gunahgaar sambhaale hue hain faaqa-masti mein bhi jiite hain ba-aaghaaz-e-junun zindagi ham tiraa pindaar sambhaale hue hain aabdida kabhi hone nahin dete 'akhtar' mujh ko ab tak mire gham-khvaar sambhaale hue hain"

"haraa shajar na sahi khushk ghaas rahne de zamin ke jism pe koi libaas rahne de kahin na raah mein suraj kaa qahr TuuT paDe tu apni yaad mire aas-paas rahne de bikhar chuke hain samaaat ke talkh shiraaze ab apne naram labon ki miThaas rahne de vo dekh Dah chukin vahm-o-gumaan ki divaarein yaqin chikh rahaa hai qayaas rahne de baDaa latif andheraa hai raushni na jalaa urus-e-shab ko abhi khush-libaas rahne de tasavvuraat ke lamhon ki qadr kar pyaare zaraa si der to khud ko udaas rahne de"

"silsila mere safar kaa kabhi TuuTaa hi nahin main kisi moD pe dam lene ko Thahraa hi nahin khushk honTon ke tasavvur se larazne vaalo tum ne taptaa huaa sahraa kabhi dekhaa hi nahin ab to har baat pe hansne ki tarah hanstaa huun aisaa lagtaa hai miraa dil kabhi TuuTaa hi nahin main vo sahraa jise paani ki havas le Duubi tu vo baadal jo kabhi TuuT ke barsaa hi nahin aisi viraani thi dar pe ki sabhi kaanp gae aur kisi ne pas-e-divaar to dekhaa hi nahin mujh se milti hi nahin hai kabhi milne ki tarah zindagi se miraa jaise koi rishta hi nahin"

"kisi ke vaaste jiitaa hai ab na martaa hai har aadmi yahaan apnaa tavaaf kartaa hai sab apni apni nigaahein sameT lete hain vo khush-libaas sar-e-shaam jab bikhartaa hai main jis ki raah mein har shab diye jalaataa huun vo maahtaab zamin par kahaan utartaa hai hamaaraa dil bhi hai viraan haveliyon ki tarah tamaam raat yahaan koi aah bhartaa hai main us ke naqsh-e-kaf-e-paa bhi chhu nahin saktaa vo tez-gaam havaaon ke par katartaa hai na baam-e-aarzu raushan na saaebaan-e-talab saraa-e-dil mein kahaan koi ab Thahartaa hai sab apne aap se khaaif hain in dinon 'akhtar' har ek shakhs yahaan aaine se Dartaa hai"

"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"

"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"

"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"

"dast-kash hon na mai-e-gul ke khush-aashaam abhi ki labaalab hain mah-o-mehr ke do-jaam abhi zehn mein saaqi hai mai-khaana hai hai jaam abhi hosh kahtaa huun ise hosh kaa kyaa kaam abhi mujh ko darkaar na hai kufr na islaam abhi sidhe sidhe hi chale aate hain paighaam abhi tu bhi baaqi tiri rahmat bhi hai baaqi saaqi rahne de hai mai-e-isyaan se baDaa kaam abhi khaal-o-gesu se hai ye silsila-e-raaz-o-niyaaz daana sad-daana ho ye daam ho sad-daam abhi ziist ke khvaab ki taabir abhi baaqi hai ibtidaa dekh chuke hai magar anjaam abhi rah-rav-e-ishq abhi duur hai mearaaj-e-habib rashk-e-manzil na huaa raah mein har gaam abhi zarra-zarra hai ik aatish-kada-e-nur kalim dekh agar tu na ho aatish-zada-e-baam abhi imtiyaaz-e-man-o-tu raaz-e-khafi hai lekin khaasgaan ke liye kahtaa huun sar-e-aam abhi aks ko zo'm hai be-misli-e-rang-o-bu kaa turfa ye hai ki muqaabil hai vo gulfaam abhi raaz-goi tiri 'aiman' hai gunaah-e-akbar maang le afv ki us kaa hai karam aam abhi"

"baad-e-shimaal chalne lagi ang ang mein lipTaa hai kaun mujh se ye patjhaD ke rang mein khvaahish ke kaarobaar se bachnaa muhaal hai utregaa tu bhi saath mire is surang mein main aandhiyon mein haath bhi pakDun tiraa to kyaa ik shaakh-e-be-siper huun havaaon ki jang mein 'raanjhaa' main 'ahd-e-nau kaa qabilon mein baT gayaa to 'hir' ban ke pi na saki zahr jhang mein garmaa sakin na chaahatein teraa kaThor jism har ek jal ke bujh gai tasvir sang mein aage 'musavvir' aag 'aqab mein hai ye sadaa pichhe na muD ke dekhnaa is dasht-e-sang mein"

"tifli piiri o naujavaani hech tiin din ki hai zindagaani hech umr-e-do-roza par ghamanD itnaa munimon ki hai lan-taraani hech raat thoDi hai aao pyaar karein subh ko hogi ye kahaani hech chaar din ki bahaar hai saari ye takabbur hai yaar-e-jaani hech dil ke haathon 'haqir' jhagDon mein meri guzri sadaa javaani hech"