Maktoob

Aaj se ek hafte mein Ammar ki mayoon thi.

Aashir aaj thoda late ho gaya tha.

Hospital mein ek emergency case aa gaya tha.

Jab woh ghar aaya, use ehsaas hua ki sab so chuke honge.

Kamre mein dheere se woh dakhil hua. Uske hisaab se Noor-ul-Ain so chuki hogi. Woh uski neend kharaab nahi karna chahta tha.

Darwaza kholte hi Noor ko usne sofe par baithi ek kitaab padhte dekha.

Use hairani hui.

Usne ghadi ki taraf dekha.

Raat ke do baj gaye the.

Woh ab tak toh so jaaya karti thi.

“Aap aa gaye.”

Woh uske kadmon ki chaap se pehchan gayi thi.

“Aap soyi nahi?”

Saamne se sawaal hua.

“Neend nahi aa rahi thi.”

Usne apna dupatta theek karte hue kaha.

“Achha.”

Aashir fresh hone chala gaya.

Jab wapas aaya, Noor kamre mein nahi thi.

Woh kitchen ki taraf jaane hi wala tha, khana khane ke liye, tabhi Noor use khane ki tray liye kamre mein aati dikhi.

“Khana kha lijiye, thanda ho jayega.”

Woh usse mukhatib thi.

Use hairani hui.

Aam taur par Ammi bhi uske liye khana microwave mein rakh kar so jaati thi.

Aaj pehli baar hua tha ki koi uske liye khana garam karke laaya tha.

Use yeh tabdeeli pata nahi kyun achhi lagi.

Woh khana khane laga.

Usne ek nazar Noor par daali.

Woh baar-baar ubaasi le rahi thi.

Yeh so kyun nahi rahi hai?

Usne khud se sawaal kiya.

Khana khatam karne ke baad woh kitchen mein plate rakhne chala gaya.

Jab wapas aaya toh usne Noor ko apni jagah lete hue paaya.

Woh bhi let gaya.

Phir achanak uske zehan mein ek khayal aaya.

“Kya yeh mera intezaar kar rahi thi?”

Use yeh khayal achha laga.

Lekin agle hi pal use Noor ki baat yaad aayi.

“Main aapke saath nahi rehna chahti.”

“Nahi... yeh kyun intezaar karegi?”

Usne khud ko lataada.

“Main bhi na...”

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Raat mein saare cousins ka majma laga hua tha.

Sab kuch gaane-khelne ka plan kar rahe the.

Tabhi Aashir bhi wahan aa gaya.

Use khaali jagah sirf Noor ke paas dikhi.

Woh wahan aakar baith gaya.

Sabne Truth and Dare par iktifa kiya.

Bottle Aashir ki taraf aayi.

Usne dare liya.

“Bhai ko main dare dunga,” Ammar ne fauran maidan mein aate hue kaha.

“Boliye ji,” Aashir goya hua.

“Aap shayari sunaayenge.”

Ammar ne jaise bomb phoda ho.

Shayari aur Aashir dono talwaron ki myaan jaise the.

Aashir ne use be-yaqeeni se dekha.

“Mujhe nahi aati shayari-waayari,” usne jaan chhudani chahi.

“Aise thodi na hota hai.”

Sabne ehtijaaj kiya.

“Koi nahi. Agar bhai nahi bol paayenge toh koi aur hai na,” Sumaira ne aage badh kar kaha.

“Kaun?”

“Noorie.”

Sumaira ne Noor ki taraf ishara kiya.

Noor ne fauran Sumaira ko dekha, balki ghura.

“Kya tum bhai ki better half nahi ho? Madad karo unki,” usne Noor ko chhedte hue kaha.

Bhai-bhabhi sab cheer karne lage.

Noor ne malamat bhari nazron se Sumaira ko dekha.

Jisne ek aankh daba di.

Woh khadi hui Aashir ke saamne.

“Main banjara sa,

Usmein apna ghar dhoondh liya.

Main awaara sa,

Uski taraf khinchta gaya.

Woh jaanta bhi nahi,

Main yunhi sirf uska ho liya.”

Noor ne Aashir ki taraf nigaahein uthayin.

Woh dam saadhe use dekh raha tha.

Tabhi ek cousin ne Noor ko Aashir ki taraf dhakela.

Noor girti, isse pehle Aashir ne use baazuon se thaam liya.

Noor ne nazrein uthayin, jo Aashir ki nazron se jaa milin.

Pata nahi kya tha,

Mausam ka tilasm,

ya shayari ki sada.

Woh dono tiktiki baandhe ek-doosre ko dekh rahe the.

“Naina tere kajrare hain,

Naino hum dil haare hain...”

Aashir Noor ki kajal-aalood aankhon ko dekh raha tha.

“Anjaan hi tere nainon ne

waade kiye kai saare hain...”

Noor uski aankhon mein shayad kuch dhoondh rahi thi.

Jahan iss waqt sirf uska aks tha.

Tabhi taaliyon ki awaaz par dono ka tilasm toota.

Woh fauran alag hue.

Dono ko andaaza hua, Ammar gaana baja raha tha.

“Wah bhai-bhabhi! Humne toh shayari ka kaha tha, aapne toh scene hi dikha diya,” Afiya ne chheda.

