From: Ashish Bokil .. aaj patjhaD ke ek toote patte se mulaaqaat hui .. kaheen Dhhoondhnaa nahee paDaa use ... shaam ke jhurmute mein darakht ki daali se toot kar paanv ke paas aa giraa thhaa .... abhee bhee haraa saa thhaa ... thheek see murjhaayaa bhee na thhaa jab tootaa thhaa ... haan! koi to vajah zaroor hogi ... jo toot gayaa itni aasaani se ... mushkil ye nahee thhee ki toot gayaa ... mushkil ye thhee ki abhee zinddagi khatm nahee hui thhee .... saans lenaa bhee kaisi aadat hai ... jiye jaanaa bhee kyaa ravaayat hai ... paanv behis hain chalate jaate hain ... ik safar hai jo behataa rahataa hai ... kitne barson se ... kitni sadiyon se ... jiye jaate hain .. jiye jaate hain ... patte par abhee bhee shabnam ki boonde chamak rahi thhee ... shaam aur shabnam boonde ?? nahee ... ye nahee ho saktaa ... din bhar ki tapti dhhoop shabnam ko kab ki mitaa chuki thhee ... phir ye kyaa thhaa ?? ... na maine poochhaa na usne kahaa ... poochhtaa bhee kaise ? ... khud apnee palkon ke chhalakne pe kaaboo hotaa to usase sawaalaat kartaa ... hum dono tab se khaamosh ek doosre ki taraf dekhte rahe ... achaanak kabhee ghabraa kar sar duusri aur ghumaa lete ki kaheen dusraa sawaal na kar baithhey aur jawaab denaa paDe ... na wo apnee boondon se bekhabar thaa aur na main hi apne ashqon se pare thhaa ek dusre se humdardi nahee thhee magar humdard hone kaa ehsaas thhaa ... patte ko zamee-nasheen hone kaa gham nahee thhaa ... magar ye kambakht jiye jaane kaa riwaaz bebas kiye thhaa .... patte ne nazar uthhaate hi aankhon se chand sawaal kar diye .... maine bhee waapsee mein kuchh sawaal uthhaa diye ... na mere paas koi jawaab thhaa ... na uske paas ... harek saans bojh thhee ... saanson kaa bojh uthhaane se jab inkaar kar diyaa to bhee chhutkaaraa naa thhaa ... saansen khud apnaa bojh uthhaane lagi ... maano meraa uspe koi zor hi na thaa ... haar kar apne aap ko zindagi ke hawaale kar diyaa ... riwaazon kaa khel khelte hue sab kuchh miltaa rahaa jo main sochataa rahaa ki main chaahtaa thhaa ... main patte ki tarah haraa rahaa ... andar jhaankne ko taaltaa rahaa .... wahaan kaa rookhaapan dekhne se dartaa thhaa ... nahee jaantaa thhaa ki sulagate angaaron meni lau see zyaadaa jalaane ki taaqat hoti hai ... dheeme dheeme binaa kisi halchal ke andar ki harek rag ko nichoD ke uspar kaali siyaahi chhoD jaate hain ye angaare ... main baahar ko tarashtaa rahaa jabki andar kuchh baaqi hi na thhaa .... kab tak na maaloom hotaa ?? ... kabhee to saaraa Dhaanchaa charmaraakar girnaa hi thhaa na ... apne aap se door nahee bhag sakaa aaj ... apni aankhon ke saamne apne badan se girti raakh ko dekhtaa rahaa .... kuchh adhjale sapne, kuchh bikhri si yaaden ... mere saamne bhee giri thhee aur mere andar bhee maujood thhee ... unke saath akele safar karne ko majboor hoon ... pehale ki tarah .... harek din .. apnaa saleeb aap hi uthhaaye chaltaa rahegaa ... saanson kaa shor yoon hi jaari rahegaa ... din jaa rahe hain ... ke raaton ke saaye ... apni saleebe.n aap hi uthaaye ... apni saleebe.n ... aap hi uthhaaye ... jab koi doobaa raaton kaa taaraa ... koi saveraa waapas naa aayaa ... waapas jo aaye ... veeraan saaye ... din jaa rahe hain ... ke raaton ke saaye ... jeenaa to koi mushkil nahee thhaa ... magar doobne ko saahil nahee thhaa ... saahil pe koi ... ab to bulaaye ... din jaa rahe hain ... ke raaton ke saaye ... saanson ki dori ... toote naa toote ... zaraa zindagi se daaman to chhoote ... koi zindagi se ... haath na aaye .... din jaa rahe hain ... ke raaton ke saaye .... apni saleebe.n ... aap hi uthhaaye .... sung by Lataa, from: Dusri Seetaa the lines written in the text above are also by Gulzar .... ashish