Ghazal

"jo sang ho ke mulaaem hai saadgi ki tarah pighal rahaa hai mire dil mein chaandni ki tarah mujhe pukaaro to divaar huun suno to sadaa main gunjtaa huun fazaaon mein khaamushi ki tarah main us ko nuur kaa paikar kahun ki jaan-e-khayaal jo mere dil pe utartaa hai shaairi ki tarah kisi ki yaad ne mahkaa diyaa hai zakhm-e-talab sabaa ke haath se masli hui kali ki tarah thakaa huaa huun kisi saae ki talaash mein huun bichhaD gayaa huun sitaaron se raushni ki tarah main apne karb mein ghaltaan vo apne kaif mein gum hai is ki jiit bhi meri shikast hi ki tarah khizaan ke zahr kaa tiryaak agar nahin yaaro gulon ki baat hai be-vaqt raagni ki tarah"

"jurm-e-hasti ki sazaa kyuun nahin dete mujh ko log jiine ki duaa kyuun nahin dete mujh ko sarsar-e-khun ke tasavvur se larazte kyuun ho khaak-e-sahraa huun uDaa kyuun nahin dete mujh ko kyuun takalluf hai mire naam pe taaziron kaa main buraa huun to bhalaa kyuun nahin dete mujh ko ab tumhaare liye khud apnaa tamaashaai huun dosto daad-e-vafaa kyuun nahin dete mujh ko main musaafir hi sahi raat ki khaamoshi kaa tum sahar ho to sadaa kyuun nahin dete mujh ko jins-e-baazaar ki surat huun jahaan main 'akhtar' log shishon mein sajaa kyuun nahin dete mujh ko"

"chaandni ke haath bhi jab ho gae shal raat ko apne siine par sambhaalaa main ne bojhal raat ko raat bhar chhaayaa rahaa ghar ki fazaa par ik hiraas dastakein detaa thaa dar par koi paagal raat ko chaandni mein ghul gayaa jab dil ki maayusi kaa zahr main ne khud kafnaa diyaa saayon mein komal raat ko karb ke laave ubalte the sukun ke aas-paas uf vo nindein vo giraan-khvaabi ki daldal raat ko aaj phir dhundlaa gai 'akhtar' miri shaam-e-firaaq sochtaa huun aaj phir barseinge baadal raat ko"

"vo khud to mar hi gayaa thaa mujhe bhi maar gayaa vo apne rog miri ruuh mein utaar gayaa samundaron ki ye shorish usi kaa maatam hai jo khud to Duub gayaa mauj ko ubhaar gayaa havaa ke zakhm khule the udaas chehre par khizaan ke shahr se koTi to pur-bahaar gayaa andheri raat ki parchhaaiyon mein Duub gayaa sahar ki khoj mein jo bhi ufuq ke paar gayaa vo raushni kaa musaafir main tirgi kaa dhuaan to phir bhalaa vo mujhe kis liye pukaar gayaa mein apne soch ke ham-zaad kaa pujaari thaa tiraa jalaal miri aaqibat sanvaar gayaa"

"dil vo pyaasaa hai ki dariyaa kaa tamaashaa dekhe aur phir lahr na dekhe kaf-e-dariyaa dekhe main har ik haal mein thaa gardish-e-dauraan kaa amiin jis ne duniyaa nahin dekhi miraa chehra dekhe ab bhi aati hai tiri yaad pa is karb ke saath TuTti niind mein jaise koi sapnaa dekhe rang ki aanch mein jaltaa huaa khushbu kaa badan aankh us phuul ki tasvir mein kyaa kyaa dekhe koi choTi nahin ab to mire qad se aage ye zamaana to abhi aur bhi unchaa dekhe phir vahi dhund mein lipTaa huaa paikar hogaa kaun be-kaar mein uThtaa huaa parda dekhe ek ehsaas-e-nadaamt se laraz uThtaa huun jab ram-e-mauj miri vusat-e-sahraa dekhe"

