wo aalam khwab ka tha
so rahe the sab

magar ek wo
akela jag utha tha

kuchh aise nind tuti thi
ki har har uzw be-kal tha

badan sara
taghayyur ki talab mein

mahi-be-ab ki surat tadapta tha
junun-o-be-qarari ne

ragon mein bijliyan bhar din
hazaron sal se rakkhe hue patthar ko sarkaya

wo apne ghaar se bahar nikal aaya
nigahen raushni se chaar ho kar jun hi paltin

us ne khud ko
zindagi se wasl ke imkan mein paya

bahut lamba bahut dushwar rasta tai kiya us ne
na jaane kitne dariya koh-o-sahra darmiyan aae

tilism-o-haft-khwan aae
tab us shahr-e-buland-o-baala-o-pur-kaif mein pahuncha

jahan insan aur haiwan sab bedar rahte the
bade be-khar hote the

zaban thi sukh ke kanta
papote phul ke kuppa

ki us par jagte rahne ka aisa shauq ghaalib tha
badan wahshat ka talib tha

magar ye kya
use malum ye kab tha

zara jo mukhtalif ho
shahr-e-bedaran mein us par kya guzarti hai

dukanen jin ki unchi thin
use mukhbir samajhte the

jo masha-khor the pheri lagate the
use pagal batate the

wahan bazar mein koi use kuchh bhi na deta tha
jo sikke pas the us ke unhen koi na leta tha

wo wapas ja na sakta tha
khuda-e-lam-yazal ke hukm se

us ghaar ka munh band tha phir se
ajab be-yawari na-ashnai thi

saza mahz us ne
aankh khul jaane ki pai thi