Maktoob

Aaj Noor-ul-Ain aur Aashir wapas ghar jaane wale the.

Zahima, Amin Sahab ke liye khana kamre mein le aayi thi. Unki tabiyat kuch nasaaz thi.

Amin Sahab khana khatam kar chuke the, tabhi Zahima unse mukhatib hui.

"Abba, aapko nahi lagta Noor aur Aashir ka rishta patri par aa gaya hai?" Zahima ne ek muskurahat ke saath kaha.

Amin Sahab ne sar ko kham diya.

"Hum toh bahut pareshan the, Abba. Kahin in dono ko na-pasand ke rishte se jod kar humne koi galti toh nahi kar di." Unhone ek gehri saans li.

"Beta, Noor-ul-Ain aur Aashir ab ek naye safar par chal chuke hain. Aur iss baar humsafar hi nahi, humdard, humqadam aur hamnava banne," unhone sanjeedgi se kaha.

"Phir bhi, Abba... socha nahi tha in dono ke beech sab theek ho jayega."

"Beta, woh dono ek-doosre ke bakht mein hain. Aur bakht koi badal nahi sakta."

"Maktoob hai un dono ka milna."

Zahima Begum ne sar ko izaan mein hila diya.

"Aaj ja rahe hain woh dono," Zahima Begum ne kaha.

"Achha hai... waqt chahiye un dono ko ek saath."

Dono muskuraye.

******

Noor aur Aashir sabse vida le rahe the.

Tabhi Ammar Noor se mukhatib hua.

"Waise, bhabhi, main khush hoon aap ja rahi hain."

Sab uski taraf mutawajjah hue.

Noor ne aankhein chhoti kar use dekha.

Aashir bhi sab dekh raha tha.

"Kyun? Maine kaunsa aapke credit card ke bills badhaye hain, jo itna khush ho rahe hain?" Noor ne usi ke andaaz mein poocha.

"Arre, main toh Heera ke liye khush hoon," Ammar ne Heera ki taraf dekhte hue kaha.

Hera ghabra gayi.

"Aur woh kaise?" Is baar Sumaira ne poocha.

"Kyunki bhabhi jethani hai. Yeh jaan rahi hai meri Hera ke sir se talwaar hati. Rahi baat Ammi ki, unka kuch kiya nahi ja sakta. Saas ko toh jhelna padega," usne masnui afsos jataya.

Hera ne fauran nafi mein sar hila diya.

Noor ki aankhein phail gayin.

"Main talwaar?" Woh bas itna hi keh saki.

Zahima Begum aage badhin aur unhone Ammar ko kaanon se pakad liya.

"Kya keh rahe ho? Humein jhelna padega?" Unhone tanbeeh ki.

"Nahi, Ammi! Woh bhabhi ko sirf aapke baare mein... toh muh se phisal gaya," woh khafeef sa hasa.

"Jiski shaadi tumse hui ho, woh kya doosron se pareshaan hoga?" Jawaab Aashir ki taraf se aaya.

Ammar ne naak sikodi.

Hera ne sar ko asbaab mein hila diya.

Sabka kehkaha gunj gaya.

******

Noor aur Aashir car mein baithe the.

"Toh tayyar hain aap?" Aashir goya hua.

Noor uski taraf mudhi.

Usne bhawein uchkaayin, jaise pooch rahi ho-kis liye?

Aashir ne use ba-gaur dekha.

"Humari nayi shuruaat ke liye."

Noor ke chehre par narmi ke tasuraat aaye.

"Bismillah," Noor ne halke se sargoshi ki.

"Bismillah," Aashir ka bhi jawaab aaya.

Uski nigaahein saamne thi.

Noor windscreen ke paar dekh rahi thi.

Par tabassum dono ke labon par bikhar raha tha.

Woh dono ghar pahunche.

Darwaza kholte hi dono ne salaam kiya.

Samaan andar rakhte hue Aashir ne ek nigah Noor par daali, jo apne kamre ki taraf ja rahi thi.

Aashir ke maathe par shikan ki lakeerein ubhar aayin.

"Aap kahan ja rahi hain?" Aashir goya hua.

Woh palti aur use na-samajhi se dekha.

