Aab e Hayat || COMPLETED

part25

"Beta! Chehra kyun utra hua hai tumhara? Koi pareshani hai? Jhagda karke toh nahi gaya Salar tumhare saath? Saeeda Amma ne uske chehre par pehli nazar daalte hi, apne sawalon se use bokhla diya tha. Voh buri tarah mutafakkir hui thi.

"Nahi, nahi, kuch bhi nahi hua. Bas aise hi ghar mein akeli thi, shayad is liye usne" masnoi muskurahat ke saath unhe bahlaya, lekin voh mutmaeen nahi hui.

Imama ne kapron ka bag kamre mein rakhne ke foran baad dressing table ke aaine ke samne khadi ho kar khud ko dekha. Paanch dinon mein pehli baar usne apne aks par gaur kiya tha. Voh waqai bohat pareshan lag rahi thi. Saeeda Amma agar pareshan hui thi toh koi hairani ki baat nahi thi, koi bhi uska chehra aasani se padh sakta tha.

Agle das minute aaine ke samne khadi ho kar voh apne chehre ke asaar aur ta'assurat ko relax karne ki practice karti rahi. Muskura kar, gehre saans le kar, chehre ke ta'asurat ko naram rakh kar, phir jaise zich ho kar usne shikast maan li.

" jahannum mein jaaye, ab lagti hoon pareshan toh main kya karu? Kitna muskurau main?".."Itni chup toh tum pehle kabhi nahi rahi,beta..ab kya ho gaya hai tumhein.."..Agle shaam tak Saeeda Amma haqiqatan fikarmand ho chuki thi..halanki us din subah Salar se uski baat bhi hui thi...
"Tum Salar ke saath khush toh hona?" Voh tashweesh se poochh rahi thi aur voh unka chehra dekhne lagi. Udasi buri tarah badhi thi. Mas'ala khushi ka nahi tha. Mas'ala yeh nahi tha ke voh uske saath khush hai ya nahi. Baat sirf uske saath rehne ki thi. Khush ya udas jaise bhi lekin uske saath hi.

Usne Saeeda Amma ko jawab dene ke bajaye mawzu badal diya tha. Wo do din wahan reh kar, voh phir usi bechaini ke aalam mein waapas aayi thi.

"Lekin tumne toh kaha tha ke tum mere aane tak wahin rahogi." Salar uski waapsi par hairaan hua tha.

"Meri marzi."Voh kuch aur kehna chahti thi lekin maloom nahi, usne yeh kyun kaha.
"Okay" woh jawab par hairaan hua tha, lekin usne koi mazeed sawaal nahi kiya.

"Mujhe New York se workshop khatam hone ke baad yahan se do hafton ke liye Canada jaana hai." Salar ne use agli khabar sunayi, uski samajh mein nahi aaya.

"Kya matlab?"

"Jo colleague Montreal wali conference attend kar raha tha, use koi medical emergency ho gayi hai. Fori tor par mujhe conference mein jaane ke liye kaha gaya hai kyun ke mere paas visa bhi hai aur main qareeb bhi hoon."

Voh sadme se bol hi nahi saki. Do hafton aur bahar rehne ka matlab tha ke voh Eid ke ek hafta ke baad waapas Pakistan aata. "Hello!"..Salar ne uski lambi khamoshi par line par uski mojoodgi check ki. Yani Eid ke baad aaoge tum?

Usne apne lehje ki mayoosi par qaboo karte hue Salar ko yaad dilane ki koshish ki ke Eid qareeb hai. "Haan" ek harfi jawab aaya. Yaqeenan use yaad tha.

"Aur main Eid par kya karungi?"

Uski samajh mein nahi aaraha tha ke voh usse kya baat kare. Mayoosi ki inteha thi, jiska voh us waqt shikaar ho rahi thi. Ek hafte ka intezaar teen hafton mein tabdeel ho gaya tha, aur teen hafton ke liye us appartment mein akele rehna use Salar par gussa ane laga tha.

"Tum Islamabad chali jana Eid par," Salar ne kaha. "Nahi, main yahi rahungi," usne bila-wajah zidd ki. "Theek hai yahi rehlena," Salar ne ba aasani ghutne tek diye...

"Tumhein kyun bhej rahe hai? Bhejna tha toh pehle kehna chahiye tha unhein."

Use ab bank walon par gussa aa raha tha. Aisi emergency hojati hai kabhi kabhar, voh kisi aur ko itne short notice par Pakistan se nahi bhej sakte, aur na mujhe kahan bhejna tha unho ne. Salar ne wazahat ki.

"Phir bhi tum keh dete ke tum masroof ho, tumhein in dino Pakistan mein kuch kaam hai," voh has pada. "Lekin mujhe toh koi kaam nahi hai. Mai jhoot bolta?" Imama ko gussa aagaya. "Zindagi mein kabhi jhoot nahi bola kya?"