ek an-jana sa dar
jab vo paida hui thi
us ke andar jazb tha
ek andheri kothari ka khauf
rag rag men basa tha
ek unchai se gir jaane ki dahshat
pichhe pichhe chal rahi thi
ek darvaze 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 vaqt guzra
aql ke taron ki jumbish se badan jaaga
hifazat ka tasavvur is qadar vahshat-zada tha
ki apne jism se sharmindagi hoti rahi
phir kharidaron ki duniya men zara sun-gun hui
dil dhadakne ki sada madum ho kar rah gai
khauf ke gahne saja kar
aur jhijak ke be-tahasha phuul pahna kar
kharidaron ne us ko phir se andhi kothari men qaid kar daala
vo jis ka khauf vo 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
paanv chaukhat ki taraf badhne lage
ik qadam rakkha hi tha ki nanhe nanhe haath ik zanjir ban kar aa gae
ab vo is raste men hai sab jis ko rah-e-marg kahte hain
munjamid ankhon men ab manzar thaharte hi nahin
ab kisi chaukhat ki janib paanv badhte hi nahin
nanhe nanhe haath kuchh is tarah unche ho gae
ab dastaras se duur hain
apni zanjiron men khud mahsur hain
us ki andhi kothari par ek katba nasb hai
”is jagah dildar-begam dafn hai
vo afifa parsa sabir-o-shakir so rahi hai
yahan se ghair mardon ka guzarna mana hai
barae fatiha jo aana chahe aae
lekin duur se padh le”
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