Baz-amad --- Ek Muntaj

titliyan nachti hain

phul se phul pe yun jati hain

jaise ek baat hai jo

kan mein kahni hai KHamoshi se

aur har phul hansa paDta hai sun kar ye baat

dhup mein tezi nahin

aise aata hai har ek jhonka hawa ka jaise

dast-e-shafqat hai baDi umr ki mahbuba ka

aur mere shanon ko is tarah hila jata hai

jaise main nind mein hun

aurten charKHe liye baiThi hain

kuchh kapas oTti hain

kuchh silai ke kisi kaam mein masruf hain yun

jaise ye kaam hai dar-asl har ek shai ki asas

ek se ek chuhul karti hai

koi kahti hai meri chuDiyan khankin to khankhaari meri sas

koi kahti hai bhari chandni aati nahin ras

raat ki baat sunati hai koi hans hans kar

baat ki baat sunati hai koi hans hans kar

lazzat-e-wasl hai aazar, koi kahti hai

main to ban jati hun bimar, koi kahti hai

main bhi ghus aata hun is shish-mahal mein dekho

sab hansi rok ke kahti hain nikalo is ko

ek parinda kisi ek peD ki Tahni pe chahakta hai kahin

ek gata hua yun jata hai dharti se falak ki jaanib

puri quwwat se koi gend uchhaale jaise

ek phudakta hai sar-e-shaKH pe jis tarah koi

aamad-e-fasl-e-bahaari ki KHushi mein nache

gundni bojh se apne hi jhuki paDti hai

naznin jaise hai koi ye bhari mahfil mein

aur kal hath hue hain pile

koyalen kukti hain

jamunen pakki hain, aamon pe bahaar aai hai

arghanun bajta hai yakjai ka

nim ke peDon mein jhule hain jidhar dekho udhar

sawani gati hain sab laDkiyan aawaz mila kar har-su

aur is aawaz se gunj uTThi hai basti sari

main kabhi ek kabhi dusre jhule ke qarin jata hun

ek hi kam hai, wahi chehra nahin

aaKHirash puchh hi leta hun kisi se baDh kar

kyun habiba nahin aai ab tak?

khilkhila paDti hain sab laDkiyan sun kar ye nam

lo ye sapne mein hain, ek kahti hai

baoli sapna nahin, shahr se aae hain abhi

dusri Tokti hai

baat se baat nikal chalti hai

ThaT ki aai thi baraat, chambeli ne kaha

band-baja bhi tha, dipa boli

aur dulhan pe hua kitna bikher

kuchh na kuchh kahti rahin sab hi magar main ne sirf

itna puchha wo nadi bahti hai ab bhi, ki nahin

jis se wabasta hain hum aur ye basti sari?

kyun nahin bahti, chambeli ne kaha

aur wo bargad ka ghana peD kinare us ke?

wo bhi qaem hai abhi tak yunhi

wada kar ke jo 'habiba' nahin aati thi kabhi

aankhen dhota tha nadi mein jakar

aur bargad ki ghani chhanw mein so jata tha

mah o sal aate, chale jate hain

fasl pak jati hai, kaT jati hai

koi rota nahin is mauqe par

halqa-dar-halqa na aahan ko tapa kar Dhaalen

koi zanjir na ho!

zist-dar-zist ka ye silsila baqi na rahe!

bhiD hai bachchon ki chhoTi si gali mein dekho

ek ne gend jo phenki to lagi aa ke mujhe

main ne ja pakDa use, dekhi hui surat thi

kis ka hai main ne kisi se pucha?

ye habiba ka hai, ramzani qasai bola

bholi surat pe hansi aa gai us ki mujh ko

wo bhi hansne laga, hum donon yunhi hanste rahe!

der tak hanste rahe!

titliyan nachti hain

phul se phul pe yun jati hain

jaise ek baat hai jo

kan mein kahni hai KHamoshi se

aur har phul hansa paDta hai sun kar ye baat!