paarsaaon ne baDe zarf kaa izhaar kiyaa — Muhammad Shakeel Akhtar

"mumkin kahaan ghamon kaa nayaa silsila na ho jo ramz-e-iltifaat se dil aashnaa na ho vasl-e-nigaar ki nahin manzil ho dastyaab raah-e-talab mein koi agar naqsh-e-paa na ho hai mauj-e-dard ki baDi be-ghairati agar parvaaz dard-e-'ishq ki be-intihaa na ho jab husn ke hijaab mein aayaa hai inqalaab tab ishtihaa-e-did bhi kyun-kar sivaa na ho rusvaaiyon se pur hai agar 'ishq kaa mizaaj behtar hai tab dilon mein koi raabta na ho ashkon kaa khaandaan hai arfa' na mo'tabar khun-e-jigar kaa is mein agar zaaiqa na ho duniyaa maqaam-e-ibtilaa hai jaante hain sab phir kyaa javaaz-e-hashr jo mutlaq khataa na ho 'akhtar' na hogi nudrat-e-fikr-e-sukhan agar nok-e-qalam mein zauq-e-tajassus bharaa na ho"

"aahon ke silsile mire siine mein gaaD kar vo le gayaa hai jism se dil ko ukhaaD kar main huun buraa to kyaa sabhi achchhon mein hain shumaar har tanz ko main rakhtaa huun aksar pachhaaD kar rahne de muztarib mujhe 'ishq-e-zalil mein raatein tavil kar sabhi din ko pahaaD kar ik bosa sabt karne kaa e'laan kar diyaa honTon kaa jis ne rakh diyaa huliya bigaaD kar ab khaak ho na jaaein tamannaaein vasl ki jismon ke darmiyaan nahin itni daraaD kar raaton ko puchhti hai talab mujh se ye savaal kyon hijr ne rakhaa mire ghar ko ujaaD kar patthar ke jism mein nahin 'akhtar' bachaa hai kuchh kyaa faaeda hai jism ko ab chheD chhaaD kar"

"ik zalzala sukut kaa tanhaaiyon mein hai kitnaa sukun 'ishq ki rusvaaiyon mein hai hote rahein tavil nigaahon ke faasle dil kaa milan to yaadon ki gahraaiyon mein hai sab se baDaa fareb hai duniyaa ki zindagi duniyaa to chand roz ki shahnaaiyon mein hai ghultaa hai ab nigaahon mein nisfunnahaar-e-mehr itni tapish jamaal ki angDaaiyon mein hai karne lage hain log gunah ki vazaahatein paakizgi nigaahon ki sachchaaiyon mein hai 'akhtar' ko hai gumaan ki adab kaa hai vo nisaab lekin ghazal to qaafiya-paimaaiyon mein hai"

"lahu ki dhaar se jazbon ki tughyaani se niklungaa main sajda ban ke ik din teri peshaani se niklungaa tiri aankhon se honTon kaa safar mamnu' hai to phir samundar ban ke teri aankhon ke paani se niklungaa chamak aai hai aankhon mein musalsal ratjage paa kar main suraj ban ke furqat ki faraavaani se niklungaa agar uljhungaa lahje se tire ho jaaungaa paspaa main apne zabt ki had se pareshaani se niklungaa mohabbat ki shu'aa'on se bikhar kar rah gai hasti main kaise hasraton ki ab nigahbaani se niklungaa basaayaa hai muqaddar ne mujhe teri lakiron mein agar niklaa to main apni hi naadaani se niklungaa miri hasti miTaa denaa nahin mumkin hai kuza-gar agar miTTi mein gundhegaa to main paani se niklungaa main khud apni musibat aap ban ke aayaa huun 'akhtar' fanaa ho kar hi ab main soz-e-laafaani se niklungaa"

"ugaa rahe hain sabhi aankhon mein babulon ko ki jis se noch sakeinge badan ke phulon ko chalan jo dekhaa zamaane kaa bad-chalan jaisaa to main ne tark kiyaa jiine ke usulon ko tilaai bundon ki jhaDiyaan lagin jo saavan mein kunvaariyon ne shajar pe lagaayaa jhulon ko jigar pighaltaa hai to shaa'iri mein Dhaltaa hai to kaun rokegaa phir she'r ke nuzulon ko kisi kaa 'aib chhupaanaa bhi ik 'ibaadat hai farogh detaa nahin 'aib ke husulon ko buDhaapaa aayaa to aayaa khudaa bhi yaad 'akhtar' rulaa rahaa huun javaani ki apni bhulon ko"

