jahan main hun yahan jab raat hoti hai to us sahil pe suraj nur barsata hai jis ki ek ek mauj-e-rawan ke sath mera dil dhadakta tha dhadakta hai ye mera shahr ye meri gali mera mohalla hai jo mera bas chale main is gali ki dhul palkon se utha lun chum lun is mein naha lun odh lun is ko bichha lun aur is mein dafn ho jaun ye ujli dhul jis mein meri yaadon ke hazaron rang raqsan hain jahan ab bhi mera bachpan sunahri taziyon ke panniyon se aur rawasan ke darakhton se mujhe aawaz deta hai wo kahta hai yahan aao idhar dekho abhi tak ye mohalla pahle jaisa hai yahan rangin tyauhaaron ke pairahan mein insani talluq ke sabhi jazbe tawazun se abhi tak ek se mausam mein thahre hain yahan par gyarahwin ke chand ki ab bhi wahi raunaq hai rangin shamiyanon aur chitti chandni par dur tak qawwaliyon ki ruh-afza lahr ki wo itr-samani abhi bhi hai wahi dhalti hui shab aur wahi baad-e-saba ke dosh par khwaja ke diwanon ki aawazon ki sarmasti wahi khwaja mere khwaja muinuddin ki gardan usi gardan mein allah jaane kaisa jadu tha ki ab tak hafize se us ki shirini nahin jati yahan mah-e-muharram ki numudari pe yaksan josh se faruq-o-haidar aaisha-o-fatima mil kar sabilen ab bhi nanhe-munne hathon se lagate hain wo mitti ke ghadon par surkh gabis mal ke un ko rahguzar par ek si tartib se ab bhi sajate hain sabilen surkh kapdon se muzayyan jagmagati hain har ek pyase ko rasta rok kar pani pilati hain yahan usman baba wala uncha taziya ab bhi khada hota hai jis ki jhilmilahat mere andar aise raqsan hai ki us ki khirgi se ruh tak meri munawwar hai mere andar jo hai ek dard ki nannhi si lau raushan usi aawaz ki baalidgi ka ek partaw hai mere usman baba ki wo ashkon se dhuli aawaz nau ki raat ko jo wo shahadat-nama padhta tha gham-e-shabbir ka ye soz us par khatm tha goya ajab kirdar tha usman baba ka har ek bachcha tha us ka sar-chadha wo chahe jis ka ho sakina marwi se le ke wo galiyon mein jhadu dene wale apne joseph das ka ladka talak us ka chahita tha ajab fihrist thi us ki ki us fihrist mein koi na gora tha na kala tha na uncha tha na nicha tha hamare us mohalle mein khuda ke fazl se har samt dheron dher bachche the kabhi aisa bhi hota tha ki sab usman baba par achanak sath hi yalghaar karte the magar phir bhi barabar se na jaane kis tarah hum sab mein wo jangal jalebi bant deta tha hamare us mohalle mein kai kirdar the jin mein wo gahri gahri kali aankhon aur shishe ki jhilmil odhni wali sakina marwi meri saheli thi wo man ke sath patri par se pine ka pani lene aati thi hamare ghar ke aur maler ke us khet ke mabain ye ek rail ki patri khat-e-tansikh thi goya sakina marwi bhi kya ajab ladki thi jo meri zaban se aur main jis ki zaban se na-balad thi phir bhi jaane kis tarah shir-o-shakar the hum hamari chhoti chhoti khwahishen har taur ham-ahang thin itni ba-zahir to hamare darmiyan mahaul ne ek be-zarurat hadd-e-fasil khinch rakkhi thi magar phir bhi na jaane kya kashish thi khidkiyon ke us taraf se jhilmilati marwi ki kali aankhon mein na jaane kaun sa jadu tha un zalim dopahron mein jo kachchi nind sota chhod kar man ko dabe qadmon mein aa chhupti thi pedon mein ajab be-khauf mausam the hum aksar bagh se ek sath hi amrud ki chori mein pakde ja chuke the par samajh mein ye nahin aata ki mali ki har ek gali har ek