Ghazal

"ik 'ajab saa surur hotaa hai 'ishq kaa jab zuhur hotaa hai saaf dil ke jo log hote hain un ke chehron pe nuur hotaa hai ye to fitrat hai husn vaalon ki dil dukhaanaa zarur hotaa hai aise tairaak duub jaate hain jin ko khud par ghurur hotaa hai dil ki taskin ki baat mat kiije dil bahut naa-subur hotaa hai kaam yunhi nahin bigaD jaate niyyaton mein futur hotaa hai"

"ham se ruThaa huaa hai muddat kaa vo jo bichhDaa huaa hai muddat kaa yaad-e-jaan-e-bahaar kaa daaman dil ne thaamaa huaa hai muddat kaa ab to pahchaan bhi na paaeinge un ko dekhaa huaa hai muddat kaa mehr-o-ulfat kaa dil ke sahraa par abr barsaa huaa hai muddat kaa dil-saraae mein kaarvaan gham kaa aa ke Thahraa huaa hai muddat kaa apni qismat kaa masala 'akhtar' yunhi uljhaa huaa hai muddat kaa"

"aap kaa intizaar achchhaa lagaa dil ko ye e'tibaar achchhaa lagaa aap ko dekh kar kahaa dil ne husn kaa shaahkaar achchhaa lagaa aap aae mizaaj-pursi ko aaj apnaa bukhaar achchhaa lagaa tujh ko dekhaa to dil mein phuul khile ai ghurur-e-bahaar achchhaa lagaa tu ne jo meri dil-navaazi ki ai mire gham-gusaar achchhaa lagaa"

"mohabbat se tu ne bulaayaa main aayaa faqat ek lamha lagaayaa main aayaa tumhaare liye she'r taaza kahaa aur use zer-e-lab gungunaayaa main aayaa tiri diid ki dil mein jaagi tamanna masarrat se rukh tamtamaayaa main aayaa mohabbat bharaa khat milaa thaa tumhaaraa use jab paDhaa muskuraayaa main aayaa badalti hui rut ki rangin adaa se nayaa valvala ek paayaa main aayaa bahaaron ne chupke se kaanon mein aa kar mohabbat kaa naghma sunaayaa main aayaa miri be-qaraari kaa 'aalam 'ajab thaa nahin chain bin tere paayaa main aayaa"

"sar pe chhat do vaqt roTi aur kapDe kaa savaal kar diyaa hai ek muflis ne baDaa kitnaa savaal zindagi ki ne'maton par meraa koi haq nahin thaa javaan beva ke honTon par faqat itnaa savaal baar-e-khaatir gar na ho to 'arz bas itni si hai puchh lein kyaa aap se ham koi man-chaahaa savaal the diye aankhon mein jo ummid ke vo bujh gae rad jo us ne kar diyaa jab meraa chhoTaa saa savaal jis ko apni ‘ilmiyat kaa zo'm thaa had se sivaa gung ho kar rah gayaa vo jab sunaa meraa savaal"

"tujh ko dil mein basaa liyaa main ne apnaa saathi banaa liyaa main ne teri yaadon kaa dil ki duniyaa mein ek mela sajaa liyaa main ne tujh ko daa'vaa thaa dil-navaazi kaa tujh ko bhi aazmaa liyaa main ne khud bhi hairaan huun kis tarah aakhir ye ta'alluq nibhaa liyaa main ne vo miri dastaras se baahar hai jis ko maqsad banaa liyaa main ne dar pe suraj ke dastakein de kar haath apnaa jalaa liyaa main ne"

"dil kaa dipak jalaa ke dekhaa hai gham ke aansu bahaa ke dekhaa hai hasb-e-khvaahish na mil sakaa kuchh bhi ham ne jivan luTaa ke dekhaa hai raam vo but na ho sakaa ham se har tarah se chhupaa ke dekhaa hai phir palaT aai rut bahaaron ki us ne jab muskuraa ke dekhaa hai raaz-e-ulfat na chhup sakaa phir bhi har tarah se chhupaa ke dekhaa hai koi apnaa na ban sakaa 'akhtar' sab ko apnaa banaa ke dekhaa hai"

"apni zaat mein dariyaa hai vo garche pyaas kaa sahraa hai vo ab to naam vafaa kaa sun kar aahein bharne lagtaa hai vo samajh mein kaise aa saktaa hai saagar se bhi gahraa hai vo ab yaaron ki mahfil mein bhi gum-sum baiThaa rahtaa hai vo 'akhtar' apne khaal-o-khad se ab bhi pahle jaisaa hai vo"

"sar pe jo saaebaan mayassar hai sab ko ye bhi kahaan mayassar hai kaise kah duun ki chhat nahin sar par mujh ko jab aasmaan mayassar hai sar pe saaya hai jin ke maaon kaa un ko jaa-e-amaan mayassar hai aao chalte hain apne gaanv mein ab sabhi kuchh vahaan mayassar hai mil rahi hai gharib ko roTi aur kapDaa makaan mayassar hai be-gharon kaa vo dard kyaa jaane jis ko ik aashiyaan mayassar hai naaz ham ko bajaa vatan par hai ham ko sab kuchh yahaan mayassar hai aur kyaa chaahiye hamein 'akhtar' mahfil-e-dostaan mayassar hai"