sawari unt ki hai aur main shahr-e-shikasta ki kisi sunsan gali mein sar jhukae hath mein bad-rang chamde ki mahaaren tham kar us ghar ki jaanib ja raha hun jis ki chaukhat par hazaron sal se ek gham-zada aurat mere wade ki rassi resha-e-dil se buni mazbut rassi se bandhi hai aansuon se tar nigahon mein kisi kohna sitare ki chamak le kar mere khakistari malbus ki makhsus khushbu sunghne ko aur bhure nat ki dukh se labaalab bilbilahat sunne ko tayyar baithi hai! wahi silan-zada utaq ka gosha jahan main ek shab us ko larazte sansanate zahr wale chobi tiron ki ghani barish mein be-bas aur akela chhod aaya tha mujhe sab yaad hai qissa baras kar abr bilkul tham chuka tha aur khala mein chand yun lagta tha jaise takht par nau-umr shahzada ho koi yun hawa chehre ko mas kar ke guzarti thi ki jaise reshmin kapda ho koi apne thande aur gile khol ke andar gali soi hui thi dam-ba-khud sare makan aaise nazar aate the jaise narm aur barik kaghaz ke bane hon mom ke tarshe hue hon ek badi taswir mein jaise azal se istada hon! wahi silan-zada utaq ka gosha jahan mahtab ki burraq kirnen us ke lanmbe aur khule baalon mein adse taza-tar injir ke patte raushan kar rahi thin us ki gahri gandumin kuhni ka bosa yaad hai mujh ko nahin bhula abhi tak sara qissa yaad hai mujh ko usi shab main ne jab ek lamha-e-pur-soz mein talwar us ke panw mein rakh di thi aur phir ye kaha tha: mera wada hai ye mera jism aur is jism ki hakim ye meri baatini taqat qayamat aur qayamat se bhi aage sarhad-e-imkan se la-imkan talak teri wafa ka sath degi waqt sunta hai gawahi ke liye aakash par ye chand qadmon mein padi ye tegh aur baalon mein ye injir ka patta hi kafi hai! khudawanda wo kaisa marhala tha! ab ye kaisa marhala hai! ek sunsani ka aalam hai gali chup hai kisi zi-ruh ki aahat nahin aati ye kaisi saat-e-manhus hai jis mein abhi tak koi nanha sa parinda ya patinga ya koi mauhum chyunti hi nahin guzri kisi bhi mard o zan ki main ne surat hi nahin dekhi sawari unt ki hai aur main shahr-e-shikasta ki kisi sunsan gali mein sar jhukae hath mein bad-rang chamde ki mahaaren tham kar us ghar ki jaanib ja raha hun ya kisi mahshar khamoshi ke kisi mahshar ki jaanib ja raha hun hichkiyon aur siskiyon ke baad ka mahshar koi manzar koi manzar ki jis mein ek gali hai ek bhura unt hai aur ek buzdil shakhs ki dhili rifaqat hai safar na-mukhtatam jaise abad tak ki koi lambi masafat hai! sawari unt ki ya kath ke aasab ki hai aazmaish ek anokhe khwab ki hai putliyan sakit hain saya unt ka hilta nahin aaina-e-asar mein sari shabihen gum hui hain us ke hone ka nishan milta nahin kab se gali mein hun kahan hai wo meri pyari meri silan-zada utaq wali wo surili ghantiyon wali zaminon paniyon aur anfus o aafaq wali kis qadar aaankhon ne koshish ki magar rona nahin aata sabab kya hai gali ka aakhiri kona nahin aata gali ko hukm ho ab khatm ho jae main bhure aur budhe unt par baithe hue piri ke din ginta hun shayad is gali mein rahne wala koi us ke ahd ka zambur hi guzre main us ki bargah mein dast-basta mazarat ki bhik mangun sar nadamat se jhukaun aur us zambur ke sadqe kisi din apne budhe jism ko aur unt ko le kar gali ki aakhiri had par kar jaun!!