Jab Usne Milkar Kaha:

“Kuch chehre dil se nahi utarte… chahe saari duniya unhe bhool jaaye.”

– Zulfikar Inamdar

Jab Usne Milkar Kaha…

Arz Kiya Hai…

Jab usne milkar kaha, “Bas Zulfi… bhool gaye?”
Ye lafz sunte hi andar ke saare sahare toot gaye…
Mere haath-pair ek dum se sann sa ho gaye…
Jaise saari umeedein beech raste hi thokar kha kar gir gaye…

Dil ne ek hi pal me poori ek zindagi dobara jee li…
Uski awaaz ne woh sab raatein, woh sab waqt yaad kara diya
Jahan main uske bina bhi uske saath zinda rehne ki
Be-imaan si koshish karta tha…
Aur har subah uski yaadon ka karz utaarne ki dua karta tha…

Woh saamne khadi thi, par jaise dooriyon ka
Ek azaab mere aur uske beech gir gaya ho…
Main kehna chahta tha ke
“Bhoolna hota to roz khud ko sambhalna na padta,
Roz teri tasweer se baat karna na padta…”
Par alfaaz zubaan tak aaye…
Aur phir meri khamoshi se hi haar gaye…

Uski aankhon me thodi si shikayat thi,
Par mere andar to poora toofan barpa tha…
Main kaise batata ke mohabbat koi daftar ka kaam nahi
Ke waqt ke baad band ho jaaye…
Ye to us dhadkan ki tarah hoti hai
Jo ruk bhi jaaye… par naam tera hi leti hai.

Kaash woh jaan pati ke
Hum jaise log kisi ko nahi bhoolte…
Hum sirf dard chhupa kar
Uska naam aur gehra likh lete hain…
Aisa likh lete hain ke
Bhagwan bhi poochhe to hum keh dein—
“Isko mita kar kya hasil hoga?”

Aur jab woh ye keh kar mud gayi
Ke “bhool gaye”…
Tab meri ruh ne andar hi andar jawab diya—
“Kaash tumhe pata hota ke main abhi tak
Tumhari aakhri nazar me hi atka hua hoon…”

Raat ko ghar aakar main phir wahi purane kaagaz
Aur uske bheje hue alfaz dekh kar socha…
Insaan bhoolta us waqt hai
Jab uske dil me koi rehne wala na ho…
Aur main toh ab bhi har dua me
Uska naam sabse aage rakhta hoon…
Chahe woh wapas aaye ya na aaye,
Magar uski yaadon ne mujhe
Zinda rakhne ka hunar sikha diya hai…

Aakhir me sirf ek baat samajh aayi—
Mohabbat jise dil se karte hain…
Usko bhoolna aadmi ki aukaat me hi nahi hota.