Ghazal

"na jaane kaun thaa aur kyaa vo karne vaalaa thaa mire qarib se chhup kar guzarne vaalaa thaa kisi ne khinch li siDhi to gir ke TuuT gayaa main sakht-jaan kahaan aise marne vaalaa thaa tamaam shahr mein e'laan kar diyaa tum ne main qarz le ke bhalaa kab mukarne vaalaa thaa na jaane kaise vahi shakhs Dar gayaa mujh se ki jis ko dekh ke main khud hi Darne vaalaa thaa miri nazar hi na 'balraaj' lag gai ho use vo chaand jo miri chhat par utarne vaalaa thaa"

"daraaz hotaa nahin hai dast-e-savaal meraa na jaane kaise vo jaan paaegaa haal meraa rafaaqaton mein to faasle bhi hain qurbatein bhi pata nahin ye ki hijr hai yaa visaal meraa bachaa bachaa kar main lamhe lamhe ko joDtaa huun aur aate hi kharch hone lagtaa hai saal meraa main jis ke maazi ki gum-shuda daastaan huun koi qarib usi ke na aae jaae khayaal meraa vo jis ne dushman samajh ke dil mein basaa liyaa hai kabhi to 'balraaj' maan legaa kamaal meraa"

"yaqin hi ab yaqinon mein nahin hai koi sajda jabinon mein nahin hai jo lamha faisle kaa DhunDhtaa huun dinon hafton mahinon mein nahin hai junun mein paanv hi aaein to aaein taharruk koi zinon mein nahin hai nazar hai hosh hai dil bhi hai lekin koi bhi rabt tinon mein nahin hai jise afsos bhi ho aur khushi bhi vahi ghar ke makinon mein nahin hai hamaare lams ki kaarigari thi nazaakat aabginon mein nahin hai hayaa-parvar adaaein qaatilaana vafaa lekin hasinon mein nahin hai agar 'balraaj' khushbu ban ke jaaein koi sarhad zaminon mein nahin hai"

"na dasht hi ke liye huun na gulsitaan ke liye koi bataae ki aakhir huun main kahaan ke liye vo ek abr kaa TukDaa main ek buund aansu kahaan kahaan ke liye vo main huun kahaan ke liye ye kam nahin hai ki jab bhi tumhaari baat chali miraa hi zikr huaa zeb-e-daastaan ke liye vo mere shauq ke aage jo kham-pazir huaa phir us ne kuchh bhi na rakkhaa mire gumaan ke liye tiraa sabaq na kisi kaam aa sakaa 'balraaj' savaal aur zaruri the imtihaan ke liye"

"kahaan kahaan na gayaa an-suni du'aa ki tarah phir apne dar pe chalaa aayaa iltijaa ki tarah kisi ne muft na baazaar mein liyaa mujh ko main khatm ho bhi gayaa mausam-e-vafaa ki tarah jab apne qatl kaa mujrim qaraar paayaa gayaa mujhe vasul kiyaa sab ne khun-bahaa ki tarah sunaa kisi ne to bach jaaegaa vujud miraa bikhar rahaa huun main sahraaon mein sadaa ki tarah na chaahte hue bhi muskuraane lagtaa huun khayaal un kaa guzartaa hai jab sabaa ki tarah pata nahin thaa ye din dekhnaa paDegaa mujhe ki pesh aaegaa meraa khudaa khudaa ki tarah zaraa si der mein sab DhunDne lage hain mujhe jo pis rahaa huun main 'balraaj' ab hinaa ki tarah"

"kabhi hansaate rahe aur kabhi rulaate rahe hamaare dost hamein yuun bhi aazmaate rahe main jheltaa hi rahaa jin ko dard ki surat vo ek farz samajh kar mujhe nibhaate rahe jo lauT aae na dekhaa unhon ne muD kar bhi jo Duube haath vahi der tak hilaate rahe unhein kabhi na huaa faaslon kaa andaaza har ek samt-e-mukhaalif se vo bulaate rahe tamaam 'umr yahi masala rahaa darpesh vo yaad aate rahe aur ham bhulaate rahe kahaan ki qaid kahaan ki hui nazar-bandi hazaar vasvase har vaqt aate jaate rahe isi liye to andhere khafaa rahe ham se ki raushni ke liye dil bhi ham jalaate rahe badal ke shakl har ik lamha har ghaDi 'balraaj' hamaare saae hamein hi 'abas Daraate rahe"

"vo chup rahaa to huaa is qadar malaal mujhe ki jaate jaate kai de gayaa savaal mujhe ye sach hai aa na sakaa main kisi ke kaam magar kahaan rahaa kabhi apnaa bhi kuchh khayaal mujhe basaa huaa huun main phulon mein khushbuon ki tarah havaa chali to bikhar jaaungaa sanbhaal mujhe usi ko meri khamoshi qubul-e-jurm lagi kabhi na karne diyaa jis ne 'arz-e-haal mujhe khuli zamin mein phal phuul jaaungaa ik din tu is yaqin pe na gamle se ab nikaal mujhe vo meraa dost hai dushman hai kyaa yaqin karun main paat paat huun kartaa hai Daal Daal mujhe to kyaa huaa jo zamaana mujhe miTaane lagaa banaa rahaa hai vo sab ke liye misaal mujhe na jaane kis ke khayaalon mein aaungaa 'balraaj' na jaane kaun kabhi degaa khadd-o-khaal mujhe"

