bajaa ki dushman-e-jaan shahr-e-jaan ke baahar hai — Akhtar Hoshiyarpuri

"har chand siine mein dil-e-kufr-aashnaa nahin main us ko pujtaa huun jo meraa khudaa nahin vo meri zindagi hai magar zindagi ki tarah mujh se khafaa nahin hai ki vo bevafaa nahin kyaa kyaa na apne saath zamaanon ko laai hai vo ik nigaah jis se koi aashnaa nahin shaayad main khaak-daan ke dhuein ki lakir huun vo mujh ko dekhtaa hai magar puchhtaa nahin guunj us ki aaj bhi mire khalvat-kade mein hai vo naghma jis ko tu ne dobaara sunaa nahin un raaston ki gard miri zindagi pe hai jin raaston pe main kabhi 'akhtar' chalaa nahin"

"khvaab-mahal mein kaun sar-e-shaam aa kar patthar maartaa hai roz ik taaza kaanch kaa bartan haath se gir kar TuTtaa hai makDi ne darvaaze pe jaale duur talak bun rakkhe hain phir bhi koi guzre dinon ki oT se andar jhaanktaa hai shor saa uThtaa rahtaa hai divaarein bolti rahti hain shaam abhi tak aa nahin paati koi khilaune toDtaa hai avval-e-shab ki lori bhi kab kaam kisi ke aati hai dil vo bachcha apni sadaa par kachchi niind se jaagtaa hai andar baahar ki aavaazein ik nuqte par simTi hain hotaa hai galiyon mein vaavailaa meraa lahu jab boltaa hai meri saanson ki larzish manzar kaa hissa banti hai dekhtaa huun main khiDki se jab shaakh pe pattaa kaanptaa hai mere sirhaane koi baiThaa Dhaaras detaa rahtaa hai nabz pe haath bhi rakhtaa hai TuuTe dhaage bhi joDtaa hai baadal uTThe yaa ki na uTThe baarish bhi ho yaa ki na ho main jab bhigne lagtaa huun vo sar par chhatri taantaa hai vaqt guzarne ke ham-raah bahut kuchh sikhaa 'akhtar' ne nange badan ko kirnon ke pairaahan se ab Dhaanptaa hai"

"khvaahishein itni baDhin insaan aadhaa rah gayaa khvaab jo dekhaa nahin vo bhi adhuraa rah gayaa main to us ke saath hi ghar se nikal kar aa gayaa aur pichhe ek dastak ek saayaa rah gayaa us ko to pairaahanon se koi dilchaspi na thi dukh to ye hai rafta rafta main bhi nangaa rah gayaa rang tasviron kaa utraa to kahin Thahraa nahin ab ke vo baarish hui har naqsh phikaa rah gayaa 'umr bhar manzar-nigaari khuun mein utri rahi phir bhi aankhon ke muqaabil ek dariyaa rah gayaa raunaqein jitni thiin dahlizon se baahar aa gaiin shaam hi se ghar kaa darvaaza khulaa kyaa rah gayaa ab ke shahr-e-zindagi mein saaneha aisaa huaa main sadaa detaa use vo mujh ko taktaa rah gayaa titliyon ke par kitaabon mein kahin gum ho gae muTThiyon ke aaine mein ek chehra rah gayaa rail ki gaaDi chali to ik musaafir ne kahaa dekhnaa vo koi station pe baiThaa rah gayaa main na kahtaa thaa ki ujlat is qadar achchhi nahin ek paT khiDki kaa aa kar dekh lo vaa rah gayaa log apni kirchiyaan chun chun ke aage baDh gae main magar saamaan ikaTThaa kartaa tanhaa rah gayaa aaj tak mauj-e-havaa to lauT kar aai nahin kyaa kisi ujDe nagar mein diip jaltaa rah gayaa ungliyon ke naqsh gul-daanon pe aate hain nazar aao dekhein apne andar aur kyaa kyaa rah gayaa dhuup ki garmi se inTein pak gaiin phal pak gae ik hamaaraa jism thaa 'akhtar' jo kachchaa rah gayaa"

