Sardi ka zor pehle se zara toota tha. Us subah bhi sunehri dhoop Taksim Square par bikhri thi. Yeh mujasma-e-Azadi ke gird har soo sone ke zarraat chamak rahe the. Woh dono sust ravi se sadak ke kinare chal rahi thi jab DJ ne poocha.
"Haya, yeh Taksim naam kitne maze ka hai..iska matlab kya hua bhala..
"Main sheher ki mayor hu jo mujhe pata hoga"
"Nahi wo meri guide book mein likha tha ki Taksim arbi ka lafz hai aur uske maaini shayad bantne ke hai kyunki yaha se nehre nikalke saare sheher mein bat jati thi.. Tumhe Arabi aati hai, is liye pooch rahi hoon."
"Arabi mein to 'Taqsim' naam ka koi lafz nahi hai, aur Arabi mein 'baantne' ko 'taqseem' kehte hain." Woh ek dum ruki aur be-ikhtiyar sar pe haath maara. "Oh, 'Taqsim' yani 'taqseem'. Agar goron ki tarah munh terha kar ke padho 'taqseem', 'taqsim' ya 'taksim' ban jata hai."
"Taksim... wow." Woh dono is baat par khoob hansti hui aage badhne lagei. Woh shopping ke iradey se aaj Istiklal Street ki taraf aayi thi.
Istiklal Caddesi (Street) Taqsim ke qareeb se nikalne wali ek lambi si gali thi. Woh gali dono taraf se qadeem architecture wali onchi unchi imaaraton se ghiri thi. Gali be-had lambi thi, wahan insano ka ek rush hamesha chalta dikhayi de raha hota. Bohot se samne ki taraf ja rahe hote aur bohot se aap ki taraf aa rahe hote. Har shakhs apni dhun mein tez tez qadam utha raha hota.
Gali ke darmiyan ek patri bani hui thi, jis par ek tareekhi surkh rang ka chhota sa tram chalta tha. Woh paidal insaan ki raftaar se dugni raftaar se chalta aur gali ke ek sire se doosray tak pohncha deta. Us gali ko khatam karne ke liye bhi ghanta to chahiye tha.
Wahan dono aeteraf mein dukanon ke chipakte sheeshe aur upar qamqame lage the. Bazaar, night clubs, restaurants, coffee shops, designer wear, gharz har brand ki dukanen wahan mojood theen. Chand roz pehle woh idhar aayen to sirf window shopping mein hi dhai ghante guzar gaye, aur tab bhi woh Istiklal Caddesi ke darmiyan pohnchi thi, so thak kar wapas ho gayi.
"Hayatam ne dekha Istiklal Street jaise modern ilaqe mein bhi har thodi door baad beer hall zaroor hai."
"Bade naik hain bhai Turk!" Woh dono tanziya hansi aur phir mutalashi nigahon se idhar udhar dekhne lagi. Istiklal Street aane ka asal maqsad Jihan se milna tha aur woh sirf is liye yahan aayi thi ke Burger King jaye aur "mein yahan se guzar rahi thi to socha." keh kar us se mulaqat ka bahana hi dhoond le.
Woh dono sath sath tez raftari se chal rahi thi. Wahan hawa tez thi aur Haya ke khulay baal ud ud kar uske chehre pe aa rahe the. Woh baar baar jacket ki jeb se haath nikaalti aur unhein kanon ke peechay udasti. Tab hi usne Burger King ka board dekha to DJ ko bataye bina restaurant ke darwaze tak aayi aur us se pehle ke woh darwaze pe haath rakhti, darwaza andar se khula aur koi bahar nikla. Woh be ikhtiyar ek taraf hui. Woh Jihan tha, woh use pehchan gayi thi magar woh akela nahin tha.
Woh uske samne se aata sath se guzr kar nikal gaya to woh palat kar dekhne lagi. DJ ne usse rukte nahin dekha tha, woh apni dhun mein dukanon ko dekhti chalti gayi aur logon ke relay mein agay beh gayi.
Haya yuhi apne ghutnon tak aate siyah coat ki jebon mein haath daale use dekh rahi thi. Ab woh hawa ke rukh pe khadi thi, to uske baal peeche ki taraf udne lage the.
Jihan usse door ja raha tha. Uske saath ek daraaz qad ladki bhi thi. Coat skirt mein malboos apne surkh balon ko oonchay juray mein bandhay, woh ladki nagwari se haath hila hila kar kuch keh rahi thi.
Jihan ne use nahi dekha, usse yaqeen tha. Woh dod kar un ke peechay gayi. Woh dono bohot tez chal rahe the. Unki raftaar se milne ki sa'ee mein woh Asiai ladki haanpne lagi thi, mushkil se woh un ke ain aqab mein pohanch payi.
Ladki buland awaaz mein nafi mein sar hilati kuch keh rahi thi. Jihan bhi khaasa jhunjhlaya hua behes kar raha tha. Woh Turk bol rahe the, ya koi doosri zaban, woh faisla na kar payi. Shayad Turk nahi thi. Woh bohot lambe lambe fiqray bol rahe the aur jitni Turk Haya ne ab tak suni thi, woh aisi nahi thi. Turk mein fiqray chhotay hote the. Bas fail istemaal kiya aur uske aagay peechay saafikay laafikay laga laga kar ek bada lafz bol diya jo ma'ni mein kai fiqron ke barabar hota tha.
