Kalis ka aasman siyah badlon se dhaka tha. Aaj raat us pe chand nahi uta raha tha. Makai ke khet sunsaan pade the. Har su zaitoon ki raseeli mehak aur baarish se pehle ki mitti ki khushboo phaili thi.
Khamosh, tareek raat.
Jihan ne brake par zor se paon rakha toh Gaadi jhatke se ruki. Haya ne gardan mod kar use dekha. Sabz shirt, neeli jeans aur mathe pe bikharay bal. Woh kuch sochte hue window screen ke paar dekh raha tha.
"Kya humein is se aage paidal chalna hai?" Us ke sawal par Jihan ka irtikaaz toda, usne chonk kar Haya ki taraf dekha aur phir sar hilaaya.
"Haan! Zyada door nahi jana. Gaadi yahin chhod dete hain. Tum wapas isi pe aana aur ise Khanum ke ghar chhod dena. Uska maalik use wahi se aakar le jayega." Apni taraf ka lock kholte hue unhone kehna shuru kiya, phir ruk gaya. "Are you sure tum mere saath wahan tak aana chahti ho?"
"Tumhein kya lagta hai, meri hisse miza itni buri nahi hai ke main aisi baat mazaq mein kahungi?" Woh khafgi se kehkar bahar nikal aayi. Usne Jihan ki hidayat ke mutabiq abaya nahi liya tha taake Shami auraton jaisi na lage, aur Kalis ki maqami auraton ki tarah ghutnon se neeche girta Turk frock, trousers aur sar pe Meryam Khanum ka safed phooldar scarf aise le rakha tha ke scarf mathe pe lapet kar uski dono takon ki gathri gardan ke peeche lagayi aur phir unko kandhon pe samne daal diya, bilkul Kashmiri auraton ki tarah. Raat ke andhere mein bhi uska chehra damak raha tha.
"Main pehle chalunga jab us jhaari tak pahunch jaoon toh chalna taake hamare darmiyan faasla rahe."
Haya ne asbat mein sar hila diya. Woh khamoshi se aage chala gaya.
Haya ne palat kar peeche dekha. Wahan door door kuch battiyaan dikhayi deti thi. Usne wapas aage dekha jahan woh ja raha tha. Wahan har taraf andhera tha. Peeche roshni, aage andhera. Aalamati imtizaj.
Jab woh nishan zara maqam tak pahunch gaya, to woh chalne lagi.
Usne phir wahi, haan wahi surkh heel pehen li thi. Woh jaanti thi ke Jihan is se chirta hai, isi liye pehni thi. Paon ka dard waisa hi tha, magar apna siyah purse pakde woh kachi pakki zameen par heel se beherhal chal rahi thi. Aasman par baadal waqfa waqfa se gharajte the. Aaj wahan unka chand nahi tha.. Chand minute woh yunhi chalte rahe. Pair ka dard use phir se hua. Use pachtawa hua. Lekin Jihan ko chirana bhi to tha. Woh khet se nikal kar ab khule maidan mein chal rahe the. Garmi zoro ki thi. Door door zaitoon ke chand darakht nazar aa rahe the. Jihan ek bade se darakht ke paas ruk gaya, aur murh kar use dekha. Andhere mein uska chehra saaf nazar nahi aata tha. Woh sabuk raftari se chalti us tak aayi. Saans zara si phool gayi thi.
"Woh dekho!" Jihan ne us darakht ke is paar ishaara kiya. Woh tane ki oot se badiqat dekhne lagi. Bahut door, kai sau kilometer door, raat ki sarhadi baar thi. Kharidar, unchi taarain. Uske andar istirab barhta gaya. Dil ki dhadkan sawa ho gayi.
"Do baje tak idhar rahi baithte hain," woh awaz sar-goshi karta tane se tek laga kar zameen pe baithte hue bola (lagta tha ke Major Ahmad bol raha hai). Haya bhi usi ke andaaz mein tane se pusht tikaaye aksar baith gayi. Dono ne apne bag ek dusre ke mukhalif simt mein rakh diye.
Upar se bijli zor se chamki. Chand lamhe bhar ke liye phail gaya aur phir saari mein siyahi utar aayi. Haya ne sar utha kar aasman ko dekha.
"Kya aaj Islamabad mein bhi baadal honge?" Usne waqt ka hisaab karna chaha. Yahan saade baarah ho rahe hain to udhar saade das honge. Kabhi kabhi dinner isi time kiya jata hai. Shayad ab bhi sab khana kha rahe hon. Dining table pe sab honge. Taya Abba ki family, Phupo bhi. Woh plastic ki bani Natasha bhi. Aur agar koi bhi unhein bataye ke Jihan aur Haya ain isi waqt, Turkey aur Shaam ke border se zara door darakht tale baithay hain to... Allah Allah Haya! Yeh woh aakhri mauqa hai jab tumhein aisi baat sochni chahiye. Usne khud ko sarzanish kiya.
