Maktoob

"Mere haathon par 'Hera' khoobsurati se likhna, Sumaira." Ammar ne masnooi sanjeeda awaaz mein kaha.

"Haan ji, Aira! Inka haath hi 'Hera-Hera' likh kar bhar do," Noor ne peeche se aate hue kaha.

Sab hansne lage.

"Noorie, usne zubaan daanton tale daba li. Mera matlab hai, bhabhi." Use Aashir ki tabhi yaad aayi.

Noor ruki. Usne ek nazar Ammar par daali aur use teekhi nazron se ghura.

"Bhabhi?" Noor ne bhawein uchkaayin.

"Bhai, bade bhai ki begum hain aap, toh naam nahi le sakta main," Ammar ne wazahat di.

"Ab tak toh naam hi lete the," Noor ne aankhein sikodi.

"Woh kya hai, pehle akal nahi thi," Ammar ne masoomiyat se kaha.

Noor ne sir jhatak diya.

"Der aaye, durust aaye, bhabhi jaan," Ammar ne Aashir ki taraf dekhte hue oonchi awaaz mein kaha.

Aashir ne bhi sir jhatak diya.

Sab mehendi laga rahe the.

Aashir ko mehendi mein itni dilchaspi nahi thi, par usne mehendi lagwate hue Noor ki aankhon mein jo chamak dekhi, woh samajh gaya-mohtarma ko mehendi pasand hai.

Rasmein khatam hone ke baad sab apne-apne kamron mein chale gaye.

Noor apni mehendi ko dekh rahi thi. Uski mehendi sukh chuki thi, lekin abhi miti nahi thi.

Aashir ne use aisa karte dekha.

Woh muda. Usne haath ki madad se apna sir upar kiya aur ek baazu par let gaya. Noor ek sire par baithi thi.

"Jahan tak mujhe pata hai, suhagan mehendi apne suhaag ko dikhati hai."

Aashir ki awaaz par uska tilism toota.

Usne Aashir ko dekha.

Usne apna nichla lab kaata.

Muqammal khamoshi.

Aashir ko laga, usne hadd paar kar di hai.

Woh abhi kuch bolta, isse pehle Noor ne apne dono haath uske aage kar diye.

Woh shashdar sa use dekhta reh gaya.

Usne ek nazar uski mehendi par daali, jo waqai uske haathon par khil rahi thi.

"MashaAllah... khoobsurat," uske munh se nikla.

Noor muskurai.

Phir Aashir ki nazar uske daayein haath ki aakhri ungli ke paas padi, jahan Urdu mein 'Aashir' likha hua tha.

Woh saakit ho gaya.

"Aapne mera naam likha hai?" usne sargoshi ki.

Noor ka chehra fakk pad gaya.

Usne haath peeche karne ki koshish ki. Aashir ne tabhi uski kalai thaam li.

"Bataiye," usne israar kiya.

Usne apni zubaan labon par pheri.

"Ji... Moani ne kaha tha."

Uske jawab se Aashir ko mayoosi hui.

"Noor, agli dafa ho sake toh... ya main is qabil ban jaun ke aap khud se mera naam likhwa saken."

Usne uska haath halke se dabaya.

Noor ne ek muskaan uchhali.

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Agli subah Ammar ki baraat thi.

Noor ko thodi ghabrahat thi. Woh ek marhoom nuqte ko dekhe ja rahi thi.

Aashir ne uski iztiraar ko mulaahiza farmaya.

"Kuch hua hai?" usne poocha.

Uski awaaz par uske soch ka qufl toota.

Noor ne sir nafi mein hila diya.

Aashir ne kuch nahi kaha.

Dopahar tak uski uljhan wazeh thi.

"Aashir, Noor ko kuch hua hai?" Zahima ne fikrmandi se poocha.

Aashir ne ek nazar Noor par daali, doosri apni Ammi par.

"Nahi, Ammi. Bas woh thaki hai," Aashir ne jawab diya.

"Pakka?" unhone israar kiya.

"Ji, Ammi." Usne unhe mutmaeen karna chaha.

Jab woh dono kisi kaam ke liye kamre mein aaye, toh Aashir ne usse baat karne ka socha.

"Noor-ul-Ain..." usne use mukhatib kiya.

Woh palti aur ek bhawein uchkaayi, jaise pooch rahi ho, kya?

