kis or le chali hai havaa-e-numu mujhe — Akhtar Usman

"main dekh hi rahaa thaa ki yak-dam bhanvar phiraa ghumaa sadaf nigaah mein us mein guhar phiraa sidhe subhaav ziist samajhnaa muhaal hai is kaam ko bhi chaahiye mujh saa hi sar-phiraa ham to sadaa se basta-e-yak-taar-e-chashm hain khadsha saa teri samt se hai tu agar phiraa yak-dam kisi ki yaad mein aankhein bhar aai thiin ik din yunhi khayaal su-e-chashm-e-tar phiraa 'akhtar' zar-e-sukhan ki kisi ko talab nahin main to ise uThaae hue dar-ba-dar phiraa"

"vo bhi na khulaa basta-e-pindaar the ham bhi khaamosh thaa vo surat-e-divaar the ham bhi had-bandi-e-ehsaas rahi umr-e-muayyan aur daaera-e-kaar mein parkaar the ham bhi ai nargis-e-vaa-chashm tire auj ke din hain teri hi tarah dida-e-bedaar the ham bhi ham bhi the unhi mein jo zabaan se na phire the phir khalq ne dekhaa ki sar-e-daar the ham bhi aajir se jo ujrat hamein pahunchi yahi pahunchi jab qasr giraa thaa tah-e-divaar the ham bhi"

"jab duur hain tujh se to ye uftaad bhi aae tufaan-e-shab-e-dasht mein tu yaad bhi aae hairaan hai is baat pe amboh-e-aasiraan par khulne ki taqrib mein sayyaad bhi aae haare hue lashkar kaa alam gir bhi chukaa hai ab kyaa jo kisi samt se imdaad bhi aae ik umr hui nazr-e-kharaabaat hamaari sad-shukr sar-e-qarya-e-aabaad bhi aae ik bu ki baghal-gir hui dasht mein ham se jaise yahaan pahle kabhi ajdaad bhi aae"

"fareb-khaana-e-duniyaa bhi dekhte chaliye ravaa-ravi mein tamaashaa bhi dekhte chaliye khud apnaa maskan-e-fardaa bhi dekhte chaliye ab aa gae hain to sahraa bhi dekhte chaliye na-jaane phir ye talaatum nasib ho ki na ho is auj mauj mein dariyaa bhi dekhte chaliye ba-qadr-e-sairi-e-irfaan koi bhi rang nahin dukaan-e-zist ko jitnaa bhi dekhte chaliye charaagh-e-naqsh-e-kaf-e-paa jalaaiye har-su magar havaa kaa ishaara bhi dekhte chaliye"

"tire baghair kahaan ki ghazal-saraai hai sadaa se pahle kabhi baazgasht aai hai tire jamaal ki tajsim sahl kaam nahin ye moajiza bhi mire sher ki safaai hai zamin ke hijr mein rahnaa mujhe qubul nahin falak se aage bhi yuun to miri rasaai hai main apne aap ko tartib de rahaa huun abhi miraa maqaam vahaan hai jahaan ikaai hai"

"ik sehr-e-tahayyur thaa ki ehsaas ki rau thi din ko bhi nigaahon mein shabih-e-mah-e-nau thi ham log to vaabasta-e-yak-taar-e-nazar the maa'lum nahin is ke sivaa bhi koi lau thi tab zehn pe zulmaat kaa partav na paDaa thaa jhilmil the kamaalaat khayaalaat mein zau thi phir khvaab-e-khirad-khvaar se bedaar hue to har zehn pe zangaar thaa har chashm giro thi khas-khaana-e-afkaar mein kuchh bhi to nahin thaa chand ek sharaare the aur un ki tag-o-dau thi"

"taavil-e-ahd-e-fan hi to vahshat kaa hal nahin pesh-e-nazar junun hai yaaro ghazal nahin ab is ke baad ahd ki taarik raat hai ye ikhtitaam-e-shaam hai subh-e-azal nahin ai dost ishq mansab-e-fahm-o-shuur hai ye irtiqaa hai zehn kaa koi khalal nahin ik umr ratjagon ki aziyyat mein kaaT di ab mere khvaab niind kaa radd-e-amal nahin kyaa kyaa ataa-e-neamat-e-rabb-e-karim hai lekin 'samir' dard kaa nemul-badal nahin"

