yaari agar shaam se kar lu,
toh kahin raat rooth na jaye.

har waqt satate hue,
savera bhi kehta ab toh—
kya chahti hoh tum humse?
kisko chunogi, agar chunna hoh hamesha ke liye?

  khayalon mein kya tumhare?

khayalon ki baaton par aajaun,
unhe manana aata toh
baatein shayad dil ki hi sunte woh.

kehte hai magar kuch,
kar dete hai kuch aur.

aur lafz? wahi jo bolti rehti hoh tum?

lafzon ka dohrana
nishaan hota hai khamiyon ka,
par woh maujoodgi hi kaisi
jisme khamiyan na hoh.

tumhe bataun ek raaz ki baat,
bolna nahi kisise.
rakhti *** isko dil ke kareeb—
ek chahat hai ye bhi, kaafi ajeeb.

jo meetha zeher milta sirf shabdon mein,
bhar deti hoon usko,
har unn galiyon se nikalte hue,
jinki raah ek waqt tak saath thi,
par phir bichhad gaye—
dhakka dekar mujhe,
darwaze band unhone kar diye.

nikal padi mai wapas,
wahi rahein, kuch nayi toh kuch dabi hui, khamosh si.
maano chalte hue unpar, kho gaye log.
har ek raahi jo bhi mila,
baatein kisi se hoh na payi.

phir thak kar baith gayi—
bhaagne ko zindagi bhar kaafi,
kabhi rukna bhi kya ab jaayaz nahi?

baithe-baithe, ek aisi jagah mili,
jahan dekhne ko dhalta hua sooraj
aur deewangi ka ek parda tha.
dekha maine, kaise woh milte kuch aise,
sirf lamhon ke liye,
sambhal lete woh bhi ek doosre ko.

kya mujhe bhi koi—?

kabhi-kabhi aati hai ek junooniyat,
ek ummeed, jo bas aahon mein bhar leti hai apne,
aur phir wahi khwab:

dekhte-dekhte, cheen leti main unse
woh do pal ki khushiyaan.
jab milta ek kinara dusre se,
jab bhi woh rokte doosre ko bikharne se—
kuch iss qadar kaabil hona—
tere liye?

kisi din, ban jana iss layak
ki keh denge ye bhi:

“bachke rehna usse,
jo aati hai raat ki tarah,
lejati hai har ek woh sapna
jo sona na de.
aur de jaati hai
meethe se woh kuch khwab—
woh jo kabhi rone bhi na de.”

aur rahi baat unki,
jo mere hokar bhi—

zameen, mausam, aur ye aasmaan,
raat, savera, aur dhalta sa ye jahaan—
mere hi toh hai.

dil ki ye gustakhi maaf ki jaye.
kuch iss nazariye se dekhiye—
ki dil, dimaag, aur rooh ko bhi choo jaye.
ye kehne ka tareeka, aankhon ka nageena,
maano paheli si hoh koi...
suljhane baithe toh dil ke taar ulajh gaye.
ab kehne ke liye tasalli rakhi—
darr, aur mukhtam—dono hi mukammal kar chuke.

deewangi woh ek aisi bala,
choote choote reh si gayi—
itne kareeb the, kuch pal ke liye hi sahi,
ek phool ka woh kaanta,
jisne ghaav toh diye,
par dekhkar use,
befikra bankar, hum chalte chale hi,
kahin kho se gaye.
nazdeekiyan badhti chali gayi—
aur ab, waqt ka dariya:
jagah itni, ki iski dor bhi pakadke,
dooor se kheecho,
toh bhi ye na jud sake.

kya ye kismat?
teri—phir meri?
ki saath rehne bhi chahein,
toh bhi saath na reh sake…
aur maano, kehne ko—
wakt, naseeb, jazbaat se lad bhi lein—
par iss dil–dimaag ke khel mein,
phas kar, bikhar kar,
mar hi jaaye,
toh aisa kya rishta,
aur kya ummeed,
jisme khel tumhara

manzar se guzar kar,
galiyon ke uss paar
baitha koi ek woh shaks,
jo dikha dega mujhe meri sahi raah.
kya aisa koi jeena,
jo tumhaare kareeb rehne dega?

doori rahe, par phir bhi—
aankhen wahi sab khayaal padhti,
gun gunati,
ek doosre mein samaati rahein.
kehne ko hum do,
alag.
bilkul—bewajah, bekhayal.
uss mod par mudte hue,
shayad ye aakhri baar.
aakhri saans.
par kya—
kya koi sun bhi sakega?

