Ghalib ke sheher mein ab sher rote hain! Gali Qasim jaan mein ab bhi hulchul hai lekin unke haweli mein ek virana hai. Haan par wahan ek booth hai. Ek telephone booth jise hamari ala sarkar bhi wahan se hata nahi payi. Ghalib ki haweli dekhne aane walon ko ye tat ka paibandh chubhta hai ya nahi malum nahi par mujhe chubha. Ajeeb sa laga.

Kuch dino pehle mera London jana hua tha. Wahan se hum Stratford-upon-Avon gaye jahan angrezon ke Ghalib — William Shakespeare raha karte the! Us tasveer ke jaisi, khush numa chhote se shaher ko dekhkar laga jaise wahan ke logon ne waqt ko rok rakha ho. Wahan bhi naye zamane ke pairon ke nishan charo taraf the — Mcdonalds se lekar sab kuch — par jaise chaar sou saal purana itihaas aur naye zamane ke tadak bhadak ko kisi ne ek dhaage mein piro rakha ho. Wahan ki sarkar aur wahan ke logon ne Shakespeare ko zinda rakha hai unke natakon mein, unke ghar mein aur unke kabr mein bhi, jisse lakhon sailani har saal dekhne aate hain.

Par humare Delhi mein Ghalib ki pehchan bas ek haweli se reh gayi hai, wo bhi unhi ki banayi hui!

Hui muddat ke Ghalib mar gaya par ab bhi yad aata hai...