ek arz-e-muddaaa hone se pahle — Khursheed Akbar

"kisi bhi shahr kaa mausam suhaanaa chhoD dete hain garaan ho jaaein to ham aab-o-daana chhoD dete hain faqat ik bhuul ne maan baap ko alqat kiyaa ghar mein ki beTe jab siyaane huun kamaanaa chhoD dete hain miyaan biivi ke rishte e'timaadon ki amaanat hain magar ik aankh donon ghaaebaana chhoD dete hain unhein maalum hain majbur jebon ke taqaaze sab vo in mein khubsurat saa bahaana chhoD dete hain hamaari faaqa-masti aasmaan ke peT bharti hai ham apne paanv ke niche khazaana chhoD dete hain"

"din bahut saffaak niklaa raat sab dukh sah gai daant mein ungli dabaae shaam tanhaa rah gai sang-rezon ki tarah bikhri paDi hain khvaahishein dekhte hi dekhte kis ki haveli Dah gai sandali khvaabon mein lipTe the hazaaron azhdahe aur phir taasir jism-o-jaan mein tah-dar-tah gai be-muravvat saaaton ko roiye kyuun umr bhar ek shai aankhon mein jo rahti thi kab ki bah gai ghar ki divaaron pe sabza bin ke ugnaa thaa mujhe ik havaa sahraa se aai kaan mein kuchh kah gai"

"jism ke martabaan se aage zaaiqe se zabaan se aage tiir saare kamaan se aage ik khalish aur jaan se aage ik parinda lahu mein tar goyaa ik tasavvur uDaan se aage ek basti yaqin-faroshon ki ik ilaaqa gumaan se aage ek fariyaad naa-rasaai ki ik zamin aasmaan se aage ik safar aur hai tah-e-girdaab ik junun baadbaan se aage ek 'khurshid' ki shahaadat par shahr-e-zulmat bayaan se aage"

"asbaab kahaan jaan-e-jahaan dekhte rahnaa khaali koi dam hai ye makaan dekhte rahnaa taa-umr tire shahr mein rahnaa bhi nahin hai milti hai kahaan jaa-e-amaan dekhte rahnaa palkon pe koi hai lab-e-izhaar ki surat rakhtaa huun main khanjar pe zabaan dekhte rahnaa aansu mire bachchon ki tarah khuun se khelein kuchh khel nahin ghar kaa ziyaan dekhte rahnaa ik arsa-e-jaan tak hi ye manzar nahin mauquf phir qissa-e-aalam hai dhuaan dekhte rahnaa bauchhaar hai tiron ki vo rahvaar akelaa kitnaa hai shitaabi ye samaan dekhte rahnaa duniyaa kisi maqtal mein hai zindon ki gavaahi jaate hain kahaan piir o javaan dekhte rahnaa hogi kisi manjdhaar ke siine pe miri naav dariyaa hai mire saath ravaan dekhte rahnaa taarik ufuq par vo ajab shaan se niklaa 'khurshid' se raushan hai jahaan dekhte rahnaa"

"ek manzar iztiraabi ek manzar se ziyaada dil hai saahil dil safina dil samundar se ziyaada do jahaan ki neamaton ko do badan se zarb de kar ek lamha maangtaa huun banda-parvar se ziyaada ai but-e-tauba-shikan main tujh se mil kar sochtaa huun phuul mein hoti nazaakat kaash patthar se ziyaada hasrat-e-shahr-e-nasibaan kyaa tujhe maalum bhi hai dasht hai aabaad yaani ishq ke ghar se ziyaada chashm-o-lab se pahle ik tishna taalluq chaahtaa huun aur phir aasudgi tasnim-o-kausar se ziyaada ek larzida fazaa hai aasmaan ki vusaton mein ik parinda uD rahaa hai apne shah-par se ziyaada bastiyon ke log saare barf hote jaa rahe hain be-rukhi achchhi nahin 'khurshid-akbar' se ziyaada"

"guzar gai hai mujhe reg-zaar karti hui vo ek machhli samundar shikaar karti hui na jaane kitne bhanvar ko rulaa ke aae hai ye meri kashti-e-jaan khud ko paar karti hui vo ek saaat-e-maasum dil ki parvarda mukar gai hai magar e'tibaar karti hui junun ki aakhiri larzida muzmahil si raat jhapak gai hai zaraa intizaar karti hui ye kaisi khvaahish-e-naa-did hai doraahe par sahm gai hai abhi mujh pe vaar karti hui lipaT ke so gai aakhir sham-e-firaaq ke saath shab-e-siyaah sitaare shumaar karti hui safar mein kaisi haraarat qarib thi 'khurshid' utar gai hai mujhe dhaar-daar karti hui"

"tere tasavvuraat se aage nahin gayaa ye dil tavahhumaat se aage nahin gayaa jo biich raah chhoD gayaa shukr hai vo shakhs meri tavaqqu'aat se aage nahin gayaa shaayad use pasand thiin jhuTi numaaishein lekin main dil ki baat se aage nahin gayaa jazbaat-e-dil ko vo bhi na kuchh Dhang de sakaa main bhi takallufaat se aage nahin gayaa tohfa bhi us ke vaaste kangan liyaa 'zarim' vallah main us ke haath se aage nahin gayaa"

