ik nuur thaa ki pichhle pahar ham-safar huaa — Akhtar Hoshiyarpuri

"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"

"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"

"bajaa ki dushman-e-jaan shahr-e-jaan ke baahar hai magar main us ko kahun kyaa jo ghar ke andar hai tamaam naqsh parindon ki tarah utre hain ki kaaghazon pe khile paaniyon kaa manzar hai main ek shakhs jo kumbon mein rah gayaa baT kar main musht-e-khaak jo taqsim ho ke be-ghar hai shajar kaTaa to koi ghonsla kahin na rahaa magar ik uDtaa parinda fazaa kaa zevar hai vo khauf hai ki makin apne apne kamron mein hain vo haal hai ki bayaabaan mein vusat-e-dar hai kahin bhi peD nahin phir bhi patthar aae hain gali mein koi nahin phir bhi shor-e-mahshar hai main is vasia jazire mein vaahid insaan huun ki mere chaaron taraf dasht kaa samundar hai koi bhi khvaab na unchi fasil se utraa magar kiran ke guzarne ko rauzan-e-dar hai tamaam raushaniyaan bujh gai hain basti mein magar vo diip ki jis kaa havaaon mein ghar hai kisi se mujh ko gila kyaa ki kuchh kahun 'akhtar' ki meri zaat hi khud raaste kaa patthar hai"

"aakhiri hal thaa yahi pesh-e-nazar jaane diyaa ek gahri saans li phir khvaab mar jaane diyaa saarbaanaa de gavaahi mujh ko pyaari thi anaa rakh liyaa zaad-e-safar aur ham-safar jaane diyaa hazrat-e-naaseh ki khush-uftaadgi pe daad hai khud jidhar se aae the sab ko udhar jaane diyaa is harim-e-naaz mein yuun be-mahaabaa guftugu kuchh bharam rakkhaa to hotaa tum ko gar jaane diyaa tujh ko rokaa jaa rahaa thaa raushni thi jab talak shaam ke Dhalte samay suraj ko ghar jaane diyaa aankh sapne dekhti thi aansuon se kyon bhari chaahti to puchh leti main magar jaane diyaa dostaa qismat na ho to koshishein bekaar hain sabr kaa paimaana ham ne khud hi bhar jaane diyaa dil musir thaa baarhaa kuchh jaanchne ko ruk gae aakhirash us ne hamein baar-e-digar jaane diyaa"

"aisaa to yahaan kuchh bhi nahin hadd-e-nazar tak ham ko to pahunchnaa thaa kisi khvaab-nagar tak ab paanv nahin raah mein dil thakne lagaa hai lekin hamein chalnaa to hai anjaam-e-safar tak ham shor bhi sunte hain samaaat se bahut kam aavaaz bhi jaati hai to bas hadd-e-nazar tak mumkin hai main ab sabr kaa ye peD giraa duun jab haath pahunchtaa hi nahin shaakh-e-samar tak ham apne hi mausam se parakhte hain jahaan ko maahaul kaa lete hi nahin koi asar tak main apne hi andar ki taraf chikh rahaa huun ab dekhiye jaati hai ye aavaaz kidhar tak"

"tirgi shama bani raahguzar mein aai saaat ik aisi bhi kal apne safar mein aai jis jagah chehra hi meyaar-e-vafaa Thahraa hai khaak hi khaak vahaan dast-e-hunar mein aai teri nazron mein thi duniyaa to yahi kyaa kam thaa hashr ye hai ki tu duniyaa ki nazar mein aai baar-haa yaaron ne saahil se kahaa thaa ham hain baar-haa naav magar apni bhanvar mein aai zindagi samjhun ise yaa ki ise maut kahun vo jo mehmaan ki surat mire ghar mein aai yuun bhi taarikh ki taarikh raqam hoti hai nikli taarikh mahal se to khanDar mein aai khvaab hi khvaab ki taabir huaa to jaanaa zindagi kyuun kisi aankhon ke asar mein aai shama jalte hi bujhi aur dhuaan aisaa uThaa lazzat-e-shaam yahaan khvaab-e-sahar mein aai zindagi kuchh hai 'ataa' sher-o-adab hai kuchh aur ye do-rangi ki vabaa kaisi hunar mein aai"

"safar mein aise kai marhale bhi aate hain har ek moD pe kuchh log chhuT jaate hain ye jaan kar bhi ki patthar har ek haath mein hai jiyaale log hain shishon ke ghar banaate hain jo rahne vaale hain log un ko ghar nahin dete jo rahne vaalaa nahin us ke ghar banaate hain jinhein ye fikr nahin sar rahe rahe na rahe vo sach hi kahte hain jab bolne pe aate hain kabhi jo baat kahi thi tire taalluq se ab us ke bhi kai matlab nikaale jaate hain"

"tire jamaal se ham runumaa nahin hue hain chamak rahe hain magar aaina nahin hue hain dhaDak rahaa hai tu ik ism ki hai ye barakat vagarna vaaqiye is dil mein kyaa nahin hue hain bataa na paaein to khud tum samajh hi jaao ki ham bilaa javaaz to be-maajraa nahin hue hain tiraa kamaal ki aankhon mein kuchh zabaan pe kuchh hamein to moajize aise ataa nahin hue hain ye mat samajh ki koi tujh se munharif hi nahin abhi ham ahl-e-junun lab-kushaa nahin hue hain ba-naam-e-zauq-e-sukhan khud-numaai aap karein ham is maraz mein abhi mubtalaa nahin hue hain hami vo jin kaa safar maavaraa-e-vaqt-o-vajud hami vo khud se kabhi jo rihaa nahin hue hain khud-aagahi bhi khaDi maangti hai apnaa hisaab junun ke qarz bhi ab tak adaa nahin hue hain kisi ne dil jo dukhaayaa kabhi to ham 'irfaan' udaas ho gae lekin khafaa nahin hue hain"

"ba-zom-e-aql ye kaisaa gunaah main ne kiyaa ik aainaa thaa usi ko siyaah main ne kiyaa ye shahr-e-kam-nazaraan ye dayaar-e-be-hunaraan kise ye apne hunar kaa gavaah main ne kiyaa harim-e-dil ko jalaane lagaa thaa ek khayaal so gul use bhi ba-yak sard aah main ne kiyaa vahi yaqin rahaa hai javaaz-e-ham-safari jo gaah us ne kiyaa aur gaah main ne kiyaa bas ek dil hi to hai vaaqif-e-rumuz-e-hayaat so shahr-e-jaan kaa use sarbaraah main ne kiyaa har ek ranj usi baab mein kiyaa hai raqam zaraa saa gham thaa jise be-panaah main ne kiyaa ye raah-e-ishq bahut sahl ho gai jab se hisaar-e-zaat ko paivand-e-raah main ne kiyaa ye umr ki hai basar kuchh ajab tavaazun se tiraa huaa na hi khud se nibaah main ne kiyaa khirad ne dil se kahaa tu junun-sifat hi sahi na puchh us ki ki jis ko tabaah main ne kiyaa"