"ik jang ke andaaz mein guftaar khaDi thi bad-rang anaa miTne ko tayyaar khaDi thi kyon 'ishq ke hi shahr pe TuuTaa thaa faqat qahr jab husn ki basti bhi gunahgaar khaDi thi ik khvaab bhi sharminda-e-taa’bir nahin thaa ik niind shabistaan mein bedaar khaDi thi aahaT hui gungi yaa samaa'at hui bahri darvaaze pe yaa phir koi divaar khaDi thi qadmon ki jasaarat rahi manzil ki taraf-daar par raahon se lipTi hui raftaar khaDi thi ehsaas ke par kaaT ke dil kar ke shikasta honTon se lagi tanz ki talvaar khaDi thi kyon husn ke baazaar mein chaltaa miraa sikka jab chashm-e-‘adu dil ki kharidaar khaDi thi ik aanch thi har naqsh-e-rukh-e-yaar mein pinhaan vo husn thaa yaa aatishi yalghaar khaDi thi rotaa rahaa 'akhtar' main gunaahon se lipaT kar aur meri khirad ik taraf bimaar khaDi thi"

"ajab mushkil ki dil kaa haal aisaa ho gayaa hai sabhi ab puchhte hain mujh se ye kyaa ho gayaa hai main ye samjhaa ki gham kaa ab mudaavaa ho gayaa hai kuredaa zakhm to ye aur taaza ho gayaa hai kabhi fursat mile to khud se main baatein karungaa mujhe khud se mile bhi to zamaana ho gayaa hai magar ab sochtaa huun toD duun saare maraasim magar dil bhi tire gham se shanaasaa ho gayaa hai miri barbaad hasti kaa nazaara dekhne ko vo aae aur gham mein phir izaafa ho gayaa hai isi dariyaa mein ab khud ko Dubonaa chaahtaa huun ki is dil kaa talaatum mein kinaare ho gayaa hai chalo bhi 'qalb' ab tum dusraa dekho Thikaanaa ki is basti mein apnaa sab paraayaa ho gayaa hai"

"khurshid jhaanktaa hai ridaa-e-sahaab se yaa nuur chhan rahaa hai kisi ke naqaab se baahar jo aaj dekh liyaa hai hijaab se suraj laraz rahaa hai tumhaare shabaab se naaseh Daraa rahe the khudaa ke 'azaab se khud hi janaab baaz na aae sharaab se lamhe guzar chuke hain jo phulon ki sej par is daur-e-pur-khatar mein vo lagte hain khvaab se khud ko to pahle dekhiye phir kahiye bevafaa bas itni iltijaa hai hamaari janaab se har roz ik na ik nai zid hai zabaan par tang aa gayaa huun main dil-e-khaana-kharaab se ahl-e-vafaa mein meraa vahi naam paD gayaa tum ne mujhe navaaz diyaa jis khitaab se kin manzilon pe meraa nishaan-e-qadam nahin puchho miraa maqaam mah-o-aaftaab se jo husn kaa kahin bhi tahaffuz na kar sake phir kaun saa hai faaeda aisi naqaab se saaya bhi jis hasin kaa DhunDe na mil sakaa be-misl vo khudaa ke hue intikhaab se sun kar hamaare she'r vo kuchh muskuraa diye 'faaruq' aaj ham bhi rahe kaamyaab se"

"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"

"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"

"muzhda ai zauq-e-asiri ki nazar aataa hai daam-e-khaali qafas-e-murgh-e-giraftaar ke paas jigar-e-tishna-e-aazaar tasalli na huaa ju-e-khun ham ne bahaai bun-e-har khaar ke paas mund gaiin kholte hi kholte aankhein hai hai khuub vaqt aae tum is 'aashiq-e-bimaar ke paas main bhi ruk ruk ke na martaa jo zabaan ke badle dashna ik tez saa hotaa mire gham-khvaar ke paas dahan-e-sher mein jaa baiThe lekin ai dil na khaDe ho jiye khubaan-e-dil-aazaar ke paas dekh kar tujh ko chaman bas-ki numu kartaa hai khud-ba-khud pahunche hai gul gosha-e-dastaar ke paas mar gayaa phoD ke sar 'ghaalib'-e-vahshi hai hai baiThnaa us kaa vo aa kar tiri divaar ke paas kab faqiron ko rasaai bu-e-mai-khvaar ke paas to bane bu dijiye maikhaane ki divaar ke paas"

"tire jamaal se ham runumaa nahin hue hain chamak rahe hain magar aaina nahin hue hain dhaDak rahaa hai tu ik ism ki hai ye barakat vagarna vaaqiye is dil mein kyaa nahin hue hain bataa na paaein to khud tum samajh hi jaao ki ham bilaa javaaz to be-maajraa nahin hue hain tiraa kamaal ki aankhon mein kuchh zabaan pe kuchh hamein to moajize aise ataa nahin hue hain ye mat samajh ki koi tujh se munharif hi nahin abhi ham ahl-e-junun lab-kushaa nahin hue hain ba-naam-e-zauq-e-sukhan khud-numaai aap karein ham is maraz mein abhi mubtalaa nahin hue hain hami vo jin kaa safar maavaraa-e-vaqt-o-vajud hami vo khud se kabhi jo rihaa nahin hue hain khud-aagahi bhi khaDi maangti hai apnaa hisaab junun ke qarz bhi ab tak adaa nahin hue hain kisi ne dil jo dukhaayaa kabhi to ham 'irfaan' udaas ho gae lekin khafaa nahin hue hain"