Turqey ke suba Anushahr ka wahi ma’ni tha jo Pakistan ke sheher "Nowshehra" ka hai. Verin Q yahaan ka sabse bada zair e zameen ke neeche sheher tha. Aise sauon sheher Cappadocia mein maujood the jo kam se kam do manzilay the, jaise tehe khane hi tehe khane hon. Gaye zamane mein Cappadocia ke baasi (Isai aabadiyon) ne ye sheher banaye the taake jang ke dino mein yahaan panaah li ja sake. Unke paas sheher ke dahano ko mukammal taur par band karne ka nizam bhi maujood tha. Paani, khoraak, roshandaan, nikaasi aur ikhraaj ka nizam, ghairat ye tamam intezaamaat se aaraastah mukammal sheher the. Bas ynse aasman nazar nahi aata. Beesween sadi ke aaghaz mein Isai yahaan se chale gaye the. Ab barson se ye sheher veeran the. Chand saalon pehle inko sayaahon ke liye khol diya gaya tha.
Verin Q ke aath manzil ki sayaho ke liye khuli thi. Verin ka matlab gehra aur Q yani kunwa. Urdu mein gehri dosti aur dushmani ke liye istemaal hone wala lafz dherina ka ma’khaz bhi yehi Verin tha.
Molut Bay, use Bahare aur Pinar ko ek lambi drive ke baad Verin Q le aaye the. Woh Garfield ko lekar khud sheher se chale gaye aur woh teenon sheher ke dakhli surang ki taraf aagayi jahan sayaho ki lambi qataar lagi thi. Verin Q baahir se yun lagta jaise koi chhoti pahadi ho jiske deewaron mein bohot se suraakh the. Yoon jaise koi jadugarni khaaki chugha odh kar jhuki baithi ho aur uske chughe se bohot si aankhein jhaank rahi hon. Dakhli surang gaar ke dahanay pe woh chhota sa raasta tha jisse andar jaana tha. Bahar dhoop nikli thi lekin surang door se hi andheri lag rahi thi.
"Yeh sweater rakh lo, shayad zaroorat par jaye," Pinar ne khud bhi halqa sa sweater pehen liya tha aur ab doosra uski taraf badha rahi thi. Haya ne hairat se use dekha phir chilchhilate suraj ko.
" itni garmi mein?"
"Rakh lo," Pinar ke dobaara kehne par usne sweater tay kar ke baazu pe daal liya. Siyah purse doosre kandhe pe tha. Bahare ne Pinar ki ungli pakad rakhi thi. Baalon ko pony mein bandhe, woh dhoop ke baais aankhein sukede khadi thi.
Apni baari pe woh ticket dikha kar aage piche surang mein dakhil hui. Bahar dhoop thi, andar andhera chha gaya tha. Cappadocia ke gaaron aur pahadon ki mohib aur pura-asraar khushboo har su phelaayi thi. Guide un sab ki rehnumai karta ja raha tha. Raah kaafi thi aur raahdaari tang thi, kuch jagah itni tang hoti thi ke dono kandhe taraf ki deewaron se takraate aur kuch jagah gardan jhuka kar aage hona parta.
Chand raahdariyan aur seedhiyan guzar kar, woh sab siyah ek bade kamre mein ikattha the jahan shor sa macha tha. Sayahoon ke sawaal aur unchi aawaaz mein bolta guide ajeeb machhli bazaar sa bana hua tha. Woh bore hone lagi. Jihan ka koi aata pata nahi tha aur phir waqt use yeh jaanne mein dilchaspi nahi thi ke sheher ka roshandaan aur paani kis tarah kaam karta tha. So woh Pinar ki taraf mud gayi.
" Tum Bahare ka khayal rakhna... Main bas aa rahi hoon." "Tum kahaan ja rahi ho?" Bahare pareshani se keh uthi.
" Main apne taur pe andar se ye sheher dekhna chahti hoon. Tum Pinar ko tang to nahi karogi?" Bahare ne nafi mein sar hilaaya lekin woh uske jaane par khush nahi thi.
" Tum jao, main chhoti billi ka khayal rakh loongi."
Woh us kamre se aage khisak aayi. Kamre hi kamre, raahdariyan, mihrabi chaukhatain jaise di mummy ka set ho. Deewaron pe door door, sholayon ki manind bulb lage the jo andher galiyaan ko madhyam peela roshni de rahe the. Pura-asraar magar khoobsurat.
Sweater aur abaya ke saath woh sayahoon ke jhagutton se zara aage hui to thand ka ehsaas hua. Pinar theek kehti thi. Usne sweater pehna aur button saamne se khule chhod diye. Wahan aas-paas koi nahi tha aur zara ghutan wali jagah thi, to naqab thodi tak neeche kar diya.
Woh yoon hi taweel raahdariyon se guzarti ja rahi thi ke daftatan...
"Haya!" Kisi ne uske kandhon ko zara sa chhua to woh dar se do kadam peechay hatti hui mudi. Sans ek lamhe bhar ko roki, phir bahaal ho gayi.
