Ankahi Baaton Ka Saaya:

“Khamoshi wo raaz hai jo lafzon se zyada saccha hota hai…
Aur dard wo mehmaan hai jo hamesha bina awaaz ke aa kar sabak de jaata hai.”

– Zulfikar Inamdar

🌑 Ankahi Baaton Ka Saaya 🌑

Arz kiya hai… ke…

Sochta hu ke kuch kisise kahu…
Aur phir sochta hu, nahi kaha wo hi accha hua…
Ajeeb si baat hai,
Insaan jab zindagi se thak jaata hai,
Toh uske lafz kam ho jaate hain,
Aur saanse zyada.

Raat ke sukoon me jab sab so jaate hain,
Tab lagta hai ke shayad khuda bhi mere dil ki dhadkan sun raha hoga.
Par uski khamoshi me ek ajeeb si baat hai—
Woh jawab nahi deta,
Magar kisi tarah samjha deta hai
Ke kuch baatein zubaan ke liye nahi hoti…
Woh rooh ke liye hoti hain.

Main bhi jab kisi ko kehna chahta hu,
Toh pehle khudi se poochta hu—
“Zulfikar… kya saamne wala teri tanhaayi ka bojh utaar payega?”
Aur jawab har dafa ek hi hota hai:
“Nahi.”

Log sirf wo dard samajhte hain
Jo unhe ya unke apne logon ne diya ho.
Tumhara dard…?
Woh unke kaam ka nahi hota.
Aadmi apni hi chot par fikr karta hai.
Dusre ke zakhmon ka darr toh bas ek formal si aadat hoti hai.

Isliye jo baat main kisi ko batana chahta tha,
Main ne ussey andar hi daba diya.
Dil me, rooh me, saanson ke beech me.
Woh baat ab kisi se kam nahi,
Ek ibadat jaisi ho gayi hai.

Kabhi kabhi lagta hai —
Agar woh baat kisi ko keh deta,
Toh shayad main halka pad jaata…
Par phir sochta hu —
Halke log halki baatein samajhte hain,
Wazan wala dard sirf wazan wale log hi utha sakte hain.

Aur duniya me wazan wale log kam hote hain,
Isliye maine khud ko hi apna humdard bana liya.

Ab meri baatein khuda ke paas chali jaati hain,
Aur khuda ki khamoshi mere paas waapas aa jaati hai.
Dono ke beech ek ajeeb sa silsila ban gaya hai—
Main dard bhejta hu,
Woh sukoon nahi bhejta,
Par himmat bhej deta hai.

Jo baat main kisi se nahi keh paaya,
Woh ab meri rooh ki sabse gehri kahani ban chuki hai.
Aur kahaniyan jab rooh me bas jaati hain,
Toh unhe kehne ki zarurat nahi padti…
Woh insaan ki aankhon me dikh jaati hain.

Aakhir me sirf ek baat samajh aayi:
Jo nahi kaha, usne mujhe tod kar bhi mazboot banaya…
Aur jo keh deta, woh shayad mujhe tod kar chhod deta.