Aapse' badhai lekar hum ho gaye' aap sab ke' deedar

Aapse' badhai lekar hum ho gaye' aap sab ke' deedar,
Aur shayad shareek ho gaye' aap sabke' dil e' mehfil mein.

Iss zindagi ke' ajeeb o gareeb daur mein,
Humne' dekhi hai,
Behtareen se' behtareen mehfilein.

Magar pal do pal ki woh mehfilein,
Aati rahi aur jaati rahi.

Ab aap sab ko kya kahoon aur kya naa kahoon?
Hum toh bas qaid ho gaye' tamam umar ke' liye',
Aap sab ke' dil e' mehfil mein.

Woh kehte' kehte' yoonhi khamosh ho gaye'

Woh kehte' kehte' yoonhi khamosh ho gaye',

Jaise kisi mehfil mein gaane' wale' achanak madhosh ho gaye'.

Hum bina kuch kahe' sune' unke' jazbaat samajh gaye',

Magar woh naa jaane' kaise' dekhte' hi dekhte' hamare' jazbaat ban gaye'.  

Khubsoorat hai yeh jahaan

Khubsoorat hai yeh jahaan,
Khubsoorat hai yeh zindagi.

Kabhi khushi aur kabhi ghum ka saath hai,
Phir bhi jise' dekho zindagi se' pyar hai.

Asha aur nirasha jaise' subah aur shaam ho,
Ab kise' chaho aur kisse' nafrat karo?

Iss jahaan ko banane' wale' ne' bhi kya socha tha,
Nirasha ke' bina kisne' asha ko poochna tha?

Shayad isi liye' main samajhta hoon,
Ke khubsoorat hai yeh jahaan,
Aur khubsoorat hai yeh zindagi.

Mother nature once again unleashes her fury

This was composed after the Nepal earthquake in 2015:

Mother nature once again unleashes her fury,

Mankind is dazed and shocked as this Himalayan tragedy unfolds.

The unimaginable death and destruction does not respect international borders, 

It does not respect heritage sites, and innocents,

A paradise on earth is left badly wounded,

Scars run so deep that pain is numbed by shocks.

"Why me?" is the question asked by the souls of the departed,

So mercilessly crushed by the crumbling of their own shelters.

The near and dear ones of departed souls are reeling in aftershocks,

Unable to stop the flow of tears,

Unable to come to terms with this fury.

While the Himalayan nation picks up its broken pieces,

And looks forward to a Himalayan challenge confronting it,

The entire mankind should be obsessed with one question:

"Have we offended our Mother nature so much?"

 

Kuch beete' hue' palon ko yaad kar

Kuch beete' hue' palon ko yaad kar,
Apna dil behlaya karta hoon.

Woh kamyabi, woh shohrat, aur woh josh ko yaad kar,
Apne' kabiliyat ko samajhta hoon.

Woh waqt kaisa tha?
Woh taare' kaise' the'?
Uss waqt aur unn taaron ko,
Aaj ke' daur mein dhoondta hoon.

Kehte' hain jo beet gayi so baat gayi, 
Magar unn beete' hue' palon ke' junoon mein,
Unn ki aarzoo fir karta hoon.

Yeh haseen lamhe' kho jaate' hain

Yeh haseen lamhe' kho jaate' hain,

Aur aap hamse' tareek sambhalne' ki baat karte' ho?

Hamari noorani shaklsiyat se andheri raat bhi haseen ho jaati hai,

Aur aap sirf shaam ko haseen banane' ki baat karte' ho?

Shauq toh hum aap jaise' kadardano ki rakhte' hain,

Aur aap humse' sirf shayari ki baat karte' ho?

Apni inn gustaq nazron se' hum toh mehfilein sajaate' hain,

Aur aap humse' sirf mizaaz, guftagu, aur poshaq ki baat karte' ho?

Apni begum ke' naam toh humne' apni saari zindagani likh daali,

Aur aap humse unke' naam, sirf shayari likhwana chahte' ho?

Lo! hum shareek ho gaye aapki iss rang bhare' mehfil mein,

Ab bhi kuch kami reh gai hai aap ki iss aan, baan, aur shaan mein?

   

Chup rehna chaahta hoon

Chup rehna chaahta hoon,

Magar kya karoon?

Dil ke raaste' se' guzar kar,

Zubaan ke' sahaare',

Kuch alfaaz nikal hi aate' hain.

Baatein wahi hain, khayaal bhi wahi hai,

Magar kya karoon?

Waqt ke' saath saath,

Unhein pharmaane' ke' andaaz bhi badal hi jaate' hain. 

Hamein aaj iss rang bhare' mehfil ko

Composed this for a social function where I was the anchor:   

Hamein aaj iss rang bhare' mehfil ko,

Kuch aur sajaane' ka mauka mila.

Zyadaa nahi, bas kuch yoonhi pharmaane' ka mauka mila.

Samajh mein nahi aata ab kya farmaaon?

Aap sab ki iss zarra nawazi ka behtereen ahsaas hua,

Samajh mein nahi aata ab aap sab ka shukriya kaise' ada karoon?

Naa jaane' kya kya khayaal lekar  aa gaya iss mehfil mein?

Naa jaane kis kis se' kya kya umeeden lekar aa gaya iss mehfil mein?

