kuchh to tanhaai ki raaton mein sahaaraa hotaa — Akhtar Shirani

"bujhaa saa rahtaa hai dil jab se hain vatan se judaa vo sehn-e-baagh nahin sair-e-maahtaab nahin base hue hain nigaahon mein vo hasin kuche har ek zarra jahaan kam ze-aaftaab nahin vo baagh-o-raagh ke dil-chasp-o-dil-nashin manzar ki jin ke hote hue khuld misl-e-khvaab nahin vo juebaar-e-ravaan kaa tarab-fazaa paani sharaab se nahin kuchh kam agar sharaab nahin ba-rang-e-zulf pareshaan vo mauj-haa-e-ravaan ki jin ki yaad mein raaton ko fikr-e-khvaab nahin samaa rahe hain nazar mein vo mahv-shaan-e-haram haram mein jin ke sitaare bhi baaryaab nahin vatan kaa chheD diyaa kis ne tazkira 'akhtar' ki chashm-e-shauq ko phir aarzu-e-khvaab nahin"

"zamaan-e-hijr miTe daur-e-vasl-e-yaar aae ilaahi ab to khizaan jaae aur bahaar aae sitam-zarifi-e-fitrat ye kyaa muamma hai ki jis kali ko bhi sunghun main bu-e-yaar aae chaman ki har kali aamaada-e-tabassum hai bahaar ban ke miri jaan-e-nau-bahaar aae hain tishna-kaam ham un baadalon se puchhe koi kahaan bahaar ki pariyon ke takht utaar aae tire khayaal ki be-taabiyaan maaaz-allaah ki ek baar bhulaaein to laakh baar aae vo aaein yuun mire aaghosh-e-ishq mein 'akhtar' ki jaise aankhon mein ik khvaab-e-be-qaraar aae"

"samaa kar dil mein nazron se nihaan hai mujhe yaad aane vaale tu kahaan hai khudaai kahkashaan kahti hai jis ko vo azraa kaa khiraam-e-raaegaan hai andhere baadalon se puchh zaahid miri khoi hui tauba kahaan hai ye kis ne pyaar ki nazron se dekhaa ki mere dil ki duniyaa phir javaan hai javaani raaegaan jaae to achchhaa javaani ek khvaab-e-raaegaan hai"

"miri aankhon se zaahir khun-fishaani ab bhi hoti hai nigaahon se bayaan dil ki kahaani ab bhi hoti hai surur-aaraa sharaab-e-arghavaani ab bhi hoti hai mire qadmon mein duniyaa ki javaani ab bhi hoti hai koi jhonkaa to laati ai nasim atraaf-e-kanaan tak savaad-e-misr mein ambar-fishaani ab bhi hoti hai vo shab ko mushk-bu pardon mein chhup kar aa hi jaate hain mire khvaabon par un ki mehrbaani ab bhi hoti hai kahin se haath aa jaae to ham ko bhi koi laa de sunaa hai is jahaan mein shaadmaani ab bhi hoti hai hilaal o badr ke naqshe sabaq dete hain insaan ko ki naakaami binaa-e-kaamraani ab bhi hoti hai kahin aghyaar ke khvaabon mein chhup chhup kar na jaate hon vo pahlu mein hain lekin bad-gumaani ab bhi hoti hai samajhtaa hai shikast-e-tauba ashk-e-tauba ko zaahid miri aankhon ki rangat arghavaani ab bhi hoti hai vo barsaatein vo baatein vo mulaaqaatein kahaan hamdam vatan ki raat hone ko suhaani ab bhi hoti hai khafaa hain phir bhi aa kar chheD jaate hain tasavvur mein hamaare haal par kuchh mehrbaani ab bhi hoti hai zabaan hi mein na ho taasir to main kyaa karun naaseh tiri baaton se paidaa sargiraani ab bhi hoti hai tumhaare gesuon ki chhaanv mein ik raat guzri thi sitaaron ki zabaan par ye kahaani ab bhi hoti hai pas-e-tauba bhi pi lete hain jaam-e-ghuncha-o-gul se bahaaron mein junun ki mehmaani ab bhi hoti hai koi khush ho miri maayusiyaan fariyaad karti hain ilaahi kyaa jahaan mein shaadmaani ab bhi hoti hai buton ko kar diyaa thaa jis ne majbur-e-sukhan 'akhtar' labon par vo navaa-e-aasmaani ab bhi hoti hai"

"ai dil vo aashiqi ke fasaane kidhar gae vo umr kyaa hui vo zamaane kidhar gae viraan hain sahn o baagh bahaaron ko kyaa huaa vo bulbulein kahaan vo taraane kidhar gae hai najd mein sukut havaaon ko kyaa huaa lailaaein hain khamosh divaane kidhar gae ujDe paDe hain dasht ghazaalon pe kyaa bani suune hain kohsaar divaane kidhar gae vo hijr mein visaal ki ummid kyaa hui vo ranj mein khushi ke bahaane kidhar gae din raat mai-kade mein guzarti thi zindagi 'akhtar' vo be-khudi ke zamaane kidhar gae"

