azaab-e-barq-o-baaraan thaa andheri raat thi — Aftab Hussain

ye soch kar bhi to us se nibaah ho na sakaa
kisi se ho bhi sakaa hai miraa guzaara kahin

apne hi dam se charaaghaan hai vagarna 'aaftaab'
ik sitaara bhi miri viraan shaamon mein nahin

kyaa khabar mere hi siine mein paDi soti ho
bhaagtaa phirtaa huun jis rog-bhari raat se main

kin manzaron mein mujh ko mahaknaa thaa 'aaftaab'
kis regzaar par huun main aa kar khilaa huaa

kab tak saath nibhaataa aakhir
vo bhi duniyaa mein rahtaa hai

dil-e-muztar vafaa ke baab mein ye jald-baazi kyaa
zaraa ruk jaaein aur dekhein natija kyaa nikaltaa hai

har ek shaakh pe viraaniyaan musallat hain
badan-darakht bhi goyaa hai aashiyaan-e-shab

aisi duniyaa mein kab tak guzaaraa karein tum hi kah do ki kaise gavaaraa karein
raat mujh se miri bebasi ne kahaa bebasi ke liye ek taaza ghazal

shor din ko nahin sone detaa
shab ko sannaaTaa jagaa detaa hai

lipTaa ke shab-e-vasl vo us shokh kaa kahnaa
kuchh aur havas is se ziyaada to nahin hai

ye raat subh mein tabdil hone vaali hai
sab apni apni kahaani kaa ikhtitaam karein

shab ki tanhaaiyon mein yaad us ki
jhilmilaataa huaa diyaa jaise