Maktoob

Ashir apni cabin mein baitha tha jab Aliyar ki aamad hui.

Ashir ko use dekh kar ek khushgawar hairat hui. Woh khada hua aur uski taraf kadam badhaye.

"What a pleasant surprise!"

Usne Aliyar ko gale lagate hue kaha.

"Ek case ke silsile mein aaya hoon."

Ashir ne isbaat mein sar hilaya.

Woh dono baat karne mein masroof ho gaye.

"Aaj khana bahar khate hain," Aliyar ne kaha.

Ashir ne isbaat mein sar hilaya.

Woh dono gaadi mein baithe. Tabhi Ashir ne apna mobile nikala aur call milayi.

"Hello." Muqabil ne phone uthaya.

"Assalamualaikum," Ashir ne salaam kiya.

Saamne se jawab aaya, "Boliye."

"Sorry, main aapko late bata raha hoon. Main aaj khana bahar khaunga," Ashir ne ittela di.

"Sorry ki kya baat hai? Bilkul jaiye." Noor-ul-Ain ne jawab diya.

"Aap akeli hongi aur main itne late bata raha hoon," Ashir ne wazahat di.

"Arey, aap itni wazahat kyun de rahe hain? Main koi bachchi nahi hoon," usne hanste hue kaha. "Aur doston ke saath phirna chahiye."

Ashir ke chehre par muskurahat aa gayi.

Use laga tha woh naraaz hogi. Riwayati biwiyon ki tarah sau sawaal poochegi, magar in sab se pare woh use enjoy karne ko keh rahi thi.

"Ye sach mein alag thi."

"Apna khayal rakhiye," Ashir ne sargoshi ki.

"Aap bhi," saamne se thehra hua lehja aaya.

Ashir ne phone rakh diya, lekin uske chehre par muskurahat chhai hui thi.

Aliyar sab gaur se mulaahiza farma raha tha.

Woh dono restaurant mein baithe the. Aliyar ne use mukhatib kiya.

"Khush lag rahe ho."

Ashir ka paani ka glass uthata hua haath ruk gaya. Usne ek nazar Aliyar par daali.

"Khush hoon, Alhamdulillah," usne jawab diya.

"Uske saath." Aliyar ka lehja talkh tha.

Ashir ne fauran Aliyar ki taraf dekha. Uska Noor ko is tarah mukhatib karna use pasand nahi aaya tha.

"Unke saath," Ashir ne "unke" par zor diya.

"Haan, unke saath," Aliyar ne masnooi haste hue kaha.

"Aliyar, unhe beech mein mat lao," Ashir ne zabt se kaha.

"Wahi toh aayi hai beech mein," Aliyar ne talkhi se kaha.

"Aliyar..."

Ashir ne jabde bheench liye. Woh zabt ke kade marahil se guzar raha tha.

"Aaj main sochta hoon, kya tumne kabhi meri behen se mohabbat ki thi?" Aliyar ne use teekhi nazron se ghura.

Ashir ko laga jaise thand mein kisi ne uske upar barf wala paani daal diya ho. Jaise koi imarat uske sir par de maari ho.

Woh shashdar sa baitha reh gaya.

Woh ek mare hue nukte ko dekhta reh gaya.

Phir woh kis tarah utha, usne gaadi kaise chalayi aur ghar kaise pahuncha-use kuch yaad nahi.

Uske kaanon mein sirf ek jumla goonj raha tha:

"Aaj main sochta hoon, kya tumne meri behen se mohabbat ki thi?"

Use kadam badhana mushkil ho raha tha. Saansen hamvaar nahi ho rahi thin. Woh kisi tarah extra chaabi se darwaza khol kar apartment mein daakhil hua.

Noor-ul-Ain hall mein namaaz padh rahi thi.

Woh kamre ka darwaza khol kar andar gaya.

Usne tie ki knot dheeli ki. Use laga jaise koi uska gala daba raha ho.

Woh saans lena chahta tha, par le nahi paa raha tha.

Usne shirt ke do button khole.

Usne kamre ki light jalani chahi, lekin woh kadam badha nahi saka.

Uske haath kaanp rahe the.

Uska chehra paseene se tar tha.

Uske kaanon mein Aliyar ka jumla goonj raha tha.

Usne kaanpte haathon se apne kaan band kar liye.

Tabhi darwaza khula aur kamre mein roshni faili.

Noor ki nazar Ashir par padi.

Usne zehan mein jhapakta hua khayal mehsoos kiya -

Panic attack.

Noor daud kar Ashir ke paas pahunchi. Usne uska chehra apne haathon mein liya. Uska chehra aansuon se tar tha.

Noor ke dil ko kuch hua.

"Ashir, meri taraf dekhiye," Noor ne ilteja ki.

