dil-e-shikasta bhi thaa koi raazdaan bhi na thaa — Asrar Zaidi

"be-sadaa kyunkar huaa be-dast-o-paa kyunkar huaa main qafas mein bhi na thaa phir bhi rihaa kyunkar huaa aashnaa jitne bhi the naa-aashnaa kyunkar hue haadisa ye bhi huaa kaise huaa kyunkar huaa subh ki pahli kiran mehr-e-munavvar kab hui har bagula mauja-e-baad-e-sabaa kyunkar huaa baam-o-dar par jaa-ba-jaa parchhaaiyon ke aks the ghar kaa ye manzar bhi lekin khushnumaa kyunkar huaa Dubnaa Thahraa to phir kachche ghaDe ki shart kyaa vo sadaa kaa sang-dil dard-aashnaa kyunkar huaa shoabada-baazi kahaan kaar-e-masihaai hui aadmi jab aadmi Thahraa khudaa kyunkar huaa khaamushi kitne hi jazbon kaa pata deti rahi naala gar paaband-e-nai thaa naa-rasaa kyunkar huaa"

"ghar ki surat jo bhi ho us par hiraasaan main nahin dar muqaffal hain to divaaron se larzaan main nahin tujh mein himmat hai so phir shishe mein mujh ko bhi utaar haan magar ye jaan le itnaa bhi aasaan main nahin nafraton ki tah mein kitni chaahatein hain ye to soch tu gurezaan ho to ho tujh se gurezaan main nahin raushni dil mein agar ho ik sitaara hi bahut Dubte suraj ke manzar se pareshaan main nahin main ki apni zaat mein shoala bhi huun shabnam bhi huun phir bhi apne-aap se dast-o-garebaan main nahin raaste ke pech-o-kham mere lahu ki taak mein bakht ke andhe kuein mein paa-ba-jaulaan main nahin mausamon ki dhuup se kajlaa gayaa chehre kaa rang aadmi huun be-niyaam-e-barq-o-tufaan main nahin sochtaa huun kis kharaabe mein mujhe laayaa gayaa apne hone par ba-har-surat pashemaan main nahin"

"vajh-e-qaraar-o-raahat-e-dil-zadagaan hai tu ki main lafz-e-yaqin hai tu ki main harf-e-gumaan hai tu ki main teraa bhi aastaan vahi meraa bhi aashiyaan vahi us ki sahar hai tu ki main us ki azaan hai tu ki main jis ki taraash ke liye khud ko lahu lahu kiyaa ab usi rahguzaar kaa sang-e-giraan hai tu ki main apni khabar se be-khabar apni hi zaat se mafar apni hi daastaan kaa ik harf-e-ziyaan hai tu ki main jis ki nazar mein khaar hai arz-e-vatan ki aabru us kaa hadaf hai tu ki main us ki kamaan hai tu ki main"

"barahnagi kaa mudaavaa koi libaas na thaa khud apne zahr kaa tiryaaq mere paas na thaa sulag rahaa huun khud apni hi aag mein kab se ye mashghala to mire dard ki asaas na thaa tiri navaazish-e-paiham ke naqsh dil mein rahe main be-khabar sahi par aisaa naa-sipaas na thaa har ek sher thaa meraa mire khayaal kaa aks koi kitaab na thi koi iqtibaas na thaa bikhar gae the so khud ko sameT bhi lete ki is yaqin mein shaamil miraa qayaas na thaa"

"vo shakhs jo nazar aataa thaa har kisi ki tarah hisaar toD ke niklaa hai raushni ki tarah sadaa mein Dhal ke labon tak jo harf aayaa thaa ab us kaa zahr bhi Dastaa hai khaamushi ki tarah ye saal tul-e-masaafat se chuur chuur gayaa ye ek saal to guzraa hai ik sadi ki tarah tumhi koi shajar-e-saaya-daar DhunD rakho ki vo to apne liye bhi hai ajnabi ki tarah ye ahd TuuT rahaa hai nae ufuq ke liye hayaat Daal chuki hai khud-aagahi ki tarah"

"aane vaali kal ki de kar khabar gayaa ye din bhi maah-e-visaal ki shiryaanon mein utar gayaa ye din bhi lamha lamha saaat saaat pal pal mein taqsim huaa reza reza hote hote bikhar gayaa ye din bhi us ki taabaani par kitne hi suraj qurbaan hue apne hone kaa dukh sah kar magar gayaa ye din bhi sard havaa kaa jhonkaa thaa jo sannaaTo ko chiir gayaa kitne dilon par dastak de kar guzar gayaa ye din bhi ham to apni nindon mein khvaabon ko jagaa kar khvaar hue mauj-e-saraab mein Dhal kar jaane kidhar gayaa ye din bhi"

"mahv-e-hairat huun miraa khaar ne rasta dekhaa ek kirdaar kaa kirdaar ne rasta dekhaa kaun kahtaa hai talabgaar ne rasta dekhaa ek be-daar kaa bedaar ne rasta dekhaa kam-nasibi ki mulaaqaat se mahrum rahe khush-nasibi ki mire yaar ne rasta dekhaa anginat aae ruke aur ravaana bhi hue kab kisi shakhs kaa sansaar ne rasta dekhaa apne vaalon ne musibat mein bhulaayaa lekin dosti ke liye aghyaar ne rasta dekhaa main ne sachchaai ko jis roz se apnaayaa hai meraa aksar rasan-o-daar ne rasta dekhaa tujh se 'mahmud' use pyaar bahut thaa shaayad marte dam tak tire bimaar ne rasta dekhaa"

