itni mahngaai hai marnaa bhi agar chaahun to — Ahsan Gulfam

shahr kaa shahr ye pichhe jo paDaa hai mere
tere divaane mein kuchh baat to hoti hogi

ye shaairi kaa takalluf badan pe achchhaa libaas
sab iltizaam usi ek be-vafaa ke liye

mujh ko daavaa nahin yusuf saa hasin hone kaa
phir bhi hai meraa zulekhaaon mein charchaa saahab

rahne ko apne paas koi chhat nahin magar
chiDiyon ke chahchahaane ko aangan banaa diyaa

ab kahaan miltaa hai aashiq koi sachchaa saahab
zakhm hi koi lagaa dein mujhe achchhaa saahab

kahne ko faqat ibn-e-ali ibn-e-ali hain
dekho to kahin jazba-e-haidar nahin miltaa

jiinaa taDap taDap kar marnaa sisak sisak kar
fariyaad ek ji hai kyaa kyaa kharaabiyon mein

kisi ke ek ishaare mein kis ko kyaa na milaa
bashar ko ziist mili maut ko bahaana milaa

mar-mar ke jiein kis liye bande tire maulaa
jiinaa bhi zaraa maut saa aasaan banaa de

zindagi marg-e-talab tark-e-talab 'akhtar' na thi
phir bhi apne taane-baane mein mujhe uljhaa gai

kaajal mehndi paan misi aur kanghi choTi mein har aan
kyaa kyaa rang banaavegi aur kyaa kyaa naqshe Dhaalegi

ham chaahte the maut hi ham ko judaa kare
afsos apnaa saath vahaan tak nahin huaa