Ashir ne kisi tarah uski taraf dekha.

"Very good," Noor ne beikhtiyar kaha.

"Mere saath saans lijiye. Andar... bahar."

Ashir ne saans li.

"Good. Chhodiye."

Woh uske saath saans le raha tha.

Uski saansen tarteeb mein aane lagin.

Noor ki jaan mein jaan aayi.

Usne muskurane ki koshish ki.

Par jaise hi Noor se uski nazar mili, uski aankhein bhar aayin.

Noor ki aankhon mein narm taassur ubhra.

Ek lamha tha.

Ek waqfa.

Aur usne Noor ko baahon mein le liya.

Bachchon ki tarah bilakhne laga.

Woh sisak-sisak kar ro raha tha.

Noor uski peeth sehla rahi thi.

Phir siskiyan hichkiyon mein badal gayin.

Phir dheere-dheere woh shaant hua.

Noor ne alag hokar dekha.

Uska chehra thakan ki gawahi de raha tha.

Usne Ashir ko letne mein madad ki.

Phir uske upar kambal durust kiya.

Phir woh uske sirhaane zameen par baith gayi.

Uske sir par apna haath pherne lagi.

Ashir dheere-dheere neend ki waadiyon mein chala gaya.

---

Subah ki roshni Ashir ke chehre par padi aur uski aankhein khul gayin.

Use apne sir par kuch mehsoos hua.

Usne nazrein daudayin toh Noor zameen par uske sirhaane baithi soyi hui thi, aur uska haath Ashir ke sir par tha.

Raat ka waqya uske zehan mein ubhar aaya.

Aliyar.

Uski talkh baatein.

Ghar aana.

Noor.

Aur sukoon.

Uske labon par tabassum bikhar gaya.

Agar koi aur din hota, toh kal ke waqye ke baad uske chehre par tabassum na hota.

Woh Noor ki taraf muda.

Use apni nazron ke hisaar mein liya.

Kis tarah...

Bina koi sawaal kiye...

Usne use thaama.

Gale lagaya.

Use sukoon pahunchaya.

"Kya hai yeh ladki?"

Usne muskurate hue socha.

Noor ki aankh khuli toh usne Ashir ko khud ko dekhte paaya.

Woh hadbada gayi.

"Aap theek hain?" usne fauran poocha.

Ashir ne uske dono haath apni girift mein le liye.

Phir woh thoda aage badha aur uske maathe ko choom liya.

"Shukriya," Ashir ne sargoshi ki.

Noor ke chehre par laali bikhar gayi, jo Ashir ki aankhon se chhup na saki.

Ashir ka kehkaaha goonj utha.

"Kya aap sharma rahi hain, Mrs. Ashir?" Ashir ne use chheda.

Usne fauran Ashir ko ghura.

Ashir ne hanste hue use gale laga liya.

*******

Aaj Ashir hospital nahi gaya tha.

Noor sofa par baithi kuch kaagaz liye kuch likh rahi thi.

Ashir ne dekha.

Woh Arabi ke alfaaz the.

Use dilchaspi hui.

"Aap kya kar rahi hain?" Ashir ne usse mukhatib hote hue poocha.

Noor ne ek nazar us par daali, phir bolna shuru kiya.

"Main Qur'an ko ba-tarjuma samajh rahi hoon."

"Achha."

Noor ne isbaat mein sar hilaya.

"Aapko pata hai, aaj mujhe 'Alameen' ka tarjuma samajh aaya. Mere dil mein utar gaya." Noor kisi kaifiyat mein keh rahi thi.

"Aap mujhe bhi batayengi?" Ashir ne saadgi se kaha.

"Ji."

"'Alameen' English mein the worlds kehte hain. Kya kabhi aapne socha hai, kaun se jahaan?"

Woh ruki.

"Woh jahaan jo humne dekhe hain, jo nahi dekhe, jo humse chhupe hain, jinka humein pata bhi nahi."

"'Alameen' aisa lafz hai jismein ek jahaan ki baat nahi ho rahi."

"Allah ek jahaan ke Rab nahi, woh jahaano ke Maalik hain, Rab hain."

"Insaan, jinnat, har shay ke Rab."

Ashir ke munh se beikhtiyar "Alhamdulillah" nikla.

Noor ne bhi isbaat mein sar hila

ya.

"Ashir, ek baat kahun?" Noor ne uski taraf dekha.

"Ji."

"Aap tanha nahi hain."

Ye jumla tha ya kisi katai arz ke khoobsurat alfaaz woh samajh nahi saka.

Uske munh se is dafa phir beikhtiyar "Alhamdulillah" nikla.

"Kaise woh itna khushkismat ho gaya?" Woh bas soch saka.