"Fresh hone. Apne room mein."

Aashir ne samaan sofe ke paas rakha aur uske aur apne darmiyan ka faasla tay kiya.

"Toh aap apne kamre mein chaliye."

Usne ahista se uski aankhon mein dekhte hue kaha.

Woh nahi samjhi.

"Wahin toh ja rahi hoon."

"Lawyer sahiba, mujhe nahi pata tha aap itni na-samajh hain. Yeh humara ghar hai, toh aap humare kamre mein jayengi."

Aashir ne ahista se uska sar thapthapaya.

Uski aankhein phail gayin.

Phir baat samajh aayi toh uske gaalon par surkhi bikhar gayi, jise Aashir ne gaur se mulaahiza farmaya.

Phir achanak Noor ne use aankhein chhoti kar ke dekha.

"Aapne mujhe na-samajh kaha?"

Yahan padhna banta hai.

Aashir ki muskaan gehri hui.

"Ab na-samajhi karengi toh wahi kahenge na hum."

Lehja halka-phulka tha.

"Main aapko sue kar dungi."

Wazeh dhamki.

Aashir ka kehkaaha chhoot gaya.

Noor use dekhti rahi, phir usne muh bisora.

Aashir ne halke se uski naak daba di.

Noor saket reh gayi.

Uski aankhein phail gayin.

Lab khule rahe.

Usne lab hilaye, kuch kehne ke liye, par us lamhe zubaan ne saath chhod diya.

Aashir ne uska daahina haath pakda aur use kamre ki taraf le gaya.

"Main aapke saath andar jaana chahta hoon," usne sargoshi ki.

Phir dono ne ek saath kadam badhaye aur andar dakhil hue.

Noor ko iss kamre mein kuch naya sa laga.

Shayad apne naye aagaaz ki mehak.

Aashir ne uski taraf dekha.

"Welcome, Mrs. Aashir," usne sargoshi ki.

Noor uski taraf mudhi.

Usne uski aankhon mein dekha, jahan sirf apnaiyat thi.

"Mere kamre mein aapka bhi welcome, Mr. Aashir."

Aashir ne use ek baar dekha.

Phir uska kehkaaha chhoot gaya.

Noor use dekhti rahi.

Phir achanak use kuch yaad aaya.

"Zyada hasiye nahi. Mere kamre se samaan aap hi layenge. Main thak gayi hoon."

Usne sofe par baithte hue kaha.

Aashir ki hansi gayab hui.

"Main kyun?"

"Aap hi shauhar hain mere, padosi toh nahi."

Noor ne sarsari sa kaha.

Aashir ki saansein tham gayin.

Uski aankhon mein chamak wazeh thi.

Uske lab muskaan mein dhal gaye.

Usne sar ko kham diya.

Noor ka iss tarah "shauhar" kehna use bahut hairan kar gaya tha.

Par dil ko achha laga tha.

******

Raat Aashir aur Noor saath baith kar khana kha rahe the.

"Aap isse zyada achhe kebab banati hain," Aashir ne khana khaate hue kaha.

Aaj Noor thak gayi thi, toh khana bahar se aaya tha.

Noor ne use dekha.

"Aap mera banaya khana enjoy karte the?" usne hairat se poocha.

"Enjoy!" Woh niwala lete hue ruka. "Aapke khane lazeez hote hain. Munh mein ghul jaate hain."

Usne aur tareef ki.

Noor ne nazrein plate par kar li.

Use kabhi nahi laga tha ki uske khane Aashir ko itne pasand hain.

Use yaqeen karne mein mushkil ho rahi thi.

Kahin yeh sab khwaab toh nahi?

Yeh toh usne kabhi nahi socha tha.

Aashir ne use soch mein dooba dekha.

"Kya hua?"

Uski awaaz par uska qufl toota.

Usne nafi mein sar hila diya.

---

Raat ke das baj rahe the.

Neend dono ki aankhon se nadarad thi.

Tabhi Aashir Noor ki taraf mudha.

"Neend nahi aa rahi?" Aashir ne poocha.

"Malik Mansion ki aadat pad gayi thi," Noor ne jawaaban kaha.

Aashir ne sar asbaab mein hila diya.