"bistar-e-karb pe jab niind jalaai main ne tab kisi khvaab ki buniyaad uThaai main ne zakhm aise the ki har shakhs ke aage rakkhe baat aisi thi ki khud se bhi chhupaai main ne hurmat-e-gham ke liye khud ko aziyyat bakhshi phir usi dard se taskin bhi paai main ne main ne zakhmon ko kuredaa unhein taaza rakkhaa tab kahin dasht mein ki naghma-saraai main ne apni khiDki se yunhi khud ko pukaaraa kal shab aur phir khud ko vo aavaaz sunaai main ne jaane vaale se rag-e-jaan kaa bhi rishta thaa 'samir' ye samajhne mein bahut der lagaai main ne"

"jahaan-e-dard-o-gham hai aur main huun tiraa naqsh-e-qadam hai aur main huun kisi ki aankh nam hai aur main huun vufur-e-shauq kam hai aur main huun mujhe hai daulat-e-kaunain haasil mire rab kaa karam hai aur main huun main apne aap ko pahchaantaa huun miraa apnaa bharam hai aur main huun yahi kyaa kam hai duniyaa-e-vafaa mein mujhe ehsaas-e-gham hai aur main huun kisi ki yaad kaa ehsaan hai mujh par sukun-e-dil baham hai aur main huun mujhe 'mahmud' koi Dar nahin hai miraa apnaa qalam hai aur main huun"

"jaagte hi nazar akhbaar mein kho jaati hai zindagi dard ke ambaar mein kho jaati hai naa-khudaa aql ke patvaar uThaataa hai ki jab kashti-e-dil miri manjdhaar mein kho jaati hai be-sabab sochne vaale kabhi sochaa tu ne aagahi kasrat-e-afkaar mein kho jaati hai uDte rahte hain khayaalaat ke jugnu phir bhi baat kyuun parda-e-izhaar mein kho jaati hai us ke kaamon kaa hai rangin khushaamad pe madaar aur mehnat miri isaar mein kho jaati hai hurmat-e-parda zaruri hai 'ataa-ji' varna chiiz jaisi bhi ho baazaar mein kho jaati hai"

"chaand bhi khoyaa khoyaa saa hai taare bhi khvaabida hain aaj fazaa ke bojhal-pan se lahje bhi sanjida hain jaane kin kin logon se is dard ke kyaa kyaa rishte the hijr ki is aabaad saraa mein sab chehre naadida hain itne barson baad bhi donon kaise TuuT ke milte hain tu hai kitnaa saada-dil aur ham kitne pechida hain sun jaanaan ham tark-e-taalluq aur kisi din kar leinge aaj tujhe bhi ujlat si hai ham bhi kuchh ranjida hain kaanon mein ik sargoshi hai be-maani si sargoshi aankhon mein kuchh khvaab saje hain khvaab bhi umr-rasida hain ghar ki vo makhdush imaarat gir ke phir taamir hui ab aangan mein peD hain jitne saare shaakh burida hain is basti mein ek saDak hai jis se ham ko nafrat hai us ke niche pagDanDi hai jis ke ham girvida hain"

"kis ajab saaat-e-naayaab mein aayaa huaa huun tujh se milne main tire khvaab mein aayaa huaa huun phir vahi main huun, vahi hijr kaa dariyaa-e-amiq koi dam aks-e-sar-e-aab mein aayaa huaa huun kaise aaine ke maanind chamaktaa huaa main ishq ke shahr-e-abad-taab mein aayaa huaa huun meri har taan hai az-roz-e-azal taa-ba-abad ek sur ke liye mizraab mein aayaa huaa huun koi parchhaain kabhi jism se karti hai kalaam? be-sabab saaya-e-mahtaab mein aayaa huaa huun har guzarte hue lamhe mein Tapaktaa huaa mein dard huun, vaqt ke aasaab mein aayaa huaa huun kaisi gahraai se niklaa huun adam ki 'irfaan' kaise paayaab se taalaab mein aayaa huaa huun"