Ek Zati Nazm

main aksar dekhne jata tha us ko jis ki man marti

aur apne dil mein kahta tha ye kaisa shaKHs? hai ab bhi

jiye jata hai aaKHir kaun us ke ghar mein hai jis ke

liye ye saKHtiyan sahta hai taklifen uThata hai

thakan din ki sameTe shab ko ghar jaane pe kaun us ke

liye dahliz par baiTha dua ki mishalen dil mein

jalae dida-e-be-KHwab ki har rah darwaze

ki darzon se nikalega KHuda ki mehrbani ek

haqiqat hi sahi kuchh qahr-aluda bhi hai jo us

ki na-farmaiyon karte hain un ke waste us ne

dahakti aag bhi tayyar rakkhi hai dil-e-kafir

mein us ki mehrbani aur rahmat ka tasawwur bhi

jab aaya mamta ke lafz ki surat mein aaya hai

meri viran aankhon ne phir aisa waqt bhi dekha

ki suraj jal raha tha raushni manzar se ghaeb thi

KHuda zinda tha lekin us ki rahmat sar se ghaeb thi

unhi aankhon mein mere KHairiyat se lauT aane par

na tha ashk-e-masarrat bhi ki meri rah takna jin

ki binai ka masraf tha wo lab do chaar din pahle

mere mathe pe ho kar sabt jo kahte the tum jao

tumhaari naukri ki baat hai beTe! main achchhi hun

mujhe ab jaan ka KHatra nahin hai aur agar kuchh ho

gaya to hum tumhein fauran bula lenge chale jao

(agar mar jaun main to sabr kar lena KHuda-hafiz)

magar ye baat 'qasir' in labon se kab suni main ne

ise malum tha shayad ki maen mar nahin saktin

dil-e-aulad mein ek yaad ban kar zinda rahti hain

bulaya to gaya mujh ko magar wo lab? kahan wo lab?

mere faqa-zada bachpan ko nindon se gureazan, pa

ke jo pariyon ke afsane sunate the to main KHwabon

mein KHud ko un ke dastar-KHwanon par maujud pata tha

sakat baqi nahin hai un labon mein aaj itni bhi

ki meri KHatir ek harf-e-dua ka bojh uTha lete

mujhe jo dekhne aate hain kahte hain main zinda hun

main khata hun ki ye bhi zindagi ki ek zarurat hai

magar har zaiqe mein ek talKHi ka izafa hai

kisi diwar ka saya ho ya ho peD ki chhanw

mera jism-e-barhana chhedti rahti hain kirnen ab

hua wo hath ghaeb jo ki meri zat par hote

hue har war ko baDh baDh ke KHud par rok leta tha

dua ko hath uThata hun duaen us ki KHatir hain

main goya hun ki meri sab sadaen us ki KHatir hain

mohabbat us ki KHatir hai wafaen us ki KHatir hain

ki meri ibtidaen, intihaen us ki KHatir hain