"apne qadmon hi ki aavaaz se chaunkaa hotaa yuun mire paas se ho kar koi guzraa hotaa chaandni se bhi sulag uThtaa hai viraana-e-jaan ye agar jaante suraj hi ko chaahaa hotaa zindagi khvaab-e-pareshaan hai bahaar ek khayaal in ko milne se bahut pahle ye sochaa hotaa dopahar guzri magar dhuup kaa aalam hai vahi koi saaya kisi divaar se utraa hotaa ret uD uD ke havaaon mein chali aati hai shahr-e-armaan sar-e-sahraa na basaayaa hotaa aarzu umr-e-gurezaan to nahin tum to nahin ye saraktaa huaa lamha kahin Thahraa hotaa pichhe pichhe koi saaya saa chalaa aataa thaa haae vo kaun thaa muD kar use dekhaa hotaa tujh se yak go na taalluq mujhe ik umr se thaa zindagi tu ne hi baDh kar mujhe rokaa hotaa jaane kyaa soch ke logon ne bujhaae hain charaagh raat kaTti to sahar hoti ujaalaa hotaa apne daaman ko jalaa kar main charaaghaan kartaa agar is raakh mein 'akhtar' koi shoala hotaa"

"thi titliyon ke taaaqub mein zindagi meri vo shahr kyaa huaa jis ki thi har gali meri main apni zaat ki tashrih kartaa phirtaa thaa na jaane phir kahaan aavaaz kho gai meri ye sarguzisht-e-zamaana ye daastaan-e-hayaat adhuri baat mein bhi rah gai kami meri havaa-e-koh-e-nidaa ik zaraa Thahar ki abhi zamaana ghaur se suntaa hai an-kahi meri main itne zor se chikhaa chaTakh gayaa hai badan phir is ke baad kisi ne nahin suni meri ye darmiyaan kaa khalaa hi miraa nahin varna ye aasmaan bhi meraa zamin bhi meri kise khabar ki guhar kaise haath aate hain samundaron se bhi gahri hai khaamushi meri koi to aae mire paas do ghaDi baiThe ki kar gai mujhe tanhaa khud-aagahi meri kabhi kabhi to zamaana rahaa nigaahon mein kabhi kabhi nazar aai na shakl bhi meri mujhe khabar hai kahaan huun main kaun huun 'akhtar' ki mere naam se surat giri hui meri"

"dard ki daulat-e-naayaab ko rusvaa na karo vo nazar raaz hai us raaz kaa charchaa na karo vusat-e-dasht mein divaane bhaTak jaate hain dosto aahu-e-ram-khurda kaa pichhaa na karo tum muqaddar kaa sitaara ho mire paas raho tum jabin-e-shab-e-namnaak pe ubhraa na karo pas-e-divaar bhi divaar kaa aalam hogaa tum yunhi rauzan-e-divaar se jhaankaa na karo ghar palaT aane mein aafiyat-e-jaan hai yaaro jab havaa tez chale raah mein Thahraa na karo yaa dil-o-dida ko tanvir-e-mohabbat bakhsho yaa dam-e-subh zamaane mein ujaalaa na karo ye jahaan-e-guzaraan haath kise aayaa hai pichhe muD muD ke kisi shakhs ko dekhaa na karo bhaagte lamhe ko kab rok sakaa hai koi vo to ik saaya hai saae ki tamannaa na karo sar salaamat nahin rahte hain zabaan kaTti hai pattharon ko kabhi bhule se bhi sajda na karo pyaas bujhti hai kahaan tapte bayaabaanon ki miri aankhon miri aankho yunhi barsaa na karo ziist hai tez-qadam aage nikal jaaegi tum kisi moD pe rukne kaa iraada na karo kuchh idhar saae hain jo baDh ke lipaT jaate hain 'akhtar' is raah se ho kar kabhi guzraa na karo"

"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"