Athaais January ko use Ittehad Airlines ka ticket email kar diya gaya jiska usko print out nikalwana tha. Phir usi ticket par use paanch February ki subah Istanbul ke liye rawana hona tha.
Shaam mein woh Eram se uska Evo maangne Taya Furqan ke ghar aayi thi. Uska net kaam nahi kar raha tha, aur Abba abhi office se nahi aaye the warna unka istemal kar leti. Khadija ka paigham aaya tha ke Sabanci University ne hostel ka electric form bharne ke liye bheja hai, so woh mail check kar le.
Taya Furqan lawn mein baithe akhbar parh rahe the. Use aata dekh kar muskuraye.
“Aagayi Taya ki yaad?” Unho ne safha palat-te hue narmi se poocha.
“Ji,” woh ba-zahir muskurate hue unke paas chali aayi. Warna us roz ki Saima Tai ki baatein abhi tak nashter ki tarah chubti thi.
“Flight kab hai?” Woh akhbar par nigaahein markooz kiye poochh rahe the.
“Paanch February ko.”
“Apna khayal rakhna. Waise betiyon ko tanha itna door bhejna nahi chahiye. Suleman ka hosla hai bhai! Khair tum Turkey mein apne libaas aur iqdar ka khayal rakhna, sar se dupatta na utaarna, jaise Eram nahi utaarti.”
Aakhri fiqra kehte hue unke lehje mein fakhr dar aaya tha. Haya ke halaq tak kadwaahat ghul gayi.
“Ji behtar,” main zara Eram se mil loon. Woh jaan chhuda kar andar aagai.
Kash ke woh Taya Furqan ko bata sakti ke maghribi libaas jo woh yahan unki wajah se nahi pehenti, wahan zaroor pehnegi. Usne bohot se tops aur jeans khareed kar apne samaan mein rakh liye the, aur rahi sar dhakne ki baat to woh khair se Sabanci mein sakhti se ‘haraam’ tha... Shukr.
Eram kamray mein nahi thi. Bathroom ka darwaza band tha aur andar se paani girne ki aawaaz aa rahi thi. Woh be-dili se uske bed par baith gayi. Eram shower lene mein bohat der lagati thi. So majbooran use intezaar karna tha.
Daftan cell phone ki ghanti baji. Haya chonki. Eram ka cell phone uske saath hi takiye pe rakha tha. Usne gardan jhuka kar dekha. Cell phone ki roshan screen par ek naya paigham jagmaga raha tha. Saath hi bhejne wale ka naam likha araha tha: “Haya Salman”
Woh be-yaqeeni se phone ki screen ko dekhti rahi. Kya kisi ne Eram ko uske number se paigham bheja tha ya Eram ne kisi ka number uske naam ke saath mehfooz kar rakha tha?
Haya ne mohtaat nigahon se bathroom ke band darwaze ko dekha, aur phone par ek do button dabaye. Paigham lamhe bhar baad khul gaya.
“Main call kar loon? Subah se baat nahi hui ab mazeed intezar nahi kar sakta. Ye dil itna mazboot nahi hai jaan!”
"Reply!"
Usne jaldi se paigham mitaya aur cell phone wapas takiye par ulta kar ke rakh diya. Ek lamhe mein use sab samajh mein aa gaya tha. Eram... Taya Furqan ki scarf wali, sar dhakne wali beti. Ek adad boyfriend ki malik thi jise logon se chhupane ke liye usne Haya Suleman ka naam de rakha tha. Tab hi woh is rishte par khush nahi thi, Haya ko yaad aaya.
Woh mazeed baithe bina wahan se nikal aayi. Evo usne Taya Furqan se maang liya, magar jate jate ek tanz o istehza bhari muskurahat ke saath unko zarur dekha tha. Kash! Woh Eram ke hijab ka pol khol sakti to Taya ki shakal dekhne wali hoti. Hijab odhna ya niqab karna kirdar ki pukhtagi ki alamat nahi hoti, usne be-ikhtiyar socha tha aur tab woh aisa hi sochti thi.
Sabanci University ne use uske hostel ke mutaliq tarjeehat jaan-ne ke liye sawaal nama bheja tha. Laptop god mein rakhe, woh bed par neem daraaz dilchaspi se sawalat parhti, sirf apna mood behtar karne ke liye mazahiya jawab bhejne lagi.
“Kya aap apni kisi hum watan exchange student ke saath kamra share karna chahein gi?”
“Bilkul bhi nahi!” Uski ungliyan tezi se laptop ki kunjiyon par harkat kar rahi thi..
