aage badhne wale
badan ko kapdon par odhte
aur chhuriyan tez kar ke nikalte hain
bhid ko chir kar rasta banate
nakhunon se noch lete hain
libas aur izzaten-
surkh mirchon se har aankh ko andha kar dete hain
aur badh jate hain
raunat-bhari muskurahat ke sath
chikhte aur chup kara dete hain
sar-e-am raqs karte hain
aur gadiyan takra jati hain
ladke lad padte
mard, patlunen kas lete
aur budhe, tambaku mein
gud ki miqdar badha dete hain
koi mez un ke samne jama nahin rah sakta
aur koi mahfil
un ka dakhila rok nahin sakti
wo thokar se darwaza kholte hain
aur har kursi un ke liye khali ho jati hai
un ke dabdabe se
diwaron ke palastar ukhad jata hai
kaghaz, shor karna bhul jate hain
aur mausam, irada tabdil kar lete hain
aage badhne walon se panah mangte hain
un ke sath
darte hain
zamin par jhuk kar chalne wale
bojhal khamoshi se unhen dekhte
aur guzar jate hain
aage badhne wale nahin jaante
ki aage badha ja hi nahin sakta
phir bhi wo badhte hain
pahunch kar dam lete hain
be-hayai ki shiddat
aankhon mein
motiya utarne ki raftar tez kar deti hai
har tane ki chhaal
badan par an-mit kharashen chhod jati hai
phitkiri aur wezlin se chiknaya hua mas
haddiyon se hamesha juda nahin rah sakta
har badan aur har kursi ki
ek umr hua karti hai
aur phir hum unhen dekh sakte hain
ek din
lipte hue libas mein
khala ko ghurte hue
kisi nim-tarik nasheb mein
par-kate parinde ki tarah
mitti par lotte hue
aage badhne ki paiham koshish mein