Lab-e-ju-e-bare

ek hi pal ke liye baiTh ke phir uTh baiThi

aankh ne sirf ye dekha ki nashista but hai

ye basarat ko na thi tab ki wo dekh sake

kaise talwar chali, kaise zamin ka sina

ek lamhe ke liye chashme ki manind bana

pech khate hue ye lahr uThi dil mein mere

kash! ye jhaDiyan ek silsila-e-koh banen

daman-e-koh mein main ja ke sitada ho jaun

aisi anhoni jo ho jae to kyun ye bhi na ho

KHushk patton ka zamin par jo bichha hai bistar

wo bhi ek saz bane saz to hai saz to hai

naghma bedar hua tha jo abhi kan tere

kyun use sun na sake sunne se majbur rahe

parda-e-chashm ne sirf ek nashista but ko

zehn ke daera-e-KHas mein markuz kiya

yaad aata hai mujhe kan hue the bedar

KHushk patton se jab aai thi taDapne ki sada

aur daman ki har ek lahar chamak uTThi thi

paD raha tha usi talwar ka saya shayad

jo nikal aai thi ek pal mein nihan-KHane se

jaise be-saKHta andaz mein bijli chamke

lekin is daman-e-aluda ki har lahar miTi

jal-pari dekhte hi dekhte ru-posh hui

main sitada hi raha main ne na dekha (afsos!)

kaise talwar chali kaise zamin ka sina

ek lamhe ke liye chashme ki manind bana

daman-e-koh mein istada nahin hun is waqt

jhaDiyan silsila-e-koh nahin parda hain

jis ke us par jhalakta nazar aata hai mujhe

manzar anjaan, achhuti si dulhan ki surat

han tasawwur ko main ab apne bana kar dulha

isi parde ke nihan-KHane mein le jaunga

kaise talwar chali kaise zamin ka sina

dil-e-be-tab ki manind taDap uTTha tha

ek be-saKHta andaz mein bijli ki tarah

jal-pari gosha-e-KHalwat se nikal aai thi!

zindagi garm thi har bund mein aabi paun

KHushk patton pe phisalte hue ja pahunche the!

main bhi maujud tha ek kirmak-e-be-nam-o-nishan

main ne dekha ki ghaTa shaq hui dhaara nikli

barq-raftari se ek tir kaman ne chhoDa

aur wo KHam kha ke lachakta hua tharra ke gira

qulla-e-koh se girte hue patthar ki tarah

koi bhi rok na thi us ke liye us ke liye

KHushk patton ka zamin par hi bichha tha bistar

usi bistar pe wo anjaan pari leT gai!

aur main kirmak-e-be-nam, ghaTa ki surat

isi ummid mein takta raha takta hi raha

ab isi waqt koi jal ki pari aa jae

bansuri hath mein le kar main gwala ban jaun

jal-pari aae kahan se? wo isi bistar par

main ne dekha abhi aasuda hui leT gai

lekin afsos ki main ab bhi khaDa hun tanha

hath aaluda hai, nam-dar hai, dhundli hai nazar,

hath se aankhon ke aansu to nahin ponchhe the!