Achhe Din Blues by Aamir Aziz

Kall subah mai nikla morning walk pe
Li ek chai, baitha chownk pe

Sooraj uga nahi tha chaand falak pe ab bhi baaki tha
Nashe mein lad khdaa rhe the sitaare
Mere sang baitha chaie pee raha, saaki tha

Waqt-e-fazr(time of prayer) guzar gyi naa hui aazaan (call to pray)
maine poocha kya baat hai?
Kya masjid ho gyi band?

Saaki ne kaha toot gyi masjid
hoti nahi aazan ab
Ibaadat krne vaale reh gye the boht chandd..

Hawaayein sard thi
Mausam khushnuma tha
Bass paas mein baithi ik choti bachi thi gumgeen

Zameen pe oss pdi thi
maine oss chakh ke dekha
oss this namkeen

Aur saaki ne kaha aap jaiye aage
aapka muntazir ikk nzaara hai
sambhal ke jaiyega
aage ik pagal kutta..
awaara hai….

Main chla aage bass subaah ho he chli thi
aage jaa k dukaan pe bohat bheed lgi thi
maine poocha kya bech rhe ho
na daal hai na cheeni na namak
dukaandaar ne kaha
poocha hai iss baar na poochna dubaara
de raha hoon sabak
Mere pass bechne ko kuch nahi
so bech raha hoon gaflat (apathy)
daal boht mehngi hai toh log khreed rhe hain nafrat
sab apni sahooliyat se khreedte hain nafrat
koi kamm koi zaada
yeh dukaandaar bass mere dost hai nafart ka ek piada(pawn)

Aur dukaandaar ne kaha aap jaiye aage
aapka muntazir ikk nzaara hai
sambhal ke jaiyega
aage ik pagal kutta..
awaara hai….

Subah hui
sooraj ki roshni chaaro taraf fail rahi thi
Ek mre talaab mein ek zinda machli tair rhi thi
sadak ke kinaare pdi thi hzaaron izzat aur aabro
mardon ka bhagwan shuru kar raha tha likhna auraton ki kismet shuru

ik ktaar mein lakhon log khde the le kar pehchaan patr
sabki aankhon mein tha bhaiy
aur door kahin se awaaz aa rhi thi
“bharat maata ki jai”

andheeri galiyon se nikla ikk noor khda tha daldal pe
apne sar pe apni pehchaan ka bojh sambhaale
mai jahan se guzar raha tha
wahan pe tha ek bhavy vishv vidhyalya

aur kulpati (vice chancellor) ne kaha
aapka muntazir ikk nzaara hai
sambhal ke jaiyega
aage ik pagal kutta..
awaara hai….

Machalne lge the mehkhaane
chalakne lge the jaam
sooraj dhalne ko hua
ho chli thi shaam
baadl garajne lge the
chamakne lgi thi bijliyaan
adaalton ke baahr zibaah(lynch) ki jaa rhi thi titlian

zabaadraazon (dissentors) ki zubaan ko marr gya tha lakwa
sre aag shug rha tha indra dhanushi bhagwa (rainbow deepened to safron)
aur wo nzaara roobaru tha meri nazar se
do lashein latak rhi thi ekk he shaakh-e-shazar se
sab cheekh cheekh kar bta rhe the qaatil kitna mahaan

bass ek pagal kutta awaara tha
jo bhonk bhonk ke kar raha tha yeh fasana byaan
k ek jaanwar ke bahaane qatl kiye gye insaan hain
aur kehte hain delhi mein bahanon ki ek bohat bdi khaan (mine) hai

yeh dekh kar yun mere lab muskura gye
Tha intezaar jinka
Woh ache din aagye…

Main chlaa aage dil mein liye umeed-e-sahar (hope of new dawn)
wo kutta awaara tha mera humsafar…