ek an-jaana sa dar
jab wo paida hui thi

us ke andar jazb tha
ek andheri kothari ka khauf

rag rag mein basa tha
ek unchai se gir jaane ki dahshat

pichhe pichhe chal rahi thi
ek darwaze ke pichhe ja ke chhup jaane ka shauq

zindagi ki sab se pahli aarzu thi
khidkiyon ki ot se galiyon ka manzar dekhna

zindagi ki sab se pahli justuju thi
jab zara sa waqt guzra

aql ke taron ki jumbish se badan jaga
hifazat ka tasawwur is qadar wahshat-zada tha

ki apne jism se sharmindagi hoti rahi
phir kharidaron ki duniya mein zara sun-gun hui

dil dhadakne ki sada madum ho kar rah gai
khauf ke gahne saja kar

aur jhijak ke be-tahasha phul pahna kar
kharidaron ne us ko phir se andhi kothari mein qaid kar dala

wo jis ka khauf wo bachpan se sahti aa rahi thi
phir zara sa hosh aaya

daur-e-nau-umri gaya to aankh se parda hata
manzar nazar aane lage

panw chaukhat ki taraf badhne lage
ek qadam rakkha hi tha ki nanhe nanhe hath ek zanjir ban kar aa gae

ab wo is raste mein hai sab jis ko rah-e-marg kahte hain
munjamid aankhon mein ab manzar thaharte hi nahin

ab kisi chaukhat ki jaanib panw badhte hi nahin
nanhe nanhe hath kuchh is tarah unche ho gae

ab dastaras se dur hain
apni zanjiron mein khud mahsur hain

us ki andhi kothari par ek katba nasb hai
is jagah dildar-begam dafn hai

wo afifa parsa sabir-o-shakir so rahi hai
yahan se ghair mardon ka guzarna mana hai

barae fatiha jo aana chahe aae
lekin dur se padh le