Ishq e Aatish By Sadiya Rajpoot

35

aur noor ul huda ke liye
din raat ka farq mit gaya tha.

unhone khud ko be thaasha
kaam mein uljha liya.

aise mein y ghadi ki fursat muyassar aa jati to khud bhi hairan hone lagte.

unhone kab is tarz par
zindagi guzaarni chahi thi.

is taiz raftari se hi ghabra kar
woh London se Pakistan aaye the
aur ab lagta tha,
woh aankhon par patti bandhe
andha dhund dodhte chale ja rahe hein.
kidhar hain aur kahan ja rahe hain?
kuch khabar nahi.

abhi garments factory dhung se
stablish bhi nahi hui thi ke
woh textile ke business mein bhi
aagaye aur ab woh export ye par
toal rahe the.

corporate sector mein log
kehne lage the,
noor ul huda Farooqi
aik hi list mein asmaan paar
kar lena chahta hai.

kon jaan paata ke jo soda
inhen chain nahi laine deta,
woh to kuch aur hi hai.

woh to khud in yadon se
bachna chahte the jo har lamha
unki ghaat mein rehti thi.

ghar se bahar to faraar ke kayi raste the lekin ghar mein qadam rakhte hi
uski yaden inhe nargey mein lekar
inhe bebas kar deti thi.

ghar lotne ka khayaal
unko khofzada kar deta.

woh khud ko be naam masrofiton
mein uljhaye rakhte.
magar ghar to lootna hi padta hai.

unhon ne entrance ka darwaaza khol kar andar qadam rakhna hi tha ke
nazar na chahte.hue abhi laonj ke sofe par ruk gayi aur uski yaado ne
unki aankhon par Maliha ke aks ka
parda daal diya.

ab inhen dhowen ki dhundli deewar zaroorat nahi rahi thi.
unhone unglio mein daba cigrette masal kar bhujate hue aik janib uuchaal diya.

aik tum jo nahi ho to
lagta hai kuch nahi."

Us aks ko dekhte hue unhone
har roz ki terhan yeh alfaaz dohraye.

phir darwaze ke age bane step par baithe aur dono hathon par sar gira diya.

Saab" bohat der guzar gayi thi,
bahadur ki aawaz par
unhon ne sar utha kar dekha.

khana laga dun?
Inhe khamosh dekh kar
bahadur ne poocha.

woh kehna chahte the ke
inhen bhook nahi hai phir khayaal aaya, bhook to subah bhi nahi thi.
par inhon ne nashta kiya tha.

kal raat ka khana bhi bhook ke baghair hi kha liya tha balke Maliha ke intqaal ke baad inki bhook pyaas mar hi gayi thi.

ab woh bhook lagne par nahi,
ghadi dekh kar khana khate the.

aur sirf bhook kyun
unka to har ehsas mar gaya tha
balke kabhi kabhi to
woh mehsoos karne lagte ke jese
woh bhi margaye hain.
magar woh phir bhi be jiye ja rahe the.

khane ka waqt hota to khana kha lete, raat ho jati to ankhen band kar ke bistar par late jate.

neend aaye na aaye, kya farq padta hai. zindagi ko khud par farz kaise karte hain yeh to noor ul huda ne ab jana tha

laga do!
kuch tawaquf ke baad
unhon ne yun soch kar jawab diya tha jese bahadur ne koi mushkil sawal puch liya ho.

woh uthh kar fresh hone apne kamre mein chale gaye. f
resh ho kar kapde tabdeel karne ke baad woh dinning room mein chale aaye.

bahadur badii khamoshi se
khana laga raha tha.

kya baat hai bahadur saab!
aaj kal khana kam kha rahe hain ap?