patthar akeli marwi hi ke liye makhsus tha kyunkar hamare is mohalle ke sire par aakhiri ghar mae ka tha yun to kahlati thi mae bohad wali lekin us ke ghar ke aangan mein faqat ek nim hota tha koi jab puchhta mae se wajh-e-tasmiya is nam ki to wo bahut dhire se hansti aur kahti thi aji wo bad ka uncha ped to main hun kabhi hansti hui aankhon mein us ki jhank kar dekho to lagta tha chhalak utthengi par itna hi kahti thi kabhi lahore dekha hai miyan wali se guzre ho nahin dekhe agar ye shahr to kya khak dekha tum ne duniya mein kabhi lahore se guzro to thodi der ko ruk kar mohalla bohad wala chauk mein mera kisi se nam le dena miyan wali ko jaana ho to wan diwar par baithe hue kaga se meri man ka aur pyo ka zara ahwal le lena wo phir se hansne lagti thi jagat man thi wo so chhota bada har koi us ko mae hi kah kar bulata tha sawere hi sawere mae ke hathon ke un muli bhare khasta parathon ke bina kab sardiyon ka lutf aata tha gulabi jade aate hi chhaton par mukhtalif dalon ki badiyan sukhne lagtin zara khunki badhi aur til ke laddu le ke mae aa pahunchti thi haqiqat mein wo bad ka ped thi jis ki ghani chhaya thi sab ke waste yaksan mera bachpan bulata hai to mujh ko yaad aata hai us aabaadi mein aur us rail ki patri mein jo bhi fasla tha us ko khud-rau jhadiyon ne dhanp rakkha tha magar aksar yahan par sal pichhe aisa hota tha ki hum school jaane ko sawere ghar se nikle to thithuk jate the pal bhar ko hum aankhen mal ke phir se dekhte jangal mein mangal hai wo khud-raw jhadiyan hum jin mein titli bhi pakadne ko agar jate to zakhmi ho ke aate the wo raaton raat chhat ke taur aur diwar ki surat khadi dikhlai deti thin ye sab banjaron ke hi khurdure hathon ki barakat thi ki khar-o-khas ko bhi chhu len to wo us ko chaman kar den jahan gardun ke chhote chhote ye tole hazaron sal se gardish mein hain aur kitni tahzibon ke jangal se ye guzre hain magar apni alag tarikh aur tahzib rakhte hain ye apne nain apne naqsh aur aawaz ka jadu na jaane kaun sa qanun hai jis ke tahat naslon ki aur tahzib ki yalghaar se yaksar bachae hain jo un mein jhank kar dekho to tah-dar-tah hazaron rang the chhoti si duniya mein mera mamul tha school se aate hue aksar thahar kar dekhti thi us nai duniya ke hangame sunahri jhadiyon ke bich pile phul hanste the wo chhote chhote se bakri ke bachchon ke gale mein ghantiyon ka shor aur wo murghiyon ka aur baton ka paron ko phadphadana aisa lagta tha farishte baat karte hain hasin aankhon sunahri chotiyon wali yahan chhoti si jugni khelne ki umr mein mitti ke hathi aur ghode mein jo mehnat ke anokhe rang bharti thi meri aankhon ne phir waise khilaune hi nahin dekhe wo gati thi to lagta tha koi dil khinche leta hai wo man ke sath ham-awaz hoti thi bula lo ya-rasulullah hamein bhi apne roze par bula lo ya-rasulullah wo sar-ta-pa faqat aawaz thi ya bansuri koi ye chhota sa mohalla kya tha ek rangin duniya thi jahan par mausamon ki sakhtiyon mein bhi anokha husn hota tha hamesha sardiyon ki raat mein sondhi sunahri mung-phaliyon aur chilghozon ke thele tak khirad gul-khair ki aawaz hum ko bistaraon se khinch lati thi gulabon mein basi wo rewediyan aur bhobhal mein dabi mithi shakar-qandi shakar-qandi to az khud hai shakar-qandi magar wo shai ki jis ko zaiqa kahte hain wo dar-asl thi tasir