Tanhayi:

“Aansu girte nahi… balki toot kar girte hain.
Aur har girta hua aansu
insaan ko thoda thoda mar deta hai.”

– Zulfikar Inamdar

“Tanhayi”:

Arz kiya hai ke…

Log kehte hai tera apna kaun hai…
Aur mere aansu har dafa ek hi naam lete hain—
Tanhayi… meri purani, sabse wafadaar saheli.

Kabhi socha bhi nahi tha
ke ek din mai apne hi dil ke kone me
itna toot kar baith jaunga
ke zindagi ka sabse bada sahaara
sirf khamoshi aur tanhayi reh jayegi.

Din bhar duniya ki bheed me
mai muskurata rehta hoon…
log samajhte hai, “Zulfi strong hai.”
Kaash unhe pata hota
ke muskurahat to sirf ek patti hai,
andar ke zakhm ko chhupane ki.

Raat hoti hai
toh kamre ki hawa bhi bhaari lagti hai—
jaise koi purani yaad
mere seene pe baith kar keh rahi ho,
“Abhi mai puri nahi hui…
abhi mere aansu baqi hain.”

Mai apni hi saanson me ulajh kar
poochhta hoon khuda se,
“Yeh sab itna dardnaak kyun hai?”
Aur jawab me sirf ek lambe sannate ki aawaaz aati hai…
jo kahin dil ke andar jaake toot jaati hai.

Log kehte hai waqt sab bhar deta hai…
par mujhe lagta hai waqt hi sab bigaadta hai.
Waqt hi tha
jo kisi ko mujhse chheen kar le gaya,
waqt hi tha
jo mujhe khali haathon, khali dil aur
bhari aankhon ke saath chhod gaya.

Kabhi raat ko aisa hota hai
ke mai apne hi haath ki lakeeron ko dekhta rehta hoon—
sochta hoon,
“Jise pakad kar rakhna tha
wo mere haath me kab se phisal gaya?”

Tanhayi bade pyaar se
meri paas aa kar baith jaati hai…
karti kuch nahi,
sirf mere aansu ponchti bhi nahi,
sirf dekhte rehti hai—
jaise keh rahi ho,
“Tu gir ja, mai yahin hoon.”

Mai kabhi kabhi dil ko samjhata hoon,
“Bas kuch der aur sab theek ho jayega…”
par dil ka jawab hamesha ek jaisa hota hai—
“Kaun theek karega?
Jo gaya, wo hi dawa tha.”

Kayi raaton me
takiya mere aansuon se gheela ho kar
mujhse poochta hai,
“Is baar kiski yaad ne rulaya?”
Aur mai chup ho jata hoon…
kyunki kuch yaadein naam nahi leti,
sirf dil me taar phaad deti hain.

Kabhi kabhi aisa lagta hai
ke mera dil ab bhi kisi ke liye dhadakta hai—
magar jis ke liye dhadakta hai…
wo kab ka doob kar meri zindagi se nikal chuka hai.

Dard ka ek bura aisa sach hai Zulfi —
wo doob kar nahi chillaata,
wo khamosi me ghut kar marne lagta hai,
aur phir aadmi jeeta hua bhi laash jaisa lagne lagta hai.

Sab kuch badal jaata hai—
awaaz, andaaz, nazar, raat ka lamha…
bas ek cheez nahi badalti:
tanhayi ka saaya.
Wo har jagah saath hota hai—
bed ke kone me,
andar ke khauf me,
aur aankhon ki laali me.

Aur sach kehun toh…
insaan sabse zyada akela tab hota hai
jab usse koi bhi samajhne wala nahi milta.
Jis din dil ko lagta hai
ke duniya me uski jagah nahi rahi—
wo din hi asli maut hoti hai…
baaki toh sirf saansein chalti rehti hain.

Mai kabhi kabhi apne hi aap ko pakad kar
ro leta hoon…
jaise apne hi se keh raha hoon:
“Bas ab nahi hota…
itna dard nahi hota…”

Par kya karein…
dard bhi bewafa nahi hota—
ribon ki tarah bandha rehta hai,
aur har raat thoda aur kas leta hai.

Tanhayi phir mere paas aati hai,
meri aankhon me jhaank kar kehti hai,
“Tu thak gaya…
lekin mai nahi jaaungi.
Sab chale jayenge,
mai nahi.”

Aur mai haar maan kar
use gale laga leta hoon—
kyunki sach yehi hai Zulfi…
Insaan ka sabse sachcha apna
sirf tanhayi hi hoti hai.