'kipling' ne kaha tha mashriq mashriq hai aur maghrib maghrib hai aur donon ka milna na-mumkin hai lekin maghrib mashriq ke ghar-angan mein aa pahuncha hai mera naukar bbc se khabren sunta hai main 'be-dil' aur 'hafiz' ke bajae 'shakespeare' aur 'rilke' ki baaten karta hun akhbaron mein maghrib ke chaklon ki khabren aur taswiren chhapti hain mujh ko chuggi dadhi wale 'akbar' ki khisyani hansi par rahm aata hai iqbaal ki baaten (gustakhi hoti hai) majzub ki bad hain 'waris-shah' aur 'bullhe-shah' aur 'baba-farid'? chaliye jaane dije in baaton mein kya rakkha hai mashriq haar gaya hai! ye 'baksar' aur 'palasi' ki haar nahin hai 'tipu' aur jhansi-ki-rani ki haar nahin hai san-sattawan ki jang-e-azadi ki haar nahin hai aisi haar to jiti ja sakti hai (shayad hum ne jit bhi li hai) lekin mashriq apni ruh ke andar haar gaya hai qubla-khan tum haar gae ho! aur tumhaare tukdon par palne wala lalchi marko-polo jit gaya hai akbar-e-azam! tum ko maghrib ki jis ayyara ne tohfe bheje the aur bada bhai likkha tha us ke kutte bhi in logon se afzal hain jo tumhein maha-bali aur zillullah kaha karte the mashriq kya tha? jism se upar uthne ki ek khwahish thi shahwat aur jibillat ki tariki mein ek diya jalane ki koshish thi! main soch raha hun, suraj mashriq se nikla tha (mashriq se jaane kitne suraj nikle the) lekin maghrib har suraj ko nigal gaya hai main haar gaya hun main ne apne ghar ki diwaron par likkha hai main haar gaya hun main ne apne aaine par kalak mal di hai aur taswiron par thuka hai haarne wale chehre aise hote hain meri ruh ke andar ek aisa gahra zakhm laga hai jis ke bharne ke liye sadiyan bhi na-kafi hain main apne bachche aur kutte donon ko 'tipu' kahta hun mujh se mera sab kuchh le lo aur mujhe ek nafrat de do mujh se mera sab kuchh le lo aur mujhe ek ghussa de do aisi nafrat aisa ghussa jis ki aag mein sab jal jaen main bhi!!