Aab e Hayat || COMPLETED

part66

Woh agli subah phir un ke darwaze par khada tha. Bachon ko school gaye abhi sirf ghanta hi hua tha aur Imama ne laundry se kapre nikal kar chand minute pehle dryer mein daale thay. Use aaj garage saaf karna tha aur bell bajne par uske baare mein sochte hue nikli thi to usne Erik ko samne khada paya tha.

Imama ne darwaza khol diya tha lekin woh darwaze se hati nahi thi. Erik ne hamesha ki tarah apne makhsoos andaaz mein salaam kiya tha jo usne unhi se sikha tha. Imama ne salaam ka jawab diya lekin woh phir bhi wahiin khadi rahi thi. Raaste roke aur us par nazrein jamaaye.

"Aap andar aane ko nahi kahegi?" Erik ne bil akhir kaha.

"Tum school nahi gaye?" Imama ne us ka sawal ghol karte hue jawaban usse poocha..

"No... darasal.." Erik ne chand lamhe koi jawab dhoondne ki koshish ki phir wahi jawab diya jo woh samajh rahi thi.

"Kyun?"  "Meri tabiyat kharab hai" Erik ne nazrein milaye baghair kaha..

"Tabiyat ko kya hua? Woh bina chahte hue bhi ek dum naram padhi.

"Mujhe lagta hai, mujhe cancer hai." Erik ne be had itminan ke saath kaha. Woh kuch lamhon ke liye hakka bakka reh gayi thi. "For God Sake," Usne bilaakhir apne hawas par qabu paya. "Jo bhi munh mein aaye bol dete ho. Sochte nahin kya kehna hai aur kya nahin. Aise hota hai cancer," woh usay daanti hi chali gayi. Erik ko mayoosi hui. Usay Imama se hamdardi ki tawaqqi thi jo pehle milti rahi thi.

"Aapko kaise pata mujhe cancer nahin hai?" Usne bilaakhir Imama se kaha. Woh uski shakal dekh kar reh gayi. Uski shakal be had masoom thi. Chocolate brown chamak daar reshmi baal jo kangi kiye baghair bikhray hue thay aur isi rang ki aankhein jo pehle sharaarat se chamakti rehti thi. Ab unmein ek uljhan bhari udasi thi.

Imama se koi jawab nahin ban pada tha. Jawab de sakti thi lekin gyarah saal ke is bachay ko kya jawab deti jo pehle hi zindagi ke sabak seekh nahin paa rha tha.

Khamoshi se usne raasta chhora aur apron ki doriyan kamar ke gird kaste hue darwaza khula chhor kar andar chali gayi. Erik ne andar aate hue darwaza band kiya, kundi lagayi. Yun jaise woh uska apna ghar tha, phir woh bhi lounge mein aagaya tha.

Imama kitchen counter par baking ka bohot sa samaan phelaaye khadi thi, woh apne kaam mein masroof rahi, counter par pade cell phone se kisi surat ki tilawat ho rahi thi jo woh kaam karte hue sun rahi thi. Erik ne bhi lounge mein aakar kamre mein buland hone wali aayat ki awaaz suni. Chand lamhon ke liye uski samajh mein nahin aaya. Woh khara rahe. Baith jaaye. Baat kare. Nah kare.

Usne Jibreel ko kayi baar tilawat karte suna tha aur woh jab bhi tilawat kar raha hota, koi aur baat nahin karta tha. Uske aas paas koi aur unchi awaaz mein baat bhi nahin karta tha. Erik faisla nahin kar paaya ke cell phone par chalne wali tilawat ke doran usay kya karna chahiye. Uski yeh mushkil Imama ne aasan ki. Usne cell phone par woh tilawat band kar di.

"Jibreel ki awaaz hai?" Erik ne jaise tasdeeq waale andaaz mein poocha.

"Haan," "Bohot pyar hai" Imama iss baar muskurayi.

"Main bhi seekhna chahta hoon yeh Quran," Erik ne jaise is sunaai dene wali cheez ke liye bilaakhir mozoon lafz talash kiya. Imama khamosh rahi. "Main seekh sakta hoon kya?"

Usne Imama ko khamosh pa kar sawal kiya. Ek aur ajeeb sawal. Imama ne socha kabhi kabhi is ke sawal bhi mushkil mein daal dete hain. Use ghalat fehmi thi ke use mushkil mein daalne wale sare sawal sirf Hameen ke paas hi thay.

"Dilchaspi ho toh sab kuch seekha ja sakta hai," usne apne jawab ko hatta ul makhud munasib kar ke pesh kiya. "Aap seekha sakti hain?'' Us ka agla sawal is se bhi zyada ghuma dene wala tha.

"Nahi, main nahi seekha sakti," Imama ne dotok andaz mein kaha. Woh matlab samjha tha, niyat nahi.

"Jibreel seekha sakta hai?" Usne mutabadil hal pesh kiya.