"DhunDte ho jise dafinon mein vahi vahshi hai sab ke sinon mein mere qaabil ki rivaayat hain purze jitne bhi hain mashinon mein subh-dam phir se baanT di kis ne tirgi shahr ke makinon mein bhuuk boi gai hai ab ke baras daant ug aae hain zaminon mein zindagi gaanv ki hasin laDki ghir gai hai tamaash-binon mein kis musaafir ki baat karte ho ab to tufaan hain safinon mein kis mashaqqat ke saans letaa huun ye ghazal bhi hui mahinon mein"

"ashk jab dida-e-tar se niklaa ek kaanTaa saa jigar se niklaa phir na main raat gae tak lauTaa Dubti shaam jo ghar se niklaa ek mayyat ki tarah lagtaa thaa chaand jab qaid-e-sahar se niklaa mujh ko manzil bhi na pahchaan saki main ki jab gard-e-safar se niklaa haae duniyaa ne use ashk kahaa khuun jo zakhm-e-nazar se niklaa ik amaavas kaa nasiba huun main aaj ye chaand kidhar se niklaa jab uDaa jaanib-e-manzil 'akhtar' ek shoala mire par se niklaa"

"har but yahaan TuuTe hue patthar ki tarah hai ye shahr to ujDe hue mandar ki tarah hai main tishna-e-didaar ki jhonkaa huun havaa kaa vo jhiil mein utre hue manzar ki tarah hai kam-zarf zamaane ki hiqaarat kaa gila kyaa main khush huun miraa pyaar samundar ki tarah hai is charkh ki taqdis kabhi raat ko dekho ye qabr pe phaili hui chaadar ki tarah hai main sang-e-tah-e-aab ki surat huun jahaan mein aur vaqt bhi soe hue saagar ki tarah hai rote hain bagule mire daaman se lipaT kar sahraa bhi tabi'at mein mire ghar ki tarah hai ash'aar mire dard ki khairaat hain 'akhtar' ik shakhs ye kahtaa thaa ki gham zar ki tarah hai"

"jite-ji dukh sukh ke lamhe aate jaate rahte hain ham to zaraa si baat pe pahron ashk bahaate rahte hain vo apne maathe par jhuTe rog sajaa kar phirte hain ham apni aankhon ke jalte zakhm chhupaate rahte hain soch se paikar kaise tarshe soch kaa ant niraalaa hai khaak pe baiThe aaDe-tirchhe naqsh banaate rahte hain saahil saahil daar saje hain mauj mauj zanjirein hain Dubne vaale dariyaa dariyaa jashn manaate rahte hain 'akhtar' ab insaaf ki aankhein zar ki khanak se khulti hain ham paagal hain lohe ki zanjir hilaate rahte hain"

"apnaa dukh apnaa hai pyaare ghair ko kyuun uljhaaoge apne dukh mein paagal ho kar ab kis ko samjhaaoge dard ke sahraa mein laakhon umiid ke laashe galte hain ek zaraa se daaman mein tum kis kis ko kafnaaoge toD bhi do ehsaas ke rishte chhoD bhi do dukh apnaane ro ro ke jivan kaaToge ro ro ke mar jaaoge raaz ki baat ko khaamoshi kaa zahr samajh kar pi jaanaa kahne se bhi rah na sakoge kah kar bhi pachhtaaoge aaj yahaan pardon se udhar uryaani hi uryaani hai tum bhi nange ho kar naacho yuun kab tak sharmaaoge"

"duniyaa bhi pesh aai bahut be-rukhi ke saath ham ne bhi zakhm khaae baDi saadgi ke saath ik musht-e-khaak aag kaa dariyaa lahu ki lahr kyaa kyaa rivaayatein hain yahaan aadmi ke saath apnon ki chaahaton ne bhi kyaa kyaa diye fareb rote rahe lipaT ke har ik ajnabi ke saath jangal ki dhuup chhaanv hi jangal kaa husn hai saayon ko bhi qubul karo raushni ke saath tum raaste ki gard na ho jaao to kaho do-chaar gaam chal ke to dekho kisi ke saath koi dhuaan uThaa na koi raushni hui jalti rahi hayaat baDi khaamushi ke saath"