The Past and The Future

The tired answers
To well-worn questions

Some misdirected efforts
A few forgotten equations

Those masks on faces
Those veils on intentions

And, somewhere far away
As though in another universe
The smoke that rises

From the smouldering embers
Of the corpses of uprooted dreams

Wrings drops of moisture
From these blood-shot eyes
So that people think
I am once again immersed
In the pain of the past

But, in this half-extinguished heart
A self-effacing dream still hides
The hope that she would sweep veil-less
Into this chamber of loneliness still abides
Covered by clouds, perhaps
But, in the sky a glorious moon still resides

The Heart Must Have Ached

When blew the cold wind of the evening of separation, the heart must have ached
When blossomed the morning in the chamber of loneliness, the heart must have ached

Words of falsehood sound sweet behind closed doors alone
When someone denied her love in the square, the heart must have ached

I, too was in your presence, although ever ignored
But, when that empty space let out a sigh, the heart must have ached

Come, let us meet again as if we were never intimate
Although, when memories of that closeness prevailed, the heart must have ached

Fame went, riches went – they were not your treasure
But, the day honour was sold Sifar, the heart must have ached

Had Been

A dusty wind had raged, a storm, too had been
A gaze had lifted, a death there had been

Why, walking the street, should one curse me?
Am I the only idiot that in this world has been?

And how do i tell you now, the magic of that blossoming beauty?
Enough to say that I, young just that day had been

Yesterday, in the river, I caught a glimpse of myself
As though, in that timeless flow, immersed I, too had been

My funeral procession Sifar, moved with such a jaunt
We hear the slayer herself despondent has been

Maazi-o-farda

Thake hue sawaalon
Ke uktaae hue jawaab
Kuchh bhatke hue iraade
Chand bhoole hue hisaab
Woh chaihron ke pairaahan
Woh dilon par dhake nakaab

Awr kahin door
Jaise kisi awr duniya mein
Ujde hue khwaabon
Ki sulagti laashon
Se uthta hua dhooaan

Jab in surkh aankhon se
Nami nichod jaata hai
Toh log sochte hain
Ke main phir gham-e-maazi
Mein dooba hoon

Magar is dil-e-bismil mein
Ek saihma hua sa khwaab ab bhi hai
Ye umeed ke woh aa jaaye
Is hujra-e-tanhai mein be-hijaab ab bhi hai
Abr se dhaka hi sahi
Falak mein maihtaab ab bhi hai

Dil Toh Dukha Hoga

Chali jab sard hawa-e-shab-e-hijr, dil toh dukha hoga
Maihki jab sahar hujra-e-tanhaai mein, dil toh dukha hoga

Harf-e-jhoot toh band kamron hi mein achhe lagte hain
Kiya jab kisi ne sar-e-baazaar inkaar-e-ishq, dil toh dukha hoga

Ham bhi bhi the teri bazm mein, go nazar-andaaz
Aah jab nikli us khaali jagah se, dil toh dukha hoga

Chalo, phir yun milein jaise ham kabhi aashna na the
Magar jab aayee hogi yaad us aashnaai ki, dil toh dukha hoga

Shauhrat gayi, daulat gayi, kaunsi apni sarmaaya thi?
Bika tha magar Sifar jis roz imaan, dil toh dukha hoga

Hua Tha

Aandhi si chali thi, toofaan sa hua tha
Ek nazar uthi si thi, qatl-e-jaan sa hua tha

Kyon raah chalte koi, kare apni buraayi?
Kya is duniya mein main hi, naadaan sa hua tha?

Ab kya kahein tumse, us nau-shabaab ke jalwe
Bas aise ke main us roz hi, jawaan sa hua tha

Kal darya ki maujon mein, kuchh apni si jhalak thi
Us raftaar-e-haq mein main bhi, qurbaan sa hua tha

Yun jhoom ke nikla Sifar, kuchh apna janaaza
Sunte hain ke khud qaatil bhi, pareshaan sa hua tha

Was Not

Although the merciful gaze never rested upon me
But Sifar, this threat to life it ever was not

Yes, the nation was enslaved, but there was a freedom of thought
For this heavy chain around the hearts then, there was not

Why did I lose all sense and dignity, how could I say now?
Just one arrow of her glance, and mind or heart there was not

When nothing else was, just Her breath resonated
You and I then were not; this narrowness of sky too, was not

If I were to speak Sifar, much there is that I could say
Alas, my own tale, worthy of speech was not!

Na Thi

Yun toh nazr-e-karam ham par kabhi mehrbaan na thi
Magar Sifar, aisi bhi kabhi khatra-e-jaan na thi

Go aazaad na tha desh, ek bulandi-e-khayaal thi
Dilon par jo yeh ab si zanjeer-e-giraan na thi

Khoya kyon tamkeen-o-hosh, yeh kaise kahein ab ham
Bas ik teer-e-nigaah chali, phir aql-o-jaan na thi

Kuchh awr jab na tha, bas uski saans goonjti thi
Ham awr tum tab na the, yeh tangi-e-aasmaan na thi

Kahne ko toh ham bauhat kuchh kah jaate, ae Sifar
Afsos apni daastaan kaabil-e-bayaan na thi

Sab Siyah Hai

Sab siyah hai
Andar awr har su
Phir ye rawshni kya?

Jo yak-ba-yak
Aankhon ko andhiya jaati hai

Band-o-ruki-o-sadi hui
Ruh ki bu
Naak mein dam

Magar ye door kahin
Se aati hui khushboo si kya?
Jo khule dareechon se ghus kar
Dil-o-dimaagh par chhaa jaati hai

Har usool bik chuka
Har jhoot dauhraaya ja chuka
Phir ye aaeena kya?
Jo har jhoot se pare hai

Ye sargarm daud siyahi ki taraf
Hosh-o-hawaas ghadi-bhar ke mehmaan
Phir ye bharosa kaisa?
Hamesha mein

Kuchh aisi hai ma ka aangan
Go tum bhool chuke ho
Apne ghar ko

Usney tumhein nahin chhoda
Usney tumhein nahin chhoda

Tik-tik

Dil-o-dimaagh maazi mein dooba hua
Kya kuchh ho sakta tha
Log anjaane, raahen andekhi

Awr raat yun tapakti hai
Jaise begunaahon ka lahu
Kaaleen ke chithdon par
Iqbal-e-jurm likh jaaye

Falak bhi koi jawaab nahin rakhta
Magar woh toh ek musaafir hai
Hamesha awr hamesha ke beech

Badalti hawa
Koi raasta nahin dikhaati

Thake hue khushk zard patte girte hain
Gul toh kabke gum hue
Is beraham dhaar ko qurbaan
Mawt awr zindagi ki
Awr oonch se neech ki

Pahaad chuppi liye hue hai
Josh-o-harkat uski fitrat nahin
Muntazir hai us sailaab ka
Jo usey choor kar
Phir zindagi de jaayega

Awr insaan baukhlaaya hua
Kuchh izteraab sa
Apni bekaari-o-behisi se anjaan
Raaz-e-haq ki talaash mein

Jab ke woh jaa-ba-jaa hain maujood
Khush agarche be-wajood