shokh the rang har ik daur mein afsaanon ke — Mukhtar Siddiqui

"is ki shikaayat kaun karegaa dil ki vo haalat gar na rahi baare tere talavvun se yaksaani-e-shaam-o-sahar na rahi apni tarah is vahshat-gaah mein har unvaan se rusvaa hai jab se fughaan-e-nim-shabi mamnun-e-baab-e-asar na rahi unchi shaakh kaa phuul bhi kyaa aur qurbat ki makhmuri kyaa dur-o-qarib ki koi yaad bhi raahat-e-dil ban kar na rahi jiite rahe to Thaani hai ye naumidaana ziist karein aur koi tadbir na thi jo ab tak pesh-e-nazar na rahi kis birte par baatein banaaein yaani sher shiaar karein rang-e-zamaana dekh ke ham ko himmat-e-arz-e-hunar na rahi"

"tire jalve tere hijaab ko meri hairaton se numu mili ki thaa shab se din kabhi tira-tar kabhi shab hi aaina-ru mili tiri qurbaton se bhi kyaa huaa tiri duriyon kaa to kyaa gila vo maqaam main hi na paa sakaa mujhe jis maqaam pe tu mili vo havaaon hi se baras paDe vo tiri nigah se chhalak uThe koi be-khudi na hamein mili ki jo be-niyaaz-e-subu mili vo ho fasl-e-gul ki fazaa-e-dil jo milaa kahin to junun milaa magar ik khirad hi na mil saki jo mili to sarf-e-rafu mili"

"thi to sahi par aaj se pahle aisi haqir faqir na thi dil ki sharaafat zehn ki jaudat itni baDi taqsir na thi sach kahte ho ham aise kahaan aur soz-o-gudaaz-e-ishq kahaan sach hai mire aaina-e-dil mein koi kabhi tasvir na thi ab jo uchaaT hui hai tabiat shaayad ab ham rukhsat hain bin-kaaran be-baat vagarna aisi kabhi dil-gir na thi ahl-e-junun ko fasl-e-khizaan se ab ke bhi go na rabt rahaa ab ke bahaar vo aai ki jis ki bu-e-gul bhi safir na thi aakhir ghairat ne samjhaayaa nau-midaanaa ziist karein baaqi har tadbir to ki jo apne khilaaf-e-zamir na thi"

"dhyaan ki mauj ko phir aaina-simaa kar lein kuchh tajalli ki huzuri kaa bhi yaaraa kar lein aaj kaa din bhi yunhi biit gayaa shaam hui aur ik raat kaa kaTnaa bhi gavaaraa kar lein jin khayaalon ke ulaT pher mein uljhin saansein un mein kuchh aur bhi saanson kaa izaafa kar lein jin malaalon se lahu dil kaa banaa hai aansu un ke aankhon se barasne kaa nazaaraa kar lein ehtiyaaton ki guzargaahein hui hain sunsaan ab chhupaayaa huaa har ghaav huvaidaa kar lein"

"phir bahaar aai hai phir josh mein saudaa hogaa zakhm-e-derinaa se phir khuun Tapaktaa hogaa biiti baaton ke vo naasur hare phir honge baat niklegi to phir baat ko rakhnaa hogaa yurishein kar ke umanD aaeingi suuni shaamein laakh bhaTkein kisi unvaan na saveraa hogaa ji ko samjhaaeinge matvaali havaa ke jhonke phir koi laakh sambhaale na sambhalnaa hogaa kaisi rut aai havaa chalti hai ji Doltaa hai ab to hansnaa bhi taDapne kaa bahaanaa hogaa TuuT jaaegaa ye laachaari-e-daaem kaa fusun aur is tarah ki jaise koi aataa hogaa dil dhaDakne ki sadaa aaegi sune-pan mein duur baadal kahin parbat pe garajtaa hogaa"

"raat ke baad vo subh kahaan hai din ke baad vo shaam kahaan jo aashufta-sari hai muqaddar us mein qaid-e-maqaam kahaan bhigi raat hai suuni ghaDiyaan ab vo jalva-e-aam tamaam bandhan toD ke jaaun lekin ai dil ai naakaam kahaan ab vo hasrat-e-rusvaa ban kar juzv-e-hayaat hai barson se jis se vahshat karte the tum ab vo khayaal-e-khaam kahaan ziist ki rah mein ab ham be-his tanhaa sar-ba-girebaan hain kuchh aalaam kaa saath huaa thaa vo bhi naafarjaam kahaan karni karte raahein takte ham ne umr ganvaai hai khubi-e-qismat DhunD ke haari ham aise naakaam kahaan apne haal ko jaan ke ham ne faqr kaa daaman thaamaa hai jin daamon ye duniyaa milti utne hamaare daam kahaan"

"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"

"zindagi bojhal hui aazaar se jism jhuktaa jaa rahaa hai baar se doston ne is qadar dhoke diye aur raghbat baDh gai aghyaar se zindagi kaa ik nayaa imkaan huaa ik daricha khul gayaa divaar se ab bayaan kaise karun rudaad-e-gham kaam mushkil hai dil-e-naa-chaar se hijr ki raaton mein bahtaa hi rahaa ek naala chashm-e-dariyaa-baar se misl-e-majnun regzaaron mein rahe sar paTakte ret ki divaar se ham asiraan-e-mohabbat hain yahaan uljhe hain ab gesu-e-khamdaar se 'qalb' teri ghazlein yuun shaadaan karein dard nikle hai tire ashaar se"

"zindagi dushvaar hogi ye kabhi sochaa na thaa vo bagule gham ke uTThe jin kaa andesha na thaa saamne tum aa gae ho to bataa duun jaan-e-jaan jaise dil dhaDkaa thaa ab ki vaise dil dhaDkaa na thaa ye iraada kar liyaa thaa ham na bichhDeinge kabhi TuTeinge ik pal mein rishte ye kabhi sochaa na thaa yaad-e-maazi miT rahi hai vaqt ki raftaar se ab tasavvur mein hamaare koi bhi chehra na thaa sakht hairat ho rahi hai dekh kar apnaa vajud dhuup mein the sab ke saaye par miraa saayaa na thaa shauq-e-manzil dekh meri dekh meraa hausla shahr-e-dil ke raaston mein main kabhi Thahraa na thaa 'qalb' ko sahraa-navardi raas kyaa aati bhalaa vo kabhi aavaargi mein dar-ba-dar bhaTkaa na thaa"