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.