tai hui thi ek mulaqat railway-track par
lekin rail-gadi ka engine musalsal khansta raha

platform number aakhiri par
aur phans gae musafir ek dusre ki galiyon mein

so yak-tarfa rahi mulaqat
khidki se bahar pukar raha tha aasman

magar chitkhini aur frame ne jakad liya
ek dusre ka hath

aur habs badhta gaya
logon ki aamad-o-raft ke sath

chulhe se der tak aati rahin
dhunki hui aawazen

aur rangin chehre wali news-caster ne
dohrai wahi basi khabar

ki sardi ki shiddat ke bais
mahngi ho gai hai aag

is liye parhez kiya jae aurten jalane se
pul par izhdiham tha traffic ka

lekin kisi hadse ko dikhai nahin di
hamari surat

aur hum niche utar aae chor darwaze se
dariya ko khali dekh kar

apni miad puri kar chuki thin
nind ki tamam dawaen

is liye zabt kar li gain
aur khali stores mein taliyan pitti rahin

sar-dard ki be-asar goliyan
mumkin hai phir se muntazir ho izrail

railway-track par
lekin hum sasti kitabon ke ambar se

talash kar chuke hain
maut ke manzar ke baad

likhe jaane wala qimti nuskha