ye reg-e-ravaan yaad-dahaani to nahin kyaa — Aftab Ahmad

"umr-e-rafta main tire haath bhi kyaa aayaa huun din bitaane the magar khud ko bitaa aayaa huun dhuul bhi aise qarine se uDaai hai ki main ek marte hue raste ko bachaa aayaa huun kal ko de aaungaa jaa kar use binaai bhi aankh divaar pe filhaal banaa aayaa huun vaadi-e-saut nahin mujh ko bhulaane vaali naqsh yuun kar ke vahaan apni sadaa aayaa huun sirf paanv hi nahin qaid se baahar aae apni zanjir ko bhi kar ke rihaa aayaa huun apne aansu bhi kiye nazr kisi paani ke pyaas dariyaa ki bahar-taur bujhaa aayaa huun zindagi tu bhi bahut yaad karegi mujh ko tere hisse ke bhi dukh-dard uThaa aayaa huun ab pareshaan huun ki taabir kaa jaane kyaa ho band kaanon ko nayaa khvaab sunaa aayaa huun jaane kis ghaaT lage umr ki kashti 'ahmad' khud ko sukhe hue dariyaa mein bahaa aayaa huun"

"kisi nishaan se alaamat se yaa sanad se na ho agar main huun to ye honaa bhi khaal-o-khad se na ho main ek aise zamaane mein basnaa chaahtaa huun zamaana jis kaa taalluq azal abad se na ho mire adu vo haqiqat bhi kyaa haqiqat hai subut jis kaa mayassar usi ke rad se na ho isi liye to main rakhtaa huun khushbuon saa mizaaj main chaahtaa huun ki meraa shumaar had se na ho banaane vaalaa huun haathon se apne fardaa kaa vo zaaicha jo lakiron se yaa adad se na ho vajud vaahima hai ai badan-nazhaad samajh ye teraa saaya bhi shaayad tire jasad se na ho main apnaa aap usi ke supurd kar dungaa ik aisaa shakhs jo amboh-e-nek-o-bad se na ho"

"khuli aankhon mein dar aane se pahle nazar aao nazar aane se pahle nahin thaa mujh ko zoam-e-paarsaai koi ilzaam sar aane se pahle hamein dar-pesh thi naql-e-makaani tiraa hukm-e-safar aane se pahle gale milti hai mujh se be-ghari bhi gali mein roz ghar aane se pahle huaa karte hain raste bhi rukaavaT guzar jaa rahguzar aane se pahle nazar-andaaz kar deti thi aankhein mujhe tujh saa nazar aane se pahle bahut aasaan thaa kaar-e-hunar bhi mire haathon hunar aane se pahle kabhi to baar-var ho jaae 'ahmad' duaa baab-e-asar aane se pahle"

"mumkin hai shai vahi ho magar hu-ba-hu na ho reg-e-ravaan bhi dekh kahin aabju na ho qaaem isi tazaad ke dam se hai kaaenaat main aarzu huun jis ki miri aarzu na ho manzar badal badal ke bhi dekhaa hai baarhaa jo zakhm ab hai aankh pe shaayad rafu na ho sahtaa rahaa huun ek tasalsul se is liye ye TuT-phuT hi miri vajh-e-numu na ho main khud hi bujhne lagtaa huun jalte hue charaagh jis roz teri lau se miri guftugu na ho dekho badal ke zaaviya apni nigaah kaa jo ru-ba-ru nahin hai vahi ru-ba-ru na ho mere vajud se hai ye duniyaa-e-rang-o-bu lekin miraa jahaan faqat rang-o-bu na ho mushkil miri hadon kaa taayyun hai 'aaftaab' vo raushni bhi kyaa hai ki jo chaar su na ho"

"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"

"murattab aur bhi ik goshvaara ho rahaa hai to kyaa hai gar abhi ham ko khasaara ho rahaa hai hamaare paas to ham se ziyaada tu nahin thaa so tu kyaa ab to khud se bhi kinaara ho rahaa hai hamaare khvaab mein ahmiyat-e-shab thi ziyaada so ab vo khvaab aankhon mein sitaara ho rahaa hai tumhaari aarzu hone se pahle bhi to ham the guzaara ho rahaa thaa so guzaara ho rahaa hai hayaa-aalud aankhein hain na aanchal hai na chilman ye kis viraan duniyaa kaa nazaara ho rahaa hai abhi ham faisla karne ki ujlat mein nahin hain magar lagtaa hai jiine se khasaara ho rahaa hai khalaa se is zamin par sang-rezo ki ye baarish kisi jaanib se kyaa koi ishaara ho rahaa hai"

"choT par choT khaa rahaa huun main 'aadatan muskuraa rahaa huun main us ke uupar to kuchh asar hi nahin apnaa dil kyon jalaa rahaa huun main aaj tanhaai mein jo baiThe ho kyaa tumhein yaad aa rahaa huun main kaun aaegaa mujh se milne ko apnaa ghar kyon sajaa rahaa huun main aaj ji bhar ke dekh lo mujh ko ab bahut duur jaa rahaa huun main kyaa tumhein ab bhi kuchh shikaayat hai ab to sab kuchh kamaa rahaa huun main haath mein Digriyaan sajaae hue Thokarein kitni khaa rahaa huun main ab mujhe peT in se bharnaa hai ye jo khanjar banaa rahaa huun main kal koi is ko bhi na chhoDegaa ye jo paudaa lagaa rahaa huun main"