Koi patta bhi nahin hiltaa, na pardon mein hai jumbish
phir bhi kaanon mein bahut tez hawaaon ki sadaa hai.
Kitne oonche hain ye mehraab mehal ke
aur mehraabon se ooncha woh sitaaron se bhara thaal falak ka
kitna chhota hai mera qad..
farsh par jaise kisi harf se ek nuqta gira ho
sainkadon samton mein bhatka hua mann thehre zara
dil dhadakta hai toh bas daudti taapon ki sadaa aati hai..
Roshni band bhi kar dene se kya hoga andhera?
sirf aankhen hi nahin dekh sakengi ye chaugarda,
main agar kaanon mein kuchh thoons bhi lun..
roshni chinta ki toh zehn se ab bujh nahin sakti
khud-kushi ek andhera hai, upaaye toh nahin
khidkiyaan saari khuli hain toh hawa kyon nahin aati?
neeche sardi hai bahut aur hua tund hai shayad
door darwaaze ke baahar khade woh santari donon
shaam se aag mein bas sookhi hui tehniyon ko jhonk rahe hain.
Meri aankhon se woh sookha hua dhaancha nahin girta
jism hi jism toh tha, rooh kahan thi uss mein
kodh tha uss ko, tapediq tha? na jaane kya tha?
ya budhaapa hi tha shayad..
pasliyaan sookhe hue kekaron ke shaakhche jaise
rath pe jaate hue dekha tha
chattaanon se udhar..
apni laathi pe gire ped ki maanind khada tha..
Phir yakaa-yak ye hua
saarthi, rok nahin paaya tha, munh-zor samay ki taapen
rath ke pahiye ke tale dekha tadap kar isey thanda hote!
khud-kushi thi? woh samarpan tha? woh durghatna thi?
kya tha?
Sabz shaadaab darakhton ke wajood
apne mausam mein toh bin maange bhi phal dete hain
sookh jaate hain toh sab kaat ke
iss aag mein hi jhonk diye jaate hain.
Jaise darwaaze pe aamaal ke woh donon farishte
shaam se aag mein bas
sookhi hui tahniyon ko jhonk rahe hain. !!
Main rozgaar ke silsile mein,
kabhi kabhi uss ke shehar jaata hun toh,
guzarta hun uss gali se..
woh neem-taariq si gali !
aur ussi ke nukkad pe unghta sa purana khambha!
ussi ke neeche tamaam shab intezaar kar ke,
main chhod aaya tha shehar uss ka..
bahut hi khasta si roshni ki chhadi ko teke,
woh khambha ab bhi wahin khada hai.!
Futoor hai ye! magar,
main khambhe ke paas ja kar..
nazar bacha kar mohalle walon ki,
poochh leta hun aaj bhi ye..
woh mere jaane ke bad bhi,
aayi toh nahin thi?
woh aayi thi kya.??
Ek nazm meri chori kar li kal raat kisi ne..
yahin padi thi balcony mein!
gol tipaahi ke ooper thi!
whisky waale glaas ke neeche rakhi thi!
nazm ke halke halke sip,
main ghol raha tha honthon mein..
shayad koi phone aaya tha!
andar jaa kar lauta toh phir nazm wahan se gaayab thi !
abar ke ooper neeche dekha,
soot shafaaq ki jeb tatoli
jhaank ke dekha paar uffaaq ke!
kahin nazar naa aayi woh nazm mujhe!
Aadhi raat aawaaz suni toh uth ke dekha..
taang pe taang rakh ke aakaash mein,
chaand tarannum mein padh padh ke,
duniya bhar ko apni keh ke..
nazm sunaane baitha tha. !!
Aaj phir chaand ki peshaani se uthta hai dhuaan,
aaj phir mehki hui raat mein jalna hoga..
aaj phir seene mein sulagti hui wazni saansen,
phat ke bas toot hi jaayenge, bikhar jaayenge..
aaj phir jaag ke guzregi tere khwaab mein raat,
aaj phir chaand ki peshaani se uthta hai dhuan. !!
Ek naql tujhe bhi bhejunga,
yeh soch ke hi tanhaai ke neeche kaarban paper rakh ke main,
oonchi oonchi aawaaz mein baaten karta hun..
Alfaaz utar aate hain kaaghaz par lekin,
aawaaz ki shakl utarti nahin..
raaton ki siyaahi dikhti hai. !!
