Usney kaha sunn!
Aehad nibhaney ki Khaatir mat aana
Aehad nibhaaney vaale aksar majaburi ya
Mahjuri ki thakan se lauta karte hain
Tum jaao aur dariya-dariya pyaas bujhaao
Jin aankhon mein Doobo
Jis dil mein bhi utro
Meri talab awaaz na degi
Lekin jab meiri chahat aur meri Khwahish ki lau
Itni taiz aur itni oonchi ho jaaye
Jab dil ro dey
Tab laut aanaa.....
Explanation of the Nazm: The Ultimate Freedom
Line 1-4: Rejecting Obligation
"Usney kaha sunn! / Aehad nibhaney ki Khaatir mat aana" (She/He said, listen! / Do not come merely for the sake of fulfilling a promise.)
Explanation: This sets the central theme: the speaker refuses to accept love based on duty or a contract (Aehad - promise/oath). They want the lover to be genuinely free in their choice.
"Aehad nibhaaney vaaley aksar majaburi ya / Mahjuri ki thakan se lauta karte hain" (Those who fulfill promises often return out of helplessness or / the fatigue of separation.)
Explanation: "People who keep promises often return because of helplessness or because they are tired of being separated."
Detailed Breakdown:
The speaker is reflecting on the common (and often disappointing) nature of people who come back after a long absence:
1. The Problem with "Majaburi" (Helplessness/Compulsion):
"Aksar majaburi se lauta karte hain" means: "They often return because of compulsion."
What this means: The person isn't coming back because they truly missed the speaker or realized their mistake. They are coming back because:
Their new path didn't work out.
They failed to find happiness elsewhere.
They need the stability, comfort, or convenience the speaker offered.
The speaker's objection: A return out of "majaburi" is not love; it's a desperate retreat. The speaker does not want to be a fallback option or a safe harbor for someone who has nowhere else to go.
2. The Problem with "Mahjuri ki Thakan" (Fatigue of Separation):
"Mahjuri ki thakan se lauta karte hain" means: "They return because they are tired of separation."
What this means: "Mahjuri" is the feeling of being cut off or separated. The "thakan" (fatigue) is the exhaustion, loneliness, or boredom that comes from being alone for too long.
The speaker's objection: The person is returning just to end their own loneliness, not because they are drawn by the unique love of the speaker. They are trying to soothe their own weariness. The speaker wants to be a destination, not just a cure for fatigue.
Line 5-8: Granting Absolute Freedom
"Tum jaao aur darya darya pyaas bujhaao" (You go and quench your thirst from river to river.)
Explanation: This is a dramatic license, giving the lover permission to explore, experience life, and seek other forms of satisfaction (pyaas bujhaao - quench thirst). It's an affirmation of the lover's freedom to explore other relationships.
"Jin aankhon mein Doobo / Jis dil mein bhi utro" (In whichever eyes you drown / In whichever heart you reside.)
Explanation: An unprecedented level of trust and emotional release. The speaker is sanctioning the other person's search for connection, no matter how deep or intimate it becomes with others.
"Meri talab awaaz na degi" (My longing will not call out to you.)
Explanation: The speaker vows to contain their own need and jealousy. They promise that their longing (talab) will remain silent, putting no emotional pressure on the traveler.
Line 9-11: The Condition for Return (True Desire)
"Lekin jab meiri chahat aur meri Khwahish ki lau / Itni taiz aur itni oonchi ho jaaye" (But when the flame of my love and my desire / becomes so intense and so high...)
Explanation: Here is the condition. The lover must return, not when they are tired, but when the speaker's own longing reaches a pinnacle of emotional intensity. The signal for return is not the traveler's need, but the intensity of the one waiting.
"Jab dil ro dey / Tab laut aanaa..." (When the heart cries out / Then return.)
Explanation: This is the most profound line. The speaker sets the heartbreak of the one waiting as the signal. The lover should return only when the passion and true love of the one waiting is so strong that it causes an involuntary emotional response (dil ro dey). This ensures the return is met with a pure, overwhelming torrent of genuine feeling, not obligation.
Conclusion: The Meaning
The Nazm is a testament to a non-possessive, unconditional love. It tells the beloved:
"I love you so much that I want you to be absolutely certain I am your choice. Go and explore everything. I will not pressure you. But when you feel my love—the raw, undeniable power of my longing—drawing you back, then and only then should you return."
