Mangal aaya, subah hui, dopahar chadhi, shaam utri aur raat chha gayi. Woh nahi aaya. Budh bhi guzar gaya aur Jumeraat ko Zahid chacha ki beti Mehwish Pakistan aagayi. Magar woh shadeed crisis mein thi. Zahid chacha aur Abida chacchi ne kisi ko nahi bataya, magar Saima tai ko apne kisi source se pata lag hi gaya. Mehwish ka shauhar us se agli flight mein aaraha tha magar immigration ke kisi chakkar mein phans gaya aur ain waqt par giraftar kar liya gaya. Mehwish ki flight chunke ek roz qabal ki thi so woh us waqt tak Pakistan aa chuki thi aur phir khabar miltay hi Taya Furqan aur un ki family samait sabhi Abida chacchi ki taraf akattay ho gaye thay.
Dining hall mein mez ke gird par Sonia aur woh cchee cousins baithi thi. Mehwish khamosh thi aur woh sab bhi..Haya toh sarbarahi kursi par baithi dupatta sar par theek se liye dekh bhi kahi door khala mein rahi thi. Dining hall aur drawing room ke darmiyan jaali daar parda aadha gira tha, uske paar sofe par sab baray baithe thay. Larkay waghera bhi akattay ho gaye thay so woh bahar lawn mein thay. Ab to Haya ki wajah se woh larkiyon ki taraf anay se bhi bachhte thay. Natasha aur Rohail albata sofas par hi baithe thay.
"Affan ke maa baap kya kehte hain?" Taya Abba poochh rahe thay. Unki awaaz saaf sunayi de rahi thi. Jawab mein Abida chacchi buray dil se kuch bata rahi thi. Unko yaqeenan yun sab ka yoon afsos ke liye aana acha nahi lag raha tha.
"Aaj kal ke larkay bhi pata nahi kin chakkaron mein hotay hain," Saima Tai ne hamdardi se kaha tha.
Mehwish ne dabe dabe gusse se jaali daar parde ko dekha aur ek dum uth kar andar chali gayi. Sonia ne afsordagi se usay jatay dekha. Kya kiya ja sakta tha?
"Bas Allah Ta'ala khair se usay wapas pohancha day," Phuppo ne dheere se kaha ths. Unhe bhi Saima Tai ka yoon israr se sab ko afsos ke liye idhar lay aana acha nahi laga tha.
"Jihan ki kya khabar hai Sabin? Mangal to guzar gayi. Uska koi ata pata hi nahi?" Saima Tai ko Phuppo ka tokna bura laga to topoon ka rukh Affan se Jihan ki taraf kar diya. Haya chonk kar aadhe hatay parde ko dekhne lagi.
"Aa jaayega bhabhi. Kisi maslay mein hoga tabhi der hui hai," Phuppo ki awaaz mazeed dheemi ho gayi."
"Tum bhi apne bete par nazar rakha karo, Sabin." Taya Abba ne isi andaaz mein kaha jis mein woh Affan ki baat kar rahe the. Pata nahi woh bhi kisi theek kaam mein hai ya... apne baap ke janazay par bhi to nahi aaya tha.
"Jihan ka yahan kya zikr bhai?" Phuppo ke lehje mein dabaa dabaa sa shikwa tha.
Haya ne mez ka kona sakhti se pakra. Peshani ki raghain bhinch gayi thi. Andar ek ubaal sa utha tha.
"Affan ka bhi to humein maloom nahi tha. Yahan shayad kisi ka bharosa nahi hota." Taya Abba ne Phuppo ki baat sunay bina tabsara kiya. Haya ke andar ka ubaal bas kisi laave ki tarah phat parne ko tayyar tha. Bamushkil woh zabt kar ke lab bhinche baithi rahi. "Aisa kuch nahi hai bhai. Main apne bete ko achi tarah jaanti hoon." Haya ne mudh kar dekha. Jaali daar parde ke paas Phuppo zara khafgi se kehte nazar aa rahi thi. Usne Saima Tai aur Abida chacchi ke chehron ke ma'ni khaiz asraat dekhe aur phir Abba ko dekha, jo khamoshi se Phuppo ko dekh rahe the.
"Sach kahoon to Sabin! Mujhe tumhare bete ke kaam mushkooq se lagte hain. Kabhi kehta hai restaurant hai, kabhi kehta hai job se chhutti nahi mili. Behtar hoga tum usko bhi check mein rakha karo taake kal koi bara nuqsan na uthana pade. Main to yeh bhi nahi jaanta ke woh kaam kya karta hai?"
Aur Taya ki is baat par use laga ke uski bardasht khatam ho gayi hai. Bas bohot ho gaya, ab mazeed woh nahi bardasht kar sakti thi. Yeh theek tha ke use raaz rakhne aate the, magar use sirf woh raaz rakhne chahiye the jin ke rakhne ka koi faida ho. Ab mazeed nahi.
Woh tezi se uthi aur jalidar pardah utha kar drawing room ke dahane par aayi. Us ke yun aane par sab ne use mur kar dekha.
"Kya aap jante hain Taya Abba ke woh kya kaam karta hai? Agar nahin jaante woh kya kaam karta hai toh main apko bataon?" Haan, yeh theek hai ke woh bare the aur use unse adab se baat karni thi, magar wo apne lehje mein pinhan gusse ko zabt karte hue jab boli to us ki awaz kafi buland thi. Taya Abba ne qadre hairani aur qadre burhami se use dekha aur phir Suleiman Sahab aur Fatima ko, jaise keh rahe hon ke unki beti ko kya ho gaya hai.
