raat ke koi bara baje honge
garmi hai
sadkon pe koi nahin
budha darwesh bhi ja chuka hai
us jozami bhikaran ki gadi
bhi nazron se ojhal hai
rasta saf hai
hotalon se nikalti hui ladkiyan hain
na ladkon ke jhurmut
munderon par
dil mein
na dil ka dhdakna
na bhuki nigahen
na siti
qumqume
gardanen tane
chashm-bar-rah hain
koi guzre to gul ho ke
un ka tamasha karen
sarakte sarakte
wo footpath se
koi chakkar ki hariyali par aa jame hain
chand nikla
to chaaron ne chillaya
(sanp ke munh se nikla hua jaise pila chhachhundar)
lo chand nikla
wo chand tanha hai
ek dard sab ke dilon mein pighalne laga
un ki nazron ne bose liye chand ke
chand ki pith ko thapthapaya
bade zor se
josh o masti ke aalam mein
shishe mein jitni bachi thi
wo sab bant kar
qahqahe mar ke
pi gae
aur gale mil ke
ek dusre ko bahut dur tak
chumte bhi rahe
nachte nachte
chaaron rone lage
har ek ke munh se nikla
yaro!
man yaad aati hai, jata hun
main ne tauraat o injil o quran mein
yarmiya hajara aur yaqub
ke karb ki dastanen padhi hain
un ka rona suna hai
aur roya bhi hun
aaj bhi ro raha hun