Pandraah Baras

Barso'n baad aaj woh letter pad khola
Jis mein tumhe khat likha karti thi.
Woh neeche kinari pe bane gehuwe phool
Aur upar mein banni udhti chidiya'n.
Main woh phool thi, murjhati aur phir khilti
Tum un azaad panchhiyo'n ki tarah, khud mein mashgool.

Kuch pandrah solah khatt likhey the tumhe
Abhi bhi kuch warq bachhe hain is mein.
Meri nazr uss akhri khatt ki chaap par padhi
Ek dheemi si hassi mere labo'n se chhooth gayi.
Yun to mujhe woh aaj bhi zabaani yaad hai
Har ik woh khatt jo tumhe likha tha.

In lafzo'n pe haath phera to woh zakhm sabz ho utha
Hijr ka woh akhri khatt aaj bhi be-jawaab hai.
Tumhari khamoshi ke kayi'n matlab nikaale the maine
Lekin koi bhi mere dil ko behla na saka.
Aksar sochti hoon agar tum likhtey to kya likhtey
Phir har uss jawaab ke badle main apna jawaab sochti.

Tumhare jawaab ke intezaar mein main waqt ka hisaab bhool baithi
Aaj jab ispe woh akhri khatt ki tareekh dekhi to khud pe hass padhi.
Pandrah baras beet gaye hain uss din ko
Aur main aaj bhi tanhaayi mein uska jawaab sochti hoon.
Shayad tumhe woh khat mila hi na ho
Shayad tumne usse padha hi na ho
Agle pandrah baras yeh soch ke guzaar lungi.

Khandar

sadak ke modh par jo woh khandar hai
aaj usse kareeb se dekha maine
woh waqt se kumlayi mat maili deewarein
woh sar se paer tak cheenkhti daraarein
unhe sun ne ke liye, main bheetar chali gayi

tooti dehleez mujhe dekh muskura di
sehmi se maine ek kadam andar ki or rakha
baase ashiyaan ki bu thi uss khandar me
haan, kabhi kisi ka ashiyaan to raha hoga

dining table pe toote hue do pyaale the
shayad akhri baar unhone yahin chai pi hogi
un baaton ki dhool se mez dhaka hua tha
wahi bagal mein ek pen bhi thi.

theek table ke peeche ek toota photo frame tha
makdi ke jaalo se bhara hua
usme lagi hui tasveer kuch fat si gayi thi
haseen lamhe ko sanjo kar maano thak si gayi thi

yeh khule hue jharokhein intezaar mein jhaanktey hain
aate jaate koi to yahan nazar karey
aaye, baethe phir yahan koi
aur iss khandar ko ashiyaan kare.