Aaine mein apne aks ko dekhte hue usne scarf ko thodi tale pin se joda, phir samne ke do takone palon mein se ek ko mukhalif simt chehre ke gird lapet kar sar ke pasth par pin se laga diya. Scarf khaasa bada tha. Doosra pallu ne samne se use dhak diya. Neeche siyah skirt par usne puri aasteen wala maroon phooldaar blouse pehna hua tha. Tawaqqa ke bar aks, maroon scarf ke haale mein damakta uska chehra kaafi acha lag raha tha. Kitabein uthaye, bag kandhe pe daale jab woh Sabanci ki markazi imarat ki seedhiyan chadh rahi thi to samne hi Taali chand European students ke saath aati dikhaayi di. Woh guzarte guzarte aaj kal Haya ke scarf par koi tabsera kar deti thi. Ab bhi Haya ko aate dekh kar uske labon pe istehzaai muskurahat ubhri.
"Haya!" Usne zor se aawaaz di.
Haya use nazar andaz kar ke tez tez seedhiyan chadhne lagi. Aaj uski pehli class Taali ke hi saath thi.
"Haya! What color is your hair today?" "Blue"
Haya bina kuch kahe andar ki jaanib barh gayi. Peeche se aate qahqahon ko usne nazar andaz kar diya tha. Aaj kal jahan un ladkiyon se saamna hota, woh use tamashkar se Arab ladki keh kar pukarati thi. Bad-tameez na ho to... Aaj woh bina scarf utaare class mein chali aayi aur doosri qataar mein bohot aitmaad se baith gayi. Chand hi lamhon baad Taali uske saath aa baithi.
"Tumne aaj scarf nahi utaara? Kya abhi sab ke samne utaarogi?"
Haya ne bohot aitmaad se muskurakar Taali ko dekha. "Dekhte hai!" Jatane wale andaz mein keh kar woh kitaabein jodne lagi. Andar se uska dil bhi ajeeb andaz mein dhadak raha tha. Aaj kya hoga? Woh use nikaal denge kya?
Professor Babarsat ne abhi lecture shuru bhi nahi kiya tha ke unki nigah Haya par pad gayi.
"Main... mera nahi khayal ke aapko class room mein scarf pehenne ki ijaazat hai," woh baraah-e-raast use mukhatib kar ke bole.
Bohot se talaba o talibaat gird nahi mod kar use dekhne lage, jo saari badi badi baatein, ahadith, aayaat, aqwaal usne us moqa ke liye yaad kar rakhe the, woh sab use bhool gayi. Use samajh mein hi nahi aaya ke kya kahe. Woh bilkul khaali khaali nazron se professor ka chehra dekhne lagi. Taali bhi muskurahat dabaye use dekh rahi thi.
"Miss.. aap head covering remove karen," unhone dohraaya.
"Jo Allah se darta hai, Allah uske liye rasta nikal deta hai," Ayeshe ne ek dafa kaha tha magar use saare raste band nazar aa rahe the, sab use hi dekh rahe the. Usne kuch kehne ke liye lab kholaye, tabhi peeche se koi Turk ladki uthi. "Sir yeh exchange student hai. Mehmaan aur yeh rule mehmaan par apply nahi hota." Usne jaldi se apne professor ko kuch yaad dilaya tha.
"Oh sorry, aap mehmaan hain? Please tashreef rakhye," professor ne bohot shayista se maafi maang kar lecture shuru kar diya.
Taali ke labon se muskurahat ghaib ho gayi. Haya ne ek nazar use dekha aur dheere se muskurayi, phir gardan mod kar peeche apni Mohsina ko dekhna chaaha, lecture shuru ho chuka tha, tamaam sar jhukne lage the. Woh us ladki ko dekh nahi paayi, to chehra modh liya. Uske dil o dimaag sun ho chuke the. Kisi khwab ki si halat mein usne likhna shuru kiya. Sab itna aasan hoga, usne kabhi tasavvur bhi nahi kiya tha.
***********
Yehi rakha tha, kahan ja sakta hai. Woh weekend pe Buyuk ada aayi thi aur ab Ayeshe aur Bahare ke saath mil kar saari study chhaan kar mayoosi se keh rahi thi. Woh bohot qeemti tha. Main use khone ki mutahmil nahi ho sakti. Saath khadi Bahare ka chehra zard aur sar jhuka hua tha. Uske haath dheere dheere chal rahe the aaj. Shayad woh bimaar thi.
"Tumhe kya hua Bahar ka phool?" Woh Bahare ka pazmorda andaaz kaafi der se mehsoos kar rahi thi, is liye poochhe bina na reh saki.
Bahare ne gardan uthakar khaali khaali, khamosh nigaahon se use dekha. Wahi purana masla, subah Bahare ko ek seep mila, jis mein moti nahi tha, halankeh mujhe to aaj ek bhi seep nahi mila. Ayeshe apne ghar se puzzle box kho jane par bohot udaas thi. Ab mere seep se moti kabhi nahi nikalega. Bahare bud budayi. Woh dono mehsoos kiye bina study table ke daraz khol khol kar dekh rahi thi.
