aab thakk gaya hai raaj

zindagi ki kitab haath mein zindagi ko pardne lage,
jee rahe the phir se iss zindagi ke panno ko ultate huye,

har ek panne pe dafan thi purani purani kahaniya,
har ek lafz ro raha tha gum ka afsana sunate huye,

kuch dard kuch zakhm, kuch apno ke kuch gairo ke,
phir se mehesoos kiye woh sab, kuch ashkon ko bahate huye,

kuch paya hi nahi humne, zindagi se bas khoya hi hai,
phir bhi har raha pe, chalte rahe hum muskurate huye,

aab thakk gaya hai raaj, aab aur nahi chala jata,
vida karo hume dosto, abb aur nahi jeeya jata.

har safar pe tanha hi reh jaata hoon

dil kehta hai to kuch likhta hoon
dil rota hai to kuch likhta hoon

dil tanha hai tab kuch likhta hoon
dil hasta hai to kuch likhta hoon,

gulam bana hoon mein iss dil ka
iss dil ke zulm main sehta hoon,

jis rah pe dil ye mujhe le jaaye
uss rah pe yuh hi chala jaata hoon,

iss dil ki baaton mein aakar
kyun uske sapne mein bunta hoon?

hai nahi woh mera, jaane hai yeh dil
kyun usko paane ki aas rakhta hoon?

kyun dil ki baaton mein aakar
mein sachhi preet nibhaata hoon?.

kyun dil ki baaton mein aakar mein
bewafa-aye-yaar ka intezaar karta hoon?

phir dil ki baaton mein aakar
har baar main ghum hi paata hoon,

iss dil ki raah pe chalkar khud ko,
har safar pe tanha hi reh jaata hoon,

iss dil ki baaton mein aakar
bin manzil ke safar pe chalta jaata hoon. 

dosti bas aajkal waqt gujarne ka zariya hai

kaha dhudhe dosti ko
ab hum dost kisse kahe?
jinhein maana tha sabse kareebi,
wohi hume dhokha dete rahe.

kal jo karte the baatein badi badi dosit ki,
aaj hume dekh munh fer liya karte hain.
hum pichde rahe.. badal gaya hai zamana,
naye zamane ke log aisse hi shayad
doston se dosti nibhaya karte hain.

yeh bhi sach hai ki aaj
kaun kaha kiska hota hai?
dosti bas aaj kal mehaj
waqt gujarne ka zariya hota hai.

sometimes I do feel you right beside me

“shall I come over….?”
“now…?”
“yes…. why not?”
“but how..? how can you be here”
“you want me to..?”
“I would love to… but how..?”
I wanted to be there too
to be with you
right then and there
over at your side

chat screen went silent
just the cursor
a little vertical black line
blinking… blinking…. blinking…

like I could feel your pulse
like I am just there
holding your face in my hands
those eyes open wide

“just close your eyes…
count ten seconds…
thousand one… thousand two…
see wheather you can feel me
right beside you…..”

so began a ritual…
no matter where I am
no matter what is going on around me
right at seven in the evening….

counting my ten seconds….
with my eyes closed….
yes… some days…I do feel you…. right beside me…!

khamoosh yaado ke siwa ghar mein raha kuch bhi nahi

socha nahi acha bura, dekha suna kuch bhi nahi,
manga khuda se raat din, tere siwa kuch bhi nahi,

socha tujhe, dekha tujhe, chaha tujhe, pooja tujhe,
meri khata meri wafa, teri khata kuch bhi nahi,

jispe humaari aankh nahi, moti bhichhaye raat bhar,
bheja wohi khagaz usse, hum ne likha kuch bhi nahi,

ek sham ke saye talay, bethay rahe woh dair tak,
ankhon se ki baatein bahot, moonh se kaha kuch bhi nahi,

ehsaas ki khushbu kaha, awaaz ke jugnoo kaha,
khamoosh yaado ke siwa, ghar mein raha kuch bhi nahi,

do char din ki baat thi, dil khak mein mil hi gaya,
jab aag par kagaz rakha, baaki bacha kuch bhi nahi.

