"Chode" Dhaad se darwaza khula aur koi gusse se chilata andar aaya. Uski gardan ke gird jakhde haath ko kheench kar alag kiya aur adh khula dhakkan poora khol kar dohari ho kar oondhi jhuki Haya ko baazu se pakad kar peeche hataaya. "Kya kar rahe the aap? Woh aapki beti ki tarah hai, ek baat meri dhyan se suniye. Aindah agar aapne use nuqsaan pohanchane ki koshish ki to achha nahi hoga." Angusht uthakar sakhti se woh unhein tanbeeh kar raha tha. Jihan ko dekh kar woh do kadam peeche hat kar khamoshi se use sunte gayi.
"Aur tum!" Woh Haya ki taraf palta. Ek ghusse se nigaah is par daali, aur kohni se pakad kar kheenchta baahar laaya. "Upar kyun aayi thi? Kisne kaha tha udhar aao?"
Seerhiyon ke dahanay pe laa kar usne Haya ka chehra dekha. Uski aankhon se aansoo beh rahe the. Dehshat se chehre ka rang libaas ki tarah zard pad chuka tha. Gardan pe ungliyon ke surkh nishaan pad gaye the. Woh hole hole kanp rahi thi.
"Woh phuppo ne..."
"Phuppo ka beta mar gaya tha jo unhone tumhe bheja? Mana bhi kiya tha, magar yahan koi sune to." Woh gusse mein bolta, use kohni se pakad ke neeche seerhiyon tezi se utar ne laga. Woh uske saath khinchi chali aa rahi thi. Phuppo pareshani se aakhri seerhi ke paas khadi thi. "Main bakwas kar ke gaya tha na, magar meri sunta kaun hai is ghar mein? Do din ke liye na hoon to sara nizaam ulat jata hai. Poore ghar ko paagal kar diya hai unhone."
Woh aage badha aur center table par rakhi mez se paani ki bottle utha kar labon se lagayi.
Woh sehmi hui khadi thi. Jihan ko itne shadeed gusse mein usne pehli baar dekha aur itni shishta Urdu bolte hue bhi.
"Main... main unhein dekhti hoon." Phuppo pareshani se kehte hue upar seerhiyon chadh gayi.
Woh ghoont par ghoont chadhata gaya. Bottle khaali kar ke mez par rakhi aur uski taraf dekha.
"Bahar aao, mujhe tum se baat karni hai." Woh keh kar darwaza khol kar bahar nikal gaya. Woh dari, sehmi hui chhote chhote qadam uthati uske peeche aayi.
Woh bairooni darwaze ke aage bane steps par baitha tha. Haya ne darwaza band kiya aur uske saath aa baithi. Zard frock phisal kar uske nange paon ko dhaanp gaya. Bahar sardi thi, magar use nahi lag rahi thi.
"Jo bhi hua, main uske liye ma'azrat khwah hoon." Woh saamne dekhte hue keh raha tha.
Neeli jeans ke upar pehne bhoore sweater ko aadatan kohniyon se zara aage tak mode, woh hamesha ki tarah wajeeha aur smart lag raha tha. Gussa ab kahin nahi tha. Woh pehle wala dheema sa aur sanjeeda Jihan ban gaya tha.
"Abba ki tabiyat theek nahi rehti. Woh apne hawason mein nahi hote. Kai dafa unhone mummy ko bhi maarne ki koshish ki hai, magar mujhe kuch nahi kehte. Darte nahi hain, shayad nafrat karte hain."
Saamne sabza tha. Us se aage safed lakdi ki baad aur baad se hi bana gate, baad ke takhton ki darzon se bahar gili sadak dikhai deti thi. "Meri bhi dil karta hai ke main Pakistan jaau apne rishtedaro ke darmiyan rahu apna baay ghar dekhu magar hum Pakistan nahi jaate aur tum use roz mummy ko taana de rahi thi ke hum Pakistan nahi aate."
"Nahin... nahin," woh gadbada gayi, magar woh nahi sun raha tha.
"Haya! Hum kabhi Pakistan wapas nahi ja sakte."
"Magar kyun?" woh sannate mein reh gayi. Woh chand lamhe chup raha, phir aahista se kehne laga, "Mere dada apne kaarobaar ke silsile mein Istanbul aaya karte the. Is ghar ki zameen unhone hi khareedi thi, baad mein abba ne idhar ghar banwaya. Tab woh Pakistan Army ki taraf se yahan posted the. Main Istanbul mein hi paida hua tha aur abba ki dobara Islamabad posting hone ke baad bhi main aur mummy udhar dada ke saath rehte the. Mere dada bohot achhe, bohot azeem insaan the. Unhone mujhe bohot kuch sikhaya tha: deen, duniya, izzat, bahaduri aur waqar se jeene aur shaan se marne ka sabaq unhone hi mujhe diya tha. Main aath saal ka tha, jab dada wafaat paaye, to main aur mami kuch arsa ke liye Pakistan aa gaye. Aur tab hi woh waqia hua, jis ne hamari zindagi badal di."
