khayaban-e-sadi mein
rusi kitabon ki dukkan par hum khade the

mujhe rus ke chida sanat-garon ke
nae karnamon ki ek umar se tishnagi thi!

mujhe rusiyon ke siyasi hama-usat se koi raghbat nahin hai
magar zarre zarre mein

insan ke jauhar ki tabindagi dekhne ki tamanna hamesha rahi hai!
aur us sham to mursida ki urusi thi

us shokh diwani ladki ki khatir
mujhe ek nazuk si saughat ki justuju thi

wo mera naya dost khalid
zara dur takhte ke pichhe khadi

ek tanau-mand lekin fusun-kar
qufqaz ki rahne wali hasina se shir-o-shakar tha!

ye bhuka musafir
jo daste ke sath

ek kheme main ek dur-uftada sahra mein
muddat se uzlat-guzin tha

badi iltijaon se
is hur-e-qufqaz se kah raha tha:

na-jaane kahan se mila hai
tumhaari zaban ko ye shahad

aur lahje ko masti!
main kaise bataun

main kis darja dil-dada hun rusiyon ka
mujhe ishtiraki tamaddun se kitni mohabbat hai

kaise bataun!
ye mumkin hai tum mujh ko rusi sikha do?

ki rusi adibon ki sar-chashma-gahon ko main dekhna chahta hun
wo parwarda-e-ashwa-bazi

kanakhiyon se yun dekhti thi
ki jaise wo un sar-nigun aarzuon ko pahchanti ho

jo karti hain akasr yunhi ru-shanasi
kabhi dosti ki tamanna

kabhi ilm ki pyas ban kar!
wo kulhe hilati thi hansti thi

ek sochi samjhi hisabi lagawat se
jaise wo un khufiya sar-chashma-gahon ke har raaz ko jaanti ho

wo takhte ke pichhe khadi qahqahe marti lautti thi
kaha main ne khalid se:

bahrupiye!
is wilayat mein zarb-e-masal hai

ki unton ki sauda-gari ki lagan ho
to ghar un ke qabil banao

aur is shahr mein yun to ustaniyan an-ginat hain
magar is ki ujrat bhala tum kahan de sakoge!

wo phir muztarib ho ke be-ikhtiyari se hansne lagi thi!
wo boli ye sach hai

ki ujrat to ek shahi bhar kam na hogi
magar faujiyon ka bharosa hi kya hai

bhala tum kahan baz aaoge
aakhir zaban sikhne ke bahane

khayanat karoge
wo hansti hui

ek nae mushtari ki taraf multafit ho gai thi!
to khalid ne dekha

ki ruman to khak mein mil chuka hai
use khinch kar jab main bazar mein la raha tha

lagatar karne laga wo maqulon mein baaten
zaban sikhni ho to aurat se sikho!

jahan bhar mein rusi adab ka nahin koi sani
wo qufqaz ki hur mazdur aurat!

jo duniya ke mazdur sab ek ho jaen
aaghaz ho ek naya daura-e-shadmani

mere doston mein bahut ishtiraki hain
jo har mohabbat mein mayus ho kar

yunhi ek nae daura-e-shadmani ki hasrat mein
karte hain dil-jui ek dusre ki

aur ab aisi baaton pe main
zer-e-lab bhi kabhi muskuraata nahin hun

aur us sham jashn-e-urusi mein
husn o mai o raqs o naghma ke tufan bahte rahe the

farangi sharaben to anqa thin
lekin mai-e-nab-e-qazwin o khullar-e-shiraaz ke daur-e-paiham se

rangin libason se
khushbu ki be-bak lahron se

be-sakhta qahqahon hamhamon se
mazamir ke zer-o-bam se

wo hangama barpa tha
mahsus hota tha

tehran ki aakhiri shab yahi hai!
aachanak kaha mursida ne:

tumhaara wo sathi kahan hai?
abhi ek sofe pe dekha tha main ne

use sar-ba-zanu!
to hum kuchh pareshan se ho gae

aur kamra-ba-kamra use dhundne mil ke nikle!
lo ek gosha-e-nim-raushan mein

wo ishtiraki zamin par pada tha
use hum bulaya kiye aur jhinjhoda kiye

wo to sakit tha jamid tha!
rusi adibon ki sar-chashma-gahon ki us ko khabar ho gai thi