Turkey ka woh number mil hi gaya. Usne receiver uthaya aur number dial kiya. Ghanti jaane lagi thi. Us ke dil ki dhadkan tez hogayi. Paanchvi ghanti par phone utha liya gaya.
"Hello" bhari mardana awaaz uski samat se takrayi.
"Assalamu alaikum." Usne khushk labon pe zabaan pheri.
Jawaaban wo kisi anjaan zubaan mein kuch bola.
Main Pakistan se baat kar rahi hoon. Woh gad bada kar angrezi mein batane lagi.
Pakistan se kaun? Ab ke woh angrezi mein pooch raha tha.
Uski aankhon mein paani bharne laga.
Main Sabeen Sikandar ki bhatiji hoon. Please unko phone de dein.
Woh jawaahar tak gayi hain, koi message hai to bata dein. Woh masroof se andaaz mein keh raha tha. Ab yeh jawaahar kya tha use kuch andaaza na tha.
Wo..wo Sabeen phuppo ne Pakistan nahi aana kya Dawar bhai ki shaadi par?
Nahi, woh busy hain. Shayad woh phone rakhne hi laga tha ke woh keh uthi.
Aap... aap kaun?
Unka beta Jahan! Khat se phone rakh diya gaya.
Usne bheegi aankhon se receiver ko dekha aur phir zor se usse cradle pe patka. Be-ikhtiyaar umadh aaye ansoo saaf karti woh jhuk kar sandal pehenne lagi..
Aansuon ne aankhon ka makeup zara sa kharab kar diya tha. Woh use phir se theek kar ke kuch der baad bahar aayi to gate ki taraf se Zafar chala araha tha.
Uske haath mein safed adh khule gulabon ka bouquet tha.
Woh be-ikhtiyar thithak kar ruki, phir lehenga sambhalti, baraamde ke zeenay mein utar aayi.
"Yeh kya hai Zafar?"
"Oh tussi itthey ho? Yeh courier waale ne diya hai thade laye," Zafar ne guldasta aur ek bandh lifafa uski taraf barhaya. Woh pichle saath saal se Tayya Furqan ka mulazim tha. Woh gaon se use le kar aaye the, jab aaya tha to Punjabi bolta tha, phir un saath barson mein Urdu seekhne ki koshish ki magar nakaam raha. Ab woh koi darmiyan zabaan bolta tha.
"Theek hai, tum jao." Usne bouqet ko baazu aur sine ke darmiyan pakra aur dono haathon se bandh lifafa kholne lagi.
Hasb-e-mamool usme safed saadha kaghaz tha, jis ke bilkul darmiyan mein Urdu mein ek sate likhi thi.
Us ladki ke naam jo kabhi kisi an chahe rishte ke banne ke khauf se roti hai to kabhi kisi bann chuke an chaahe rishte ke tootne ke khouf se..
Wo sunn reh gayi, phir ghabra kar idhar udhar dekha.
Gate khula tha. Mehndi wali jagah se roshniyan aur musiqi ka be-hangam shor yahan tak aa raha tha. Darmiyan mein bahut se log aaja rahe the.
Mehmaan naukar chakar waghera. Aise mein kya koi udhar tha, jo uska baghaur mushahida kar raha tha?
Usne lifafe ko palta. Courier ki mohar ek roz qabal ki thi.
Abhi das minute qabl woh Jahan ke saath pehli dafa baat kar ke royi thi.
Bann chaka, an chaha rishte
Aur ghanta bhar pehle Waleed aur uske waldain se mili thi.
An chahiye rishte ke banne ke khauf
Yeh kaun tha jo itna ba khabar tha? Ek din qabl hi usse kaise ilm hua ke woh aaj wo do dafa royi gi?
Woh khauf zadda hi khadi, baar baar woh tehreer parhe jaa rahi thi.
"Abba nikal toh nahi gaye?"
Wo perfume ki bottle band kar ke singhar mez par rakhti, makhsoos horn aur gate khulne ki awaaz par mobile aur purse utha kar bahar ko bhagi. Kaafi der se woh kamre band kar ke baraat mein jaane ke liye tayyar ho rahi thi. Fatima Begum jaldi-jaldi ka shor machaaye das baar darwaza baja chuki thi. Muqarrar waqt hone ko tha, aaj Dawar bhai ki baraat thi, Sulaiman Sahab ko toh sab se pehle hall pahunchna tha aur uski sustriyon tayyariyon se bhi woh waqif the.
