na puchh ai mire gham-khvaar kyaa tamannaa thi — Gulnar Aafreen

"shajar-e-umid bhi jal gayaa vo vafaa ki shaakh bhi jal gai mire dil kaa naqsha badal gayaa miri subh raat mein Dhal gai vahi zindagi jo bahar-nafas jo bahar-qadam mire saath thi kabhi meraa saath bhi chhoD kar miri manzilein bhi badal gai na vo aarzu hai na justuju na koi tasavvur-e-rang-o-bu liye dil mein daagh-e-gham-e-khizaan main chaman se duur nikal gai tiri chaal puuri na ho saki tiraa vaar khaali chalaa gayaa zaraa dekh gardish-e-aasmaan ki main girte girte sanbhal gai tiri chaahaton se sanvar gae ye mire jamaal ke aaine main gulaab ban ke mahak uThi main shafaq ke rang mein Dhal gai ye tilism-e-mausam-e-gul nahin ki ye mo'jiza hai bahaar kaa vo kali jo shaakh se gir gai vo sabaa ki god mein pal gai vahi saaat-e-gham-e-aarzu jo hamesha dil mein basi rahi hai khudaa kaa shukr ki 'aafrin' vo hamaare sar se to Tal gai"

"na saath degaa koi raah aashnaa meraa judaa hai saare zamaane se raasta meraa guzar ke aai huun main gham ke regzaaron se nazar udaas hai dil hai dukhaa huaa meraa na jaane kis liye qaatil ke ashk bhar aae faraaz-e-daar pe jab saamnaa huaa meraa dayaar-e-jaan mein farozaan rahegi sham-e-hayaat samajh liyaa tiri aankhon ne muddaaa meraa kiyaa hai pesh tujhe aansuon kaa nazraana hujum-e-shaam-e-alam aur dil jalaa meraa vo saaneha mire dil par guzar gayaa 'gulnaar' har ek harf-e-duaa be-sadaa huaa meraa"

"aansu bhi vahi karb ke saae bhi vahi hain ham gardish-e-dauraan ke sataae bhi vahi hain kyaa baat hai kyuun shahr mein ab ji nahin lagtaa haalaanki yahaan apne paraae bhi vahi hain auraaq-e-dil-o-jaan pe jinhein tum ne likhaa hai naghmaat-e-alam ham ne sunaae bhi vahi hain ai josh-e-junun dard kaa aalam bhi vahi hai ai vahshat-e-jaan dard ke saae bhi vahi hain dekhaa hai jinhein aah-ba-lab chaak-garebaan har daagh-e-alam dil mein chhupaae bhi vahi hain sau rang bikhereinge mohabbat ke shagufe 'gulnaar' chaman mein hamein laae bhi vahi hain"

"ai shahr-e-sitam-pesha bataa kis ko sadaa duun ab kaun rahaa hai jise paighaam-e-vafaa duun shaamil miri saanson mein hai sadiyon ki aziyyat aa gardish-e-dauraan main tujhe bhi to duaa duun ashkon ke guhar bhi to nahin paas mire ab main soch rahi huun gham-e-dauraan tujhe kyaa duun Darti huun bikhar jaaegi khaakistar-e-jaan bhi bujhte hue shoalon main tumhein kaise havaa duun vo log jo sargarm-e-takallum hain sar-e-bazm kaise unhein aadaab takallum ke sikhaa duun ai raat saraabon ke sivaa kuchh na milegaa main din ke ujaale mein agar shama jalaa duun 'gulnaar' sar-e-shaakh-e-chaman laala-o-gul ko de de vo ijaazat to mahakne ki adaa duun"

"aankh mein ashk liye khaak liye daaman mein ek divaana nazar aataa hai kab se ban mein mere ghar ke bhi dar-o-baam kabhi jaageinge dhuup niklegi kabhi to mire bhi aangan mein kahiye aaina-e-sad-fasl-e-bahaaraan tujh ko kitne phulon ki mahak hai tire pairaahan mein shab-e-taarik miraa raasta kyaa rokegi mire aanchal mein sitaare hain sahar daaman mein kin shahidon ke lahu ke ye farozaan hain charaagh raushni si jo hai zindaan ke har ik rauzan mein ahd-e-rafta ki tamannaa kaa fusun zinda hai dil-e-naakaam abhi tak tiri har dhaDkan mein hamein manzur nahin agli ravaayaat-e-junun baa-khirad ho gai 'gulnaar' divaana-pan mein"

"vo charaagh-e-zist ban kar raah mein jaltaa rahaa haath mein vo haath le kar umr bhar chaltaa rahaa ek aansu yaad kaa Tapkaa to dariyaa ban gayaa zindagi bhar mujh mein ek tufaan saa paltaa rahaa jaanti huun ab use main paa nahin sakti magar har jagah saae ki surat saath kyuun chaltaa rahaa jo meri nazron se ojhal ho chukaa muddat hui vo khayaalon mein basaa aur sher mein Dhaltaa rahaa ranj thaa 'gulnaar' mujh ko us ko bhi afsos thaa der tak rotaa rahaa aur haath bhi maltaa rahaa"

"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"

"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"

"Tuut kar ab sanvar gayaa huun main is tarah se bikhar gayaa huun main jo tire naam ki gali hai vo us gali se guzar gayaa huun main yaadein teri sameT laayaa huun aaj jab se udhar gayaa huun main khud mukarnaa sikhaa diyaa us ne phir kahaa ki mukar gayaa huun main kal talak jo na kar sakaa thaa main aaj vo kaam kar gayaa huun main yuun kahin main nahin Thahartaa par tere dar par Thahar gayaa huun main"

"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"

"murattab aur bhi ik goshvaara ho rahaa hai to kyaa hai gar abhi ham ko khasaara ho rahaa hai hamaare paas to ham se ziyaada tu nahin thaa so tu kyaa ab to khud se bhi kinaara ho rahaa hai hamaare khvaab mein ahmiyat-e-shab thi ziyaada so ab vo khvaab aankhon mein sitaara ho rahaa hai tumhaari aarzu hone se pahle bhi to ham the guzaara ho rahaa thaa so guzaara ho rahaa hai hayaa-aalud aankhein hain na aanchal hai na chilman ye kis viraan duniyaa kaa nazaara ho rahaa hai abhi ham faisla karne ki ujlat mein nahin hain magar lagtaa hai jiine se khasaara ho rahaa hai khalaa se is zamin par sang-rezo ki ye baarish kisi jaanib se kyaa koi ishaara ho rahaa hai"

"choT par choT khaa rahaa huun main 'aadatan muskuraa rahaa huun main us ke uupar to kuchh asar hi nahin apnaa dil kyon jalaa rahaa huun main aaj tanhaai mein jo baiThe ho kyaa tumhein yaad aa rahaa huun main kaun aaegaa mujh se milne ko apnaa ghar kyon sajaa rahaa huun main aaj ji bhar ke dekh lo mujh ko ab bahut duur jaa rahaa huun main kyaa tumhein ab bhi kuchh shikaayat hai ab to sab kuchh kamaa rahaa huun main haath mein Digriyaan sajaae hue Thokarein kitni khaa rahaa huun main ab mujhe peT in se bharnaa hai ye jo khanjar banaa rahaa huun main kal koi is ko bhi na chhoDegaa ye jo paudaa lagaa rahaa huun main"