karim suraj jo thande patthar ko apni golai de raha hai jo apni hamwari de raha hai (wo thanda patthar jo mere manind bhure sabzon mein dur reg o hawa ki yaadon mein lotta hai) jo bahte pani ko apni dariya-dili ki sarshaari de raha hai wahi mujhe jaanta nahin magar mujhi ko ye wahm shayad ki aap-apna subut apna jawab hun main! mujhe wo pahchanta nahin hai ki meri dhimi sada zamane ki jhil ke dusre kinare se aa rahi hai ye jhil wo hai ki jis ke upar hazaron insan ufuq ke mutawazi chal rahe hain ufuq ke mutawazi chalne walon ko par lati hain waqt lahren jinhen tamanna, magar, samawi khiram ki ho inhi ko patal zamzamon ki sada sunati hain waqt lahren unhen duboti hain waqt lahren! tamam mallah us sada se sada hirasan, sada gurezan ki jhil mein ek umud ka chor chhup ke baitha hai us ke gesu ufuq ki chhat se latak rahe hain pukarta hai: ab aao, aao! azal se main muntazir tumhaara main gumbadon ke tamam raazon ko jaanta hun darakht minar burj zine mere hi sathi mere hi mutawazi chal rahe hain main har hawai-jahaz ka aakhiri basera samundaron par jahaz-ranon ka main kinara ab aao, aao! tumhaare jaise kai fasanon ko main ne un ke abad ke aaghosh mein utara tamam mallah is ki aawaz se gurezan ufuq ki shah-rah-e-mubtazil par tamam sahme hue khiraman magar samawi khiram wale jo past o baala ke aastan par jame hue hain umud ke is tanab hi se utar rahe hain isi ko thame hue bulandi pe chadh rahe hain! isi tarah main bhi sath in ke utar gaya hun aur aise sahil par aa laga hun jahan khuda ke nishan-e-pa ne panah li hai jahan khuda ki zaif aankhen abhi salamat bachi hui hain, yahi samawi khiram mera nasib nikla yahi samawi khiram jo meri aarzu tha magar na jaane wo rasta kyun chuna tha main ne ki jis pe khud se visal tak ka guman nahin hai? wo rasta kyun chuna tha main ne wo ruk gaya hai dilon ke ibham ke kinare? wahi kinara ki jis ke aage guman ka mumkin jo tu hai main hun! magar ye sach hai main tujh ko pane ki (khud ko pane ki) aarzu mein nikal pada tha us ek mumkin ki justuju mein jo tu hai main hun main aise chehre ko dhundhta tha jo tu hai main hun main aisi taswir ke taaqub mein ghumta tha jo tu hai main hun! main is taaqub mein kitne aaghaz gin chuka hun (men us se darta hun jo ye kahta hai mujh ko ab koi dar nahin hai) main is taaqub mein kitni galiyon se, kitne chaukon se, kitne gunge musass se, guzar gaya hun main is taaqub mein kitne baghon se, kitni andhi sharab raaton se, kitni banhon se, kitni chahat ke kitne bifre samundaron se guzar gaya hun main kitni hosh o amal ki shamon se, kitne iman ke gumbadon se guzar gaya hun main is taaqub mein kitne aaghaz kitne anjam gin chuka hun ab is taaqub mein koi dar hai na koi aata hua zamana har ek manzil jo rah gai hai faqat guzarta hua fasana tamam raste, tamam bujhe sawal, be-wazn ho chuke hain jawab, tarikh rup dhaare bas apni takrar kar rahe hain jawab hum hain jawab hum hain hamein yaqin hai jawab hum hain yaqin ko kaise yaqin se dohra rahe hain kaise! magar wo sab aap apni zid hain tamam, jaise guman ka mumkin jo tu hai main hun! tamam kunde (tu jaanti hai) jo sath-e-dariya pe sath dariya ke tairte hain ye jaante hain ye hadse ki jis se un ko, (kisi ko) koi mafar nahin! tamam kunde jo sath-e-dariya pe tairte hain, nahang banna ye un ki taqdir mein nahin hai (nahang ki ibtida mein hai ek nahang shamil nahang ka dil nahang ka dil!) na un ki taqdir mein hai phir se darakht banna (darakht ki ibtida mein hai ek darakht shamil darakht ka dil darakht ka dil!) tamam kunde ke samne band wapsi ki tamam rahen wo sath-e-dariya pe jabr-e-dariya se tairte hain ab un ka anjam ghat hain jo sada se aaghosh wa kiye hain ab un ka anjam wo safine abhi nahin jo safina-gar ke qayas mein bhi ab un ka anjam aise auraq jin pe harf-e-siyah chhapega ab un ka anjam wo kitaben ki jin ke qari nahin, na honge ab un ka anjam aise surat-garon ke parde abhi nahin jin ke koi chehre ki un pe aansu ke rang utren, aur in mein aainda un ke ruya ke naqsh bhar de gharib kundon ke samne band wapsi ki tamam rahen baqa-e-mauhum ke jo raste khule hain ab tak hai un ke aage guman ka mumkin guman ka mumkin jo tu hai main hun, jo tu hai mein hun