main jab basti ki sarhad par khada ho kar
ufuq mein dubti rahon ko takta tha

to wo ro ro ke kahti thi
mujhe dar hai

tujhe ye na-taras rahen na kar dalen juda mujh se
main apni nim tarsan ungliyon se us ke aansu ponchh kar kahta tha

ab kaisa juda hona
magar main dil mein darta tha

ki in rahon se waqif tha
inhi rahon pe chal kar is dayar-e-ghair mein aaya tha aur ye soch baitha tha

ki ye mere safar ki aakhiri manzil hai ye inam hai mera
magar har-dam ufuq mein dubti rahen

sunahre baadalon ki raushnai se
hawa mein kuchh purani bastiyon ke nam likhti thin

use ek roz main ne kah diya mujh ko mare ajdad ka madfan bulata hai
meri jaan mujh ko jaana hai

magar tujh bin na jaunga
wo ek but ki tarah sar ko jhukae chup rahi lekin

khamoshi ko zaban kahte to sab kuchh kah gai mujh se
jo aansu us ki palkon se gire the khushk mitti par

unhen main ne tadapte sochte aur bolte dekha
phir ek shab us ke pahlu se main uttha aur ufuq mein

dubti rahon pe chalta apne aaba
ki us mitti ki khushbu ke taaqub

mein chala aaya jo mere khwabon mein
palti thi

mujhe pahlu se gum pa kar wo sada be-zaban ladki magar kya sochti hogi