Gumsum si aankhon ne ik din ek khwab sa dekha tha,

Aaeene mein usne apne andar jhankna jaise seekha tha…

Nadaan sa balak tha wo, par kab tak nadaan reh paata ?

Sochta tha dharti par hi kahin ek swarg hai,

Par aakhir kahan tak dhoondh paata ?

Kisi ne kahaa tha us se ki door kahin pariyon ka des hai..

Wahan rehti hain shwet sundar saloni pariyan..

Mamta ki deviyan, karuna ki moortiyan..

Chal pada ik din wo us des ki talaash mein,

Paar karta gaya nadi, naale aur parbat un pariyon ki dhun mein..

Jab bhi thak padta, tanik ruk jaata woh ,

Khwabon mein un pariyon se ik baar mil leta woh…

Aur phir chal padta us ansuni aawaaz ki or,

Jo khinche ja rahi thi use, jaise koi kacchhi dor…

Na paanv ke chhalon ki thi use parwaah,

Na thi badan ki choton ki koi darkaar…

Bas dradh lakshya tha uske saamne,

Hawa, Paani, Dhoop sabne koshish kar li thi rokne ki…

Ab sab jaante the, chala hai wo na thamne..

Aur upar badalon mein kisi ne ik thandi saans li..

Pareshan ho gayee thi kucch shaktiyan…

Uski chaal se dagmagaa gayee thi kucch kursiyaan…

Use na pataa tha, wo to chala jaa rahaa tha apni masti mein,

Kya farq padta tha use, dar to tha hi nahin uski hasti mein…

Jaanta tha wo ik din manzil milegi to sahin,

Raasta na tha to kya, vishwas ki kami to nahin..

Phir ik din ik jangal mein wo pahuncha,

Hare hare ped jaise gaa rahe the wahan,

Panchhi jaise khushi ke maare chahak rahe the..

Na jaane kyun laga use jaise use hi wo bula rahe the..

Phir dekhi usne ik nadi,

Chhal-chhal behti, ithlaati nadi,

Hansti khilkhilaati, Sangeet sunaati nadi..

Moti jaise paani ke boondon waali nadi…

Na jaane kyun mehsoos hue use achaanak,

Jaise yeh nadi aa rahi ho wahin se..

Jahan thi uski manzil…

Jaise ye nadi ho uski humsafar,

Par jhijhaka wo, socha, nadi se hi kyun na poochh le..

Manzil aur raasta, dono hi ki kyun na sudh le ?

Phir socha usne, gar hai yeh usi des se aa rahi,

To phir kyun kar hai yeh kahin aur jaa rahi ?

Ghabda sa gaya woh, ab kya karta ?

Kya nadi se sach jaan kar laut padta,

Ya phir nadi ko bhi ik paath pada jaata …

Bataata use, is baar who bhi galat thi,

Usne bhi auron ki tarah dil ki na suni thi…

Baahav mein duniya ke woh bhi bas beh chali thi,

Phir bhi reh na paaya woh, puchh hi liya nadi se…

Kahan se ho tum aayee, kahan ko ho chali ..

Kyun ho uchhalti yun, kyun itna ho itraati,

Tum pe dayaa nahin, hansi mujhe hai aati…

Itna sun ke nadi chaunk gayee ik pal ko,

Phir jo khilkhilaa ke hansi, aur chal di apni raah ko…

Sochta hi reh gaya woh ki aakhir ho kya gaya,

Ik ajeeb si asmanjas mein ab tha bechaara pad gaya..

Na dikha jab koi raasta, na koi roshni chamki,

Kuchh gussa sa aaya use,

Kuchh sansani si machi uske dil mein..

Par is baar bhauhen tan gayee uski,

Daant bhinch kar, mutthiyan bandh kar chal diya phir..

Nadi ke kinaare chala jaa raha tha..

Par na dekhta tha us dusht triya ki or..

Aasman mein suraj jaise use dekhte dekhte thak sa gaya tha,

Phusphusa ke chanda se bola suraj – Ab mein chalta hoon,

Is pagle raahi pe nazar rakhne ka kaam tumpe chhodta hoon…

Chanda bujh na paaya, kehne lagaa – kyun kar uska hi dhyaan rakha jai ?

Aise to sainkdon hain, phir is chhote se alhad par kyun yeh karam kiya jai ?

Suraj mand mand muskaaya, bola arrey naadan, ye hi to hai wo kiran,

Wo kiran jo hum dono ko chamkaati hai,

Wo kiran jo saare jag ko roshni se nehlaati hai..

Dekh kaise jaa rahaa hai madmast..

Kaun kar sakta hai iske hausle ko past ?

Itne sunne par chanda ne jo ik nazar dekhi wo chaal,

Kayal ho gaya wo bhi us shakti ka, gayab ho gaye uske saare sawal…

Aur wo masoom kayaa thi, jo is sab se anjaan thi,

Wo to bas ik nazar, ik nischay se chale jaa rahi thi..

Pariyon ke us des tak ik din uska pahunchna tha tay,

Saari shristi yahi chahti thi ki uska wo milan ho mangalmay…

Phir kya hua ? Kya woh safal hua ? Kya use mili apni manzil ?

Yeh to pata nahin, par kehte hain wo ik taara ban gaya..

Apni roshni se kitne hi sansaron ka sahaara ban gaya…

Raat ko gar kaale aasman mein dekhoge uttar ki or,

Paaoge use wahin sada, yuhin muskate, yuhin sharmate,

Par sada yuhin drudh, kabhi na digne waala..

Yahi thi us taare ki kahaani, yehi thi uski gaatha…

Use jo chahe kahen, mujhe to ab bhi wahi puraana balak dikhta hai,

Jab bhi dekhta hoon use, wahi anand sada milta hai…

Kyunki wo hai ab ik taara,

Aur yaad mujhe sada dilaata hai,

Ki abhi nahin, abhi nahin hoon main haara…