jaane kis ki talash un ki aankhon mein thi
aarzu ke musafir
bhatakte rahe
jitna bhi wo chale
itne hi bichh gae
rah mein fasle
khwab manzil the
aur manzilen khwab thin
raston se nikalte rahe raste
jaane kis waste
aarzu ke musafir bhatakte rahe
jin pe sab chalte hain
aise sab raste chhod ke
ek anjaan pagdandi ki ungli thame hue
ek sitare se
ummid bandhe hue samt ki
har guman ko yaqin man ke
apne dil se
koi dhoka khate hue jaan ke
sahra sahra
samundar ko wo dhundte
kuchh sarabon ki jaanib
rahe gamzan
yun nahin tha
ki un ko khabar hi na thi
ye samundar nahin
lekin un ko kahin
shayad ehsas tha
ye fareb
un ko mahw-e-safar rakkhega
ye sabab tha
ki tha aur koi sabab
jo liye un ko phirta raha
manzilon manzilon
raste raste
jaane kis waste
aarzu ke musafir bhatakte rahe
aksar aisa hua
shahr-dar-shahr
aur basti basti
kisi bhi dariche mein
koi charagh-e-mohabbat na tha
be-rukhi se bhari
sari galiyon mein
sare makanon ke
darwaze yun band the
jaise ek sard
khamosh lahje mein
wo kah rahe hon
murawwat ka aur mehrbani ka maskan
kahin aur hoga
yahan to nahin hai
yahi ek manzar samete the
shahron ke pathrile sab raste
jaane kis waste
aarzu ke musafir bhatakte rahe
aur kabhi yun hua
aarzu ke musafir the
jalti sulagti hui dhup mein
kuchh darakhton ne sae bichhae magar
un ko aisa laga
sae mein jo sukun
aur aaram hai
manzilon tak pahunchne na dega unhen
aur yun bhi hua
mahki kaliyon ne khushbu ke paigham bheje unhen
un ko aisa laga
chand kaliyon pe kaise qanaat karen
un ko to dhundhna hai
wo gulshan ki jis ko
kisi ne abhi tak hai dekha nahin
jaane kyun tha unhen is ka pura yaqin
der ho ya sawer un ko lekin kahin
aise gulshan ke mil jaenge raste
jaane kis waste
aarzu ke musafir bhatakte rahe
dhup dhalne lagi
bas zara der mein raat ho jaegi
aarzu ke musafir jo hain
un ke qadmon tale
jo bhi ek rah hai
wo bhi shayad andhere mein kho jaegi
aarzu ke musafir bhi
apne thake-haare be-jaan pairon pe
kuchh der tak ladkhadaenge
aur gir ke so jaenge
sirf sannata sochega ye raat bhar
manzilen to unhen jaane kitni milin
ye magar
manzilon ko samajhte rahe jaane kyun raste
jaane kis waste
aarzu ke musafir bhatakte rahe
aur phir ek sawere ki ujli kiran
tirgi chir ke
jagmaga degi
jab an-ginat rahguzaron pe bikhre hue
un ke naqsh-e-qadam
aafiyat-gahon mein rahne wale
ye hairat se majbur ho ke kahenge
ye naqsh-e-qadam sirf naqsh-e-qadam hi nahin
ye to daryaft hain
ye to ijad hain
ye to afkar hain
ye to ashaar hain
ye koi raqs hain
ye koi rag hain
in se hi to hain aarasta
sari tahzib o tarikh ke
waqt ke
zindagi ke sabhi raste
wo musafir magar
jaante-bujhte bhi rahe be-khabar
jis ko chhu len qadam
wo to bas rah thi
un ki manzil digar thi
alag chah thi
jo nahin mil sake us ki thi aarzu
jo nahin hai kahin us ki thi justuju
shayad is waste
aarzu ke musafir bhatakte rahe