qadmon mein dastaar paDi hai — Javed Akram Farooqi

"qatl hone khud hi qaatil ke makaan tak aa gae zindagi ki justuju mein ham kahaan tak aa gae main ne kuchh maangaa nahin tere sivaa allaah se ik du'aa ke badle saaton aasmaan tak aa gae ham zabaan rakhte hue bhi be-zabaan hain shahr mein kapkapaate lafz gungi daastaan tak aa gae muskuraati chaandni kaa jism niilaa ho gayaa dhuup ke zahrile paanv saaebaan tak aa gae kam se kam dastaar to rahne de sar par muflisi ghar ke saare raaz bachchon ki zabaan tak aa gae ab buzurgon ki nasihat yaad aati hai hamein phuul chunte chunte shahr-e-sakht-jaan tak aa gae muskuraati bhuuk aur aansu bhari aankhein liye lauT kar mazdur maghrib ki azaan tak aa gae mere haathon mein abhi tak dosti kaa lams hai doston ke haath mein tir-o-kamaan tak aa gae"

"phulon ko chhune se nashtar zakhmi hogaa ab ke sar mein lag kar patthar zakhmi hogaa kaafi din ke baad safar se lauTaa huun main jism thakan se chuur hai bistar zakhmi hogaa mausam ke chehre ki shiknein kahti hain aanhkein hongi yaa phir manzar zakhmi hogaa maujein dariyaa ke siine par kyaa likhti hain sochaa to main andar andar zakhmi hogaa barg-e-gul par suraj ke neze mat rakkho bholi-bhaali titli kaa par zakhmi hogaa aaankhon ki basti mein jab baazaar sajegaa kachche sapnon kaa saudaagar zakhmi hogaa main haathon mein khanjar le kar soch rahaa huun lauTungaa to meraa bhi ghar zakhmi hogaa"

"sahar hi aai na vo shaahid-e-sahar aayaa ghubaar-e-shab kaa musaafir hi mere ghar aayaa thakan ki dhuup Dhali bhi nahin thi sar se abhi azaab-e-hukm-e-safar mujh pe phir utar aayaa diyaa jalaate hue haath kaanpte kyuun hain kahaan se khauf badan mein havaa kaa dar aayaa ye lamha lamha bikharti hui anaa kaa vajud na ye zamin na vo aasmaan nazar aayaa ridaa rahi na badan par koi qabaa shaadaab ye kaun dhuup mein dekho barahna-sar aayaa badan tamaam huaa hai lahu-luhaan miraa nai ruton kaa musaafir ba-chashm-e-tar aayaa bahut aziiz hai apne vatan ki khaak hamein jo khvaab aankhon mein aayaa vo mo'tabar aayaa"

"lahraa rahe hain shaakhon pe parcham bahaar ke rakkhe hain titliyon ne abhi gham utaar ke khvaabon ke phuul palkon ki dahliz par na rakh murjhaa na jaaein dhuup mein mausam vaqaar ke har pal hain zindagi ke taqaaze nae nae lagne lage hain khud ko bhi ab ham udhaar ke basti mein aaj bhi miri chulhe nahin jale zinda hai phir bhi subh shab-e-gham guzaar ke gum ho gayaa hai ajnabi chehron mein apnaa-pan khaamosh ho gae mujhe mahram pukaar ke zakhmon ki khushk kyaariyaan shaadaab ho gaiin kitne karam hain mujh pe mire gham-gusaar ke bechaini be-qaraari hamein raas aa gai lamhe the zindagi mein bahut kam qaraar ke"

"phuul se lahje mein talvaar kahaan se aai tujh mein ye jurat-e-inkaar kahaan se aai main to samjhaa thaa ki thak jaaungaa chalte chalte mere qadmon mein ye raftaar kahaan se aai ye to sab maan ki du'aaon kaa asar hai varna gardish-e-vaqt taraf-daar kahaan se aai kholiyaan zakhmi parindon ki tarah se taDpein TuTti raat mein ye car kahaan se aai main to pardes mein rahtaa huun mire bhaai bataa mere aangan mein ye divaar kahaan aai gir gai hai to ye ehsaas hai nange sar huun sochtaa huun ki ye dastaar kahaan se aai bint-e-iflaas ne Thukraa diyaa shahzaada-e-zar is qabile mein ye khuddaar kahaan se aai"