"hamaare haath mein kab saaghar-e-sharaab nahin hamaare qadmon pe kis roz maahtaab nahin jahaan mein ab koi surat pae-savaab nahin vo mai-kade nahin saaqi nahin sharaab nahin shab-e-bahaar mein zulfon se khelne vaale tire baghair mujhe aarzu-e-khvaab nahin chaman mein bulbulein aur anjuman mein parvaane jahaan mein kaun gham-e-ishq se kharaab nahin gham, aah ishq ke gham kaa koi nahin mausam bahaar ho ki khizaan kab ye iztiraab nahin umid-e-pursish-e-ahvaal ho to kyunkar ho salaam kaa bhi tiri bazm mein javaab nahin vatan kaa chheD diyaa kis ne tazkira 'akhtar' ki chashm-e-shauq ko phir aarzu-e-khvaab nahin"

"vo mujhe zindagi bataataa hai phir bhalaa kyon nazar churaataa hai main usi ko uThaa rahaa thaa par vo mujhe hi faqat giraataa hai yaad us ko kiyaa yahaan main ne par mujhe vo vahaan bhulaataa hai raaz saare bataa diye main ne kyon magar raaz vo chhupaataa hai log masruf hain mohabbat mein aur vo dil miraa dukhaataa hai"

"jis din se meraa khvaab suhaanaa badal gayaa us din se zindagi kaa fasaana badal gayaa sunne lagaa huun jab se nasihat baDon ki main jaari thaa jo labon pe taraana badal gayaa pahchaan kaa havaala bhi baaqi nahin rahaa chehre ke saath aaina-khaana badal gayaa uThti nahin hai aankh bhi ab aasmaan ki samt jab se gali kaa chaand puraanaa badal gayaa tahzib jin ke ghar ki 'alaamat thi kal talak afsos aaj un kaa gharaanaa badal gayaa 'azmat kaa taaj sar pe hai 'akhilesh' ke sajaa aisi havaa chali ki zamaana badal gayaa itni sharaafaton mein kami aa gai hai aaj pahle thaa jo libaas puraanaa badal gayaa ahl-e-vafaa ne jis ki thi taarikh ki raqam 'faaruq' 'ishq kaa vo fasaana badal gayaa"

"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"

"khaamushi ke batn se ye guftani paidaa hui main ba-zaahir chup huaa aur shaaeri paidaa hui is tarah saabit huaa gham aur khushi kaa imtizaaj hanste hanste us ki aankhon mein nami paidaa hui jurm ki paadaash mein ham khaak par pheinke gae so yahaan par intiqaaman zindagi paidaa hui khauf ne hi maslahat ki raah bhi ijaad ki main andheron se Daraa aur raushni paidaa hui dil mein kab utri kisi ke be-maaani guftugu baat karne se to bas aavaaz hi paidaa hui"

"zindagi bojhal hui aazaar se jism jhuktaa jaa rahaa hai baar se doston ne is qadar dhoke diye aur raghbat baDh gai aghyaar se zindagi kaa ik nayaa imkaan huaa ik daricha khul gayaa divaar se ab bayaan kaise karun rudaad-e-gham kaam mushkil hai dil-e-naa-chaar se hijr ki raaton mein bahtaa hi rahaa ek naala chashm-e-dariyaa-baar se misl-e-majnun regzaaron mein rahe sar paTakte ret ki divaar se ham asiraan-e-mohabbat hain yahaan uljhe hain ab gesu-e-khamdaar se 'qalb' teri ghazlein yuun shaadaan karein dard nikle hai tire ashaar se"

"zindagi dushvaar hogi ye kabhi sochaa na thaa vo bagule gham ke uTThe jin kaa andesha na thaa saamne tum aa gae ho to bataa duun jaan-e-jaan jaise dil dhaDkaa thaa ab ki vaise dil dhaDkaa na thaa ye iraada kar liyaa thaa ham na bichhDeinge kabhi TuTeinge ik pal mein rishte ye kabhi sochaa na thaa yaad-e-maazi miT rahi hai vaqt ki raftaar se ab tasavvur mein hamaare koi bhi chehra na thaa sakht hairat ho rahi hai dekh kar apnaa vajud dhuup mein the sab ke saaye par miraa saayaa na thaa shauq-e-manzil dekh meri dekh meraa hausla shahr-e-dil ke raaston mein main kabhi Thahraa na thaa 'qalb' ko sahraa-navardi raas kyaa aati bhalaa vo kabhi aavaargi mein dar-ba-dar bhaTkaa na thaa"