shabdon ka khel iss layak nahi,
ki jang mein utar pao tum.
dekhna hoga, kya ijazat,
ki le lun tumse tumhara ghum?

agar mana paun tumko,
toh sambhal lun khud ko—
par dikkat yahi,
ki tum mere the hi nahi, kabhi.

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...?

woh guhm hi kya,
jo shabdon mein bayan hoh jaye
woh chahat hi kya,
jo aasani se pehlu mein sama jaye
who gaana hi kaisa,
jo sunne wale tak bas ek baar mein pohoch jaye
aur who likhna hi kya,
ko ek baar mein dil ko samajh aajaye

jab tak ye dimaag ka khel na khel le,
tabtak kisiko kaise hi kisiki pehchan hoh paayi hai?

khwabon ka toh kya hai,
befikra mohtab,
bada ajeeb khel khel lete hain.

kabhi mere, kabhi tumhare,
kabhi kisi aur ke aakar,
sapno mein rehna mushkil kar dete hain.

maano mere hokar mujhse juda,
hote hote reh se gaye **,
bilkul tumhari tarah.

kya hi kahun,
aahen bharu ki zeher *** lun?

maanti ***, thodi si pagal,
lekin jo bhi hoon,
tere kaabil hoon toh main!

apnana chahe toh zara sa hichkichau bhi na;
keh denge log toh, jo kehna unhe.

tu bata,
saath rahega mere?

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?

raaz itna gehra hai ye
nazron ke saamne, shuru bhi waise hi hua
bina bole, sab kuch dikha diya

shaant rehna toh chuna gaya hai
dhokha jab wahi de dein, jinse umeed hona bhi—
aisa sochna daravna lagta tha

ek waqt tak ki yaari
jab dor koi aur hi tod jaye
ya beech mein aakar, sira baandh kar
ye bata jaye ki gaanth hai kidhar

tab kya karoge?
kya kar sakte **?

ghaav bhi wahi dete hain
jinhe dene layak hum bana dete hain

kashti dubti hui khud ki
kisi aur ki ko sahara de diya
kasht kyu kiya itna?
unhone toh bas zara sa dhakka de diya


phir bhi baithe rehte
intzaar mein ki shayad kahi se madad aayegi
wahi, woh-hi aaye, bolkar ki dhundne gaya tha
koi aisa jo jod de tute hue dhaage

par umeed bhi toh kasam se—
shaap toh nahi ye?

sab chupa hua, aankhon ke peeche
khel khelne wale soch ke rakhte apni har ek chaal

toh kya maanu mai
shuruwat hi hui thi aisi,
ki meri gair mojudgi mein chun liya tumne ye khwab?

magar kyu hai ye khel,
jo tu hai khelta.
baith kar sun le,
padh le,
haath tere wahi kahenge
jo hai naseeb ka kehna.
maan le, ya phir meri taraf dekh,
badal du teri ye choti si duniya.
acche ke liye hi!

kam se kam pyaar se toh dekh,
bass ek dafa.

kuch iss qadar neend
meri aankhon mai,
maano sapno ki patri par se utri,
teri baahon mai aa giri.
shayad ye nazar ka dhokha,
ya phir kismat ka woh khel—
kya sach, kya khwaab,
ek kitaab ka woh panna—
sambhlna mushkil,
teri aankhon man samana namumkin.

lekin likha har lafz dohrata,
wahi sur, wahi taal, aur wahi geet.
mera gungunana, tujhe sunana,
aur tera naam mere hoton par aate hi
sharma jana.

khwabon mai hi sahi,
kam se kam kareeb toh *** tere.
asliyat mai kaha mauka,
kahan ijazat,
jab kareebi teri kisi aur ke saath,
aur naseeb mera,
mera haath pakde hue.