Sab hansne lage.

---

Uss raat jab woh dono kamre mein aaye, toh kisi ne bhi ek-doosre se nazrein nahi milayi.

Shayad kuch toh badla tha.

Ya badle the dil ke haal.

Aashir ne aankhein band ki, tabhi uske saamne Noor ki aankhein lehraayin.

Uska ghabraya hua chehra.

Phir uske lafz.

Woh shayari.

“Mere liye Aashir ki taraf mohabbat kaafi hai.”

Uske samaaton mein yeh jumla goonja.

Kya Noor-ul-Ain ne yeh shayari uske liye boli thi?

Kitna dard tha un lafzon mein.

Tabhi uske zehan mein Asiya ka khwaab aaya.

Asiya.

Uski Asiya.

Kya woh galat nahi kar raha hai Noor-ul-Ain ki taraf mutawajjah hokar?

Uske mann ne khud se sawaal kiya.

Tabhi uske zehan mein ek khayal aaya,

“Kya apni marhoom mangetar ke liye apni biwi ko nazarandaaz karna galat nahi? Haq-talfi nahi?”

Use laga jaise iss ghar ki imaarat uske upar kisi ne dhaha di ho.

Yeh kaisa inkishaaf tha?

Kya woh Noor ke haq mein haq-talfi karta nahi aaya hai?

Ek aur sawaal.

Use ehsaas hua, woh do-rahe par hai.

Woh kamre se nikla.

Woh saans nahi le paa raha tha.

Woh Dadu ke kamre ki taraf kadam badhaata gaya.

Woh jaanta tha, woh Tahajjud ke liye uthe honge.

Darwaze par dastak dekar woh andar dakhil hua, jahan Amin Sahab salaam pher rahe the.

Woh fauran unke paas jaa baitha.

Amin Sahab dua mein haath uthaye hue the.

Woh unki dua khatam hone ke intezaar mein baith gaya.

Dua khatam hote hi unhone uski taraf mudkar use dam kiya.

Phir bahut pyaar se uska gaal sehlaaya.

“Kya hua mere bachche?”

Woh goya hue.

Woh kuch der tak kuch bol nahi saka.

Phir ek gehri saans lekar woh goya hua,

“Main do-rahe par hoon.”

Ek taraf zehan yeh baawar karata hai, main Asiya ke saath... woh ruka. Uski aankhon mein umadti nami ko peene ki koshish ki.

“Uske saath bewafai kar raha hoon.”

“Aur doosri taraf Noor-ul-Ain, jo mere nikah mein hai, unke saath Asiya ki baatein soch kar bewafai kar raha hoon.”

Phir usne Dadu ki taraf dekha.

“Main bewafa toh nahi?”

Usne rondi awaaz mein kaha.

Dadu muskuraye.

“Ek baat batao beta, agar tumhari aur Asiya ki shaadi nahi hoti, Asiya ke zinda hote hue bhi, aur tum phir bhi kya apni biwi ke saath zindagi mein aage badhne ko bewafai samajhte?”

Usne unhe be-yaqeeni se dekha.

“Nahi. Tum Asiya se sab kuch khatam karke apni biwi ki haq-talfi nahi karte.”

Unhone apna jumla mukammal kiya.

Aashir ne unhe be-yaqeeni se dekha.

“Aaj toh Asiya hai bhi nahi, phir bewafai kaisi?”

Woh ruke. Unhone uske aansu ponchhe.

“Aur beta, uska safar zindagi mein yahi tak tha. Par tumhari toh zindagi baaki hai.”

“Woh akele toh nahi kati.”

Woh dam saadhe unhe dekh raha tha.

“Allah ne Adam (A.S.) ke liye bhi Maa Hawwa ko bheja tha. Kyunki hum insaan shayad tanha nahi reh sakte. Humnava ki zarurat hai.”

“Ek marhale par humein apni zindagi ke libaas ki zarurat hoti hai, jo hota hai Humsafar.”

Aashir ke aansuon mein aur rawaani aa gayi.

“Phir Babu, tum bhi toh insaan ho. Toh Asiya se bewafai kaisi?”

“Kya agar Asiya ki jagah tum na hote? Yeh woh sochna bhi nahi chahte the. Tum kya chahte, Asiya tumhare liye roye, har pal til-til tadpe?”

Usne fauran nafi mein sir hilaya.

“Kabhi nahi.”

Uske lab hile.

Phir Aashir ne fauran apna sir Dadu ki godh mein rakh diya.

Woh uske baalon par haath pherne lage.

“Aur Noor-ul-Ain?” usne sargoshi ki.

“Bewafai nahi, uski haq-talfi ho rahi hai.”

“Tum insaan ho, zahir si baat hai.

Jiske saath khwaab sajaye the, uski jagah koi aur ho, toh waqt lagta hai.”

Unke alfaaz uske liye Aab-e-Hayat se kam nahi the.

Woh bachchon ki tarah zaar-o-qataar rone laga.

Aur woh use apne gale se lagaye uski peeth thapthapa rahe the.

Inkishaaf, ek lamha aksar Qayamat ka lamha hota hai.

Use iss baat ka ilm aaj hua.