Us ne jeb se mobile nikala aur Jihan ko paigham likha.
"Meri Gorsel chhoot gayi hai, mujhe pick kar lo, main stop par khadi hoon." Woh kitni hi der wahan sadak par tehelti rahi, magar us ka jawab nahi aaya, shayad us ghareeb ke paas jawab dene ka bhi credit nahi tha.
Horn ki awaaz par woh apne haal mein laut aayi jahan ek siyah chamakti hui car us ke ain samne khadi thi.
Driver ne button daba kar apni taraf ka sheesha neeche kiya aur zara sa chehra mor kar usay mukhatib kiya.
"Madam Suleman? Taksim Square, Jihan Sikandar." Turk lab o lehje mein driver ne chand alfaaz ada kiye to us ne sar hila diya aur darwaza khol kar pichhli nishist par baith gayi. Woh yaqeenan Jihan ka driver tha, go ke us ne muffler chehre ke gird lapet rakha tha aur sar par topi bhi le rakhi thi. Haya bas us ki ek jhalak hi dekh paayi thi, phir bhi usay guman guzra ke us ne is siyah faam Habshi ko kahin dekh rakha hai. Kahan, yeh sochnay ka waqt nahi tha. Woh muskurate hue Jihan ko "Bohot shukriya. Main pohanch rahi hoon." likhne lagi.
Zara ki zara us ne nigah utha kar back view mirror mein ek do baar dekha bhi. Magar driver ne usay kuch yun set kar rakha tha ke woh sirf apna chehra hi dekh sakti thi. Taksim Square pe tareeki ke panchhi ne apne par phela rakhe the aur usi munasibat se har soo batiyan jhilmila rahi thi. Poora square un masnoi roshniyon se chamak raha tha. Mujasma Azadi ke atraf se mukhalif simton mein sadken nikal rahi thi. Wahan har soo traffic ka rush tha.
Mujasma Azadi ko charon atraf se ghaas ke ek gol qita-e-arazi ne gher rakha tha, jaise kisi phool ki char patiyan hon aur har pati ke kinare ki lakeer pe pathreli raush bani hui thi. Wahan logon ki khoob chahal pehal thi.
Driver ne square ke muqabil ek imarat ki bairooni darwaze ke sath gari khadi kar di.
"Jihan Sikandar!" Us ne ungli se usi deewar ke sath sath door ishara kiya, jahan Jihan Sikandar ki safed car khadi thi, yun ke woh deewar ke us kinare pe thi to yeh siyah car us kinare par.
Us ne darwaza khola aur bareek heel ehtiyaat se bahar sadak par rakhi. Taksim Square ko us ki heels pasand nahi thi, usay andaza tha.
Woh apni gaadi ke sath hi khada tha. Bonnet khol kar woh jhuke hue, kuch taaren jod raha tha. Siyah jacket aur jeans mein malboos, hamesha ki tarah aam se hulye mein.
Woh coat ki jebon mein haath dale, seedhi seedhi chalti us tak aayi. Woh kuch gungunate hue ek taar ko dusri ke sath jor raha tha. Heel ki tik tik par ruka aur gardan ghuma kar dekha.
"Salam Alaikum!" Usay dekh kar muskurate hue seedha hua.
"Walaikum Assalam! Us tareek kone mein kya kar rahe ho?"
"Meri car har khaas mauke par dagha de jati hai, ab bhi masla kar rahi hai, khair, main fix kar loonga" woh haath jhaarte hue la parwahi se bola.
"Woh to tum kar lo ge, mujhe pata hai. Jihan Sikandar ke paas har maslay ka hal hota hai." Woh dheere se hansi.
"Tum batao! Poore square pe mujhe talashte tumhein kitni der lagi? Aur bus par aayi ho?"
"Nahi, tumhari bheji gayi chauffeur drone car mein aayi hoon."
Woh dheere se hans diya. "Yeh tanz karna kahan se seekh liye hain tum ne? Main itna ghareeb bhi nahi hoon ke tum yun mazaaq udao." Woh hans kar sar jhatakta ab unit band kar raha tha.
Haya ne gardan pher kar peeche dekha. Taweel deewar ke us siray par woh siyah car usi tarah khadi thi.
"Tumhein mera message nahi mila tha?" Woh qadre bechaini se boli.
"Message?" Jihan ne jeb thathapayi. "Mera mobile kahan gaya?" Us ne doosri jeb mein haath dala aur apna smartphone nikala. Phir uski screen ko ungli se chhua.