Phir kuch soch kar woh bed par baitha.

"Mere saath chalengi?"

Usne usse poocha.

"Kahan?" Noor ne hairani se use dekha.

"Bas, chalengi ya nahi?"

Noor ne use ba-gaur dekha, phir asbaab mein sar hila diya.

Woh dono building ke neeche aaye.

Garage se Aashir ne apni bike nikali.

Usne Noor ko us par baithne ka ishara kiya.

Noor baith gayi.

Woh dono nikal gaye.

Iss baar rear-view mirror Noor ki taraf nahi tha. Aashir ne jaan-boojh kar use uski taraf kiya tha.

Noor ne uski iss karwai ko dekha.

Usne ek nazar rear-view mirror par daali, jahan Aashir use dekh raha tha.

Dono ki nazrein milin.

Na usne hatayin.

Na isne.

Kuch kaha nahi gaya, par bahut kuch sun liya dono ne.

"Mujhe jahan bhi ja rahe hain, sahi-salaamat le chaliye."

Noor ki awaaz ne lamhe ka irtikaaz toda.

Aashir ne sar ko kham diya.

"Ji, mohtarma."

******

Usne bike roki.

"Lijiye, aa gayi manzil," Aashir ne muskurate hue kaha.

Noor ne nazrein ghumayi.

Woh dono ek nadi ke paas the.

Aashir ne apna haath aage kiya. Noor ne apna haath uske haath par rakh diya.

Aashir use aage le ja raha tha.

Seedhiyon se neeche utarte hue woh dono paanchvi seedhi par baith gaye.

Noor ne saamne behti nadi ko dekha.

Gomti nadi raat ki khamoshi mein pur-sukoon rawani se beh rahi thi. Upar aasman mein chaand tha aur paani mein uska aks. Thandi-taaza hawa Noor ke chehre ko chhoo rahi thi.

Timtimate taare jhilmila rahe the. Raat ka pehar tha, toh saara shahar roshni se raushan tha.

Raat gehri thi, par nadi ki rawani mein ek kahani bun rahi thi.

Aashir ne Noor ki taraf dekha, phir saamne nazar daal li.

"Mujhe yeh jagah bahut pasand hai. Sukoon hi sukoon hai yahan. Main, aap, paani, chaand aur saba."

Noor ne use dekha, jo ab saamne dekh raha tha.

"Haan..." usne halke se sargoshi ki.

Aashir ne uski taraf dekha aur muskuraya.

Noor ne uski muskurahat ka jawab muskurahat se diya.

Noor saamne dekh kar kisi soch mein gum thi.

Aashir ne uske aage chutki bajayi.

"Kya hua?" usne poocha.

"Kuch nahi." Usne nafi mein sar hilaya.

"Noor-ul-Ain."

Usne sanjeedgi se uska naam pukara.

"Sab kuch khwaab nahi lagta, Aashir."

Aashir ne itni tezi se uski taraf dekha ki use laga uski gardan mein lachak aa gayi hai.

Noor ne pehli baar uske saamne uska naam liya tha.

Aashir ke pet mein hulchul hui. Chehre par surkhi aa gayi.

"Tum teenager nahi ho, Aashir. Behave."

Usne khud ko lataada.

"Huh?" Noor ne poocha.

"Kuch nahi."

"Aap kuch keh rahe the," usne baat badli.

"Yeh sab khwaab nahi hai, Aashir. Aap... main... yeh fiza... hum saath baithe hain, muskura rahe hain."

"Khwaab nahi, lekin ek khoobsurat haqeeqat hai."

Woh goya hua.

Noor use dekhti reh gayi.

"Ammi..

. kabhi in sab ka tasavvur bhi kiya tha kya?"

Noor ne sarsari sa kaha.

"Maine bhi nahi." Aashir ne haami bhari.

Woh dono phir saamne chaand ko dekhne lage.

Aashir ke haathon mein Noor ka haath tha, jise woh apne anguthe se halka-halka sehla raha tha.

"Yeh nayi-nayi fitrat,

Ya nayi hain fizayein,

Mujhe dooba rahi hain teri aankhein,

Ya badh rahi hai meri unsiyat."

******