"Tumhara dimaag durust hai?"
Hashim ne be yaqini se apni biwi ko dekha, jo bistar ke doosre kinare par baithi use hi dekh rahi thi. Un dono ke darmiyan Haris aankhein moonde so raha tha. Uska daaya haath Hashim ke haath mein tha.
"Aisa kya ghalat keh diya hai maine?" Woh jee bhar kar kufat ka shikaar hui.
"Tum paagal ho gayi ho. Tumhare hawas jawab de gaye hain. Main tumhe ek seedha saadha sa hal bata rahi hu is saare masle ka. Tum roz ke chaubees ghantein bhi kaam karo to us raqam ke aadhe liraaz bhi ikatthe nahi honge. Jo humein Haris ki surgery ke liye chahiye. Aur aise mat dekho mujhe." Aakhir mein woh khafa ho kar boli.
"Abdul Rahman mujhe jaan se maar dega. Woh uski ladki hai."
"Aur Abdul Rahman ko kon bataye ga? Woh to mahina bhar pehle hi India chala gaya tha. Tumne khud hi mujhe bataya tha." Woh chamak kar boli. Neem roshan kamre mein sabz bulb ki madhyam roshni uske chehre ko ajeeb sa ta'asur de rahi thi.
"Woh India gaya hai, mar nahi gaya. Jo use kabhi pata nahi chalega. Woh mujhe jaan se maar dega Salma."
"To phir tum apni jaan sambhal kar baithe raho aur Haris ko marne ke liye chhod do." Gusse se kehti uth kar chaadar mein teh karne lagi.
"Salma... Main aisa nahi kar sakta." Ab ke woh qadre tazabzub se bola tha.
"To tum kar kya sakte ho? Aur tumne kya kiya hai Haris ke liye?"
Mera beta mujhe bohot pyara hai. Usne sote hue Haris pe ek nazar daali. Magar woh bhi to kisi ki beti hai. Main bhi to kisi ki beti thi, mujhe is darbay mein la kar pal pal maarne se pehle tumne socha? Woh chaadar ka gola bana kar ek taraf phekte hue uski taraf aayi. Tum mard ho kar darte kyun ho?
"Tum Abdul Rahman ko nahi jaanti."
"Main bas itna jaanti hoon ke agar mera beta mar raha hai to is ka zimmedar Abdul Rahman Pasha hai. Agar woh tumhe tumhari mutaqqe raqam de deta to hum kabhi ye karne ka na sochte. Koi kami to nahi hai usko paisay ki. Phir bhi usne haath rok rakha hua hai. Ab ya tum is ka khayal kar lo, ya apne betay ka. Faisla tumhara hai." Salma ke naqosh madham roshni mein bigde bigde dikhai de rahe the. Us waqt yun tez tez bolti woh Macbeth ki chothi jadugarni lag rahi thi.
Hashim mutabzib nazar se use dekh raha tha. Woh jo keh rahi thi woh itna mushkil to na tha. Magar...
************
Wo Jihan ke sath seedhi uske ghar aayi thi...phir khana khakar usne ijaazat chaahi. Uska saara samaan Sabanci ke dorm mein rakha tha aur jis afra tafri mein woh gayi thi, siwaye chand cheezon ke kuch bhi nahi uthaya tha. Phupho ne israr kiya ke wo chuttiyan khatam hone tak unke paas ruk jaaye magar woh kal aane ka wada karke uth khadi hui.
Main to phir kahungi ke ruk jao. Phupho zara khafa thi.
"Phupho! Main kal aaongi na promise. Ab chalti hoon."
" Theek hai magar kal zaroor aana."
Jihan tissue se haath saaf karte hue dining table se uth gaya. Uski aankhein aur naak gulabi pad chuke the. Sar do garam ilaqon ke maabeen safar ka mausmi asar tha ke Istanbul pahunchte pahunchte uska flu bukhaar mein badal gaya tha.
"Ao main tumhe chhod deta hoon."
" Sirf Taksim tak chhodna. Aage se main Gursel pakad loongi."
" Main Sabanci tak chhod doonga, no problem." Woh chaabi pakad kar, jacket pehente hue bola.
"Nahin is bukhaar mein tumse pentalis minute ki driving karwai to pentalis din tak tum jatate rahoge. Waise bhi mujhpe tumhare ehsaan bohot jama ho gaye hain, itne saare, kaise utaroongi?" Woh uske saamne seene pe bazu lapete khadi muskurate hue keh rahi thi.
