ik jang ke andaaz mein guftaar khaDi thi — Muhammad Shakeel Akhtar

"paarsaaon ne baDe zarf kaa izhaar kiyaa mujh ko bhi hurmat-e-zebaa kaa kharidaar kiyaa vo jo thaa khud ki numaaish kaa taraf-daar badan khud ko khvaabida kiyaa aur mujhe bedaar kiyaa baandh kar shaakh labon par vo tabassum ke gulaab meri maa'sum tamanna ko talabgaar kiyaa tum ne tohfe mein diye the jo dahakte bose un ki khushbu ne hi rusvaa sar-e-baazaar kiyaa ek lamhe ko sahi diid kaa mausam Thahre kuchh saraabon ne mujhe tishna-e-didaar kiyaa qalb aashob-zada 'isyaan se hotaa kyon hai roz-e-mahshar kaa mujhe jis ne khataavaar kiyaa apni sochon ki lakiron se taraashaa thaa tumhein khitta-e-jaan pe magar tum ne hi aazaar kiyaa dard ki dhuup mein saaya thaa sukunat kaa jo shaam aai to lipaT kar mujhe bezaar kiyaa jis ki maa'sum adaaon pe yaqin thaa 'akhtar' us ne paakizgi se mujh ko gunahgaar kiyaa"

"mumkin kahaan ghamon kaa nayaa silsila na ho jo ramz-e-iltifaat se dil aashnaa na ho vasl-e-nigaar ki nahin manzil ho dastyaab raah-e-talab mein koi agar naqsh-e-paa na ho hai mauj-e-dard ki baDi be-ghairati agar parvaaz dard-e-'ishq ki be-intihaa na ho jab husn ke hijaab mein aayaa hai inqalaab tab ishtihaa-e-did bhi kyun-kar sivaa na ho rusvaaiyon se pur hai agar 'ishq kaa mizaaj behtar hai tab dilon mein koi raabta na ho ashkon kaa khaandaan hai arfa' na mo'tabar khun-e-jigar kaa is mein agar zaaiqa na ho duniyaa maqaam-e-ibtilaa hai jaante hain sab phir kyaa javaaz-e-hashr jo mutlaq khataa na ho 'akhtar' na hogi nudrat-e-fikr-e-sukhan agar nok-e-qalam mein zauq-e-tajassus bharaa na ho"

"aahon ke silsile mire siine mein gaaD kar vo le gayaa hai jism se dil ko ukhaaD kar main huun buraa to kyaa sabhi achchhon mein hain shumaar har tanz ko main rakhtaa huun aksar pachhaaD kar rahne de muztarib mujhe 'ishq-e-zalil mein raatein tavil kar sabhi din ko pahaaD kar ik bosa sabt karne kaa e'laan kar diyaa honTon kaa jis ne rakh diyaa huliya bigaaD kar ab khaak ho na jaaein tamannaaein vasl ki jismon ke darmiyaan nahin itni daraaD kar raaton ko puchhti hai talab mujh se ye savaal kyon hijr ne rakhaa mire ghar ko ujaaD kar patthar ke jism mein nahin 'akhtar' bachaa hai kuchh kyaa faaeda hai jism ko ab chheD chhaaD kar"

"ik zalzala sukut kaa tanhaaiyon mein hai kitnaa sukun 'ishq ki rusvaaiyon mein hai hote rahein tavil nigaahon ke faasle dil kaa milan to yaadon ki gahraaiyon mein hai sab se baDaa fareb hai duniyaa ki zindagi duniyaa to chand roz ki shahnaaiyon mein hai ghultaa hai ab nigaahon mein nisfunnahaar-e-mehr itni tapish jamaal ki angDaaiyon mein hai karne lage hain log gunah ki vazaahatein paakizgi nigaahon ki sachchaaiyon mein hai 'akhtar' ko hai gumaan ki adab kaa hai vo nisaab lekin ghazal to qaafiya-paimaaiyon mein hai"

"lahu ki dhaar se jazbon ki tughyaani se niklungaa main sajda ban ke ik din teri peshaani se niklungaa tiri aankhon se honTon kaa safar mamnu' hai to phir samundar ban ke teri aankhon ke paani se niklungaa chamak aai hai aankhon mein musalsal ratjage paa kar main suraj ban ke furqat ki faraavaani se niklungaa agar uljhungaa lahje se tire ho jaaungaa paspaa main apne zabt ki had se pareshaani se niklungaa mohabbat ki shu'aa'on se bikhar kar rah gai hasti main kaise hasraton ki ab nigahbaani se niklungaa basaayaa hai muqaddar ne mujhe teri lakiron mein agar niklaa to main apni hi naadaani se niklungaa miri hasti miTaa denaa nahin mumkin hai kuza-gar agar miTTi mein gundhegaa to main paani se niklungaa main khud apni musibat aap ban ke aayaa huun 'akhtar' fanaa ho kar hi ab main soz-e-laafaani se niklungaa"

"ugaa rahe hain sabhi aankhon mein babulon ko ki jis se noch sakeinge badan ke phulon ko chalan jo dekhaa zamaane kaa bad-chalan jaisaa to main ne tark kiyaa jiine ke usulon ko tilaai bundon ki jhaDiyaan lagin jo saavan mein kunvaariyon ne shajar pe lagaayaa jhulon ko jigar pighaltaa hai to shaa'iri mein Dhaltaa hai to kaun rokegaa phir she'r ke nuzulon ko kisi kaa 'aib chhupaanaa bhi ik 'ibaadat hai farogh detaa nahin 'aib ke husulon ko buDhaapaa aayaa to aayaa khudaa bhi yaad 'akhtar' rulaa rahaa huun javaani ki apni bhulon ko"

"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"

"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"

"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"