jane kyo raat mujhe din jaisi lagti hai...
thanke hue sab musafir apne apne ghar gaye...
panchi bhi so gaye, raste bhi so gaye
thak kar chupa hai chand bi, badal bhi so gaye
phir taro ki ungli pakad ke tanha hum chale...
na unch neech na dharam, na bhed dikhte hai...
raat ki aaghosh me sab ek dikhte hai
patthar ki chadar pe bhi sapne aate reshami,
aur band aankho me bhi aksar din utarta hai...
par jalti hui aankhe, kaise chain ki chadar odhe....
raat din se haseen hai, iska daman kaise chore....
Sab bhool jaye to bhi ik baat ya bhi hai...
Ye raat dilruba nahi par humsafar to hai.
Apni hi parchayi raat ke andhere se ghani samne khadi mili
Haath badha ke chune ki koshish ki suraj ko,
ungliya jail… aur roshni bhi nahi mili…
akele khud ko apni baho me samete, main raat dhallne ki raah dekhti rahi,
subah aayi, leking koi kiran meri khidki pe nahi utar payi…
aur phir intezar me ek boond dhoop ke, meri aankhe khsitij ko dhundhne lagi…
par na asman aur na hi zamin mere ankho ko mil sake…
aur raaten kat-ti rahi bekhabar si…
dhundhte hue asman ko nazre mili samne guzarti sadak se…
khidki se ek ungli bahar nikal ke, bahut der baithi rahi
shayad kai din, shayad kai saal…
ek ummid ki koi ungli pakdega,
aur main usse poochungi roshni ke ghar ka pata
magar badhawas sadko se, bas cheekhti tanhayee guzarti nazar aayi...
phir kaano ko hantho se band kar ke,
aankho ko zor se meech liya…
(band aankhe subah aur raat me fark nahi dekh pati…)
aur phir, barso se khoyi hansi, palko ke kinare utar aayi.