laal rang ki woh ek dor,
jisne pakad rakha,
rok rakha hai.
jaana tujhe hai—
tera raasta koi aur.
par baithe hue hum yahi.
tu agar kabhi mud ke aaya bhi,
toh milengi bas yahi kahin.
dekh toh lega,
ya
tu bhi bhula dega...?

ye jo ghoomte hai
kehte hue ki sab likha hai
kya itni aasani se mai maan lu?
bas keh diya – ki likha hai
toh ** gaya, badal gaya sach?

kab tak –
ek baar ko theek, do baar ke liye theek
har baar, likha hai– likha hai pehle se hi sab sambhala hua hai
toh kya hoon mai? ek zariya?
koi khel raha ye khel, aur mai sirf ek – mohra?

parinda woh jiski rooh tak bhi udne mai rehti
uske parr hi kaat do aur bol do – tujhe udna tha hi nahi

jo zeher khakar zinda reh gaye,
usse aadat bhi ** jaati – rukne ki, gir kar uthne ki, sambhalne ki
kaise maan lu ki bas, kisne ek dafa likh diya
jo hona tha, jo hota aaya
woh mai kuch nahi, koi aur kuch nahi

kabhi mann karta inn sabse ladne ka
jhagadne ka
dhoondhne ka,
jaha kuch bhi ye sab likha hua aur usko mita dene ka

lekin kya mai bachungi?
kya mai rahungi?
jo mai hoon, kya waisi ban sakungi?

ye agar ek kahani hai,
aur agar har ek woh insaan jo mere kareeb
aur jiska bhi jaana mumkin, namumkin – jo kuch bhi, jaise bhi
vaise hi
qubool bhale hi na kar saku
ladne ko aur cheekh ko sunne ko
tu rahega?

agar mai in haathon par bani hui ye rekhayein
mita bhi dun
aur jo kuch bhi hai, uska sab ulta kar du
kya woh mere haath mai, meri khud ki kahani
kya siyahi meri hogi?

kya ye meri zindagi hi hai ya kisi aur ki?

aur haan! ek baat aur
abhi suni, padhi aur dekhi
ki do log – jinko aana hota hai ek doosre ki zindagi mai
unka jaana bhi hota hai, jaise hi waqt ka kaanta ghoom jaye
aur ghadi wahi aakar ruk jaye, jaha likhi gayi thi unki kahani

ki kaam hua poora, ek doosre ke liye
ab chalte hai, aur saath reh kar – aas paas hokar bhi na mil sakenge kabhi bhi
jisne bhi is sab ko naam diya,
mann karta hai cheen loon usse jo bhi khushiyaan usko mili,
sirf is ek baat par—

baaki ek darkhwast,
bas ek dor, ek dafa dekh lena jab tu nikle
mat modna, mat mudna, mat dohrana
bas dekh lena
ki haan, jaanta tha tu mujhe

aur mai?
mai toh yahi rahungi
apne liye, hum sabke liye
jo chale gaye, jo jaate jaate reh gaye aur jo hain
un sab ko agar bhar sakti, toh daal deti ek pitaare mai
jiski chaabi sirf mere paas hoti
band kar deti, chhupa deti naseeb aur un taaron se
jo karte hai meri bayaan zindagi
nahi maanti mai



(keh deti hoon, par maanti hoon
bas jaana kisi kisi ka uss aag mai chingari ki tarah
ki lad kyu nahi sakti?
ek baar muqaddar se jhagad ke, sabke khilaaf jaake
usko paa kyu nahi sakti?
kya likha hua hi patthar par lakeer?
taare badalte har pal
kya tab bhi maan lu jo ek baar keh diya gaya?
koi mauka hi nahi, badalne ka?)


sambhal jaungi, tu apne aap ko sambhal lena
khilaaf mere agar hona chahe
toh upar se guzarte hue dariya ko dekh lena
mai sabke khilaaf hokar bhi sabse judi hui
hai tujhme itni taqat? ruk sakta tu kuch pal ke liye hi?

magar dard mile toh mat sehna.

agar jaana sab ko hi hota hai
aur jaana likha bhi hai
aur ye dard, ye pyaar, ye jo bhi hai – baandhe hue doori aur ab gume hue woh haath
jo pakad ke rakhe the ek baar
khoobsurti kaise dhoondhu inme, jab yahi dukhte sabse zyada
har ek woh tukda jo de dete ek doosre ko
milte kaha woh wapas?