"yaqin se bhi gae ehtimaal se bhi gae ham apne 'ahd mein khvaab-o-khayaal se bhi gae du'aa ke haath kaTe khvaahishon ke dil TuuTe javaab se bhi gae ham savaal se bhi gae tamaam log khudaa-tars hote jaate hain amir-e-shahr ‘uruj-o-zavaal se bhi gae kise yaqin dilaaein ki ham bhi zinda hain anaa ke zakhmi khudaa indimaal se bhi gae bahut hi mahngaa paDaa un ko shauq-e-ham-safari palaT ke aae to khud apni chaal se bhi gae junun hai zinat-e-tahzib-e-mahfil-e-yaaraan amin-e-hosh-o-khirad 'arz-e-haal se bhi gae hamaaraa zikr hai dimak-zada kitaabon mein ham ahl-e-'ilm-o-hunar the misaal se bhi gae badan ko toD rahi hai nai ruton ki thakan ye karb-e-hijr ke lamhe visaal se bhi gae palaT ke jaane ki himmat muhaajiron mein na thi vatan se bhi gae ahl-o-'ayaal se bhi gae hamaare dost saf-e-dushmanaan mein shaamil hain ham aise saada-mizaaj apni Dhaal se bhi gae"

"is ishq-e-junun-khez mein kyaa kyaa nahin hotaa divaana hai jo qais se lailaa nahin hotaa kuchh hashr lahad par abhi barpaa nahin hotaa aae ho to Thahro koi zinda nahin hotaa kyuun kar ye kahun husn kaa nashsha nahin hotaa hotaa to bahut hai magar itnaa nahin hotaa kuchh kahiye to sharmaa ke jhukaa lete hain gardan bhule se bhi ab vaada-e-fardaa nahin hotaa milte hain vo dil surkh hui jaati hai chuTki naazuk hain bahut khun-e-tamannaa nahin hotaa deti hai mazaa mai kaa hamein talkhi-e-tauba jab haath mein paimaana-e-sahbaa nahin hotaa vo hashr ke din kushte ko Thukraa chuke sau-baar kuchh jaan si paD jaati hai zinda nahin hotaa boli ye tamannaa jo ruke vo dar-e-dil par ghar aap kaa hai aap se pardaa nahin hotaa tiron ko jagah dete hain jo siine mein apne un logon ke ai jaan kaleja nahin hotaa sahraa se qadam ghar ki taraf khaak uThaaun kaanTe se judaa paanv kaa chhaalaa nahin hotaa baiThe nazar aate hain vahi teri gali mein jin kaa kahin duniyaa mein Thikaanaa nahin hotaa furqat mein hai kyuun nazaa ki taklif gavaaraa mar jaaein 'riyaaz' aap se itnaa nahin hotaa"

"hai jo ik maa'raka faisal nahin hone detaa jin vo ho ke mujhe botal nahin hone detaa qatl ik roz hi kartaa huun isi goshe mein aur saabit ise maqtal nahin hone detaa zid hai us ki ki har ik shaakh ho phir sabz hi sabz garche paidaa koi konpal nahin hone detaa raushni apne khayaalon hi se karni hogi koi raushan kahin mash'al nahin hone detaa chun-ki miTTi ki bhi ek apni alag khushbu hai main kahin bhi ise sandal nahin hone detaa ik parinda ki jo sahtaa hai havaaon kaa dabaao aur parvaaz ko paidal nahin hone detaa Dar hai us ko nazar aae na kahin zehn kaa 'aks vo miraa aaina saiqal nahin hone detaa tiraa qaanun hai jangal kaa ghanimat hai ki tu mire is shahr ko jangal nahin hone detaa chalo baat us ki sunein ek 'ajab mantiq se jo kisi baat ko muhmal nahin hone detaa"

"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"

"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"

"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"

"kahe detaa huun go hai to nahin ye baat kahne ki tiri khvaahish nahin dil mein ziyaada der rahne ki bachaa kar dil guzartaa jaa rahaa huun har ta’alluq se kahaan us aable ko taab hai ab choT sahne ki rag-o-pai mein na hangaama kare to kyaa kare aakhir ijaazat jab nahin is ranj ko aankhon se bahne ki bas apni apni tarjihaat apni apni khvaahish hai tujhe shohrat kamaane ki mujhe ik she'r kahne ki jahaan kaa huun vahin ki raas aaegi fazaa mujh ko ye duniyaa bhi bhalaa koi jagah hai mere rahne ki jo kal 'irfaan' par guzri sunaa kuchh us ke baare mein khabar tum ne suni tufaan mein dariyaa ke bahne ki"