Maktoob

“Assalamualaikum,

Shaam mein tayyar rahiyega, kahin chalenge hum dono.”

Woh case study khatam kar coffee pee rahi thi jab use Aashir ka message mausool hua.

“Kahan?” Usne message ka jawaab diya.

“Bas, chalenge.” Jawaab mausool hua.

Use tajassus hua.

Aakhir jaana kahan hai?

Woh poochna chahti thi, par woh jaanti thi ki woh nahi batayega.

“Par pehnu kya?” Usne ek aur sawaal kiya.

“Kuch aaraamdayak.” Mausoof ka jawaab aaya.

Woh uthi. Cupboard mein kapde nikalne ke liye use kuch samajh nahi aa raha tha.

Usne muh bisora.

Tabhi usne phone uthaya aur call lagaayi.

“Noorie, aaj humein kaise yaad kar liya?” Sumaira ki awaaz ubhri.

“Salaam na dua, direct sawaal.” Noor ne haste hue kaha.

“Assalamualaikum, bhabhijaan.” Sumaira ne “bhabhijaan” ko kuch lamba kheench kar kaha.

“Wa Alaikum Assalam, nand sahiba.” Usne bhi usi andaaz mein jawaab diya.

“Achha Aira, suno. Mujhe na aaj bahar jaana hai. Kuch casual sa pehna hai. Tum madad karo na.”

“Kiske saath?” Sumaira ne bhawein uchkaayin.

Ab video call chalu tha, toh Sumaira Noor ke taassuraat ka mulaiza farma rahi thi.

“Tumhare bhai ke saath.” Usne sarsari sa kaha aur kapde dikhane ke liye wardrobe ki taraf gayi.

“Oh... date and all, haan?” Sumaira ke lafz sun kar woh thami.

Usne ek nazar mobile par daali, jahan Sumaira ka muskurata hua chehra tha.

Uske chehre par laali bikhar gayi.

Lab muskurahat mein dhal gaye.

Date?

Yeh toh usne socha hi nahi tha.

Use aiteraaf hua.

“Ya Allah! Ladki sharma rahi hai!” Sumaira ki awaaz par uska khayal toota.

Usne muskurahat rokne ki koshish ki, par woh beikhtiyaar thi.

“Badtameezi kam karo. Dress ke baare mein batao.” Noor ne mauzu badla.

“Haan, haan, main sab samajh rahi hoon.” Sumaira ne use chheda.

Noor ne aankhein dikhaayin.

Phir dono ne milkar dress ka intekhaab kar hi liya.

Phone rakhte hi Noor dress ko iron karne chali gayi.

Sumaira fauran Zahima ke paas gayi.

Woh apne kamre mein aaraam kar rahi thi.

“Ammi, Ammi, suniye.” Sumaira ne unke saamne baithte hue kaha.

Sumaira ke chehre ki chamak dekh kar unke chehre par bhi muskurahat chha gayi.

“Bolo.”

“Bhai aur bhabhi date par ja rahe hain.” Usne bina ruke kaha.

Zahima Begum ki aankhein phail gayin.

Phir woh khul kar muskurayin.

“Sach?”

“Haan, Ammi. Abhi Noorie se baat karke aa rahi hoon.”

Woh aage badhin aur unhone Sumaira ka maatha choom liya.

“Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah...”

Unhone shukr ka kalma padha.

Samne paanch baj rahe the jab Aashir hospital se farigh hokar aaya.

Usne bell bajaayi.

Bell baja kar woh mobile mein kuch dekh raha tha.

Tabhi darwaaza khula.

Usne nazrein uthayin.

Woh isse pehle salaam karta, uske qadam wahin tham gaye.

Uski aankhein thehar gayin.

Woh taktiki baandhe use dekhta gaya.

Gulaabi chikankaari ke libaas mein, jis par safed resham ki kadhai thi, woh malboos thi. Safed chiffon ka dupatta odhe hue thi.

Usne kaanon mein oxidised jhumke aur baalon mein dheeli si choti banaayi hui thi.

Kuch awara lattein uske chehre ke atraaf mein thi.

Haathon mein metal ki churiyan thin.

Honthon par lip balm tha.

