Woh parlor ke dressing mirror ke samne kursi par baithi thi aur beautician larki bari maharat se usko eye shadow laga rahi thi. Usne apna grey aur silver frock pehna rakha tha. Baal waghera abhi banane thay.
"Ooncha jura banayengi kya?" beautician ne eye shadow ko aakhri touch detay hue poocha tha. Haya ne aaine mein chehra daayein baayein kar ke aankhen dekheen. Achi lag rahi thi.
"Nahi. French knot bana do. Oonchay joray mein to namaz nahi hogi aur do teen namazain to function ke douran aa jayengi."
"Aaj na parhein to khair hai," larki uktaai thi.
"Apni khushi mein Allah ko naraz kar doon?"
Usne nafi mein sir hilaya.
"Acha, nail polish lagani hai ya naqli nails?"
"Kuch bhi nahi. Baar baar wuzu ke liye utaarungi kaise?" Usne saadgi se ulta sawal kiya.
"Oh! Acha, naqli palkein to laga doon na?"
"Allah Ta'ala ko bura lagega."
"Aap ne eyebrows bhi nahi banwaayein, thoda sa neat hi kar doon?"
"Allah Ta'ala ko aur bhi bura lagega."
Larki ke zabt ka paimana labraiz ho gaya. Woh ghoom kar uske samne aayi.
"Aap kahin 'Al-Huda' ki to nahi hain?"
Haya hans di.
"Nahi, main bas ek Musalman larki hoon, aur yeh soch rahi hoon ke jab main tumhein apna dupatta set karne ko kahoongi, to tumhari kya haalat hogi?" Woh jaise soch kar hi mahsooz hui. Larki ne achnabay se usay dekha.
"Kyoon?"
"Pehlay makeover mukammal karo, phir batati hoon," maze se kehti usne dobara sar kursi ki pusht pe tika diya. Beautician larki jazbaz si ho kar eyeshadow kit uthaye phir se uske sar pe aa khadi hui.
Aur jab Haya ne usay dupatta apni marzi ke mutabiq set karne ko kaha, to uska munh khul gaya.
"Ghoonghat? Kaun nikaalta hai ghoonghat? Aap kya baat kar rahi hain?"
"Main yeh to nahi keh rahi ke bohat neeche tak nikaalo. Bas thori tak aaye. Neeche waise hi band gala hai," usne aaine mein khud ko dekhte hue la parwaai se kaha tha.
"Magar aap ka chehra to nazar hi nahi aayega. Aur..." larki pareshan ho gayi thi.
"Tum nikaal rahi ho ya main khud nikaal loon?"
Aur beautician ke paas uski baat maan ne ke ilawa koi chara nahi tha. Us se koi ba'eed nahi thi, woh jaldi se dupatta set karne lagi.
Usne abba se bohat kaha tha ke mix gathering na rakhein, photographers na hon, magar abba aur amma ne ek na suni.
"Haya! Main tumhare parday ka phir koi issue nahi sunna chahti," amma to baqaida bezaar ho gayi thi. Haya jaanti thi ke uske samne woh kabhi aitraf nahi karengi ke woh uske parday se dil se raazi thi. Magar kya farq parta tha?
Usne apni class fellows se poocha, "Hijabi larkiyan dulhan bante waqt kya karti hain ke koi naraz bhi na ho aur woh hijab bhi carry kar lein?" Jitne options nazar aaye, un mein sab se behtareen yehi tha:
Ghoonghat.
Aur phir neeche dupatta itna phela kar liya ho ke satr poshi ka farz ada kare. Ab koi uski tasweeren kheenchay ya nahi, usay parwa nahi thi.
Marriage hall mein jab usay bridal room se laa kar stage par bithaya gaya to Sana uske ek taraf aa baithi thi. Aaj ke liye Sana uski assistant thi. Apni taraf se woh tasweerein kheenchne walon ko musalsal mana kar rahi thi, "Haya appi parda karti hain, please photo na kheenchain." Ya koi uske ghoonghat pe kuch bolta to woh usay jawab bhi de rahi thi.
