Maktoob

Aaj Ammar ka walima tha.

Subah pehle muh dikhai thi.

Noor, Sumaira aur Zahima tayyariyon mein masroof thein.

Hera muh dikhai ke liye khud se tayyar hona chahti thi.

"Moani, baith jaayein. Ho gaya hai sab," Noor ne Zahima Begum ko bithaate hue kaha.

"Main aur Aira hain na, sambhal lenge," usne unhe tasalli di.

Zahima ne usse mohabbat bhari nazron se dekha, phir uske sar par haath phera.

Yeh lams use Afrah ki yaad dila gaya tha.

Uski aankhein isse pehle bhar aati, usne baat badalni chahi.

Saamne se Ammar aa raha tha. Uske saath Aashir bhi tha.

"Moani, dekhiye, aap Ammar bhai ko dhoondh rahi thi na? Aa gaye woh," Noor ne Ammar ko aate dekh kar kaha.

Zahima ne use dekha, jaise keh rahi ho, kab ki baat hai yeh?

Noor ne unhe ishara kiya.

Woh muskura di.

"Kyun Ammi, koi kaam tha?" Ammar ne tabedari ke saare record todte hue kaha.

"Haan bhai, darasal ab aapki shaadi ho gayi. Dekhiye, yahan sab kaam mein masroof hain. Hera toh abhi nayi naveli dulhan hai, usse nahi kuch karwa sakte na. Toh aap aaiye, hamara haath bataiye."

Noor ne masoomiyat taari karte hue kaha.

Sumaira ne bhi sar hila diya.

Ammar ko toh chakkar sa aa gaya.

Aashir ne saara manzar dilchaspi se dekha.

Lekin phir uski nazar Noor par jaa tiki, jo baar-baar apni daahini peshani halke se masal rahi thi.

"Arey, main bhi toh abhi taaza-taaza dulha hoon. Kaam karte achha lagunga bhala?" Ammar ne Noor ko aankhein dikhate hue kaha.

Sabka qahqaha chhoot gaya.

"Achha, gaze dulhe, chaliye venue. Tayyariyon ka jaayza le lein," Aashir ne Ammar se haste hue kaha.

"Dono miyaan-biwi zaalim hain," Ammar badbadaaya.

Uski baat par Noor ki nazar Aashir se mili.

Dono ke labon par tabassum bikhra.

Phir dono ne nazrein pher lein.

---

Abhi Noor room ki taraf jaa rahi thi jab uske mobile par message wasool hua.

Screen par Aashir ka naam jhagmaga raha tha.

Usne message khola.

"Migraine ke dard ko ignore nahi karte, Mohtarma. Dawa daahini daraaz mein le lijiyega aur thoda baith jaiye."

Message bahut hi saada tha.

Par Noor ke lab muskaan mein dhal gaye.

Use gudgudi si hui.

Jaise pehle crush ne jawaab diya ho.

"Bachchi nahi ho tum, Noor," usne khud ko lataada.

Phir sar jhatak kar woh kamre mein dakhil hui.

Dawa khaakar usne Aashir ko message kiya.

"Aye aye, Captain."

Message ki notification screen par dekhte hi Aashir ki nazar Noor-ul-Ain ke naam par thehar gayi.

Usne ishtiyaaq se message khola.

Use padhne ke baad woh hans diya.

Ammar yeh sab mulaahiza farma raha tha. Ammar ke saath Aliyar bhi gaadi mein maujood tha.

"Kya bhai, bhabhi ka message hai kya jo itna muskura rahe ho?" Ammar ne use chheda.

"Tumhe kya lena-dena?" Aashir ne use ghura.

Ammar ne haath khade kar diye.

---

Aliyar aur Aashir venue par the jab Aliyar ne baat ka aagaaz kiya.

"Tum khush lag rahe ho."

Aashir uski taraf muda.

"Shayad hoon," Aashir ne jawaaban aahista se kaha.

Aliyar ke chehre par ek sawaal tha.

Aashir samajh nahi saka sawaal tha ya jumla.

"Hm."

Aashir ne gehri saans li.

Woh Aliyar ki taraf muda, jo saamne dekh raha tha.

"Tum khafa ho mujhse?" Aashir ne sawaal kiya.

"Main kyun khafa honga?"

Aliyar kuch pal ruka.

"Khafa nahi hoon. Nahi... main bachcha nahi hoon."

Woh phir ruka.

"Main khush hoon tumhare liye. Bas jis jagah kabhi apni behen ko tasawwur karta tha, kisi aur ko dekh kar thoda ajeeb laga tha."

Aliyar ne apni baat khatam ki.

Aashir ne lab pewast kiye.

"Unhone kisi ki jagah nahi li."

Uska lehja thanda tha.

"Ghar mein sabse pehle hi unse banti thi."

Woh pal bhar ruka.

"Aur meri zindagi mein woh..."

Uski nazar ek lamhe ke liye jhuki.

"Unhone khud jagah banai hai."

Phir usne Aliyar ki aankhon mein dekh kar kaha,

"Kisi ki jagah li nahi."