Aankhein kajal-aalood thin.

Palkon ko mascara se set kiya gaya tha.

Chehre par halka sa blush tha.

“Haseen.”

Uske muh se beikhtiyaar nikla.

Uski sargoshi Noor-ul-Ain tak pahunchi.

Pehli baar tha ki Aashir ne uske muh par tareef ki thi.

Usne nazrein neechein kar lein.

Woh gadbada gayi.

Uske dil ki dhadkan tez ho gayi.

Par chehre par sanjeedgi taari karne ki poori koshish thi.

Usne darwaaze se side hokar Aashir ko andar aane ki jagah di.

“Assalamualaikum.” Usne salaam kiya.

Aashir ka irtikaaz toota.

“Huh?”

“Wa Alaikum Assalam.” Usne jawaab diya aur kamre ki or chala gaya.

Das minute baad woh kamre se nikla.

Woh safed shirt aur khaki pant mein malboos tha.

Noor ki nazar uski taraf uthi.

Usne ek nazar uska jaayza liya, phir nazrein pher lein.

Kya usne safed shirt uske kapdon se mila kar pehni hai?

Usne socha.

Twinning...

Uske mann ne sargoshi ki.

Yeh ehsaas hi uske dil mein ek apnaayat ki lehar le aaya.

Phir usne nafi mein sar hilaya.

“Chalo.” Aashir ne usse chaabiyan lete hue kaha.

Usne haan mein sar hilaya.

Woh dono bike par sawaar hue.

Ab bike ka rear-view mirror Noor ki taraf hi rehta tha.

Shaam dhal rahi thi jab Aashir bike tang galiyon mein se guzaar raha tha.

Tabhi usne bike ek gali ke nukkad par roki.

Woh dono utre.

Noor ne sarsari nigah daudayi.

Noor ko yeh ilaaka samajh nahi aaya.

Sadkon par bahut raunaq thi. Yeh poora aalam chahal-pahal mein dooba hua tha.

Aashir ne uski taraf dekha.

“Yeh Chowk hai.” Usne uski bhatakti nazron ka jawaab diya.

Noor ne hairat mein nazrein ghumayin.

Aashir ne apna haath uske aage badhaya.

Noor ne use dekha.

Usne haath mein haath dene ka ishaara kiya.

Phir Noor ne apna haath uske haath mein rakh diya.

Woh dono haathon mein haath daale chal diye.

Dono tang galiyon mein safar tay kar rahe the.

Tang galiyon ke dono jaanib qadeem imaaratein apni shaan-o-shaukat mein khadi thin.

Jinki balconies aur jharokhon se jhaankti roshni galiyon ko mazeed dilkash bana rahi thi.

Har taraf dukanein saji hui thin.

Kahin chikankaari, kahin choodiyan, kahin zardozi ka nafees kaam nazron ko apni taraf kheench raha tha, toh kahin resham ki kadhai wale suit.

Kahin jootiyan toh kahin kuch aur.

Kisi dukaan se itr ki mehak aa rahi thi.

Kahin koyle par bhunte kebabon ki khushboo poori fiza mein phaili hui thi.

Rickshaw ke horn, dukandaron ki awaazein, logon ki guftagu aur bartanon ki khanak fiza mein hulchul macha rahi thi.

“Suna tha Aira se, aaj dekh bhi liya. Chowk waqai purkashish hai.”

Noor ne aihteraaf mein nazrein ghumate hue kaha.

“Hmmm...” Aashir ne ittefaq kiya.

“Tabhi toh aapko yahan laya hoon.” Aashir ne chalte hue kaha.

“Aaj aapko world-best kebab paratha aur nihari, biryani... jo bhi aap khaayengi, khilaunga.” Usne muskurate hue kaha.

“Arre baap re! Itna saara?” Noor ne taajjub se kaha.

“Theek hai, thoda-thoda sab try kar lenge.” Aashir ne mashwara diya.

Noor ne isbaat mein sar hilaya.

Aashir use ek simt le gaya, jahan bahut saare bhatiyare the. Unmein baithne ka poora intezaam tha.

Woh dono baithe.

Waiter aaya toh Aashir ne kebab paratha ka order diya.

