Part 9

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Woh dhak dhak karte dil ke sath unke peeche bahar nikli. Gate ke qareeb Suleman khare dikhai de rahe the. Unke sath ek khoobro sa ladka khada tha. Jis ke shane par hath rakhe woh baat kar rahe the. Samne khaasay bawuqaar se suit mein malboos ek sahib aur ek decent si khatoon theen. Woh dono pehluon se lehnga

sambhalti unke qareeb aayi.

“Yeh Haya hai, meri beti!” Suleman sahib ne muskara kar use shaano se thama.

“Assalam o Alaikum!” Usne sir ko janbish dete hue madham awaaz mein salam kiya.

“Wa Alaikum Assalam beta!” Woh teenon dilchuspi se use dekhne lage.

Usne dull golden color ka lehnga pehna tha. Kamdaar blouse ki aadhi se bhi choti aasteen aur unse nikalte uske doodhiya bazu, sunahre motiyon ki shu’aon mein sunahre dikh rahe the. Bhaari kamdaar duppatta usne gardan mein daal rakha tha. Baal hamesha ki tarah khule kamar par gire the. Teeke ke sath ke sunahre jhumke kanon se latak rahe the aur malai se bana chehra halke makeup se dilkash lag raha tha. Usne kajal se labrez palken uthain. Woh teenon use

sata’ish se dekh rahe the.

“Aur Haya! Yeh mere dost hain Umair Laghari, yeh Mehnaz bhabhi hain aur yeh unke sahibzaade hain Waleed.” Uske dil par bojh sa aagaya. Aankhon mein be ikhtiyar namkeen paani bhar aaya. Jise usne andar utaar liya.

“Nice to meet you, woh... woh mehmaan aane lage hain, main phool ki patiyan udhar rakh aayi thi. Sab mujhe dhoondh rahe honge, to main...”

"Haan, haan tum jao! Enjoy karo."

Suleman sahib ne aahistagi se uske shaano se haath hata liye. Woh maazrat khwahana muskurati hui gate ki janib barh gayi. Bahar aakar usne be ikhtiyar aankhon ke bheege goshe saaf kiye aur ek nazar unko palat kar dekha, phir sar jhatak kar aage barh gayi.

Unke ghar ke sath khaali plot mein shamiyaane laga kar mehndi ka function arrange kiya gaya tha. Mehendiyan dono gharo ki

alag alag thi.

Gainde ke phoolon aur motiye ki ladiyon se har kona saja tha. Taqreeb segregated thi. Mard alag, aurtein alag. Haan aurton ki taraf khandan ke mardon ka aana jaana laga tha. Maryam bhi silver kamdaar lehngay mein idhar udhar ghoom rahi thi. Wahan DJ, movie wale aur refreshment serve karte bahar ke mard the. Magar aaj to shaadi ka ek function

tha, phir sar dhakne ki pabandi kaise hoti? Shaadiyon pe to khair hoti hai na.

"Haya! Dance shuru karein?" Aram apna lehnga sambhalti hui uske paas aayi.

"Haan theek hai, tum gaana lagwao aur... yeh kaun hai?" Samne wali kursiyon ki qataar ke sath khadi ek ladki kursi pe baithi khatoon se jhuk kar mil rahi thi. Usne siyah abaya aur oopar stole le rakha tha. Ajeeb

baat thi ke us ladki ne ungliyon se naqab thaam rakha tha.

"Kaun?" Aram ne palat kar dekha, phir gehri saans le kar muri. "Yeh alien hain."

"Kaun?" Haya ne hairat se kaha.

"Alien, arey Shehla bhabhi hain yeh. Poori duniya se alag inki dedh eent ki masjid hoti hai. Bas tawajjo khenchne ke liye functions par bhi abaya, naqab mein milti hain. Ab poocho, bhala aurton ke function mein kis se parda kar rahi hain?"

"Haan, waqai, ajeeb hain yeh bhi!" Usne shane uchkaye. Woh unke ek second cousin ki wife thi aur saal bhar pehle hi shadi hui thi.

DJ ne gaana set kar diya.

Unhone movie wale ko dance ki movie banane se mana kar diya aur phir apna maharat se tayyar karda raqs shuru kiya. Ek sunahri pari lag rahi thi to doosri chaandi ki. Jab paon dukh gaye aur khoob taliyan bajin to woh hanste

hue kursiyon ki taraf aayi.

"Assalam o Alaikum Shehla bhabhi!" Woh ladki bhi usi mez par maujood thi. Aram ne foran salaam kiya, Haya ne bhi pairvi ki.

"Wa Alaikum Assalam! Kaise ho tum dono?" Woh muskara kar khush dili se mili. Ek haath ki do ungliyon se usne abhi

tak siyah naqab thaam rakha tha.

"Bilkul theek, Shehla bhabhi! Naqab utaar dein, idhar kaun hai?"

Shehla ne jawaban muskara kar sar hilaya, magar naqab isi tarah pakde rakha.

"MashaAllah tum dono bohot pyari lag rahi ho."

Woh baat karte karte zarasi tarchi ho gayi. Haya ne hairat se dekha. Shayad us taraf movie wala film bana raha tha, isi liye.

"Ajeeb aurat hai, itni bhi kya be aitbari, hamari family movie hai, hum kaun sa bahar kisi ko dikhayenge." Haya

burburaayi.

Phir woh jald hi wahan se uth gayi. Amma jaane kidhar theen. Kis se poochein, Seen Phupho aayi hain ya nahin. Woh kaafi der isi shash o panj mein mubtala rahi, phir ghar chali aayi aur TV lounge mein phone ke sath rakhi diary uthai. Thakan ki wajah se dham se sofa par giri. Aur Seen Phupho ka number talash karne lagi. Usne kabhi unko yun phone nahi kiya tha, magar aaj dil ke haathon haar gayi thi. Turkey ka woh number mil hi gaya. Usne receiver uthaya aur number dial kiya. Ghanti jaane lagi thi. Uske dil ki dhadkan tez ho gayi. Paanchwin ghanti par phone uthaya gaya.

"Hello."

Bhari mardana awaaz uski sama'at se takraai. "Assalam o Alaikum." Usne khushk labon par zabaan pheri.

Jawaban woh kisi anjaan zubaan mein kuch bola.

"Main Pakistan se baat kar rahi hoon." Ghabra kar angrezi mein batane lagi.

"Pakistan se kaun?" Ab ke woh angrezi mein pooch raha tha.

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