ab na sahraa hai na dariyaa baaqi — Ahmad Azeem

"honTon pe tabassum kaa labaada to nahin thaa ai dil sam-e-andoh ziyaada to nahin thaa ik ranj-e-tamannaa se bahut surkh thiin aankhein sad shukr-e-khudaa nashsha-e-bada to nahin thaa aae the tire paas ghaDi bhar ke liye ham taa-umr Thaharne kaa iraada to nahin thaa aasaan to pahle bhi nahin thi ye rah-e-dil mushkil bhi magar itnaa ye jaada to nahin thaa tahrir the khvaab aur tamanna ke havaale itnaa varaq-e-dil koi saada to nahin thaa"

"khizaan kaa sog yaa jashn-e-bahaar karte hue kaTi hai umr tiraa intizaar karte hue sharaf ye sirf muqaddar thaa aaine ke liye ki dekhtaa rahaa tujh ko singhaar karte hue safar ki shaam kaa manzar lahu mein Duub gayaa sabhi malul the tujh ko savaar karte hue lahu bujhaa na sakaa qaatilon ki pyaas kabhi thaki na shama patange shikaar karte hue banaao aab pe ik yaadgaar un ki 'azim' jo gharq ho gae dariyaa ko paar karte hue"

"ugaa viraaniyon kaa ik shajar aahista aahista shikasta ho gae divaar-o-dar aahista aahista kahaan jaataa hai ye sail-e-ravaan-e-umr-e-gum-gashta bahe jaate hain roz-o-shab kidhar aahista aahista mire dil ke kharaabe ko kabhi aabaad kar aise miri jaan ke bayaabaan se guzar aahista aahista hue ham donon khaakistar dhuaan uTThaa na aanch aai hui kyunkar zamaane ko khabar aahista aahista"

"bhaTakte phirte hain shahr-e-vafaa se nikle hue bahut malul hain ku-e-vafaa se nikle hue tilism-e-aab sabaat-e-gulaab aks-e-charaagh tamaam rang hain teri qabaa se nikle hue balaaein phirti hain khaali makaan mein shaayad paDe hain duur dariche havaa se nikle hue navaa mein karb vahi dil ki vahshatein bhi vahi go ek umr hui hai balaa se nikle hue ab intizaar yahi hai ki raakh uD jaae jhulas jhulas gae shoale navaa se nikle hue"

"misaal-e-barg-e-shikasta havaa ki zad par hai koi charaagh akelaa havaa ki zad par hai amaan DhunD rahaa hai khulaa huaa paani mohabbaton kaa jazira havaa ki zad par hai karaahti hain kisi ke firaaq mein shaamein dil aisaa ek shagufa havaa ki zad par hai manaaein khair kaho saahilon se aaj ki raat subuk-khiraam saa dariyaa havaa ki zad par hai vafur-e-ranj-e-tamanna se bujhtaa jaataa hai ki aaj meraa hi chehra havaa ki zad par hai fazaa mein ghulne lagin ghanTiyon ki aavaazein kahin pe koi kalisaa havaa ki zad par hai labon pe Duub rahi hain darud ki chikhein du'aa kaa band daricha havaa ki zad par hai miTi miTi nazar aati hain aayatein yaarab aqidaton kaa sahifa havaa ki zad par hai"

"jabr aur ikhtiyaar se aage kab gae is dayaar se aage ek aaiin hai tulu-o-ghurub jaise patjhaD bahaar ke aage kaun si mamlikat ki sarhad hai jism-o-jaan ke dayaar se aage khaamushi kaa muhib sahraa hai sabza-zaar-e-pukaar se aage baarishon se khili hai hariyaali shahr-e-gard-o-ghubaar se aage"

"dil shaad nahin karte aabaad nahin karte mahsus ye hotaa hai vo yaad nahin karte naashaad zamaane ke dil shaad nahin karte kam-aql parindon ko aazaad nahin karte mohtaaj-e-karam aksar rahte hain gharibon ke jo log gharibon ki imdaad nahin karte kuchh log shikaayat ko haq apnaa samajhte hain kuchh log kabhi tum se fariyaad nahin karte ham apne iraadon mein rakhte hain tavaanaai ham daad ke taalib ko bedaad nahin karte jo aap ki niyyat kaa kuchh ilm hamein hotaa ham apni mohabbat ko barbaad nahin karte is daur-e-siyaasat mein 'mahmud' qayaamat hai ahbaab jo karte hain jallaad nahin karte"

"kyaa apne shahr mein koi aisaa makaan hai samjhun jise ki asl mein vo ik jahaan hai DhunDo haqiqat is mein na afsaana hi koi is kaa bayaan kuchh nahin us kaa bayaan hai apnaa shi'aar ab hai faqat amn-dushmani ye aur baat faakhta apnaa nishaan hai likhne ko ek harf na kahne ko ek lafz yuun to qalam hai haath mein munh mein zabaan hai vo lams jis ke baa'd zamaane guzar gae vo lams ab bhi taaza hai ab bhi javaan hai ho jaaegaa yaqin sabhon kaa hi kal jo aaj meraa yaqin aur sabhon kaa gumaan hai shatranj ki bisaat ki thi apni mez par shatranj ki bisaat ki saaraa jahaan hai"

"charaaghon se kuchh to churaayaa gayaa hai jo thi aag us ko bujhaayaa gayaa hai likhaa thaa jinhein sirf apne lahu se mire un khaton ko jalaayaa gayaa hai hazaaron daf'a us ne ki bevafaai mujhe bevafaa kyon bataayaa gayaa hai mujhe khud nikalnaa paDaa apne ghar se ye mat sochnaa ki bhagaayaa gayaa hai khabar ye mili hai ki mere hi ghar mein kisi ghair ko ab basaayaa gayaa hai mujhe hi sataa kar mujhe hi rulaa kar ye ilzaam mujh par lagaayaa gayaa hai tumhein kyaa bataaun mohabbat mein 'raavat' mujhe kis qadar aazmaayaa gayaa hai"

"bahr-e-rang-e-daastaan rahne diyaa ik tajassus darmiyaan rahne diyaa ab zamin ban kar bichhaa jaataa hai vo main ne jis ko aasmaan rahne diyaa raushni aur khvaab saare hech the apni aankhon mein dhuaan rahne diyaa vo jagah raushan nahin hogi kabhi is mohabbat ko jahaan rahne diyaa maan ne maathaa chuum kar rukhsat kiyaa maamtaa kaa saaebaan rahne diyaa kul milaa ke ye hai raaz-e-tishnagi ham ne dil ko sargiraan rahne diyaa khud hami paamaal Thahre shauq se khush-gumaan ko khush-gumaan rahne diyaa"

"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"

"ajab mushkil ki dil kaa haal aisaa ho gayaa hai sabhi ab puchhte hain mujh se ye kyaa ho gayaa hai main ye samjhaa ki gham kaa ab mudaavaa ho gayaa hai kuredaa zakhm to ye aur taaza ho gayaa hai kabhi fursat mile to khud se main baatein karungaa mujhe khud se mile bhi to zamaana ho gayaa hai magar ab sochtaa huun toD duun saare maraasim magar dil bhi tire gham se shanaasaa ho gayaa hai miri barbaad hasti kaa nazaara dekhne ko vo aae aur gham mein phir izaafa ho gayaa hai isi dariyaa mein ab khud ko Dubonaa chaahtaa huun ki is dil kaa talaatum mein kinaare ho gayaa hai chalo bhi 'qalb' ab tum dusraa dekho Thikaanaa ki is basti mein apnaa sab paraayaa ho gayaa hai"