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Kuch dhundhla sa yaad hai; kuch dhundhla sa he dekhti hun; woh sehmi si andheri raat, woh aik ajeeb si khamoshi aur phankay ki ahista se chalne wali bechain awaaz. Khirki per nazar pri to yun lga jese chand or sitaron ki lapait mein mehfooz hun mein; lekin achanak woh jo aik dastak hui aur dill ki dharakne ki raftar kuch tez maloom hui balkay khassi tez maloom hui ese jese kisi ne mun per hath rakh dya hou; tharthrahat aur ghabrahat k sath awaz halak se nikal rhi hai lekin koi sunne wala nahi ya awaz he nahi thi. woh khamosh si aah-o-pukaar, woh nazron ka gir jana, aur honton ka khushk hojana; woh jo yun mehsoos hua k shayad kisi ki mojoodgi ka najaiz ehsas hua, kisi ka hona na gawaar kya, na zeb lga; khassa haya ka daman chaar hou rha tha, kaheen badboo si mehsoos hui; shayad woh qatal-e-khass ho rha tha, khuda dekh raha tha; uski woh garam sansain aur meri khamosh siskyan; laal joray per kali siyaahi ka rung charh raha tha, woh jora mehaz aik hawa ka jhonka sa mehsoos hua jo tez andhi ki nazar hogya; woh kaheen mehfil-e-khass loot raha tha, mein usi mehfil mein khud ko zinda dargor ker rhi thi; aur kaheen chambeli ka phool murjha gya, baghbaan kahan tha? Koi to dastak thi jiske hone per yun lga, woh jo me mehfooz thi apne he ghar mein woh mehaz aik khayal tha; aik veham-o-ghuman tha; jo kaheen us raat k andhere mein dher hogya.
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