"mire qarib rahaa vo ki mujh se duur rahaa koi na koi ta'alluq magar zarur rahaa vo 'aadatan bhi sitamgar hai kuchh hamesha se kuchh is mein meri vafaaon kaa bhi qusur rahaa koi na chhin le phir mujh se mere hosh-o-havaas isi liye main hamesha nashe mein chuur rahaa mire khilaaf gavaahon mein pesh pesh hai jo tamaam 'umr usi par mujhe ghurur rahaa vahi miTaaegaa naam-o-nishaan miraa 'balraaj' mire vujud pe jis ko bahut 'ubur rahaa"

"haadse aur bhi hain shahr mein hone vaale aansuon ki na kami ho kahin rone vaale zaabte khel ke aasaan hue jaate hain ab jo taireinge vahi honge Dubone vaale aisi tahzib nazar aane lagi bachchon mein nazar aate nahin galiyon mein khilaune vaale meri gustaakhiyaan baaqi hain abhi thoDi si tum bhi kuchh der sharaafat nahin khone vaale niind to niind hai kaanTon pe bhi aa jaati hai so hi jaate hain ki hote hain jo sone vaale ab ke jo kaaTni hai fasl lahu ki 'balraaj' ye viraasat mire ajdaad hain bone vaale"

"kahaan se manzar sameT laae nazar kahaan se udhaar maange rivaayaton ko na maut aae to zindagi intishaar maange safar ki ye kaisi vusatein hain ki raasta hai na koi manzil thakan kaa ehsaas bhi na utre qadam qadam rahguzaar maange talaash ke baavajud sach hai ki mere hisse mein kuchh na aayaa ki main ne khushiyaan hazaar DhunDin ki dard main ne hazaar maange agar vo denaa hi chaahtaa hai to manzilon kaa suraagh de de agar use maangnaa hi Thahre to raaston kaa ghubaar maange kabhi achaanak hi gher lete hain raah mein naa-guzir lamhe koi kahaan tak panaah DhunDe koi kahaan tak faraar maange sazaaein tajviz kar ke rakkho ye ek lamha-e-fikriya hai ki koi 'balraaj' apni marzi se jiine kaa ikhtiyaar maange"

"kahin bhi zindagi apni guzaar saktaa thaa vo chaahtaa to main daanista haar saktaa thaa zamin paanv se mere lipaT gai varna main aasmaan se taare utaar saktaa thaa jalaa rahi hain jise tez dhuup ki nazrein vo abr baagh ki qismat sanvaar saktaa thaa ajiib moajaza-kaari thi us ki baaton mein ki vo yaqin ke jazire ubhaar saktaa thaa mire makaan mein divaar hai na darvaaza mujhe to koi bhi ghar se pukaar saktaa thaa pur-itminaan thiin us ki rifaaqatein 'balraaj' vo aaine mein mujhe bhi utaar saktaa thaa"

"agar kabhi kisi surat se ji bahal jaataa rukaa paDaa koi aansu huun main nikal jaataa bichhaDnaa apnaa muqaddar azal se hai lekin ye saaniha kisi agli ghaDi ko Tal jaataa qadam zaraa se kisi aur samt uTh jaate hamesha ke liye ghar kaa pata badal jaataa use jo meri zarurat agar rahi hoti kisi bhi shakl mein vo chaahtaa main Dhal jaataa tumhaare aane se sahraa mein phuul to khilte mire mizaaj kaa mausam bhi kuchh badal jaataa qadam qadam pe sahaare kaa ho gayaa muhtaaj agar na thaamtaa koi to main sanbhal jaataa sadaa-e-khair na 'balraaj' rok leti agar bilaa nishaana andhere mein tiir chal jaataa"

"ek haalat jo tazabzub ki bani rahti hai apne saae se bhi har vaqt Thani rahti hai ab to jo boltaa huun pahle hi likh letaa huun koi talvaar mire sar pe tani rahti hai mutmain huun main kisi zakhmi parinde ki tarah jaagte sote dil-o-jaan pe bani rahti hai is liye jaltaa badan le ke chalaa aataa huun tiri palkon ke tale chhaaon ghani rahti hai intizaar us kaa khayaal us kaa tamanna us ki jo khayaalon mein kahin gul-badani rahti hai ab yaqini hai nazariye kaa tahaffuz yaaro sar pe talvaar to gardan pe ani rahti hai baarhaa chhuT gayaa daaman-e-shirin 'balraaj' miri taqdir mein bas tesha-zani rahti hai"

"dard mere hain to aaraam se sahne dete tum agar mujh ko mire haal pe rahne dete mere haalaat bayaan karte hain az-khud mujh ko mujhe kuchh apni zabaan se nahin kahne dete tiri yaadon kaa koi relaa chalaa aayaa thaa ashk ban kar use aankhon se na bahne dete lafz banne kaa koi silsila hotaa 'balraaj' kisi aavaaz ki dahliz pe rahne dete"