Maktoob

Sab so rahe thein jab achanak se poore ghar mein andhera chha gaya.

Aashir neend se bedaar hua. Usne kamre mein nazrein ghumayi.

Sirf andhera.

Tabhi use bahar se awaazein aane lagi. Usne darwaza khola.

Verandah mein Ammi, Ammar aur Abba baat kar rahe thein.

"Kya hua?" usne poocha.

"Arey Aashir beta, light chali gayi hai," Arif Sahab ne wajah batayi.

"Abba, toh inverter hai na?" Aashir ne kaha.

"Bhai, inverter achanak kaam nahi kar raha. Main dekh chuka hoon," Ammar ne tafseel batayi.

Aashir ne sar ko jumbish di.

"Ya Allah, itni garmi hai," Zahima ne thake hue lehje mein kaha.

Tabhi Noor aur Sumaira bhi wahan pahunch gayi.

Aadhi baatein woh dono sun chuki thi.

"Toh kyun na pehle ki tarah chhat par chalte hain sone?" Sumaira ne mashwara diya.

"Kabhi-kabhi achhi baat kar leti ho tum," Ammar ne use chheda.

Usne use zubaan dikhayi.

"Theek hai, phir tay raha."

Sab chhat par jaane ke liye apne kamron se bistar lene chale gaye.

Tabhi Noor-ul-Ain bhi kamre mein aayi.

Andhera bahut tha. Use kuch dikh nahi raha tha.

Tabhi mobile ke flash ki roshni uske peeche se chamki.

Woh mudhi.

Aashir peeche mobile ka flash on karke khada tha.

Woh kambal aur bistar nikaal rahi thi. Woh unhe uthane wali thi.

Tabhi Aashir ne uske haathon se le liya.

Aur apna mobile uske aage kiya.

"Aap mujhe flash ki light dikhaiye," usne ahista se kaha.

Noor ne bina kuch bole mobile pakad liya.

Woh sab chhat par aa gaye.

Aurtein ek taraf bistar bichha kar let gayin, mard ek taraf.

Par neend Noor-ul-Ain aur Aashir ki aankhon se koso door thi.

Chhat kaafi badi thi. Ek taraf ka aangan poora khaali tha.

Noor dheere se uthi aur uss taraf aa gayi.

Aashir bhi jaag raha tha.

Usne Noor ko sehan ki taraf jaate dekha.

Woh bhi uske peeche chala aaya.

"Neend nahi aa rahi?" woh ahista se goya hua.

Noor uske kadmon ki chaap pehchanti thi, isliye hairaan nahi hui.

Woh usse thode faasle par baith gaya.

"Nahi."

Jawaab mukhtasar tha.

"Mujhe bhi," saamne se bataya gaya.

Noor-ul-Ain aasman mein faili chandni dekh rahi thi.

Uski naak mein sone ki ek keel pahen rakhi thi, jiske upar nag jade thein.

Chandni uski naak ki laung par pad kar uska chehra chamka rahi thi.

Aashir uski taraf mudha.

Usne bhi yeh nazara dekha.

"Mohtarma, aap par laung achhi lagti hai," usne aitraaf kiya.

Phir sar jhatka.

"Aapko raat pasand hai?" usne sawaal kiya.

Noor ne uski taraf dekha.

Woh dono ghutne mode, apne haathon se baandhe baithe thein.

Noor ka sar apne ghutnon par tha.

"Ji... raat zindagi ka aaina hai," woh goya hui.

Aashir ko tajassus hua.

Woh kaise?

Usne ek nazar Aashir ke chehre par daali, phir chand ko dekhne lagi.

"Jaise hum zindagi mein kitna bhi bhaagein, ek din thak jaate hain. Par ek din hum hamesha ke liye so jaayenge aur sukoon..."

Woh ek pal ko ruki.

"Usi tarah hum din bhar kuch bhi kar lein, raat mein hum pursukoon ho jaate hain."

Uski nazrein chand par tiki hui thein.

"Jaise keh diya gaya ho...

Ab thehar jao."

Aashir ko uski baat dilchasp lagi.

"Main bhatak rahi thi,

dar-dar.

Raat ka gumaan hai,

jo thehri, main khud se aashna ho gayi."

Noor ne ahista se kaha.

"Aap shayari bhi kar leti hain?" usne hairani se poocha.

"Ji."

"Mujhe nahi pata tha," woh goya hua.

"Aapko mere baare mein pata hi kitna hai?"

Noor ne sapat lehje mein kaha.

Aashir chup ho gaya.

Sach mein, usne uske baare mein jaana hi kitna tha?

Par tajassus toh tha use lekar.

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Do din beet chuke thein uss raat ke waqye ke baad.

Kuch badla tha.

Kya badla tha?

Isi se anjaan thein dono.

Aaj Ammi ne Noor aur Aashir ko shaam mein shopping par jaane ke liye kaha tha.

Shaadi ke liye.

Unhone ek list bhi di thi.

"Kaise chalenge?"

Noor ne poocha jab use car nahi dikhi.

"Yeh hai na," Aashir ne bike ki taraf ishara kiya.

Noor ne fauran uski taraf dekha.

"Bike se?"

"Ji, kyunki iss waqt traffic bahut hoga. Car se phans jaayenge hum dono."

Wajah jaayaz thi, toh Noor ne kuch nahi kaha.

Woh bike par baith gaya.

