milaa jo koi yahaan ramz-aashnaa na mujhe — Akhtar Ziai

"apni qismat mein gham-e-arsa-e-hijraan hai to kyaa ashk minnat-kash-e-gahvaara-e-mizhgaan hai to kyaa husn arbaab-e-haqiqat ko hai naazura-e-haq shaikh ji aap ko andesha-e-imaan hai to kyaa vaqt ke saath fuzun hotaa hai ehsaas-e-ziyaan fahm-o-idraak hi ghaarat-gar-e-insaan hai to kyaa be-muhaabaana masarrat ke taaaqub mein na dauD daam-e-nairang pas-e-sarhad-e-imkaan hai to kyaa ham to ik umr se hain muntazir-e-marg-e-khizaan ab ke logon mein agar zikr-e-bahaaraan hai to kyaa mausam aataa hai to kaanTon hi mein gul khilte hain dast-e-gul-chin mein agar nazm-e-gulistaan hai to kyaa zer-e-taamir isi haal mein hai mustaqbil is mein kuchh rekht kaa pahlu bhi numaayaan hai to kyaa"

"tujh se ai ziist hamein jitne hasin khvaab mile naqsh-bar-aab kabhi surat-e-simaab mile ham ne har mauj-e-havaadis ko kinaaraa samjhaa ham ko har mauj mein lipTe hue girdaab mile gardish-e-vaqt ne gahnaa diye kitne suraj subh ki god mein dam toDte mahtaab mile jab bhi sadiyon ki futuhaat ko muD kar dekhaa khuun mein lithDe hue taarikh ke abvaab mile sail-e-zulmaat mein hai qaafila-e-manzil-e-shab kaash aise mein koi najm-e-ufuq-taab mile ahl-e-kirdaar ko dekhaa hai sar-e-daar aksar ahl-e-guftaar tah-e-saaya-e-mehraab mile fasl-e-gul aai hai yaaro to ghanimat jaano phuul afsurda sahi zakhm to shaadaab mile dil ke har daagh se vaabasta hai rudaad-e-sitam ranj baDhtaa gayaa juun juun mujhe ahbaab mile mujh ko 'akhtar' na mili naala-e-shab-gir ki daad qarya-e-shauq ke sab log garaan-khvaab mile"

"ahd-e-vafaa kaa qarz adaa kar diyaa gayaa mahrumiyon kaa dard ataa kar diyaa gayaa phulon ke daagh-haa-e-farozaan ko dekh kar arzaan kuchh aur rang-e-hinaa kar diyaa gayaa vaaraftgaan-e-shauq kaa shikva sune baghair gulshan supurd-e-ahl-e-jafaa kar diyaa gayaa dil se umang lab se duaa chhin li gai kahne ko qaidiyon ko rihaa kar diyaa gayaa yak-do-nafas bhi kaar-e-ziyaan ham na kar sake khushbu ko pairahan se judaa kar diyaa gayaa maangi thi aafiyat ki duaa aagahi kaa gham pahle se bhi kuchh aur sivaa kar diyaa gayaa 'akhtar' havas-garaan-e-aqidat ke faiz se sab kuchh ravaa ba-naam-e-khudaa kar diyaa gayaa"

"saamaan sad hazaar hain tu jaag to sahi sab vaqf-e-intizaar hain tu jaag to sahi ghaafil nazar uThaa ki vo aasaar-e-subh-e-nau gardun pe aashkaar hain tu jaag to sahi auqaat teri quvvat-e-baazu pe munhasir lamhaat saazgaar hain tu jaag to sahi teraa yaqin teraa amal tere valvale hasti kaa e'tibaar hain tu jaag to sahi o mahv-e-khvaab dida-e-binaa ke vaaste khud jalve be-qaraar hain tu jaag to sahi be-barg be-libaas darakhton ki Tahniyaan paighaam-e-nau-bahaar hain tu jaag to sahi 'akhtar'-ziyaai niind ke maaton ke shahr mein kuchh log hoshiyaar hain tu jaag to sahi"

