raaste khauf-zada karte rahe — 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"

"tujh ko khiffat se bachaa luun paani tishnagi apni chhupaa luun paani khaak uDti hai har ik chehre par kis ki aankhon se nikaalun paani dhuup dariyaa pe nazar rakhti hai tujh ko kuuze mein chhupaa luun paani uDte phirte hain saron par baadal khvaab aankhon mein basaa luun paani roz bachchon ko sulaa duun yunhi roz patthar ko ubaalun paani aag se kheltaa hai kal mujh ko aa tujhe apnaa banaa luun paani khaarzaaron pe chalun nange paanv khushk dharti ki duaa luun paani sabr ki had bhi to kuchh hoti hai kitnaa palkon pe sambhaalun paani bhuul jaaun na kahin tairaaki kyuun na kashti hi jalaa luun paani apni vahshat kaa ik izhaar sahi kar ke sard aag jalaa luun paani zakhm ho phuul ho yaa angaara ho jo raushan to bulaa luun paani shart hai teri rifaaqat varna vaqt ki aag mein Daalun paani aag matlub-e-lab-e-tishna hai main tujhe kaise bulaa luun paani chashm-e-ahbaab jo ho khushk 'ataa' khuun ko apne banaa luun paani"

"aaina toD de rihaa kar de bevafaa ik yahi vafaa kar de rishta-e-dard toD de dil se rang ko phuul se judaa kar de zindagi-bhar tujhi ko chaahaa hai qarz kuchh to miraa adaa kar de de rahaa hai zakaat-e-husn agar mire haq se zaraa baDhaa kar de muddatein ho gaiin tujhe dekhe ab to milne kaa silsila kar de phir koi gul khile sar-e-mizhgaan phir dar-e-khvaab koi vaa kar de ik sitaare ko bakhsh kar mire khvaab phir use meraa aaina kar de baiThtaa jaa rahaa hai jaan kaa ghubaar ab use mujh se maavaraa kar de ai faqir-e-dayaar-e-laili-jaan mire haq mein bhi kuchh duaa kar de"

"dam-ba-khud meri anaa teri adaa bhi dam-ba-khud tere pahlu mein rahaa main aur rahaa bhi dam-ba-khud dekhiye pahle lahu Tapke ki phailein kirchiyaan dam-ba-khud teri nazar bhi aaina bhi dam-ba-khud itnaa sannaaTaa ki jaise avvalin shaam-e-firaaq dam-ba-khud hai aasmaan bhi aur havaa bhi dam-ba-khud yaad hai tujh ko vo pahle lams ki hiddat ki jab rah gai thi dafatan teri hayaa bhi dam-ba-khud ek se aalam mein donon mukhtalif asbaab se dam-ba-khud teraa karam meri duaa bhi dam-ba-khud aisaa lagtaa hai ki donon se nahin nisbat mujhe dam-ba-khud umr-e-ravaan sail-e-fanaa bhi dam-ba-khud khauf-e-tajdid-e-taaluq darmiyaan haail rahaa dam-ba-khud teraa sitam meraa galaa bhi dam-ba-khud yuun gumaan hotaa hai donon ki tavaqqoa ek thi dam-ba-khud teri vafaa meri sazaa bhi dam-ba-khud jab khule meri haqiqat tum vo manzar dekhnaa dam-ba-khud naa-aashnaa bhi aashnaa bhi dam-ba-khud"

"yaar ke bhes mein mahbub sitamgar niklaa phuul ham jis ko samajhte the vo patthar niklaa ek roTi ke evaz de gayaa jannat ki duaa mere kuche kaa bhikaari bhi mukhayyar niklaa aaj-kal aankh kaa dekhaa bhi ghalat hotaa hai jis ko samjhe the apaahij vo tavangar niklaa vaqt kamzor ko shah-zor banaa detaa hai shaam ko Duubaa magar subh mein khaavar niklaa ghar badalne se bhi taqdir badal jaati hai siip mein paani paDaa ban ke vo gauhar niklaa jo mire zehn-o-takhayyul mein bahut unchaa thaa us kaa qad taalib-e-duniyaa ke baraabar niklaa jis ke zimme thi mire ghar ki hifaazat 'muztar' dushmanon kaa mire vo shakhs bhi ham-sar niklaa"

"dard kab dil mein mehrbaan na rahaa haan magar qaabil-e-bayaan na rahaa ham jo gulshan mein the bahaar na thi jab bahaar aai aashiyaan na rahaa gham garaan jab na thaa garaan thaa mujhe jab garaan ho gayaa garaan na rahaa doston kaa karam maaaz-allaah shikva-e-jaur-e-dushmanaan na rahaa bijliyon ko duaaein detaa huun dosh par baar-e-aashiyaan na rahaa"

"havaa ke siing na pakDo khadeD deti hai zamin se peDon ke Taanke udheD deti hai main chup karaataa huun har shab umaDti baarish ko magar ye roz gai baat chheD deti hai zamin saa dusraa koi sakhi kahaan hogaa zaraa saa biij uThaa le to peD deti hai rundhe gale ki duaaon se bhi nahin khultaa dar-e-hayaat jise maut bheD deti hai"