apne bistar pe bahut der se main nim-daraz
sochti thi ki vo is vaqt kahan par hoga
main yahan huun magar us kucha-e-rang-o-bu men
roz ki tarah se vo aaj bhi aaya hoga
aur jab us ne vahan mujh ko na paaya hoga!?
aap ko ilm hai vo aaj nahin aai hain?
meri har dost se us ne yahi puchha hoga
kyuun nahin aai vo kya baat hui hai akhir
khud se is baat pe sau baar vo uljha hoga
kal vo aaegi to main us se nahin bolunga
aap hi aap kai baar vo rutha hoga
vo nahin hai to bulandi ka safar kitna kathin
sidhiyan chadhte hue us ne ye socha hoga
rahdari men hare lawn men phulon ke qarib
us ne har samt mujhe aan ke dhunda hoga
naam bhule se jo mera kahin aaya hoga
ghair-mahsus tariqe se vo chaunka hoga
ek jumle ko kai baar sunaya hoga
baat karte hue sau baar vo bhula hoga
ye jo ladki nai aai hai kahin vo to nahin
us ne har chehra yahi soch ke dekha hoga
jan-e-mahfil hai magar aaj faqat mere baghair
haae kis darja vahi bazm men tanha hoga
kabhi sannaton se vahshat jo hui hogi use
us ne be-sakhta phir mujh ko pukara hoga
chalte chalte koi manus si aahat pa kar
doston ko bhi kis uzr se roka hoga
yaad kar ke mujhe nam ho gai hongi palken
”ankh men pad gaya kuchh” kah ke ye taala hoga
aur ghabra ke kitabon men jo li hogi panah
har satar men mira chehra ubhar aaya hoga
jab mili hogi use meri alalat ki khabar
us ne ahista se divar ko thama hoga
soch kar ye ki bahal jaae pareshani-e-dil
yunhi be-vajh kisi shakhs ko roka hoga!
ittifaqan mujhe us shaam miri dost mili
main ne puchha ki suno aae the vo? kaise the?
mujh ko puchha tha mujhe dhunda tha charon janib?
us ne ik lamhe ko dekha mujhe aur phir hans di
is hansi men to vo talkhi thi ki is se aage
kya kaha us ne mujhe yaad nahin hai lekin
itna maalum hai khvabon ka bharam tuut gaya!