ism paDhaa aur jism se uTh kar ishq uThaayaa — Ahmad Fareed

"sar-ba-sar pyaas mein Duubaa nazar aataa hai mujhe jis jagah bhi koi dariyaa nazar aataa hai mujhe jaam-e-jam se bhi sivaa hai ye miraa jaam-e-sifaal kyaa kahun is mein bhi kyaa kyaa nazar aataa hai mujhe kyaa banegaa miri aankhon kaa mire shishagaro jo yahaan jaisaa hai vaisaa nazar aataa hai mujhe koi dekhe to dikhaaun use manzar kaa maaal koi puchhe to kahun kyaa nazar aataa hai mujhe kabhi hotaa thaa jo 'ghaalib' ke muqaabil shab-o-roz raat-din ab vo tamaashaa nazar aataa hai mujhe"

"ab ke vahshat mein koi raah nikaalungaa main khud dasht vo de vahaan divaar banaa lungaa main khud kyon koi mere parindon ki nigah-daari kare zakhm khud paale hain to in ko sanbhaalungaa main khud aap bas mujh ko miraa chaak inaayat kar dein apni miTTi se koi shakl banaa lungaa main khud mere ghaasib se kaho meraa kharaaba mujhe de ban paDaa mujh se to ye shahr basaa lungaa main khud mere dushman se kaho aab-e-baqaa hai to pilaae zahr kaa kyaa hai kisi roz ye khaa lungaa main khud tujh se miltaa koi mil jaae to ai jaan-e-tilism hu-bahu us ko tire jaisaa banaa lungaa main khud abr mushkil hai to chal saaya-e-divaar hi de jab chalungaa to use saath chalaa lungaa main khud log kahte hain mire harf-e-duaa mein hai asar vaaqai hai to kabhi apni duaa lungaa main khud meri ustaad hai khud meri jibillat 'ahmad' jaisi miTTi ho qadam apne jamaa lungaa main khud"

"asr-e-aashur se is arsa-e-shab tak ab tak istighaase ki sadaa aati hai sab tak ab tak dar se duuri kaa sabab kuchh bhi ho par shahr ke biich log pahunche hi nahin rahmat-e-rab tak ab tak ahl-e-imaan pe hui jin ki mohabbat vaajib ham nahin siikh sake un kaa adab tak ab tak chaudah sau saal mein daavaa to bahut-son ne kiyaa koi pahunchaa nahin ik mard-e-ajab tak ab tak ham ne un ko bhi sanad ibn-e-sanad maan liyaa jin kaa maalum nahin naam-o-nasab tak ab tak koi labbaik kahe yaa na kahe par 'ahmad' istighaase ki sadaa aati hai sab tak ab tak"

"jab se ik chaand ki chaahat mein sitaaraa huaa huun shahr-e-shab-zaad ki aankhon ko sahaaraa huaa huun ai mire dard ke dariyaa ki ravaani mujhe dekh main tire qurb se kaT-kaT ke kinaaraa huaa huun bujh gae jab mire sab khvaab-o-charaag-o-maahtaab shahr-e-zulmat ko main tab jaa ke gavaaraa huaa huun zindagi tujh saa munaafiq bhi koi kyaa hogaa tiraa shahkaar huun aur teraa hi maaraa huaa huun zakhm gintaa huun shab-e-hijr mein aur sochtaa huun main to apnaa bhi na thaa kaise tumhaaraa huaa huun saamne phir mire apne hain so main jaantaa huun jiit bhi jaaun to ye jang main haaraa huaa huun main payambar huun na ho saktaa huun phir bhi 'ahmad' aisaa lagtaa hai sar-e-khaak utaaraa huaa huun"

"zindagi tere liye raushni laate hue log jal-bujhe aatish-e-idraak churaate hue log uTh ke dekhaa to main khud bhi vahaan maujud na thaa le gae mujh ko mire khvaab se jaate hue log dard ki gard mein aankhein bhi ganvaa baiThe hain ai gham-e-dil tiri tasvir banaate hue log un ke bachche bhi inhi galiyon mein rahte hain to phir sochte kyon nahin shahron ko jalaate hue log apne kheton mein agar aag hi boi hai to phir raakh ho jaaeinge ye fasl uThaate hue log"

"ye jo ik sail-e-fanaa hai mire pichhe pichhe mere hone ki sazaa hai mire pichhe pichhe aage aage hai mire dil ke chaTakhne ki sadaa aur miri gard-e-anaa hai mire pichhe pichhe zindagi thak ke kisi moD pe rukti hi nahin kab se ye aabla-paa hai mire pichhe pichhe apnaa saaya to main dariyaa mein bahaa aayaa thaa kaun phir bhaag rahaa hai mire pichhe pichhe paanv par paanv ko rakhtaa hai chalaa aataa hai miraa naqsh-e-kaf-e-paa hai mire pichhe pichhe meri tanhaai se Takraa ke palaT jaaegi ye jo khushbu-e-qabaa hai mire pichhe pichhe main to dauDaa huun khud apne hi taaaqub mein 'farid' chaand kyuun bhaag paDaa hai mire pichhe pichhe"

"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"

"kisi ki mehrbaani ho gai hai ayaan dil ki kahaani ho gai hai hare mausam ki pahli khvaahishein uf khushi gham ki divaani ho gai hai sabhi afraad ghar ke so gae hain bahut lambi kahaani ho gai hai rivaayat kaa hai ab bhi sahar qaaem har ik jiddat puraani ho gai hai pas-e-chehra milaa ik aur chehra 'aqidat paani paani ho gai 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"