Shaayad kuch kadardaangi naseeb ho jaaye aaj mujhe aap sab se',

 Zyaada nahi, pyaar ka sirf ek katra hi naseeb ho jaaye mujhe' aap sab se'.

Iss umeed ko lekar chalo,

Kuch mere dil-e-alfaaz pesh hain aapki khidmad mein.

Jinhe' pesh kar shaayad,

Pyaar ka woh ek katra,

Aa jaye' aaj mere' kismet mein.

Tumhe' ho agar koi pareshani

Tumhe' ho agar koi pareshani,
Mol le' lo kisi aur ki kuch dukh bhari kahaani.

Shayad tum bhi ho majboor uski tarah,
Sirf hausla hi de' do use' ek hamdard ki tarah.

Karishma yoonhi ho jayeega,
Tumhare' dil ko sukoon aise' hi mil jayeega.

Apni pareshani mein koi chupi khushi dhoond hi loge',
Aur khud mein ek naya insaan paa hi loge'. 

Kisi ko hamne apna maana tha

Composed this for farewell function of a dear colleague:

Kisi ko hamne apna maana tha,

Woh ab alvida kehna chahte' hain.

Kisi ko apni iss zindagi ka ek hissa maana tha,

Woh ab yoonhi kisi aur raaste' par jaana chahte' hain.

             

Sochta hoon ki woh toh shayad kisi suhaane' safar ki tayyari kar rahe' hain,

Aur hum toh sirf unki khushi chahte' hain.

Apni iss nadaani par hamein hansi aati hai,

Kya apno ki khushaali hum nahi chahte' hain?

Zindagi ke' iss morh par, naa jaane aur kitne' apne' aur kitne' paraye' milenge',

Kya unn sab ko hum hamesha yoonhi dekhna chahenge'?                  

Apne' dil ko samjha kar hum aapko kehte' hain ab alvida,

Aur apne' dil se' kehte hain ke',

“Ae Khuda, unpar aapki meherbani hum hamesha dekhna chaahte' hain”. 

Jidhar chal pada main kisi ki khoj mein

Jidhar chal pada main kisi ki khoj mein,
Mile' kai magar reh gaya kisi soch mein.

Woh kahaan hai jise' dhoondta hoon?
Chala hoon main aur apni nazar se' kehta hoon,
Dikha de' kahin jise' main chahta hoon.

Shikayat nahin koi apni iss nazar se',
Khayalon mein koi aur hai  magar nazar mein koi aur,
Uljhan mein hai yeh alam iss bigde'  hue' taal mail se'.

Jidhar chal pada mein apni khushi ki khoj mein,
Achanak shaamil ho gaya kisi ke' ghum mein.

Use' kuch sukoon dekar mehsoos hui mujhe' aisi khushi,
Ke' bhool gaya iss jahaan ke' saare ghum, tanhai, aur bebasi.

Hum jashn-e-azaadi manate' hain

Composed this on the eve of our Independence day some years back:

Hum jashn-e-azaadi manate' hain,
Apna tiranga lahra kar.

Unn tamam shaheedon ko yaad karte' hain,
Unki kurbaniyon ko yaad kar.  

Yeh silsila jaari hai kai dashakon se',
Aur aaj phir yeh silsila doharaya gaya hai,
Apne' khayal, jazbaat, aur shayad kuch ashkon se'.

Kal hum phir apni apni zindagi mein laut jayeinge',
Azadi ke' iss jashn ko phir bhool jayeinge'.

Akhir yeh silsila toh jaari hai kai dashakon se',
Kya karna hai ise' ab roz doharane' se' ?

Yeh silsila toh ab ek aam baat hai,
Akhir apni apni zindagi bhi toh hai,
Isme' phir kya aisi baat hai? 

Magar zara thahariye',
Aur unn tamam shaheedon ki kurbaniyon ko samajhiye'.

Kya unke' Maata aur Pita ne' unhe' pyar se' paala nahi tha?
Kya unki zindagi mein koi aur aarzoo nahi tha?

Kya unki iss kurbani se' ,
Unke' parivaar waalon ko umar bhar ka ghum nahi tha?   

Kyon naa hum ab iss jashn-e' azaadi ko ek naya andaz dein?
Apne' rozana zindagi mein,
Apne' watan ko ek khubsoorat gulistan ki tarah mehka dein.

Jahan sab mazhab ke' log,
Tarah tarah ke' rang birange' gulon ke' jaise' khilien.

Unka saath kabhi chchut gaya tha

This composition is with reference to an unpleasant incident in my career some years back. Two of my colleagues lost their jobs due to questionable circumstances , but today are doing very well in their respective businesses::

Unka saath kabhi chchut gaya tha,
Main kitna majboor tha.

Kuch ranjishein kaam kar gayi iss judai mein,
Main kitna majboor tha.

Unki nazrein mujhe' dhikkar rahi thi,
Meri maddat ko pukar rahi thi,
Aur main sirf majboor tha.

Nafrat aati hai mujhe' apni iss majboori par,
Kyon nahi zor lagaya apni zameer par,
Kyon main itna majboor tha?

Shayad kudrat ko yahi manzoor tha,
Unki behetari ka safar tayyar tha,
kai oonche' manzilein unki raah dekh rahi thi,
Isi liye' shayad tab main itna majboor tha.