gali mein gahra andhera tha
andhere ki lathi ko thame hue

chor qadmon se hum ne apni rah li thi
hum itni jaldi mein the

ki apne panw ke nishan to brief-cason mein bhar liye
magar panw wahin chhod diye

abbu ne apni ainak bakse mein rakh li
aankhen mez ki daraaz hi mein chhod aae

amman ne imam-e-zamin mere bazu mein bandha
aur jaldi mein mere bazu gali ke nukkad par hi chhut gae

train abhi platform par hi lagti thi
log ek dusre ko raundte hue bhage ja rahe the

ki sab ke sab jaldi mein the
hum itni jaldi mein the

aur jaldi mein aksar aisa hota hai
musalle hamare sath the

aur namazen wahin bhul gae
taqon mein dhari ki dhari rah gain

duaen agar-battiyan aur loban
biwi ninden rakhna bhul gai thi

guma diye the us ne sare khwab
aur le aai thi apne sath hairat-zada sunsan aankhen

hum itni jaldi mein the
ki hamare sanduq dusron ke sanduq se badal gae

jin mein thin zillaten hijraten dard ki thokaren
aur lambe hote hue khauf ke dew

chalte chalte
kisi ne ek gathri thama di thi

gathri kya thi ek amanat thi
bhagte aur sanbhaalte hue hamare saron se gir padi

aur us se bahar nikal aain
chikhen bhuk bachchon ki yatimi kati phati ismaten

ek padosi jo is daud mein hamare sath hi tha
apni hansi ek dhul-bhare bistar mein chhod aaya

jaise hum apni muskurahaten bhul aae the