marna bhi mushkil hai, aur jeena bhi lachari hai

dard yeh sara keh kar bhi, kaisi yeh bekarari hai,
sare anshu baha diye par, aankh abhi bhi bhaari hai.

sailab-e-ask mein bhi jo, tasweer kahi tumahri hai,
hum ko paar lagayegi woh, kashti wahi humari hai.

dil to pehale de chhuke, ab zindagi ki baari hai,
tu mile na mile humein, apni puri tayaari hai.

jaan humein jab doge tum, tab ki tab hi dekhenge,
kehne sunne mein lekin, yeh baat bahut hi pyari hai.

karz-zindagi ke aage, har shakhs hi bhikari hai,
marna bhi mushkil hai, aur jeena bhi lachari hai.

ashk jo zahir kar den tab hi, gum ki kimat ayegi,
iss deewani duniya ka sara, karobar ishtehari hai.

teri zafa teri wafa mein, kya rakhein aur kya chordein,
dil bata tu hi mujh ko, kaun sa kaam tujhe pyari hai.

mujh ko ghumhin dekh ke tune, anshu kyon bahaye hain,
kaun si aag lagani hai, yeh kaun si chingaari hai.

wafa ki baat karoon to woh, duniyadari ki baat karte hain,
unki nazar mein aaj bhi yeh ishq koyi bimaari hai.

mere yeh anshu thukra ke ab, woh jaane kis aur gaye,
jaate jaate itna bole yeh, jheel bhi ab to khaari hai,

abhi unpe marne do, baad mein main jee bhi lunga kal,
jeene jaisi baaton pe, kyon itni mara-mari hai.

unko jaan gaye jab se, jaan yeh unmein hi rahti hai,
itna kab main janata hoon ki, jaan kaise ab pyari hai.

jaan se bhi jo pyare the, hum sath na unke ja paye,
aazad nahi ab.. hum pe sasnon ki pahredari hai.

marne ki tum baat karo to, hassi humein to aati hai,
dard humein bhi milta hai, tannha bhi raat guzari hai.

khali nahi milta koyi, khud hi yeh bojh uthana hai,
duniya se phir kyon bolein, dard bahut hi bhaari ha.

to sadmein deti ja, mujhko bhi tay kar leane de,
teri kitni tayari hai, meri kitni tayari hai.

ghum ki kalam lagayi thi, anshu ke phool khile hain ab,
tere joor ko raas nahi, yeh zakhmon ki phulwari hai.

tu humein na mili kabhi, lekin hum zinda to hain,
main jo tujh se haar gaya, tu bhi mujh se haari hai.

hal nahi jiska koyi us par charcha ka kya maane,
kaise din kaata hai humne, kaise shaamein guzari hai.

pahli baar hua hai aisa, ro kar bhi chain mila nahi,
ankh to halki hai ab lekin, dil abhi tak baahri hai.

dard mile har din naye, tab bhi hum to zinda rahe,
ghum mein na jaan gayi, kaisi hum ko bimari hai.

beeti hai dard-e-tufan abhi, na meethi meeethi baatein karo,
neend se jaag gaya lekin, baki abhi khumari hai.

meri wafa bhi khata meri, teri khata pe hai enaam,
main kyon itna sada hoon, tu kyon itni pyari hai.

kitne hi rang mile isme, kitni hi khushbu paayi hai,
mausam jo keh daale tune, ghazal nahi phulwari hai.

imaan se apne gir gaya hai aadmi

insaan se haiwaan ab ban gaya hai aadmi,
berahmi se aadmi ko maar raha hai aadmi.

ghar se nikalna bhi ab mushkil lagta hai,
har pal darr ke shaaye mein ji raha hai aadmi.

hindu bhi kush hai aur muslmaan bhi kush,
chorahon par roz ktal ho raha hai aadmi.

mandir aur maszid mein bhagwaan khamosh hain,
aaj ke daur mein khud bhagwaan hai aadmi.

begunahon ke khoon se manate hain holiyan,
imaan se apne gir gaya hai aadmi.