titliyan nachti hain
phul se phul pe yun jati hain
jaise ek baat hai jo
kan mein kahni hai khamoshi se
aur har phul hansa padta hai sun kar ye baat
dhup mein tezi nahin
aise aata hai har ek jhonka hawa ka jaise
dast-e-shafqat hai badi umr ki mahbuba ka
aur mere shanon ko is tarah hila jata hai
jaise main nind mein hun
aurten charkhe liye baithi hain
kuchh kapas otti hain
kuchh silai ke kisi kaam mein masruf hain yun
jaise ye kaam hai dar-asl har ek shai ki asas
ek se ek chuhul karti hai
koi kahti hai meri chudiyan khankin to khankhaari meri sas
koi kahti hai bhari chandni aati nahin ras
raat ki baat sunati hai koi hans hans kar
baat ki baat sunati hai koi hans hans kar
lazzat-e-wasl hai aazar, koi kahti hai
main to ban jati hun bimar, koi kahti hai
main bhi ghus aata hun is shish-mahal mein dekho
sab hansi rok ke kahti hain nikalo is ko
ek parinda kisi ek ped ki tahni pe chahakta hai kahin
ek gata hua yun jata hai dharti se falak ki jaanib
puri quwwat se koi gend uchhaale jaise
ek phudakta hai sar-e-shakh pe jis tarah koi
aamad-e-fasl-e-bahaari ki khushi mein nache
gundni bojh se apne hi jhuki padti hai
naznin jaise hai koi ye bhari mahfil mein
aur kal hath hue hain pile
koyalen kukti hain
jamunen pakki hain, aamon pe bahaar aai hai
arghanun bajta hai yakjai ka
nim ke pedon mein jhule hain jidhar dekho udhar
sawani gati hain sab ladkiyan aawaz mila kar har-su
aur is aawaz se gunj utthi hai basti sari
main kabhi ek kabhi dusre jhule ke qarin jata hun
ek hi kam hai, wahi chehra nahin
aakhirash puchh hi leta hun kisi se badh kar
kyun habiba nahin aai ab tak?
khilkhila padti hain sab ladkiyan sun kar ye nam
lo ye sapne mein hain, ek kahti hai
baoli sapna nahin, shahr se aae hain abhi
dusri tokti hai
baat se baat nikal chalti hai
that ki aai thi baraat, chambeli ne kaha
band-baja bhi tha, dipa boli
aur dulhan pe hua kitna bikher
kuchh na kuchh kahti rahin sab hi magar main ne sirf
itna puchha wo nadi bahti hai ab bhi, ki nahin
jis se wabasta hain hum aur ye basti sari?
kyun nahin bahti, chambeli ne kaha
aur wo bargad ka ghana ped kinare us ke?
wo bhi qaem hai abhi tak yunhi
wada kar ke jo 'habiba' nahin aati thi kabhi
aankhen dhota tha nadi mein jakar
aur bargad ki ghani chhanw mein so jata tha
mah o sal aate, chale jate hain
fasl pak jati hai, kat jati hai
koi rota nahin is mauqe par
halqa-dar-halqa na aahan ko tapa kar dhaalen
koi zanjir na ho!
zist-dar-zist ka ye silsila baqi na rahe!
bhid hai bachchon ki chhoti si gali mein dekho
ek ne gend jo phenki to lagi aa ke mujhe
main ne ja pakda use, dekhi hui surat thi
kis ka hai main ne kisi se pucha?
ye habiba ka hai, ramzani qasai bola
bholi surat pe hansi aa gai us ki mujh ko
wo bhi hansne laga, hum donon yunhi hanste rahe!
der tak hanste rahe!
titliyan nachti hain
phul se phul pe yun jati hain
jaise ek baat hai jo
kan mein kahni hai khamoshi se
aur har phul hansa padta hai sun kar ye baat!