"burrish-e-tegh bhi hai phuul ki mahkaar bhi hai vo khamoshi ki jo sad maujib-e-izhaar bhi hai chhoDiye un ke shab-o-roz ki rudaad-e-zubun aap ko khaak-nashinon se sarokaar bhi hai maslahat mujh ko bhi malhuz hai ai ham-sukhano par mire pesh-e-nazar vaqt ki raftaar bhi hai maut ke khauf se har saans ruki jaati hai zindagi aaj koi teraa kharidaar bhi hai talkhi-e-haal ko hai ishrat-e-fardaa kaa fareb dil junun-kosh hai aur 'aql tarahdaar bhi hai mere mahbub mujhe vaqf-e-taghaaful na samajh ziist ke laakh taqaaze hain teraa pyaar bhi hai ahl-e-guftaar ki to bhiiD lagi hai 'akhtar' dekhnaa in mein koi saahab-e-kirdaar bhi hai"

"chhupe hue hain sar-e-raah sau khatar khaamosh chale chalo mere yaaraan-e-ham-safar khaamosh fazaa-e-qarya tilism-e-sukut mein gum-sum siyaah raat ke daaman mein baam-o-dar khaamosh hamaare baa'd agar rustakhez ho bhi to kyaa bisaat-e-vaqt se ham to gae guzar khaamosh ba-in navaazish-e-mausam shaguft-e-gul pe na jaa zabaan-e-haal se goyaa ba-chashm-e-tar khaamosh jo arsh-e-jaah sitaara-shikaar the un ko falak ki aankh ne dekhaa faganda-sar khaamosh har ek daur mein gunji hai zarbat-e-farhaad kabhi bhi rah na sake saahab-e-hunar khaamosh zabaan-daraaz 'ziyaai' ko rokiye saahab ye maslahat kaa taqaazaa hai al-hazar khaamosh"

"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"

"shab ki taarik raahdaari hai aur miraa khauf iztiraari hai sabz khvaabon ki kam se kam qimat zindagi bhar ki ashk-baari hai ik musallat-shuda tamaddun ko ye na kahiye ki ikhtiyaari hai shash-jihaati mushaahida hai miyaan tajrabon ki sanad pe bhaari hai shukriya aap ki mohabbat kaa dil kaa maqsum sogvaari hai tajziye sun ke muskuraa denaa apni itni hi zimmedaari hai"

"ye hai mai-kada yahaan rind hain yahaan sab kaa saaqi imaam hai ye haram nahin hai ai shaikh ji yahaan paarsaai haraam hai jo zaraa si pi ke bahak gayaa use mai-kade se nikaal do yahaan tang-nazar kaa guzar nahin yahaan ahl-e-zarf kaa kaam hai koi mast hai koi tishna-lab to kisi ke haath mein jaam hai magar is pe koi kare bhi kyaa ye to mai-kade kaa nizaam hai ye janaab-e-shaikh kaa falsafa hai 'ajib saare jahaan se jo vahaan piyo to halaal hai jo yahaan piyo to haraam hai tujhe apne husn kaa vaasta mere shauq-e-did pa rahm khaa zaraa muskuraa ke naqaab uThaa ki nazar ko shauq-e-salaam hai na sunnaa to huur o qusur ki ye hikaayatein mujhe vaa'izaa koi baat kar dar-e-yaar ki dar-e-yaar hi se to kaam hai na to e'tikaaf se kuchh gharaz na savaab-o-zuhd se vaasta tiri diid aisi namaaz hai na sujud hai na qayaam hai ye durust ki 'aib hai mai-kashi ye ba-jaa ki baada haraam hai magar ab savaal ye aa paDaa ki tumhaare haath mein jaam hai jo uThi to subh-e-davaam thi jo jhuki to shaam hi shaam thi tiri chashm-e-mast mein saaqiyaa miri zindagi kaa nizaam hai miraa farz hai ki paDaa rahun tiri baargaah mein saaqiyaa koi tishna-lab hai ki sair hai yahi dekhnaa tiraa kaam hai isi kaaenaat mein ai 'jigar' koi inqalaab uThegaa phir ki buland ho ke bhi aadmi abhi khvaahishon kaa ghulaam hai"