ajab pagal si ladki thi
ajab si khwahishen us ki

wo haft-aflak ki dhun mein hawa ke dosh par raqsan
lagan mein fash karne ki

zamin-o-asman ke raaz-e-sar-basta
zamin ke sath zid bandhe

ki
gird-e-mehr-e-alam-tab kyon ye raqs-e-paiham

mujhe is kulliye ko tod kar
zamin-o-asman se aage jaana hai

wahi pagal si ladki
achanak aan takrai thi mujh se

alif laila ke safhon se nikal kar
kisi rumanwi afsane ke kirdar ki surat

kabhi likh bhejti thi lafz kuchh aise ki main hairan hota tha
kabhi kahti ki

main jibril hun us ki hira ka
kabhi likh bhejti ai kuza-gar mere

tumhaare raqs karte chaak ka mearaj hun main
tumhaare fan ki hun takmil main

kabhi hanste hue ek nam deti thi
mujhe ham-zad kahti thi

ajib pagal si ladki thi
ajab si khwahishon ko lafz deti thi

ajab farmaishen karti
kabhi kahti suno ham-zad meri baat

bahut hi munfarid ho tum
nahin lagte tum is kurre ke bashinde

ki is duniya mein koi ajnabi ho tum
tumhein kun kahne wale ne faqat mere liye bheja

ajab pagal si ladki thi
wo mere iltifat-e-chashm par nazan

kabhi kahti tumhaara mujh se yun milna
meri khush-bakhti ka zamin

achanak
guftugu ke darmiyan u-turn leti thi

mujhe hairan hone ki bhi wo mohlat na deti thi
wo kah uthti

suno ek baat kahni hai
ijazat ho tumhaari gar

to bas ek tin lafzi kalima kahna hai mujhe tum se
suno alfaz ki duniya se kaisi chashm-poshi ye

main khud mein muskuraata aur phir mauzua badal deta
labon se us ke ek jharne ki qulqul jari hoti thi

main us jumle se jitna hi gurezan
wo utni hi kamar-basta

wo har din muskuraati aankhen apni
tasawwur ki nigahon se

meri aankhon mein dale
shararat se bhare jumle yun meri nazr karti thi

ijazat hai mere hamdam
kaho ab kah bhi dun

ye karb-e-jaan-lewa kab talak
rihai kab milegi is ummid-o-na-umidi se

main kah uthta agar isbaat mein radd-e-amal zahir kiya main ne
to phir tum chaar-harfi lafz ki pagal si khwahish pal baithogi

ajab pagal si ladki thi
magar

jab aaj is lamhe
ijazat mangte alfaz us ke

rida-e-khamushi ko odh kar chup-chap baithe hain
to dil mera

ajab sargoshiyan karne ko pagal
suno ham-zad meri

wahi sah-lafzi jumla
main tum se aaj kahta hun

magar aawaz ke an-dekhe sae
kisi ifrit ki surat

mujhe hi jakde rahte hain
ye pachhtawe ka barzakh aur main hun

ki ab
anasir muntashir aur gum-shuda nabzen

faza mein bazgasht ek aarzu ki gunjti har pal