mitti ki wo sain allah dino ke hare amrud lala shyam ki qulfi malai aur dere waliyon ke mittiyon ke hathi ghode dugdugi pankhe khilaune aur ghubbare sabhi mein rang the kitne yahan mitti ke chhote se khilaune mein bhi nanha sa humakta dil dhadakta tha yahan kathi ke ghode ki udanen aasman tak thin mujhe jab yaad aati hai to diwana sa kar deti hai wo khushbu rawasan ki wahi maler ke kheton ki albeli hawa amrud aur shahtut ke pedon ki wo shakhen ki jin par mere bachpan ka basera tha wo kanton ki sunahri jhadiyan main jin mein aksar apni aankhen bhul aati thi wo masjid jis ki chhoti chhoti diwaron pe bachche daude phirte the jis ke farsh par tadke ke jaisa nur tha thandak thi aur aasudgi har-su jahan dar par khade chhitnar gular par rupahli champai aur kasni pariyan utarti thin kabhi quran padhte padhte hum gular ki pariyon ke tasawwur mein zara sa rehl par bas ek jhapki le ke pariyon se gale mil ke palat aate the wapas maulwi sahab ki qamchi se musalsal ta'ziyon ki panniyon se aur masjid ki munderon se musalsal haidar-o-faruq ki rangin sabilon se sakina marwi ki odhni mein jhilmilate nanhe shishon se wo jugni wale chhote lal mitti ke khilaunon se rawasan ke darakhton se mera bachpan mujhe aawaz deta hai wo kahta hai abhi tak ye mohalla pahle jaisa hai ye mumkin hai main us ki man bhi leti magar main ne abhi jo hosh ki aankhon se dekha hai wo manzar aur hi kuchh kah raha hai majra kya hai wahi kirdar hain sare wahi mera mohalla hai wahi hain mere ham-joli har ek manus chehra hai magar jo hai wo sahma hai ye pedon ke bajae khauf ke sae mein baithe hain ye bachche kaise bachche hain musalsal guftugu ka in ke mehwar sirf goli hai magar goli ke pichhe akhtar-o-anwar bhi ladte the mujhe bhi achchhe lagte the bahut ye khushnuma kanche ki jab rakh kar hatheli par use ek aankh se dekho to khinch aate the kitne rang is nanhe se kanche mein kabhi mahsus hota tha ki hum ne ek hatheli par utha rakkhi hai ye duniya ye sare barr-e-azam bahr-e-azam ab hamari dastaras mein hain ajab qudrat ajab taskin ka ehsas hota tha magar ye mere ham-joli ye jis goli ki baaten kar rahe hain is mein chingari hai aur barud ki bu hai abhi bilkul abhi main ne khuli aankhon se dekha hai ki manzar kaise badla hai wahi masjid ka darwaza wahi hai ped gular ka aur us gular ke niche ek hasin aankhon sunahri chotiyon wali wo ladki meri jugni thi abhi bilkul abhi main ne khuli aankhon se dekha hai ki us ka jism tukde tukde ho kar kaise bikhra hai magar phaile hue hathon mein ek roti ka tukda hai wo masjid ka muqaddas farsh us ke khun se bhiga hai wo gular jis pe mere khwab ki pariyon ka dera tha faqat aaseb lagta hai dikhai kuchh nahin deta lahu mein shor barpa hai sunai kuchh nahin deta jo dil par hath rakkho to faqat itna hi kahta hai wo isa chauk ho ya das manzil ka koi mandir lohaari gate ho ya goth qasim ki koi basti wo bab-ul-ilm ho ya masjid-e-siddiq-e-akbar ho husain-abaad ho ya wo meri faruq nagri ho jahan bhi goliyan chalti hain mere dil pe lagti hain har ek wo ghar jahan matam bapa hai mera apna hai ye jitna khun bhi ab tak baha hai mera apna hai muqaddas khak par bikhre hue udhde hue aaza junun ki aag mein jhulsa hua har lash ka chehra agar pahchan mushkil ho to mera nam likh dena ye aaza mere aaza hain ye chehra mera chehra hai