Maktoob

Woh kamre mein aayi.

Churiyan utaarte waqt uska dhyaan bhatak raha tha.

Aur khayalon mein the mausoof.

Aaj usne Aashir ki taraf nahi dekha.

Par woh poore din uski nazron ke hisaar mein thi, yeh woh bakhubi jaanti thi.

Par kyun?

Woh yeh samajhne se qasir thi.

Pehle toh aisa nahi hua tha.

Woh kabhi-kabhi use apni nazron ke hisaar mein leta tha, jaise kuch samajhna chahta ho.

Par woh bahut kam arse ke liye hota tha.

Aaj un nazron ka hisaar alag tha.

Aur dekhne ka andaaz bhi.

Jaise woh use note kar raha ho.

Woh jhunjhulahat ke aalam mein churiyan utaar rahi thi.

Usne toh talaq ka mutaalba kar liya tha, par is dil ne uski aaj ki karwaai se uthal-puthal macha rakhi thi.

Aasaan hota hai kya...

Jisse mohabbat ho, usse dastbardari de dena?

Usne talkhi se socha.

"Noor beta, aap bahut der kar rahi hain."

Woh apne baal bana rahi thi jab usne apni Ammi ki awaaz suni.

"Ammi, bas do minute."

Usne jawaban kaha.

"Is ladki ke do minute!" Uski Ammi ne sir jhatka.

"Aap apna waqt bhool gayi hain, jaan-e-jahaan." Zaviyar ne unhe chheda.

Afrah ne teekhi nazron se unhe dekha,

jis par unka qehqaha chhoot gaya.

"Sharam nahi aati?" Unhone unhe lataada.

"Biwi sahiba, aapse kaisi sharam?" Unhone ek aankh dabaayi.

Is baar Afrah ke chehre par laali chha gayi.

Tabhi qadmon ki chaap sun kar woh dono seedhiyon ki taraf dekhne lage.

Noor poori tayyari ke saath utar rahi thi.

Usne badami rang ki short kurti neeli straight pants ke saath pehni hui thi.

Multicolour scarf usne saliqe se gale mein daal rakha tha.

Baal clutcher ki girift mein the.

Chehra makeup se aari tha.

Sirf moisturizer aur lip balm lagaya hua tha.

Zaviyar sahab ne bahut mohabbat se apne dil ke sukoon ko dekha.

Woh un dono ke saamne aa kar khadi ho gayi.

"Kaisi lag rahi hoon main?" Usne muskurakar poocha.

"As always beautiful, my sweetie." Zaviyar sahab ne muskurate hue kaha.

Noor ke chehre par tabassum bikhar gaya.

Afrah Begum ne bhi taeed mein sir hila diya.

Woh sab gaadi mein sawaar ho gaye.

Lucknow ke liye.

"Ammi, Ammar aur Sumaira honge na wahan?" Usne purjosh lehje mein poocha.

"Haan bhai, aapke best friends honge wahan." Afrah ne jawaban kaha.

"Is baar Aashir bhi hoga." Afrah ne dheeme se kaha.

Noor ne bhawein uchkayi.

"Aashir" kehne ko Noor ke cousin thein, yeh par woh unhe bahut kam jaanti thi.

Jab bhi nani ke ghar jaati thi, unhe ghar mein bahut kam paaya tha.

"Chalo, iss baar inse bhi achhe se mulaqaat ho hi jaayegi."

Waqai, iss baar mulaqaat hone wali thi.

Par kitni achhi ya buri, yeh toh waqt batata.

Noor abhi apne LLB ke 5 semester mein thi.

Use apne Abba ki tarah lawyer banna tha.

Ammi ke khandaan mein toh sab doctor thein, Ammi bhi.

Woh aaj 2 saal baad apne nani ke ghar jaa rahi thi.

Aakhri dafa jab woh gayi thi, toh woh 19 saal ki thi. Use yaad hai tab bhi Aashir maujood nahi thein.