Noor bhi thoda faasla rakh kar baith gayi.

Rear-view mirror se Noor dikh rahi thi.

Par use pata nahi tha ki woh comfortable hogi ya nahi.

Isliye Aashir ne rear-view mirror ghuma diya.

Yeh harkat Noor ki aankhon se chhupi nahi rahi.

Uske chehre par ek muskurahat thehar gayi.

"Kahan chalna hai?" usne poocha.

"Hazratganj. Pehle humein jewellery leni hai."

Aashir ne sar ko kham diya.

Phir woh dono chal diye.

Aashir bike bahut sambhal kar chala raha tha, taaki Noor ko koi masla pesh na aaye.

Woh dono Hazratganj pahunch gaye.

Noor ne heera ka dupatta nikala, usse dupatte se milta hua rani haar lena tha.

Woh dono ek dukaan mein pahunche.

Noor ko multicolour haar chahiye tha.

Woh dono alag-alag designs dekhne lage.

Tabhi Aashir ki nazar ek lambe motiyon se jade haar par padi.

Safed motiyon ke peeche turquoise-blue ke alishaan nag jade hue thein. Beech mein ek bada nag tha, jiske kinaaron par bahut nafasat se kaam kiya gaya tha.

Use Noor ki neeli saari yaad aayi jo usne uss din li thi.

Noor ne ek haar pasand kar liya.

Woh Aashir ki taraf mudhi aur chalne lagi.

Aashir ne haath ke ishare se use rukne ke liye kaha.

Phir woh usi haar ke paas gaya aur dukandaar ko use pack karne ke liye kaha.

Noor uski harkat ka mulaiza farma rahi thi.

"Yeh kisike liye?" usne poocha jab woh paas aaya.

"Aapke liye," usne saadgi se kaha.

Noor ne aankhein badi kar use dekha.

"Mere liye kyun?"

"Ammi poochengi nahi aapne apne liye kuch kyun nahi liya?"

Use samajh nahi aaya woh kya bahaana banaye, toh usne yeh keh diya.

Noor ko pata nahi kyun mayoosi hui.

Kaash woh yeh keh deta...

"Main laaya hoon."

Kya soch rahi hoon main?

Usne khud ko lataada.

"Achha."

Ab dupatte lene thein aur kuch saariyan bhi.

Noor ne use Aminabad le jaane ko kaha.

Aminabad pahunchne ke baad woh dono market mein chal rahe thein.

Tabhi Noor ko ek mard ka dhakka laga. Woh jaan-boojh kar nahi tha.

Woh Aashir se takrate-takrate bachi.

"Aap theek hain?"

Aashir ne fauran poocha.

Usne asbaab mein sar hila diya.

Phir usne apni bazu Noor ke gird phaila di.

Use woh chhoo nahi raha tha, par uske gird ek dayara bana rakha tha.

Noor thitki.

Uske dil ne shayad ek beat miss ki.

Dupatta lene ke baad woh dono choodiyan lene pahunche.

Noor hare rang ki choodiyan le rahi thi.

Tabhi Aashir ki nazar saadi laal choodiyon par padi.

Usne dheere se unhe khareeda aur apni pocket mein rakh liya.

Jab shopping ho gayi, woh dono wapas jaane hi wale thein ki tez baarish hone lagi.

Noor aur Aashir fauran ek shade ke neeche aa gaye.

Wahin bagal mein ek chai ki tapri thi.

Aashir ko iss mausam mein chai ki talab hui.

Usne Noor ki taraf dekha.

"Chai piyengi aap?"

Noor ne pehle use dekha, phir baarish ko, aur asbaab mein sar hila diya.

Woh dono chai ki tapri ke paas hi shade mein khade thein.

Aashir ne do chai ka kaha.

Chai aayi toh woh thodi garam thi.

Noor ne toh use apne dupatte se pakad liya tha.

Par Aashir ka haath jal raha tha.

Usne apna rumal dhoonda. Shayad kahin gir gaya tha.

Noor uski kaar-guzari ka mulaiza farma rahi thi.

Usne apne dupatte ka ek sira uske aage kiya.

Aashir ne hairani se uss sire ko dekha.

Woh Noor ki taraf nahi dekhna chahta tha, kyunki use nahi pata tha uske tasuraat kya honge.

Usne uska dupatta thaam liya.

Aur chai dupatte ki madad se pakad li.

Noor bhi aaj zyada kuch nahi soch rahi thi.

Jo na samjhe, use Allah par chhod do.

Aur waise bhi woh kuch ghalat nahi kar rahi thi.

Dono chai peete rahe.

Ek dupatta pakde.

Ab yeh ek dupatta tha ya shuruaat...

Yeh toh waqt hi jaane.

---

Noor jab ghar aayi toh woh apna samaan rakh rahi thi.

Daraaz ke paas use laal choodiyan rakhi mili.

"Yeh kaun laya?"

Usne chood

iyan haath mein lete hue socha.

Tabhi Aashir ki aamad hui.

Usne Noor ko choodiyan dekhte hue dekha.

"Yeh Ammi dekar gayi hain aapke liye."

Usne pata nahi kyun, par usne jhooth bola.

Noor ne asbaab mein sar hila diya.

"Yeh naya-naya mausam hai,

Chai achhi hai ya fiza,

Sab achha lag raha hai.

Mausam khoobsurat hai...

Ya humkadam?"

******