main tha manda udas maqbare ke pas ek sabz hajle mein apne jamure ka bechaini se intizar kar raha tha murjhai hui dhup kahi dola shahi khanqah ki zar-nigah sidhiyon se utarti dalan par karti hujre ki sunahri jaliyon se chhan chhan guzarti marmarin farsh par tute hue chitkabre paron ki tarah halkan padi hui thi ek kone mein himaliyai silk route se smugle kiye hue bachchiyon ladkiyon auraton wale chini fauladi jute palothi ke ladkon ke intizar mein pighal pighal ke chhoti chhoti ulte katoron jaisi be-phande ki aahani turki topiyon bane baithe the main choriyan karta siskariyan bharta karachi se multan multan se lahore lahore se gujraat pahuncha tha tarah tarah ke ghinaone peshon aur ghane andeshon se lad bhid ke faqiri ikhtiyar ki thi yahi qaumi mizaj aur khitte ka riwaj tha magar das baras tak bhik mang mang ke thak chuka tha hama-waqt munh khula rakhne aur hath phailane se ungliyan aur hatheliyan dikhne lagi thin jabde karahne lage the ek dur-andesh parnae darwesh ke bar-waqt mashware par idhar ka safar ikhtiyar kiya tha panch hazar ki potli khashkhashi dadhi wale sajjada-nashin ke hawale kar di thi wo ek nariki sar wale chaudah pandrah baras ke hansmukh ajube ke hamrah baghli tah-khane mein ye kah kar utar gae the aaya abhi aaya main chadhi dopahar ka saya tha ab sham tilmila rahi thi sarasima khayalon mein waswason ke sanpoliye kulbula rahe the achanak aawaz aai sahab dewilry tayyar hai to kya dekhta hun bichaare mujawar ke shanon se ukhde hue aur tute hue hath mazbut rassi se nangi kamar par bandhe hain didon pe patti hai honton pe tanke hain gardan mein patta hai pate mein chamde ka chauda sa tasma pada hai razakar chuhe ne bille ko mere hawale kiya aur chup-chap aage rawana hua us ki jalti hui muntaqim surkh aankhon mein sadiyon ke sog jigar jigar jagmaga rahe the