Usne sir jhatka.

Woh kaafi khush thi, kyunki use Ammar aur Sumaira se bhi toh milna tha.

Shaam ke 4 baj chuke thein jab woh log Lucknow pahuche.

Noor gaadi se utarte hi gate khol andar bhagi.

Uski nazar sabse pehle Sumaira pe padhi.

Sumaira aage badhi, aur dono ne garam joshi se ek dusrein ko gale lagaya.

"Assalamualaikum, partner." Noor ne garam joshi se kaha.

"Walaiqumasalam, partner." Sumaira ne bhi utni hi garam joshi se kaha.

Abhi woh dono mil hi rahe thein ki peechein se ek niswani awaaz aayi.

"Haal-o-hawaal puch liya ho toh humein bhi dekh lein."

Noor ne peechein palat ke dekha.

Jahan dono jebon mein haath daalein Ammar khada tha.

Chehre par muskaan thi.

Noor Sumaira se alag hui aur Ammar ke paas jaa khadi hui.

"Ammar bhai," woh chehki.

"Noorie." Usne bhi usi ka lehja apnaya.

Aur phir dheerein se sar thapthapaya.

Raat ke khane ke baad Noor apne kamrein mein so rahi thi jab use achanak bhook lagi.

Woh dheerein se uthi.

Kamrein se bahar aayi toh sirf ek neel-goon bulb jal raha tha.

Woh kitchen mein pahunchi.

Usne kitchen cabinet khola. Wahan use Yippee noodles mil gayi.

Woh jaanti thi yeh Zahima Moani ne hi rakhi hogi uske liye.

Woh uski aadatein jaanti thi.

Woh Yippee noodles banane mein masroof ho gayi.

Tabhi use kadmon ki chaap sunai di.

Use laga shayad Sumaira ya Ammar ho.

"Main bhukkado ko apni noodles nahi dungi." Usne ahad kiya.

Tabhi kitchen mein ek daraaz-qad naujawan, jiske baal maathay pe bikhre hue thein.

Woh lower T-shirt mein malboos tha.

Chehre ke zaviyon se thakan saaf zahir thi.

"Aashir."

Uske muhh se nikla, par awaaz dheemi thi.

Aashir aaj ek lambi surgery khatam kar kuch der pehle hi ghar pahucha tha.

Use bhook lagi thi, toh woh kitchen mein chala aaya.

Wahan use ek wajood chulhe par kuch banata hua mila.

Usne awaaz suni,

"Main bata rahi, main apni noodles nahi dungi. Chahe kuch ho jaye, bhukkado."

Usne awaaz ke simt dekha.

Usne dhyaan se dekha toh woh Noor-ul-Ain thi.

Uski phupho ki beti.

Woh use yahan achanak dekh hairan thi. Woh uske chehre ke zaviyon se pata chal raha tha.

Uske chehre par khiffat thi.

Uske zaviye dekh use hansi aayi.

"Maine aapse noodles maangi bhi nahi." Usne halke-fulke lehje mein kaha.

Noor ko shadeed sharmindagi hui.

"Mujhe laga Ammar bhai ya Sumaira hai." Usne apni safai mein kaha.

Aashir ne sir ko jumbish di.

Phir usne microwave mein ek plate rakhi hui dekhi.

Woh samajh gaya.

Ammi ne rakha hoga.

Usne khana garam kiya.

Khamoshi ka kufl tha.

Noor-ul-Ain ab apni noodles plate mein nikaal bartan dho rahi thi.

Uska bhi khana garam ho gaya.

Kitchen se nikalte hue na jaane use kya sujha, woh peechein mudha.

"No

or-ul-Ain, waise main bhukkado nahi."

Woh itna keh apne room ki taraf badh gaya.

Chehre pe muskurahat wazeh thi.

Noor ke haath saakit hue.

Usne jaate hue Aashir ko dekha.

"Aur bola karo bina dekhein."

Usne khud ko malamat ki.