main ne socha tumhein muddat se nahin dekha hai
dil bahut din se hai bechain chalun ghar ho aaun

dur se ghar nazar aaya raushan
sari basti mein mila ek mera ghar be-khwab

pas pahuncha to wo dekha jo nigahon mein meri ghum raha hai ab tak
raushan kamre ke andar!

aur dahliz pe tum!
sun ke shayad meri chap

tum nikal aai thin bijli ki tarah
aur wahin ruk si gai thin!

der tak!
panw dahliz pe chaukhat pe rakhe donon hath

baal bikhrae hue shanon par
raushni pusht pe haale ki tarah

sans ki aamad-o-shud thi na koi jumbish-e-jism
jaise taswir lagi ho

jaise aasan pe khadi ho dewi
main ne socha abhi tum ne mujhe pahchana nahin

bas isi soch mein le kar tumhein andar aaya
pas bithla ke kiya yunhi kisi baat ka zikr

tum ne baaten to bahut kin magar un baaton mein
koi wabastagi-e-dil

koi manus ishaara
lab pe izhaar-e-khushi

na koi gham ki lakir
are kuchh bhi to na tha

na wo hansna, na wo rona, na shikayat, na gila
na wo raghbat ki koi chiz pakane ka khayal

na dari la ke bichhana na wo aangan ki lipai ki koi baat
na nigahon mein ye ehsas ki hum tum donon

hain koi bis baras se ek sath
lakh koshish pe bhi tum ne mujhe pahchana nahin

main ne jaana tumhein main ne bhi nahin pahchana
ek ishaare mein zamana hi badal jata hai

silsila uns o rifaqat ka koi aaj bhi hai
par ye hai aur koi

jis se bandha hai naya rishta-e-zist
main bhi hun aur koi, jis ke sath

tum bhi hans-bol ke rah leti ho
wo bhi thi aur koi

jo wahin ruk gai us chaukhat par
jaise taswir lagi ho

jaise aasan pe khadi ho dewi