Aashir ko Noor ke baare mein Aliyar ki jagah wali baat pasand nahi aayi thi.

"Maine un dono ka muqabla nahi kiya, toh koi aur bhi na kare toh behtar hai."

Aashir ne tanbeeh ki.

Aliyar ne use dekha.

Jaise use padh raha ho.

"Tum pasand karte ho na use?"

Sawaal tha... ya aaina?

"Biwi hai woh meri. Zahir hai."

Jawab bhi waisa hi aaya tha.

Aliyar ne uske kandhe thapthapaye.

---

Sab tayyar ho chuke thein.

Ab bas venue par jaana tha.

Noor-ul-Ain champagne rang ki gharara mein malboos thi.

Usne halki jewellery pehen rakhi thi. Baalon ko khula chhod rakha tha. Honton par surkhi-laali khoob achhi jach rahi thi.

Aashir ne navy-blue blazer aur black pant pehen rakhi thi.

Dono miyaan-biwi khoob jach rahe the.

Noor ki nazar jab Aashir par padi toh woh muskura raha tha.

Noor ka dil ek dhadkan ko thehar gaya.

Woh kitna achha lagta tha haste hue.

"MashaAllah," usne beikhtiyaar kaha.

Phir use khayal aaya koi dekh na le.

Usne fauran nazrein hata lein.

Lekin phir dheere se mobile nikala aur haste hue Aashir ki ek tasveer le li.

Tasveer kheench kar usne mobile foran neeche kar li, jaise koi jurm kar baithi ho.

Aashir ne saamne se aati Noor ko dekha.

Ek lamhe ke liye uski nazar us par thehar gayi.

Woh samajh nahi paaya ki usne isse zyada khoobsurat ladki pehle kabhi dekhi nahi thi...

Ya yeh waqai sabse khoobsurat thi.

Kisi artist ka shahkaar...

Uske zehan mein beikhtiyaar khayal ubhra.

Phir usne nazrein hata lein.

Sab venue par pahunche.

Walime ki taqreeb achhe se ho gayi.

---

Raat mein Aashir aur Noor dono kamre mein the.

Noor dressing table ke saamne baithi moisturizer laga rahi thi.

Aashir laptop par kuch type kar raha tha.

"Kab chalna hai?"

Woh Noor se mukhatib hua.

"Kahan?" Noor ne sawaal kiya.

"Hamare ghar."

Aashir ne mukhtasir sa jawab diya.

Magar Noor ke haath saakit ho gaye.

Usne nazrein uthakar aaine mein Aashir ko dekha.

Noor ke gale mein gulti si ubhri.

"Hamare ghar..."

Usne ahista se dohraya.

Usne kab socha tha woh ghar uska bhi hoga?

Aur Aashir ek din itne aaraam se use hamara ghar kahega.

Noor khayalon mein gum thi ki Aashir ne use awaaz di.

"Noor-ul-Ain."

"Ji..."

Jaise uska irtikaaz toota ho.

"Koi masla hai?"

Noor ne sar hila diya.

"Kya hum yahin nahi reh sakte?"

Noor ne sawaal kiya.

Aashir ne laptop side par rakh diya.

Woh uski taraf poori tarah mutawajjah hua.

"Noor-ul-Ain, aapko nahi lagta jis phase mein hamara rishta hai, wahan humein akele waqt ki zarurat hai?"

Aashir se itni saaf-goi ki ummeed Noor ne nahi ki thi.

Woh hairan hui.

Uski faili hui aankhon ko dekh kar Aashir ke muh se beikhtiyaar nikla,

"Cute."

Noor ne samajh kar sar hila diya.

Magar agle hi lamhe ek anjaan khauf ne use gher liya.

Agar wahan jaakar sab phir se pehle jaisa ho gaya toh?

Do log... do ajnabi.

Aashir ne use phir pareshan dekha toh use apni jaanib mutawajjah kiya.

"Kya hua?"

Noor ne nafi mein sar hila diya.

"Aap jhoot bol rahi hain."

Woh bazid tha.

"Kuch toh hai."

"Noor, mujhe zehan padhna nahi aata."

Noor ne uski taraf dekha.

Usne nichla lab daanton tale daba liya.

Phir ek gehri saans chhodi.

"Darr lag raha hai... kahin phir woh ghar, makaan na ban jaaye."

Noor ne saadgi se kaha.

Aashir saakit ho gaya.

Uska khadsha laazim tha.

Woh haq par thi.

Woh uth khada hua.

Aage badha aur uske saamne jaakar khada ho gaya.

Noor bhi use dek

hte hue khadi ho gayi.

"Noor-ul-Ain, aapka har darr laazim hai," woh goya hua.

"Sirf ek dafa yaqeen kijiye... main us ghar ko makaan nahi banne dunga."

Usne uska haath dabaya.

Noor ne uski aankhon mein dekha.

"Main bhi is baar koshish karungi."

Noor ne haami bhari.

Aur is tarah ek khoobsurat raat ka ikhtitaam hua.