"Aap pareshaan hain." Sawaal nahi tha, jumla tha.

Noor ke maathay par shikan aayi. Usne apne haathon ko masla.

"Jhoot nahi boliye. Ab toh Ammi ne bhi gaur kiya hai," Aashir ne baat aage badhaayi.

Muqammal khamoshi.

"Agar aap mujhse comfortable nahi hain apni pareshani batane mein, toh Sumaira se keh dijiye. Par yun andar na rakhiye." Usne mashwara diya.

Noor ne apne juton se nazar hata kar use dekha.

"Aaj shaadi mein aapki Shaista Khala bhi hongi," Noor goya hui.

Agar is rishte ko mauka dena hai, toh khulna bhi padega.

Koi zehan padh nahi lega.

Noor ne socha.

"Toh?" Aashir uski baat samajh raha tha, par uske munh se sunna chahta tha.

"Woh Asiya ki Ammi hain," Noor ne wazahat di.

Aashir uske ain muqabil aa khada hua.

Usne uske dono haath apni girift mein le liye.

"Koi farq nahi padta. Jab main aapko apna chuka hoon, toh koi kuch bhi bole ya soche, main sambhalunga."

Usne use dilasa diya.

Noor ne uski aankhon mein dekha, jahan sirf us par yaqeen karne ki ilteja thi.

Usne sir asbaab mein hila diya.

---

Woh dono tayyar ho chuke the.

Noor gulaabi jode mein malboos thi. Gulaabi gown par silver kadhai ki hui thi.

Kaanon mein usne sone ke gulaabi jade hue nag wale taps pehne the aur haath mein milti-julti anguthi.

Ek kalai mein ghadi thi, doosri kalai mein bracelet.

Usne nude lipstick lagayi thi, jiske saath bold eye makeup tha.

Woh sach mein Noor-ul-Ain lag rahi thi.

Naak ki gulaabi laung damak rahi thi.

"Woh aaj bhi shahkaar lag rahi hain," Aashir ke munh se beikhtiyaar nikla.

Woh neeli-maroon sherwani aur uske saath bhuri pants mein malboos tha. Upar baal set the.

Kalai mein ghadi thi.

Noor bhi aaj use bina jhijhak dekh rahi thi.

Nazron ka takraav hua.

Dono ne bas ek-doosre ko dekha aur labon par muskurahat saja li.

---

Shaista Khala sabse mil rahi thi.

Tabhi Aashir bhi unke paas gaya.

Rasmi haal-o-ahwaal ke baad usne Noor ko apne paas aane ka ishara kiya.

Woh ghabra rahi thi. Yeh uske chehre se zahir tha.

Par Aashir ki baat yaad kar woh wahan pahunchi.

Tabhi Aashir ne uske daahine haath ko apne baayein haath mein le kar ungliyan phansaayin.

"Khala."

Shaista Khala mudin.

Unki nazar dono ke haathon par padi.

Unki muskurahat simat gayi.

Zahima bhi yeh sab dekh rahi thi.

Unhe darr tha Shaista Noor ko lafzon se takleef na de. Par Aashir ka unke saamne yun Noor ka haath pakad kar khade hona unhe mutmaeen kar gaya.

Unki nazar saamne baithe Dadu par padi, jinhone unhe dekh kar sir ko kham diya.

"Inse miliye. Yeh meri biwi hain, Noor-ul-Ain."

Ta'aruf tha ya ailaan, Noor samajh nahi paayi.

Par shayad dil mein kuch hua.

Usne gair-iradatan Aashir ke haath par apni girift badha di.

Khala ne un dono ko dekha.

Phir Aashir ko, jo uski dhaal bana khada tha.

Unhone aage badh kar Noor ka gaal sehlaaya aur uske salaam ka jawaab diya.

Aashir phir Noor ko wahan se le kar Ammar ke paas chala aaya.

Ammar ka nikah shuru hua.

Noor aur Aashir ke zehan mein unke apne nikah ka manzar lehraya.

Kya us waqt unhone socha t

ha ki kabhi woh haath mein haath thaame chalenge?

Aashir ne Noor ki taraf dekha, jo use hi dekh rahi thi.

Usne ek bhawein utha kar sawaal kiya, kya?

Noor ne bheegi palkein aur muskurate chehre ke saath nafi mein sir hila diya.