Ye raah bahut aasaan nahin jis raah pe,
haath chhuda kar tum yun tanha chal nikli ho..
Iss khauf se, shayad raah bhatak jaao na kahin,
har mod pe maine nazm khadi kar rakhi hai..
Thak jaao agar aur zaroorat pad jaaye,
ek nazm ki ungli thaam ke waapas aa jaana. !!
Be-yaaro-madadgaar hi kaata tha saara din..
kuchh khud se ajnabi sa,
tanha, udaas saa..
saahil pe din bujhaa ke main, laut aaya phir wahin,
sunsaan si sadak ke khaali makaan mein!
Darwaaza kholte hi, mej pe rakhi kitaab ne,
halke se phadphada ke keha,
‘Der kar di dost!’
Chalo in baadlon ki saari paraten chheel ke dekhen
zaroor in ke labaadon mein
kahin poshida jeben bhi lagi hongi
Tatolen inn ki jeben… aur dekhen
kahan paani ki boonden hain?
kahan oley chhupaaye hain?
kahan rakhte hain damroo? jab bajaate hain toh bachche chaunk jaate hain
Kisi ek ‘Belt’ mein hunter bhi chhupa hoga
hawaaon ke gubbaare bhi bhare honge
tumhen lagta nahin baadal bade shaatir madaari hain!
Ek nadi ki baat suni
Ek shayar se poochh rahi thi
Roz kinaare donon haath pakad ke mere
Sidhi raah chalaate hain
Roz hi toh main
Naav bhar kar, peeth pe le kar
Kitne log hain paar utaar ke aati hun..
Roz mere seene pe lehren
Nabaligh bachchon ke jaise
Kuchh kuchh likhti rehti hain..
Kya aisa ho sakta hai jab
Kuchh bhi na ho
Kuchh bhi nahin…
Aur main apni teh se peeth laga ke ek shab ruki rahun
Bas thehri rahun
Jaise kavita keh lene ke baad padi reh jaati hai
Main padi rahun …!
Sehma sehma daraa sa rehta hai,
jaane kyon jee bhara sa rehta hai.
Kaai si jam gayi hai aankhon par,
saara manzar haraa sa rehta hai.
Ek pal dekh lun toh uthta hun,
jal gaya ghar zara sa rehta hai.
Sar mein jumbish khyaal ki bhi nahin,
zaanuon par dhara sa rehta hai. !!
Dhundlaayi hui shaam thi,
alsaayi hui si..
aur waqt bhi baasi tha main jab shehar mein aaya,
har shaakh se lipte hue sannaate khade the..
deewaaron se chipki hui khaamoshi padi thi..
raahon mein nafas koi na parchhaiyan na saya,
un galiyon mein qoochon mein andhera na ujaala,
darwaazon ke pat band the, khaali the dareeche,
bas waqt ke kuchh baasi se tukde the, pade the…
Main ghumta phirta tha sar-e shehar akela..
darwaazon pe aawaaz lagata tha, koi hai?
har mod pe ruk jaata tha shayad koi aaye..
lekin koi aahat, koi saaya bhi na aaya. !
Ye shehar achaanak hi magar jaag pada hai..
aawaazen hiraasat mein liye mujh ko khadi hain.
aawaazon ke iss shehar mein main qaid pada hun. !!
Kis qadar seedha, sahal, saaf hai raasta dekho..
na kisi shaakh ka saaya hai, na deewaar ki tek.
na kisi aankh ki aahat, na kisi chehre ka shor,
door tak koi nahin.. koi nahin.. koi nahin.
Chand kadmon ke nishaan, haan kabhi milte hain kahin
saath chalte hain jo kuchh door faqat chand kadam,
aur phir toot ke gir jaate hain ye kehte hue..
apni tanhaai liye aap chalo, tanha akele!
saath aaye jo yahan.. koi nahin.. koi nahin. !!
tarkeeb sikha koi yaar julaahe..
aksar tujh ko dekha hai ki taana bunte,
jab koi taaga toot gaya ya khatm hua..
phir se baandh ke,
aur siraa koi jod ke uss mein,
aage bun’ne lagte ho..
Tere iss taane mein lekin,
ek bhi gaanth girah buntar ki,
dekh nahin sakta hai koi..
Maine toh ek baar buna tha ek hi rishta..
Lekin uski saari girhein,
saaf nazar aati hain mere yaar julaahe!