dhundlakon ke barik dhagon mein lipti hui
mutmain be-khabar

main ne dekha wo mujh par jhuki thi
wo chashm-e-hasin jis ke har ang mein mamta thi

mujhe yun laga tha wo chashm-e-hasin to mujhe
bas mujhe ghurti hai

kisi aur ko dekhne ki use na to fursat
na himmat na khwahish

faqat markaz-e-hast ko dekhti hai
mujhe dekhti hai

main us aankh ki jhil mein tairte sabz bajre
ki darzon se riste hue garm sayyal sone ki bundon

ke pichhe lapakta raha jugnuon se mujhe un dinon kaisi raghbat thi
main jalte-bujhte hue paikaron ko pakad kar

unhen apne tan par sajaane ki khwahish mein
kis darja bebas hua tha

ki main khud bhi shayad
chamakte hue jugnuon ke samundar mein

ek jalta bujhta sa jugnu tha
apne hi ham-zad ko dhundhta tha

zamana wo maktab se bhaga hua wahshi ladka
jo mere taaqub mein gir gir ke pagal hua tha

use dhun agar thi to bas is qadar thi
ki wo apni mutthi mein mujh ko giraftar kar ke dikhae

zaman-o-makan ki hadon mein
kisi saf takhti ke chehre pe likkhe

siyahi ke be-nam nuqte pe rukne ka khugar banae
magar main to us aankh ke aab-e-gham ka shanawar

zamane ki mutthi mein aane se bezar tha
jaanta tha ki zalim zamana to wahshi parinde ki surat

gurasna nigahon ke ghurfon se mujh ko hamesha takega
main is baat se aashna tha

ki main gar ruka
to mujhe aankh se garm aansu ki surat tapakna padega

kisi sabz moti ki thandi lahad mein utarna padega
phir ek roz

wahshi parinde ki pahli jhapat mujh pe nazil hui
aankh rone lagi

aur main zakhm ko chatta
jhil ke paniyon mein sisakta phira

aankh roti rahi
har jhapat par wo aansu ke qatron mein dhal kar

kinaron se bahar nikal kar bikharti hui
aur phir ek din

jhil pani ke amrit se khali hui
jalne bujhne ke aalam se aazad ho kar

zaman-o-makan ki hadon mein
kisi saf takhti ke chehre pe dhabba bani

aur main
nile aakash par chikhte aur hanste hue us parinde

ki aankhon mein apni hi taswir ko dekh kar muskuraya
siyahi ke jadu se bahar nikal kar main apne hi irfan se jagmagaya

zamana mujhe dekh kar mujh pe jhapta
magar main to ek jhil tha mere andar zamanon ke bajre the

bajron se sayyal sone ki kirnen nikalne lagi thin
zamana mujhe apne panje mein lene ko jhapta magar ek pal mein

wo khud meri mutthi mein mahbus tha
ek jugnu jise main ne mathe pe qashqa bana kar lagaya

jise main ne moti ki thandi lahad mein utara
jise main ne thandi lahad ke kinare ka katba banaya