dekho us ne qadam qadam par sath diya begane ka
'akhtar' jis ne ahd kiya tha tum se sath nibhane ka

aaj hamare qadmon mein hai kahkashan shahr-e-mahtab
kal tak log kaha karte the khwab use diwane ka

tere lab-o-rukhsar ke qisse tere qad-o-gesu ki baat
saman hum bhi rakhte hain tanhai mein dil bahlane ka

tum bhi sunte to ro dete hum bhi kahte to rote
jaan ke hum ne chhod diya hai ek hissa afsane ka

kuchh to hai jo apnaya hai hum ne ku-e-malamat ko
waise aur tariqa bhi tha 'akhtar' dil bahlane ka