nind mein chalti maut

main ne dekhi nahin
khwab bunti hui makhmalin ungliyan
jin ka lams-e-gudaz ek din
waqt ke sard galon se bahta hua


mere honton pe aaya
to sadiyon ki namkiniyan
sang-basta dilon ke samundar mein
ubhre pahadon ka ek silsila ban chuki thin


wo kya silsila tha
jo ek god se gor tak reshmi tar sa tan gaya
jis pe chalte zamane
khuda-wand-e-ala ke ahkaam-e-rahmat uthae hue


raqs karte guzarte
to mitti pe naqsh-o-nigaran-e-gham muskuraate
tujhe yaad aate
tujhe yaad karte hue


yun guzre
ki jaise kisi bhed-bhaw bhari chandni raat se
chand ka bankpan
baadalon ke ladakpan ke gale udate hue


khwab-labrez pariyon se
chhup-chhup ke guzre
ye dikhne dikhane ki sari mashiat
ye chhupne chhupane ki sari aziyyat


koi jhelta hai
jo tu ne akele mein jheli
main kitne dinon baad aaya tere panw chhune
hisab is khajalat ka karte hue


kitne aansu gire
main nahin gin saka
bhigte phailte lafz aadad jab bhi samundar banate
tere nam ki naw mujh ko kinare lagati


magar ye kinara koi kahkashan to nahin tha
ki main tere la-waqt sahil pe
khud apne panw ke mitte nishan dekh kar muskuraata
wo ginti ka ma'kusi zina tha


taht-us-sara tak rawan rengti aabnae thi
aankhon ka karez thi
teri mohabbat ki wo dastan
jis ko likhne ki koshish mein lakhon waraq


main ne kale kiye
magar ek lamha bhi mere qalam par
wo khush-rang ilham ban kar na utra
jise tere honton ki tasdiq milti


badi se badi baat ko
ek bhigi hui muskurahat mein kahne ka tujh ko saliqa tha
aadad-o-alfaz ki bhid mein
kis qadar main akela hun


tujh ko khabar hai
bata de mujhe bhi koi ism-e-asrar
jis ki tamanna liye sab parinde gae satwin samt
lekin koi aaj tak mud ke aaya nahin


phul honton ke murda zamane pe rakkhun to
khushbu teri
gul-badan ban ke jage
tere sans mein sans lene ki rahat


meri yaad ke bagh mein
ek jadu-zada nim-khwabida
shahzadi zindagi ki tarah muntazir hai
yahan apne hone se kis ko mafar hai


koi nind mein jagne ki aziyyat nahin jaanta
apni jannat ka manzar mere malgaje khwab par khol de
koi shirin takallum mere zahr mein ghol de
fasla nind aur maut ke darmiyan


apni maujudgi se bana
kar ata mojazati hunar
main to noton ki ginti mein masruf
andhe zamane ke hathon ki


wo mail hun
jis pe makkhi bhi aa kar nahin baithti