Aab e Hayat || COMPLETED

part15

Woh agle din takreeban das baje Saeeda Amma ke ghar aaye. Imama ka muskurata mutmaeen chehra dekh kar fori radde amal yeh hua ki unhone nah sirf Salar ke salaam ka jawab diya balki uske sar par pyaar dete hue uska matha bhi chuma. Yeh sab bhi le kar jana hai. Woh use apne kamre mein layi thi, wahaan kitabon ki do almirahain thi, aur un mein takreeban teen char sau kitaabein thi.

"Yeh books?" Salar ne haath ke ishaare se poocha.

"Nahi, yeh easel, canvas aur painting ka saara samaan bhi. Imama ne kamre mein ek deewar ke saath pade painting ke samaan aur kuch adhoori paintings ki taraf ishaara kiya.

"Yeh sab kuch zyada nahi hai, books hi takreeban do carton mein aayegi." Salar ne un kitaabon ko dekhte hue andaza lagaya.

"Nahi, yeh itni hi books nahi hain aur bhi hain." Imama ne kaha. Usne apna dupatta utaar kar bed par rakh diya aur phir ghutno ke bal carpet par baithtte hue bed ke neeche se ek carton khinchna shuru kiya.

"Thehro! Main nikalta hoon." Salar ne use roka aur khud jhuk kar us carton ko khichne laga.

"Bed ke neeche jitne bhi dabbe hain, woh saare nikal lo, in sab mein books hain." Imama ne use hidayat di. Salar ne jhuk kar bed ke neeche dekha. Wahaan mukhtalif size ke kam az kam saat aath dabbe mojood the. Woh ek ke baad ek dabba nikalta gaya.

"Bas?" Usne khade hote hue aur haath jhadte hue Imama se poocha.

Woh uski taraf mutawajjah nahi thi. Woh kamre mein mojood kapron ki almari ke upar ek stool par chadhi, kuch dabbe utaarne ki koshish kar rahi thi. Salar ne ek bar phir use hata kar khud woh dabbe neeche utaare. Uska khayal tha ki yeh kitabon ki aakhri kheep hai kyun ki kamre mein use dabba rakhne ki koi aur jagah nazar nahi aayi, yeh uski galat fehmi thi. Woh ab almari ko khole , uske andar maujood ek khaane se kitaabein nikalkar bed par rakh rahi thi..wo kam az kam 100 kitabein thi jo usne almari se nikali thi.., woh khada dekhta raha.

Almari ke baad bed side tables ki darazon ki bari thi. Unme bhi kitabein thi..bed side tables ke baaf dressing table ki darazon aur khaano ki baari thi.. Kamre mein mojood kapde ki jis basket ko woh laundry basket samjha tha, woh bhi kitabein store karne ke liye istemal ho rahi thi ,wo kamre ke vast mein khada use kamre ki mukhtalif jagaho se kitabein baramad karte hue dekh raha tha. Ab bed par mojood kitabon ka dher ab shelf par lagi kitabon se bhi zyada ho chuka tha lekin woh ab bhi badi shadomad ke saath kamre ki mukhtalif jagahon par rakhi hui kitabein nikal rahi thi. Usne un khidkiyon ke parday hataye, jo sahen mein khulti thi. Iske baad Salar ne use baari baari saari khidkiyan khol kar un mein se bhi kuch kitabein nikalte hue dekha, jo plastic ke shoppers mein band thi. Shayad yeh ihtiyaat kitabon ko mitti aur nami se bachane ke liye ki gayi thi.

"Bas itni hi kitabein hain." Usne bil akhir Salar ko mutala kiya.

Salar ne kamre mein charon taraf bikhray dabbo aur double bed par pari kitabon ke dher par ek nazar daalte hue bade tahammul se poocha, "Koi aur samaan hai?"

"Haan! Mere kuch aur canvas aur paintings bhi hain, main le kar aati hoon." Woh uske jawab ka intezaar kiye baghair kamre se nikal gayi.

Salar ne double bed par pari kitabon ke dher se ek kitab uthayi, woh ek novel tha. Ghatiya romance likhne wale, ek bahut hi mashhoor American writer ka novel... Usne title par nazar daali aur be ikhtiyaar uske chehre par ek muskurahat aayi. Agar woh is novel ka naam Imama ke samne leta to woh surkh ho jaati. Usne novel khola. Kitab ke andar pehle hi khali safe par Imama ne apna naam likha tha. Jis tareekh ko woh kitab khareedi gayi, woh tareekh jis jagah se khareedi gayi, woh jagah jis tareekh ko kitab parhna shuru kiya aur jis tareekh ko kitab khatam ki. Woh hairaan hua, is tarah ke novel ko woh fazool samajhta tha. Woh shayad yeh kabhi pasand na karta  ki us writer ke kisi novel ko koi uske haath mein dekhe magar usne us novel par itni sanjeedgi se apna naam aur dates likhi hui thi jaise woh be-had aam kitaab ho. Usne novel ke kuch chand aur safe palte aur phir kuch be yaqeeni ke aalam mein palatta hi chala gaya.