jin dinon
main apni tanhai ka nauha likh raha tha

bastiyan aabaad thin raunaq bhari thi sham
aur jada gulabi

taza taza shahr mein dakhil hua tha
jin dinon main

pa-pyaada aur phir sada zaban mein
soz-ha-e-andarun ke qissa-e-parina ki tafsil mein tabir mein

uljha hua tha
bhediye aazad the

aur ek qatil rag
bajata ja raha tha

khub-tar se khub-tar tha
qatl ka naghma

jis ne jo samjha wahi tarikh thi
khwaja-sara-e-shahr darussaltanat mein

karbala ke huzn mein
ek wahshiyana raqs ki takhliq mein masraf tha

aur sab tamashai sabhi maqtul sare
dam-ba-khud mabhut khamoshi se sunte ja rahe the

aur mausiqi se lag-bhag na-balad har shakhs
agli saf mein baitha

tal ki har gat par har jhankar pe
behaal hota ja raha tha

ek qatil aur surila rag
bajata ja raha tha