Haalim

Part-3

Dafaatan nazr uthai to dekha samne se ek waiter chalti aarhi hai. Halim ki di gayi tasweer mein us ki shakal waazeh nahi thi, magar woh pehchan gaya. Albatta apni jagah se nahi utha. Chehre ko bhi sanjidah banaya.

Woh samne aai to usne karkhtgi se kursi ki taraf ishara kiya.

"Baitho! Mujhe tum se baat karni hai."

Woh us ke samne baithi. Kohnya mez par rakhi, hatheliyon pe chehra giraya aur dilchasp se us ko dekha.

"Boliye".

Mouliya ne us ki ankho mein dekhte hue sanjidagi se bola. "Tum Tango Kamal ki mulazima hona?

" Yani keh mera andaza sahi tha." Woh halka sa nas di. "Aap Tango Ahmed Kamal ki saalgirah ki takreeb mein thay, shayad, aur mere soup piya tha na aap ne. Aur ab aap yakeenan chahte hain ke main aap ke liye kaam karon, magar main...

"Tum Malysia mein illegal ho na?"

Woh sakhti se bola to woh shaher gayi. Muskrahat madham hui. Hari ankho mein hairat ubhri.

"Aap ko kaise..."

"Dekho, main lambi baat nahi karna aaya, lekin agar abhi main ja ke police ko itlaa kar doon ke tum yahan illegal ho, to yeh soup parlor ka malik to chodo, Tango Kamal bhi mushkil mein phans jayega."
Taliyah ke hont khol gaye. Ek tak usse dekhe gaye. Phir ankho mein afsos ubhra.

"Aap aisa kyun karenge? Mere sath travel agency ne dhokha kiya tha. Aur phir maine apply kar rakha hai legal..."

"Tum jaanti ho main tumhein abhi ke abhi jail mein dalwa sakta hoon." Woh aage ko jhuka aur usse ghurate hue ghuraya. Woh halka sa chonki.

"Aap kon hain aur kya chahte hain?"

Mooliya ne gehri saans li aur file kholi. Pehle safhe par Taliyah ki profile (report) rakhi thi.

Taliyah ne sar jhuka ke dekha to ankhen phail gain. Be-yaqini se palken uthai.

"Mere bare mein aap ko itna kuchh kaise...?"

Ab ke Woh zarra Sambhal kar baithi. Chukni si qadra peachhe bhi hui.

"Kon hain aap?"

Mooliya ne agla safha palta aur ek tasweer nikal ke us ke samne rakhi.

"Yeh tumhare ghar walon ki tasweer hai na, Kashmir mein rehte hain." Tm jaanti ho main un ke bare mein kaise jaanta hoon? Kyonke mere haath boht lambe hain. Us ki taraf jhuke woh us ki ankho mein dekhta chaba chaba ke keh raha tha. Taliyah ki rangat zard parne lagi. Woh mazeed peachhe hui, phir grdan ghmakar dekha. Erd-gird log khanay peenay aur baton mein masroof thay. Koi un ki taraf mutawajja nahi tha.

Khof-zadah larki ne phir se Mooliya ko dekha. "Kya chahte hain?"

"Tumhare upar qarza bhi hai. Bhai ki shadi ke liye liya tha? Woh kaise utarogi? Kabhi socha?"

"Aap ko mujh se kya chahiye?" Woh shadeed ghair-aram dikh rahi thi.

"Dekho Taliyah..." Mouliya ne awaz dhimi ki, lehja naram kiya. "Lamhe bhar ke liye bhi woh larki ke chehre par se nazren nahi hata raha tha.

" Agar tum chaho to main tumhara qarza bhi utar sakta hoon, mazeed rakm bhi de sakta hoon aur tumhari family ko bhi kuchh nahi hoga. Baat nahi mano gi to tumhare maan baap ko nuqsaan pahunch sakta hai aur tum illegal hone aur jail chale jane ke baais tumhari madad bhi nahi kar payge. Ab batao meri madad karo gi?"

"Kaisi madad?" Woh uljhi. Rangat qadra behal hui.

"Tumhare malik Tango Kamal ne mera laptop churaya hai aur mujhe woh wapas chahiye. Yeh us ki tasweer hai." Us ne khuli file se ek aur kaghaz nikal kar samne rakha. Neechay rakhe kaghaz ka kona bahr ko sarak aya. Taliyah ne grdan tirchi krke padha. Nechle kagaz ko jis pe ek hi fikra kisi ne bar bar pen se likha tha.