“Noor-ul-Ain, main bata raha hoon, aaj aap sabse lazeez kebab parathe khaayengi.”

Aashir ne uski taraf mutawajjah hote hue kaha.

Noor ne uska chehakta hua chehra dekha.

Phir muskurate hue isbaat mein sar hilaya.

Tabhi kebab paratha aaya.

Aashir bachchon sa ishtiyaaq liye Noor ko dekh raha tha.

“Pehle aap khaaiye.” Usne ilteja ki.

Noor ne paratha aur kebab ka ek niwala muh mein daala.

Woh jaise muh mein ghul gaya ho.

Usne aankhein band kar zaaike ka lutf liya.

Aashir ne use bagaur dekha.

“Lazeez...” Uske muh se beikhtiyaar nikla.

“Maine kaha tha.” Aashir ne chehakte hue kaha.

Noor ki hansi chhoot gayi.

“Haan baba, bahut achha tha.” Noor ne haste hue kaha.

Aashir jo kuch kehne wala tha, use ek-tak dekhta raha.

Sadak ki peeli roshni uski naak ki laung par pad rahi thi, jo damak rahi thi.

Woh roshni uske chehre ko aur purkashish bana rahi thi.

Noor ne uske aage haath hilaya.

“Kya bina khaaye hi zaaike mein kho gaye?” Noor ne use sochon mein gum dekh kar kaha.

Aashir ne nafi mein sar hilaya.

Aur phir khaane mein magan ho gaya.

Par muskurahat musalsal uske chehre par thi.

“Aapko pata hai, main apne doston ke saath yahan bahut aata tha.” Aashir ne use bataya.

Noor ne isbaat mein sar hilaya.

“Achha, toh kya unke haath bhi choomne layak the?” Noor ne use chheda.

Aashir use dekhta reh gaya.

Khaana khatam kar woh dono bazaaron mein ghoomne lage.

Aashir use ek kapdon ki dukaan ke paas le aaya.

“Hum yahan kyun aaye hain?” Noor ne poocha.

“Kapdon ki dukaan par kya karne aate hain?” Aashir ne use dekha.

“Par sach mein, abhi toh Ammar bhai ki shaadi mein shopping ki thi.” Noor ne kaha.

“Main aapko bahut armaan se laya hoon.”

Uska lehja bahut apnaayat bhara tha.

Noor use dekhti reh gayi.

Phir mud kar kapde dekhne lagi.

“Yahan toh sab bahut achhe hain. Main kaunsa loon?” Noor ne Aashir ki taraf dekha.

Aashir aage badha.

Usne ek kaala chikankaari ka joda uthaya aur use Noor par laga kar dekha.

Noor ki saansein tham gayin.

Uski is harkat par Noor hairaan hui.

“Achha hai.” Noor ba-mushkil bol paayi.

Aashir muskuraya.

Aage chalte hue Aashir ne laal choodiyan lein.

Noor use bagaur dekh rahi thi.

Aashir ne choodiyan uski taraf ki.

“Pehniye. Laal choodiyan aap par achhi lagti hain.”

Usne sarsari sa kaha.

Uska itna halka-phulka lehja Noor ki saansein thaamne ke liye kaafi tha.

Noor muskurai.

Phir woh dono Lucknow ki galiyon mein ghoomte rahe.

Kabhi biryani toh kabhi rasmalai ka lutf utha rahe the.

Takreeban das baje woh dono ghar wapas aaye.

Kamre mein saamaan rakhne ke baad Noor Aashir ke paas aakar baithi.

Usne laptop se nazrein uthakar uski taraf dekha.

Noor ne Aashir ke dono haath apne haathon mein liye.

Phir badi hi apnaayat se uski taraf dekh

a.

“JazakAllahu khairan.” Noor ne sargoshi ki.

Aashir jo uske haath pakadne se hairaan tha, uske jumle par muskura diya.

“Wa iyyaki.” Usne bhi sargoshi ki.

Phir usne ek nazar Noor par daali aur jhuk kar uske haath par apne lab rakh diye.

Noor dam-saadh use dekhti rahi.

“Haath choomne layak sirf meri begum ke hain.”

Usne sargoshi ki.

Aur gawah fiza bani.