Bardaasht Ke Saaye:

“Har muskaan ke peeche ek toofan chhupa hota hai,
Aur har chhupaye gaye aasu, ek kahani kehte hain.”

– Zulfikar Inamdar

Bardaasht Ke Saaye:

Arz kiya hai ke….

Koyi kya lagayega meri bardaasht ka andaaza,
Maine mar jaane jaisa waqt bhi jee kar guzara hai…
Jab saans bhi bojh ban jaaye, aur khamoshi cheekh ban jaaye,
Tab zindagi ko muskurake sambhalna,
Bas ek majboori nahi… ek ibadat sa lagta hai.

Mere dard ko log afsaana samajh lete hain,
Par sach yeh hai ke maine raaton ko ro kar,
Subah ko bilkul theek hone ka natak kiya hai.
Maine har toote hue pal ko,
Apne hi seene me daba kar zinda rakha hai.

Main gir bhi jaaun to kisi ko pata bhi na chale,
Aisi aadat ho gayi hai chup rehne ki…
Aur duniya ko lagta hai ke main hamesha theek hoon,
Kyuki main ne dard ko bhi adaao me pehna rakha hai…

Har muskaan ke peeche, ek kahani chhupi hai,
Jo shayad sirf khud hi samajh sakta hoon.
Mere jazbaat, mere khwab, aur mere aansoo,
Sab ek hi silsile me bandhe hain –
Ek aisi talash me jo kabhi poori na hui,
Aur ek aisi umeed jo har waqt tootne ko tayyar thi.

Main ne khud se ladte ladte,
Apni rooh ko itna majboot bana liya,
Ke har chhoti si toofan bhi,
Mujhe hilane ki himmat na kar sake.
Aur phir bhi, andar hi andar,
Har lamha ek chubhta hua saaya bana rehta hai,
Jo kabhi kisi ko dikhai nahi deta.

Koyi kya samajhega meri tanhaaiyon ka wazan,
Jab maine apni har khushi ko chhupaya hai,
Aur har gham ko gale se lagaya hai.
Main ne waqt ke saath har imtehaan sahe hain,
Aur har aasu, ek dastaan ban gaya hai,
Jo sirf khud se poochti hai: “Tu kab thakega?”
Par main ne kabhi haar nahi maani,
Bus muskuraya aur aage badhta raha…

Phir bhi raat ke andheron me,
Mujhe khud se hi baatein karni padti hain,
Woh baatein jo kabhi kisi se na keh sakta…
Har yaad, har chhota sa khwab,
Ek bhari hui kahani banke mere dil me bas gaya hai.

Jab sapne tut jaate hain aur umeeden giri hoti hain,
Tab bhi maine apne aap ko sambhala hai,
Aur khud se wada kiya hai ke main khud ko todne nahi dunga.
Har aansoo, har chhupaya gham,
Bas ek yaad ban gaya hai, ek shikayat ban gayi hai,
Aur phir bhi muskaan, ek mask ban gayi hai,
Jo duniya ke liye hai, par sirf main jaanta hoon…

Aur shayad yehi bardaasht hai,
Jo sirf zinda rehne ka sahara nahi,
Balki ek jazbaat hai, ek rooh ka imtehaan hai,
Jo har pal mere andar gunj raha hai,
Aur main, phir bhi, khud ko aage badhta paata hoon…