"na koi dost ho meraa na ho adu meraa tum apne munh se agar kah do mujh ko tu meraa fasurdagi mein junun-e-havaa-e-gul yaani khizaan ke daur mein saudaa-e-rang-o-bu meraa jo tum nahin to bahaar-e-jinaan mein khaak nahin bahut vasia hai daamaan-e-aarzu meraa nibhegi ai dil-e-aavaara ab na tujh se miri bas aaj se na main teraa huun aur na tu meraa banaa rahe hain vo jalve ki apne tasvirein dikhaa dikhaa ke tamaashaa-e-rang-o-bu meraa kisi ki zulf-e-siyah kah rahi hai khul khul kar ghaTaa ne rang uDaayaa hai hu-ba-hu meraa mah-e-siyaam kaa aur intizaam kyaa karte janaab-e-shaikh uDaa le gae subu meraa jafaa kaa rang judaa hai vafaa kaa rang judaa malo na dast-e-hinaai mein tum lahu meraa taDap rahi hai jo abr-e-siyaah mein bijli firaaq mein yahi naqsha thaa hu-ba-hu meraa suhaani raat hai chhiTki hai chaandni 'muztar' miri nigaah mein phirtaa hai maah-ru meraa"

"khurshid jhaanktaa hai ridaa-e-sahaab se yaa nuur chhan rahaa hai kisi ke naqaab se baahar jo aaj dekh liyaa hai hijaab se suraj laraz rahaa hai tumhaare shabaab se naaseh Daraa rahe the khudaa ke 'azaab se khud hi janaab baaz na aae sharaab se lamhe guzar chuke hain jo phulon ki sej par is daur-e-pur-khatar mein vo lagte hain khvaab se khud ko to pahle dekhiye phir kahiye bevafaa bas itni iltijaa hai hamaari janaab se har roz ik na ik nai zid hai zabaan par tang aa gayaa huun main dil-e-khaana-kharaab se ahl-e-vafaa mein meraa vahi naam paD gayaa tum ne mujhe navaaz diyaa jis khitaab se kin manzilon pe meraa nishaan-e-qadam nahin puchho miraa maqaam mah-o-aaftaab se jo husn kaa kahin bhi tahaffuz na kar sake phir kaun saa hai faaeda aisi naqaab se saaya bhi jis hasin kaa DhunDe na mil sakaa be-misl vo khudaa ke hue intikhaab se sun kar hamaare she'r vo kuchh muskuraa diye 'faaruq' aaj ham bhi rahe kaamyaab se"

"jaagte hi nazar akhbaar mein kho jaati hai zindagi dard ke ambaar mein kho jaati hai naa-khudaa aql ke patvaar uThaataa hai ki jab kashti-e-dil miri manjdhaar mein kho jaati hai be-sabab sochne vaale kabhi sochaa tu ne aagahi kasrat-e-afkaar mein kho jaati hai uDte rahte hain khayaalaat ke jugnu phir bhi baat kyuun parda-e-izhaar mein kho jaati hai us ke kaamon kaa hai rangin khushaamad pe madaar aur mehnat miri isaar mein kho jaati hai hurmat-e-parda zaruri hai 'ataa-ji' varna chiiz jaisi bhi ho baazaar mein kho jaati hai"

"kisi ki mehrbaani ho gai hai ayaan dil ki kahaani ho gai hai hare mausam ki pahli khvaahishein uf khushi gham ki divaani ho gai hai sabhi afraad ghar ke so gae hain bahut lambi kahaani ho gai hai rivaayat kaa hai ab bhi sahar qaaem har ik jiddat puraani ho gai hai pas-e-chehra milaa ik aur chehra 'aqidat paani paani ho gai hai"

"aakhiri hal thaa yahi pesh-e-nazar jaane diyaa ek gahri saans li phir khvaab mar jaane diyaa saarbaanaa de gavaahi mujh ko pyaari thi anaa rakh liyaa zaad-e-safar aur ham-safar jaane diyaa hazrat-e-naaseh ki khush-uftaadgi pe daad hai khud jidhar se aae the sab ko udhar jaane diyaa is harim-e-naaz mein yuun be-mahaabaa guftugu kuchh bharam rakkhaa to hotaa tum ko gar jaane diyaa tujh ko rokaa jaa rahaa thaa raushni thi jab talak shaam ke Dhalte samay suraj ko ghar jaane diyaa aankh sapne dekhti thi aansuon se kyon bhari chaahti to puchh leti main magar jaane diyaa dostaa qismat na ho to koshishein bekaar hain sabr kaa paimaana ham ne khud hi bhar jaane diyaa dil musir thaa baarhaa kuchh jaanchne ko ruk gae aakhirash us ne hamein baar-e-digar jaane diyaa"