"Shehzadon ke jazire pe khush aamdeed!" Kisi ne bohot aahista se uske aqab mein kaha tha..wo current khakar palti..
Lobby tareek thi. Albatta andar ki simt murti raahdari ke aakhri sire par koi timtimati si zard roshni dikhai deti thi. Woh awaaz bhi wahan se aayi thi.
Usne palat kar aakhri baar darwaze ki knob ko ghumaya.Wo jaamit raha. Ab usse is mahal se nikalne ka koi doosra rasta talash karna tha. Jo bewakoofi woh kar chuki thi, use anjaam tak pohonchana hi tha.
Woh aankhein suked kar andhere me dekhte hue aage barh gayi. Andheri raahdari ke us paar koi bara sa kamra tha. Shayad living room. Ghup andhere me woh zard si mom battiyon ki roshniyan wahan se aa rahi thi.
Kaun? Usne chakanne andaaz me pukara.
Woh living room ki chokhat par aan khadi hui thi aur usko khush aamdeed kehne wali aurat wahan samne hi thi. Lambe skirt aur sweater mein malbus, scarf chehre ke gird lapete hue, woh jhuri wali chehre wali ek mo'ammar khatoon thi.
Woh living room ke doosre sehre pe khadi, haath me pakdi mom batti se stand par rakhi mom battiyon ko jalane lagi thi.
Aajao... Andar aajao... Lambe mom batti se upar neeche atki mombattiyan jalate hue unhone use narmi se kaha tha.
Woh apni jagah se nahi hili, bas bina palak jhapke us pur-asraar living room ke wust mein rakhay meja ko dekhe gayi, jis par rakha sunehi sitaaron wala clutch mom battiyon ki halki zard roshni mein chamak raha tha.
"Yeh tumhara purse hai, tum use le sakti ho. Agar mujhe yaqeen hota ke tum mere paas sirf mere bulawe par aao gi, to main us bachay ko na bhejti. Use maaf kar dena, uski majboori thi. Aao baith jao. Khadi kyun ho?" Woh haath mein pakdi mom batti liye ab samne rakhay dining table ki taraf barh gayi. Wahan bhi ek bada sa candle stand nazar aa raha tha, jiske upar jagah jagah mom battiyan seedhi khadi thi. Woh ek ek kar ke un mom battiyon ko bhi roshan karne lagi.
Haya kisi mamool ki tarah chalti hui aage barh gayi aur bade sofe ke kinare ki nishast par jaa tiki. Uski nigahein abhi tak qareeb rakhi mez par dhare apne sunehri clutch par thi.
"Kuch khaogi?"
Usne haule se nafi mein sar hilaaya. Bohat saari himmat majmooa kar ke woh mushkil se keh paayi.
"Aapne mujhe yahan kis liye bulaya hai?"
"Mujhe tumse kuch poochna hai aur tumhein kuch batana hai. Abdul Rahman aaj subah ki flight se India chala gaya hai. Magar jaate jaate usne yeh kaam mere zimma lagaya tha."
Woh ab iski jaanib pusht kiye aakhri mom batti jala rahi thi.
Woh Abdul Rahman ke naam par hairaan nahi hui. Usne do peher mein hi is ghar ke bahar gate par lagi takti dekh li thi.
Is ke bawajood jab woh bachha us ghar mein daakhil hua tab woh bhi pichle chali gayi. Woh sirf apne purse ke liye aayi thi ya kisi muamme ke hal ke liye woh kisi nateejay par pohonchne se qasir thi.
Aap ka Abdul Rahman Pasha se kya rishta hai? Woh boli to uski awaaz zard roshni ki manind madhm thi. Aahista aahista uska khauf zail ho raha tha.
"Main Abdul Rahman ki maa hoon." Unhone haath mein pakri mom batti mez par rakhi aur ungli ki puron par lagi mom ko khurchi, phir palat kar uski taraf aayi.
"Abdul Rahman ne tumhein milne ka kaha tha, lekin jab tumne inkaar kiya to bhale woh haathon aur daman ka saaf na ho, dil ka itna saaf hai ke woh ruka nahi. Albatta jaate jaate usne mere zimma yeh kaam lagaya tha ke main tumse mil loon aur tumhein un sawalon ke jawab de doon jo tumhare zehan mein kalbalate rehte hain."
Woh dam sadhe khamoshi se us mo'ammar aurat ko dekhti gayi, jo theher theher kar bol rahi thi. Un dono ke darmiyan rakhi carner table par ek photo frame rakha tha. Usme do chehre muskara rahe the. Ek wahi mo'ammar khatoon aur doosra unke sath ek paintis, chattis baras ka mard, jiske baal ghungrayale aur lambe the. Aankhon par frameless chashma tha. Chehre par chhoti si daadhi thi jisme jagah jagah safed baal jhalakte the. Nihayat gehri sanwli rangat ka woh shakhs bohot hi aam sa qubool surat mard tha.
