zindagi dahr mein sad-rashk-e-iram hone tak — Ahmad Merathi

"ab yahaan saahib-e-taslim-o-razaa koi nahin tajraba ye huaa paaband-e-vafaa koi nahin gham to ye hai ki jo barham the vo barham hi rahe apne miTne kaa hamein shikva gila koi nahin raah-rau jaada-e-hasti se guzarte hi rahe chhoD kar naqsh-e-qadam apne gayaa koi nahin ham to chalte rahe kaanTon ki guzargaahon par ham-safar raah mein taa-dur milaa koi nahin shahr kaa shahr huaa aatish-e-takhrib ki nazr log kahte hain ki shoalon mein jalaa koi nahin yunhi gardish mein shab-o-roz guzar jaate hain ek markaz pe zamaane mein rahaa koi nahin"

"mere dil kaa jo nigahbaan na huaa thaa so huaa jis kaa mujh par koi ehsaan na huaa thaa so huaa us ne bhi dekh liyaa meri vafaaon kaa asar jo jafaaon pe pashemaan na huaa thaa so huaa ik vahi raaz jise dil mein chhupaayaa barson shiddat-e-gham se numaayaan na huaa thaa so huaa is tavajjoh se mujhe dekh rahaa thaa koi main to itnaa kabhi hairaan na huaa thaa so huaa hasratein khatm huiin koi tamanna na rahi zindagi se main gurezaan na huaa thaa so huaa aa gayaa vaqt ye kaisaa ki ilaahi tauba jo shikaar-e-gham-e-dauraan na huaa thaa so huaa sehn-e-gulshan mein hui shoala-fishaani har-su yuun kabhi jashn-e-bahaaraan na huaa thaa so huaa dafatan mere shabistaan mein vo aae 'ahmad' dard-e-dil kaa mire darmaan na huaa thaa so huaa"

"sab ki nazron mein khaar hain ham log apni hasti pe baar hain ham log gham ki daulat kaa kyaa Thikaana hai ab bhi sarmaaya-daar hain ham log apne rone pe aap hanste hain kaise baa-ikhtiyaar hain ham log ab to manzil na koi naqsh-e-qadam kaarvaan kaa ghubaar hain ham log ham se puchho ki azm kyaa shai hai maut se ham-kanaar hain ham log gham ke maare zarur hain 'ahmad' phir bhi gham kaa vaqaar hain ham log"

"yaas bhi hai hasrat bhi aashiqi se vaabasta saikDon hain hangaame zindagi se vaabasta be-gharz zamaane mein kaun kis se miltaa hai dushmani bhi hoti hai dosti se vaabasta vo abhi ujaalon ki qadr kar nahin sakte zindagi rahi jin ki tirgi se vaabasta soch kar yahi har-dam main udaas rahtaa huun gham hazaar hote hain ik khushi se vaabasta aaj jo bhi insaan hai halqa-e-junun mein hai kaun hai zamaane mein aagahi se vaabasta kaise kaise ahl-e-dil ho gae hain divaane ik junun kaa aalam hai aashiqi se vaabasta lutf-e-zindagi 'ahmad' khatm ho gayaa hotaa gham agar ye na hote zindagi se vaabasta"

"sahraa mein jo ham aakar Thahre hain to Dar kyaa hai ham khaana-ba-doshon kaa saamaan-e-safar kyaa hai kohre kaa saa ik aalam aataa hai nazar ham ko vaadi-e-shab-e-gham mein kyaa jaane kidhar kyaa hai mehr-o-mah-o-anjum se aage hai tiri manzil maalum nahin tujh ko parvaaz-e-bashar kyaa hai ye silsila yaadon kaa vo qaafila jalvon kaa taariki-e-shab kyaa hai aur nur-e-sahar kyaa hai aashufta-mizaaji kaa kyaa us se karein shikva divaane ko khud apni haalat ki khabar kyaa hai jhuTe hain sabhi rishte kyaa in kaa yaqin 'ahmad' aalam hai saraabon kaa aur pesh-e-nazar kyaa hai"

"hai zulf-e-shab ki tamanna tire shabaab kaa rang jo dekh le to badal jaae maahtaab kaa rang tiri nigaah ki ye kaif-baariyaan tauba bharaa huaa tiri aankhon mein hai sharaab kaa rang ayaan huaa hai mohabbat ki daastaan ban kar kisi ke chehra-e-pur-nur par hijaab kaa rang hai un ki chasm-e-tajaahul ki kaar-farmaai badal gayaa jo miri ziist ki kitaab kaa rang dil-e-hazin pe na puchho guzar gai kyaa kyaa nigaah-e-husn mein dekhaa jo ijtinaab kaa rang ye rang-o-bu-e-chaman aarzi hain yuun 'ahmad' ki sath-e-aab pe jis tarah ik habaab kaa rang"

"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"