nindon mein phir rahaa huun use DhunDhtaa huaa — Ahmad Mushtaq

khair badnaam to pahle bhi bahut the lekin
tujh se milnaa thaa ki par lag gae rusvaai ko

dukh ke safar pe dil ko ravaana to kar diyaa
ab saari umr haath hilaate raheinge ham

koi tasvir mukammal nahin hone paati
dhuup dete hain to saayaa nahin rahne dete

mohabbat mar gai 'mushtaaq' lekin tum na maanoge
main ye afvaah bhi tum ko sunaa kar dekh letaa huun

tire aane kaa din hai tere raste mein bichhaane ko
chamakti dhuup mein saae ikaTThe kar rahaa huun main

khoyaa hai kuchh zarur jo us ki talaash mein
har chiiz ko idhar se udhar kar rahe hain ham

vo na aaegaa hamein maalum thaa is shaam bhi
intizaar us kaa magar kuchh soch kar karte rahe

shama bujh kar rah gai parvaana jal kar rah gayaa
yaadgaar-e-husn-o-ishq ik daagh dil par rah gayaa

ghulaami mein na kaam aati hain shamshirein na tadbirein
jo ho zauq-e-yaqin paidaa to kaT jaati hain zanjirein

maarka garm to ho lene do khun-rezi kaa
pahle shamshir ke niche hamin jaa baiTheinge

nahin vo sham-e-mohabbat rahi to phir 'aasim'
ye kis duaa se mire ghar mein raushni si hai

shikva-e-zulmat-e-shab se to kahin behtar thaa
apne hisse ki koi shama jalaate jaate