jo mujh ko dekh ke kal raat ro pada tha bahut
wo mera kuchh bhi na tha phir bhi aashna tha bahut

main ab bhi raat gae us ki gunj sunta hun
wo harf kam tha bahut kam magar sada tha bahut

zamin ke sine mein suraj kahan se utre hain
falak pe dur koi baitha sochta tha bahut

mujhe jo dekha to kaghaz ko purze purze kiya
wo apni shakl ke khake bana raha tha bahut

main apne hath se nikla to phir kahin na mila
zamana mere taaqub mein bhi gaya tha bahut

shikast-o-rekht badan ki ab apne bas mein nahin
use bataun ki wo ramz-ashna tha bahut

bisat us ne ulat di na jaane soch ke kya
abhi to logon mein jine ka hausla tha bahut

ajab sharik-e-safar tha ki jab padaw kiya
wo mere pas na thahra magar ruka tha bahut

sehr ke chaak-e-gareban ko dekhne ke liye
wo shakhs subh talak shab ko jagta tha bahut

wo kam-sukhan tha magar aisa kam-sukhan bhi na tha
ki sach hi bolta tha jab bhi bolta tha bahut

hawa ke lams se chehre pe phul khilte the
wo chandni sa badan mauja-e-saba tha bahut

pas-e-daricha do aankhen chamakti rahti thin
ki us ko nind mein chalne ka aariza tha bahut

kahaniyon ki faza bhi use thi ras 'akhtar'
haqiqaton se bhi ohda-bar-a hua tha bahut