Aaj Taya Furqan ke ghar Haya ke dada ki barsi ki Quran khawani thi. Khairaat ki deegain alag thi. Sab mad'oo the, siwaye uske. Usko jaane ki khwahish bhi nahi thi. Woh maghrib parh kar lounge mein aayi to Fatima, Jihan se kuch keh rahi thin. Usne aate dekh kar khamosh ho gayi. Achha! Main ja rahi hoon. Sarsari sa muttala kar ke wo baahar nikal gayi. Phapho pehle hi ja chuki thi. Abba kamre mein so rahe the. Unke paas nurse thi.
Woh khamoshi se sofa par aa baithe aur TV ka remote uthaya. Kanakhiyon se usne lounge ki badi khidki ke paar amma ko lawn aboor karte dekha. Woh usse naraaz nahi thi, baat bhi theek se karti thi, magar aise jaise ke unhe bahut dukh pahunchaya gaya ho. Bahar bijli zor se chamki. Pal bhar ko khidkiyon ke bahar saara lawn roshan ho gaya. Phir andhera chha gaya. Woh kuch sochte hue uske samne aa baitha. Haya ne TV nahi chalaya. Woh remote pakde baithe bas usse dekh rahi thi. Woh kuch kehna chahta tha shayad. Amma kya keh rahi thi? Usne bazahir sarsari se andaaz mein puchte hue baat ka aaghaz kiya. Jihan ne sar utha kar use dekha. Neeli jeans pe siyah T-shirt pehne, geele baalon ko peechay kiye, woh jaise kahin jaane ke liye tayar lag raha tha.
Woh chahti hain ke main tumhe samjhaoon ke tum yeh burqa waghera chhod do. Woh sanjeedgi se kehne laga. Uski pushth par lounge ki deewar gir khidki par tip tip qatre girne lag gaye the. Tareek pada aasman pehle hi badalon se dhak chuka tha. To tumne kya kaha? Woh usi tarah mutmain se andaaz mein taang par taang rakhay baithe thi, jaise woh apne office mein baithe karti thi.
"Baat to theek hai unki. Tum ek burqe ke liye apne itne rishtay nahi kho sakti."
Bahar badal zor se garaj rahe the. Khidki ke sheeshon pe tada tad girte qatron ki ab awaazein aane lag gayi thi.
"Dusron ko chhodo, tum apni baat karo Jihan. Kya tum bhi mere hijab se khush nahi ho?" Woh uski aankhon mein dekhte hue boli to uski awaaz bohot dheemi thi.
"Agar main kahoon ke main nahi hoon, tab? Agar main kahoon ke tum mere liye ise chhod do, tab?" Door kahin zor daar awaaz aayi thi. Jaise bijli girne ki hoti hai. Jaise sadma pahunchne ki hoti hai.
"Kya tum mujhe choice de rahe ho?" Yaka yak uski awaaz mein sard mehri dar aayi.
"Agar main kahoon, haan tab?"
Woh uthi aur chhote chhote kadmon se chalte deewar gir khidki ke paas ja khadi hui. Usne siyah lambi qameez aur churidar pehna tha. Baal bhi seedhe kamar pe gir rahe the. Qameez aur baalon ke rang ka farq ghair wazeha sa tha.
Siyahi jis ka na aghaaz tha na ikhtitam.
"Mujhe kabhi kisi ne kaha tha ke Khandak ki koi jang Banu Quraizah ke baghair wujood mein nahi aayi aur tab main ne socha tha ke mere saare qaribatdaar to mere saath hi honge." Woh bheegte sheeshe ke paar tareek lawn ko dekhte keh rahi thi.
"Taya Abba, hijab ke sab se bade alamdar, amma jin ki hamesha se khwahish thi ke main Allah ke qareeb ho jaun aur mera shohar jo roz subah Fajr parhne masjid jaata hai, lekin aaj mujhe pata chala ke Ayeshe theek kehti thi. Khandak ki jang Banu Quraizah ke baghair wujood mein aahi nahi sakti."
Barish ke tip tip girte qatre sheeshe se ladak kar zameen par gir rahe the jab bijli chamakti to pal bhar ko un mein qaus-e-qazah ke saaton rang jhalakte aur phir andhera chha jaata. Woh sofe se nahi utha tha. Bas gardan morh kar use dekhne laga.
"Agar main logon ke liye hijab leti hoti to logon ke kehne par chhod bhi deti, lekin main ab nahi chhod sakti." Aansoo uski aankh se toot kar gaal pe phisalta gaya. Kyun? Main yahi nahi samajh pa raha ke aakhir kyun? Woh uske peechay aa khara tha. Badal abhi tak garaj rahe the. Haya ne jawab nahi diya. Usne ek nazar Jihan ko dekha aur phir aage barh kar kone mein rakhi money plant ki sabz bottle uthai. Poday ki bail jhatak kar nikal phainki aur bottle ko haath se pakde hue deewar pe de maar diya. Kaanch toota. Tukde girte gaye aur ek nok daar bada tukda uske haath mein reh gaya.
