ek hi pal ke liye baith ke phir uth baithi
aankh ne sirf ye dekha ki nashista but hai

ye basarat ko na thi tab ki wo dekh sake
kaise talwar chali, kaise zamin ka sina

ek lamhe ke liye chashme ki manind bana
pech khate hue ye lahr uthi dil mein mere

kash! ye jhadiyan ek silsila-e-koh banen
daman-e-koh mein main ja ke sitada ho jaun

aisi anhoni jo ho jae to kyun ye bhi na ho
khushk patton ka zamin par jo bichha hai bistar

wo bhi ek saz bane saz to hai saz to hai
naghma bedar hua tha jo abhi kan tere

kyun use sun na sake sunne se majbur rahe
parda-e-chashm ne sirf ek nashista but ko

zehn ke daera-e-khas mein markuz kiya
yaad aata hai mujhe kan hue the bedar

khushk patton se jab aai thi tadapne ki sada
aur daman ki har ek lahar chamak utthi thi

pad raha tha usi talwar ka saya shayad
jo nikal aai thi ek pal mein nihan-khane se

jaise be-sakhta andaz mein bijli chamke
lekin is daman-e-aluda ki har lahar miti

jal-pari dekhte hi dekhte ru-posh hui
main sitada hi raha main ne na dekha (afsos!)

kaise talwar chali kaise zamin ka sina
ek lamhe ke liye chashme ki manind bana

daman-e-koh mein istada nahin hun is waqt
jhadiyan silsila-e-koh nahin parda hain

jis ke us par jhalakta nazar aata hai mujhe
manzar anjaan, achhuti si dulhan ki surat

han tasawwur ko main ab apne bana kar dulha
isi parde ke nihan-khane mein le jaunga

kaise talwar chali kaise zamin ka sina
dil-e-be-tab ki manind tadap uttha tha

ek be-sakhta andaz mein bijli ki tarah
jal-pari gosha-e-khalwat se nikal aai thi!

zindagi garm thi har bund mein aabi paun
khushk patton pe phisalte hue ja pahunche the!

main bhi maujud tha ek kirmak-e-be-nam-o-nishan
main ne dekha ki ghata shaq hui dhaara nikli

barq-raftari se ek tir kaman ne chhoda
aur wo kham kha ke lachakta hua tharra ke gira

qulla-e-koh se girte hue patthar ki tarah
koi bhi rok na thi us ke liye us ke liye

khushk patton ka zamin par hi bichha tha bistar
usi bistar pe wo anjaan pari let gai!

aur main kirmak-e-be-nam, ghata ki surat
isi ummid mein takta raha takta hi raha

ab isi waqt koi jal ki pari aa jae
bansuri hath mein le kar main gwala ban jaun

jal-pari aae kahan se? wo isi bistar par
main ne dekha abhi aasuda hui let gai

lekin afsos ki main ab bhi khada hun tanha
hath aaluda hai, nam-dar hai, dhundli hai nazar,

hath se aankhon ke aansu to nahin ponchhe the!