apne bistar pe bahut der se main nim-daraaz
sochti thi ki wo is waqt kahan par hoga
main yahan hun magar us kucha-e-rang-o-bu mein
roz ki tarah se wo aaj bhi aaya hoga
aur jab us ne wahan mujh ko na paya hoga!?
aap ko ilm hai wo aaj nahin aai hain?
meri har dost se us ne yahi puchha hoga
kyun nahin aai wo kya baat hui hai aakhir
khud se is baat pe sau bar wo uljha hoga
kal wo aaegi to main us se nahin bolunga
aap hi aap kai bar wo rutha hoga
wo nahin hai to bulandi ka safar kitna kathin
sidhiyan chadhte hue us ne ye socha hoga
rahdari mein hare lawn mein phulon ke qarib
us ne har samt mujhe aan ke dhunda hoga
nam bhule se jo mera kahin aaya hoga
ghair-mahsus tariqe se wo chaunka hoga
ek jumle ko kai bar sunaya hoga
baat karte hue sau bar wo bhula hoga
ye jo ladki nai aai hai kahin wo to nahin
us ne har chehra yahi soch ke dekha hoga
jaan-e-mahfil hai magar aaj faqat mere baghair
hae kis darja wahi bazm mein tanha hoga
kabhi sannaton se wahshat jo hui hogi use
us ne be-sakhta phir mujh ko pukara hoga
chalte chalte koi manus si aahat pa kar
doston ko bhi kis uzr se roka hoga
yaad kar ke mujhe nam ho gai hongi palken
aankh mein pad gaya kuchh kah ke ye tala hoga
aur ghabra ke kitabon mein jo li hogi panah
har satar mein mera chehra ubhar aaya hoga
jab mili hogi use meri alalat ki khabar
us ne aahista se diwar ko thama hoga
soch kar ye ki bahal jae pareshani-e-dil
yunhi be-wajh kisi shakhs ko roka hoga!
ittifaqan mujhe us sham meri dost mili
main ne puchha ki suno aae the wo? kaise the?
mujh ko puchha tha mujhe dhunda tha chaaron jaanib?
us ne ek lamhe ko dekha mujhe aur phir hans di
is hansi mein to wo talkhi thi ki is se aage
kya kaha us ne mujhe yaad nahin hai lekin
itna malum hai khwabon ka bharam tut gaya!