wo aalam KHwab ka tha
so rahe the sab
magar ek wo
akela jag uTha tha
kuchh aise nind TuTi thi
ki har har uzw be-kal tha
badan sara
taghayyur ki talab mein
mahi-be-ab ki surat taDapta tha
junun-o-be-qarari ne
ragon mein bijliyan bhar din
hazaron sal se rakkhe hue patthar ko sarkaya
wo apne ghaar se bahar nikal aaya
nigahen raushni se chaar ho kar jun hi palTin
us ne KHud ko
zindagi se wasl ke imkan mein paya
bahut lamba bahut dushwar rasta tai kiya us ne
na jaane kitne dariya koh-o-sahra darmiyan aae
tilism-o-haft-KHwan aae
tab us shahr-e-buland-o-baala-o-pur-kaif mein pahuncha
jahan insan aur haiwan sab bedar rahte the
baDe be-KHar hote the
zaban thi sukh ke kanTa
papoTe phul ke kuppa
ki us par jagte rahne ka aisa shauq ghaalib tha
badan wahshat ka talib tha
magar ye kya
use malum ye kab tha
zara jo muKHtalif ho
shahr-e-bedaran mein us par kya guzarti hai
dukanen jin ki unchi thin
use muKHbir samajhte the
jo masha-KHor the pheri lagate the
use pagal batate the
wahan bazar mein koi use kuchh bhi na deta tha
jo sikke pas the us ke unhen koi na leta tha
wo wapas ja na sakta tha
KHuda-e-lam-yazal ke hukm se
us ghaar ka munh band tha phir se
ajab be-yawari na-ashnai thi
saza mahz us ne
aankh khul jaane ki pai thi