"dushmani chalti rahi yaaron ke biich phuul bhi khilte rahe khaaron ke biich ho agar imaan-e-kaamil aaj bhi raqs ho saktaa hai angaaron ke biich dosti ki chhat banaanaa chaahiye ham ko bhi rahnaa hai divaaron ke biich aap ko to chaand kahte the sabhi aap kyon dhundlaa gae taaron ke biich khud-farebi ne sahaaraa de diyaa mil gayaa iqraar inkaaron ke biich khuub hai 'muztar' kaa rang-e-shaairi khuun ki surkhi hai ghazal-paaron ke biich"

"miri jaanib nigaah-e-naaz kar aahista aahista mire dil ke jazire mein utar aahista aahista mohabbat donon jaanib hai tafaavut sirf itnaa hai idhar hai tez-rau lekin udhar aahista aahista tiri beTi kaa qad tere baraabar ho gayaa shaayad tu apni khud-kushi par ghaur kar aahista aahista sahar aai na aae vo sitaaro jaao so jaao ki ab chalte hain ham bhi apne ghar aahista aahista jo kal tak meri barbaadi ki qasmein khaate phirte the vahi ab ho rahe hain dar-ba-dar aahista aahista na jaane rah-ravaan-e-raah kaa ab hashr kyaa hogaa bhaTakte jaa rahe hain raahbar aahista aahista khudaa ke vaaste samjhaa-bujhaa kar rok le koi vo dekho jaa rahe hain ruuTh kar aahista aahista adaavat dil mein rakhnaa muskuraa kar guftugu karnaa sabhi ko aa gayaa hai ye hunar aahista aahista nimaT luun doston ki dosti se pahle ai 'hamza' to lungaa dushmanon ki bhi khabar aahista aahista"

"gila hai apne muqaddar ki be-hisi se hamein aur is se baDh ke shikaayat hai zindagi se hamein kabhi nigaar-e-lab-e-shoala-vash kaa zikr chalaa kabhi hisaar-e-gham-e-jaan milaa kisi se hamein kabhi thaa qurb mein ik iztiraab kaa aalam kabhi qaraar milaa teri be-rukhi se hamein kabhi malaal huaa iltifaat-e-paiham se kabhi khushi thi bahut tark-e-dosti se hamein kabhi gumaan ki ye duniyaa hai ik fareb-e-nazar yaqin bhi hai khudaa ke vajud hi se hamein hayaat-e-jehd-e-musalsal mein kyon hai sargardaan zaraa pataa to chale ilm-o-aagahi se hamein agarche dil ko mili thi naved-e-subh-e-jamaal najaat mil na saki shab ki tirgi se hamein khaDe hain dasht-e-balaa-khez mein barahna-paa milaa hai izn-e-safar jazba-e-khudi se hamein 'sabaa' ye kaun si manzil hai dasht-e-imkaan mein na aashnaa se gharaz hai na ajnabi se hamein"

"ek dariyaa saa musalsal hai ravaan jaante hain ham zamaane se zamaane ko yahaan jaante hain raah-e-haq par hamein rakhnaa hain akele hi qadam saath degaa na hamaaraa ye jahaan jaante hain ham ne jo baat kahi vo bhi na samjhi tum ne dost to dost ki khaamosh zabaan jaante hain laakh aaraaishein mil jaaein magar un ke baghair ghar na ho paaegaa ham se ye makaan jaante hain daa'vaa karte hain khudaa ko bhi samajhne kaa magar ham yahaan Thiik se khud ko bhi kahaan jaante hain jism ke zakhm to sab bhar gae kab ke lekin ruuh par ab bhi jo hain ham vo nishaan jaante hain 'aarzu' kyon ho hamein ‘umr-daraazi ki jab zindagi ham tire sab sud-o-ziyaan jaante hain"

"rakht-e-safar kaa main ne iraada nahin kiyaa raushan charaagh-e-manzil-e-jaada nahin kiyaa tujh se bichhaD ke aur miraa dil udaas ho milne kaa is liye abhi vaada nahin kiyaa shiddat se thaa malaal shab-e-hijr kaa magar shaane pe tere sar ko nihaada nahin kiyaa dil mutmain hai baais-e-tajdid-e-dosti us ko khafaa bhi had se ziyaada nahin kiyaa sab kuchh ataa huaa tiri rahmat se is liye dast-e-talab ko aur kushaada nahin kiyaa shaayad ki meri ruuh ko baalidgi mile khud ko rahin-e-saaghar-o-baada nahin kiyaa shaayad miri jabin ko mile izn-e-bandagi dil ke varq ko is liye saada nahin kiyaa mujh ko na tamkanat kaa ho ehsaas-e-be-ziyaan qaamat ko apne aur sitaara nahin kiyaa apni talaash mein huun 'sabaa' is liye abhi su-e-haram safar kaa iraada nahin kiyaa"