Karamat Bey ki dukan chhodne ke kuch arse baad usne ek chabi saaz ke paas naukri kar li thi. Shaam ko ab woh is dukan par jaata jo unke ghar se dus minute ke paidal raste par thi. Agar use kisi kaam mein maza aata tha to woh chabiyan banane mein tha. Kuch arsa to woh sirf seekhta raha. Yahaan tak ke aam chabiyon ke baad woh Chinese talon aur pechida iqsaam ke safe ki chabi sazi seekhne laga. Uske paas library se li gayi un kitabon ka dheer hota tha, jinmein lock todne ya chabi sazi ke mutaliq koi maloomat hoti. Bahut maharat se bina koi zarb lagaye tala todna, chahe woh master key se ya lohay ki pin se, woh us fun mein taq hota ja raha tha.
In sab mashghalon ka asar uski parhai par albatta zaroor pada. Woh kabhi bhi bohot laiq qisam ka talib-e-ilm nahi ban saka. Uske grades hamesha medium rahe. Woh zaheen tha, magar usko parhai mein dilchaspi nahi thi. Doosre kaam use zyada dilchasp lagte the.
Uski chaudhwin saalgirah ko zyada waqt nahi guzra tha. Jab Furqan Mamoon ne ittila di ke woh aur Suleiman Mamoon Turkey aa rahe hain. Khoon, paani se gaada hota hai, usne yeh dekh liya. Mummy purani talkhiyan bhula kar unke aane ki tayyariyon mein lag gayi. Unhone jaise dil se mamoon ko maaf kar diya tha. Unke khayal mein mamoon unke us sawaal ke jawab mein yahaan aa rahe the jo chand roz pehle unhone phone par unse poocha tha ke agar woh aur Jihan, Sikandar Shah ko le kar Pakistan aaye aur unka muqadma ladain to kya mamoon unko moral support denge. Maali madad ka ek ruba nahi chahiye tha unhein, bas mamoon ka saath darkaar tha. Furqan Mamoon jawaban khamosh ho gaye the, phir unhone bataya ke woh aur Suleiman kuch roz tak aayenge, phir is bare mein baat karenge.
Mummy ki aur baat thi, magar uska dil apne mamoon se itna badzan ho chuka tha ke use unke bare mein koi khush-fehmi nahi rahi thi. Woh khamoshi se apna kaam karte hue Mummy ko sunta rehta jo ab uthte baithe kehati rehti thi:
"Ham Pakistan wapas zaroor jayenge, itne baras beet gaye hain, log bhool bhala gaye honge. Ab yeh jalawatni khatam honi chahiye. Bhai zaroor hamara saath denge. Mere bhai bohot..."
Aur Mummy dhoondh dhoondh kar mamoon ki khoobiyan ginwati rehti thi. Usne bohot arse ke baad unhein is tarah khush aur pur umeed dekha tha. Woh unhein keh nahi saka ke apne masail ke hal ke liye unhein ab doosron ki taraf nahi dekhna chahiye. Unhein apni kahi baat yaad rakhni chahiye, magar mummy bhaiyon ke narm rawaiye dekh kar unhein doosron ki fehrist se nikaal kar apnon mein le aayi thi.
Usmein himmat nahi thi ke yeh sab keh kar maa ko magmoom kare. Abba ka hona, na hona barabar tha, magar mummy uske liye sab kuch thi. Unki mehnat, qurbaniyan aur ek kamzor aurat se ek mazboot aurat mein ikhtilaa ka amal jo usne umar ki manzilen tay karte hue dekha tha. Usne bohot dua ki ke Mummy dukhi na hon, magar use lagta tha ke woh ghalat logon se umeed laga kar dukhi zaroor hongi. Lekin jo hua, woh usne tasavvur bhi nahi kiya tha.
Dono mamoon aa hi gaye. Dopehar ke khane ke baad jab woh bartan utha kar unhein kitchen ke sink mein dhone ke liye jama kar raha tha to usne Mummy aur mamoon ke darmiyan hone wali guftagu use saaf sunaye de rahi thi.
"Bilkul, main bhi yahi chahta hoon ke ab tum log Pakistan aa jao." Sofe par bohot garv se baithe, raab daar se Furqan Mamoon keh rahe the. Unki baat par kitchen mein khada Jihan to ek taraf, Mummy bhi jee ziddah reh gayi. Itni jaldi mamoon maan jayenge, un dono ne nahi socha tha.
"Tum log humare saath aakar raho. Woh sab tumhara hi hai Sabin! Purani baatein bhool jao! Aage ki socho. Jihan ki poori zindagi bachi hai. Woh bhi wahin padh le ga, phir high school ke baad hum use bahar bhej denge, kisi bohot achhi university mein. Aakhir woh hamara beta hai aur phir hamara damad bhi to banega."
Furqan Mamoon ne kehte hue ek nazar Suleiman Mamoon par daali. Unhone tayeedi andaaz mein sar ko ishaara kiya. Woh aise hi the, bade bhai ke adab mein unki har baat ki tayeed karne wale. "Tum Jihan ki zindagi ka socho Sabin! Usko ek behtareen mustaqbil do, hum iske bade hain, hum usko baap ban kar paalenge."
