"Haya...Haya" Subah woh Ayeshe ke zor zor se chillane par hadbada kar uthi thi.
"Kya hua?" Usne pareshani se Ayeshe ko dekha jiske chehre par hawaiyaan udh rahi thi.
"Bahare ghar par nahi hai. Woh kahin bhi nahi hai. Saari meri ghalti hai. Maine kal usay daanta tha." Ayeshe bas ro dene ko thi. Woh ek jhatke se bistar se nikli thi.
"Bahar kharay guard ne bataya ke usne Bahare ko bahar jate nahi dekha."
Woh pichhle darwazay se nikli hogi. Is ghar mein ek pichhla darwaza bhi hai. Abdul Rahman ki inayat. Woh har shai mein backdoor rakhta hai. Ayeshe talkhi se burburaati us ke saath bahar nikli.
"Ayeshe! Mujhe pata hai, woh kidhar hogi." Use yaqeen tha ke woh samandar par gayi hogi.
Jab woh us veeran saahil par pohanchi to woh unhein door se hi nazar aa gayi. Woh wahin us phattar par baithi thi jahan woh teenon kal chataai dale baithi thi. Us ke ghunghriyaalay baal hawa se udh rahe the aur woh khaali khaali nigahon se sambe samandar ko dekh rahi thi. Us ke ek haath mein seep aur doosray mein chura tha.
"Bahare!" Ayeshe mushkil se apne aansu rokti, bhagti hui Bahare ke galey lag gayi. "Tum aise kyun aagayi? Main itni pareshan ho gayi thi."
Bahare ne veeran si nigahein utha kar use dekha, phir haath mein pakri seep Ayeshe ke samne ki.
"Ayeshe! Mera seep phir khaali nikla." Usne bohot dukh se seep khol kar dikhayi.
"Tum mere saare moti le lena, main unhein ab bazaar mein nahi bechungi, tum Haya ke teenon moti bhi le lena jo us ke cousin ne diye the."
"Magar ab tum rogi nahi."
"Nahi Ayeshe!" Bahare ne nafi mein sar hilaya.
"Mera moti kho gaya hai, woh ab kabhi wapas nahi aaye ga."
Haya, Bahare ke samne do zanu ho kar baithi aur uske geele haath tham kar uski aankhon mein dekh kar kehne lagi. "Cheezen waqti hoti hain, toot jaati hain, bikhar jaati hain. Ravayye daimi hote hain. Sadiyon ke liye apna asar chhor jaate hain. Insaan ko koi cheez nahi hara sakti. Jab tak ke woh khud haar na maan le. Aur aaj tumne ek khoye hue moti se haar maan li?"
Bahare ne dheere se nafi mein sar hilaya. Woh jaise kuch keh nahi pa rahi thi. "Apne dukh mein doosron ka dil nahi dukhaate Bahare! Main tumhein bilkul waisa hi necklace la doon gi, promise." Aur phir shaam mein us waaday ko poora karne ke liye usne Ayeshe se kaha ke jab Abdul Rahman ka phone aaye, woh usay bataaye. So jab uska phone aaya to Ayeshe ne cardless usay thama diya aur khud doosray kamray mein chali gayi.
"Assalam o Alaikum!" Woh bohot dheemi awaaz mein boli thi.
"Walaikum Assalam... Khairiyat?" Woh jaise bohot hairan hua tha.
"Ji... woh... mujhe kuch kaam tha." Use yaad tha ke aakhri dafa usne jab Abdul Rahman ko kaam kaha tha to uska natija bohot bhayanak nikla tha magar ab woh usay ek aur moqa de rahi thi.
"Kahiye... Aap ko hum se baat karne ka khayal sirf kaam ke waqt hi aata hai, magar kahiye."
Dil to uska chaha ke phone deewar par de maare, magar bardasht kar gayi aur saari baat keh sunaayi. Aakhir mein boli, "Aap mujhe us shop ka naam bata sakte hain jahan se aapne woh necklace liya tha?"
"Woh mera gift tha. So mujhe hi dobara lena chahiye, lekin chunki main abhi mulk se bahar hoon, to mera banda us shop ke vouchers aap ko de jaye ga. Aap Jawaher ki us shop se woh necklace khareed kar Bahare ko de dijiye ga. Assalam o Alaikum."
Be lachak aur khushk andaz mein keh kar usne phone rakh diya tha. Haya ne ek mutanffar nigah cardless par dali aur taiyya kar liya ke aindah woh kabhi us shakhs se baat karne ki zehmat nahi karegi.
