Baab 10..
Airport par driver us ke naam ka card liye maujood tha. Woh khamoshi se us ke saath chal padhi. Airport se ghar tak ka rasta bhi khamoshi se tay hua. Driver gaari drive kar raha tha aur woh sadak par nazar aati hui traffic dekhte rahi thi. Jaisay jaisay ghar qareeb aa raha tha, us ke dil ki dhadkan bhi tez hoti ja rahi thi. Woh musalsal apne baap ke baare mein soch rahi thi.
"Woh yaqeenan mujhe dekh kar hairan honge, kyunki ab main bohot badi ho gayi hoon. Ho sakta hai ab mera qad bhi un ke barabar aa gaya ho."
Us ne muskurate hue socha tha.
"Papa yaqeenan mujhe bohot miss kar rahe honge. Isi liye toh unhone mujhe yahan aate hi bula liya hai."
Usay kuch fakhar ka ehsaas hua tha.
Gaari ab us ke dadiyali ghar pahunch gayi thi. Driver ke horn bajane par gate khul raha tha. Samne porch khali nazar aa raha tha.
"Abhi horn sunne par Papa bahar aa jayenge." usne kuch masrur ho kar socha. Gaari ab porch mein pahunch gayi thi.
Woh darwaza khol kar neeche utar aayi. Porch ab bhi khali tha. Driver ab dikky se us ka samaan nikaal raha tha. Woh ab bhi andar se papa ya kisi aur ki aamad ki muntazir thi. Driver ne dikky se samaan nikaalne ke baad us se kaha,
"Alizeh bibi! Andar aajain."
Yeh kehte hue woh peeche dekhe baghair aage barh gaya. Usay ik dam mayoosi hui thi.
"Papa yaqeenan lounge mein honge aur mere andar aane ka intezaar kar rahe honge."
Usne foran apne aap ko tasalli di thi. Driver ke peeche woh bhi andar daakhil ho gayi thi. Lounge khali tha, wahan koi bhi nahi tha. Driver ne ek kone mein us ka bag rakh diya tha.
"Aap baith jayein, main andar bata deta hoon." Driver us se kehata hua andar chala gaya tha. Alezeh ko woh khud se zyada is ghar ka ek fard laga tha. Kisi mehmaan ki tarah woh ek sofe par baith gayi thi. Us ki mayoosi mein kuch aur izafa ho gaya tha. Ghar mein itni khamoshi thi jaise wahan mulazimoon ke ilawa koi tha hi nahi. Us ghar mein hamesha itni hi khamoshi rahti thi. Bachpan se le kar ab tak woh jitni baar wahan aayi thi, hamesha isi khamoshi ne us ka isteqbal kiya tha. Haan pehle farq yeh tha ke papa usay darwaze par mila karte the aur is khamoshi ko woh baad mein mehsoos kiya karti thi. Aaj khamoshi ko us ne pehle mehsoos kiya tha aur papa se woh abhi nahi mili thi. Pichhli baar jab woh yahan aayi toh dada ke ilawa chacchi aur un ke do bachon se bhi us ki mulaqat hui thi. Us ghar ke makinun ki tadaad bas itni hi thi.
"Ab papa aur un ki family."
Us ki soch ka tasalsul toot gaya tha. Kamray mein driver ke saath ek aurat daakhil hui. Alezeh ne use pehchaan liya tha. Woh khansaman ki biwi thi. Pichle kai saal se woh dono wahan kaam kar rahe the. Us aurat ne aate hi badi garmjoshi aur inqsaar se Alezah se haath milaya. Us ka haal ahwal poocha tha.
"Sab log toh abhi so rahe hain, aadhe ghante tak uth hi jayenge. Sahab ne aap ke aane ke baare mein humein raat ko bata diya tha, aur kaha tha ke jab aap aayein toh main aap ko kamray mein pahuncha doon aur aaram karne ke liye kahoon!"
Zareena ne use agah kiya tha. Alizeh ko ek aur jhatka laga.
"Papa so rahe hain?"
Use yaqeen nahi aaya tha.
"Haan! Yahan sab log der se hi uthte hain, lekin aadhe ghante tak uth hi jayenge. Aap mere saath aaiye, main aap ko aap ka kamra dikha deti hoon. Aap chahein toh kuch der aaram kar lein." Zareena ne us ka bag uthate hue kaha tha. Ab woh us ke aage chal rahi thi, aur Alizwh ka sara josh o kharosh sard ho chuka tha. Woh khamoshi se Zareena ke peeche chalti gayi thi. Zareena ne ek kamre ka darwaza us ke liye khol diya tha. Woh kamre tak Alizeh ki rehnumai na bhi karti tab bhi Alizeh ko woh kamra achi tarah yaad tha. Hamesha yahan aane par woh usi kamre mein thehra karti thi. Kamre ki color scheme aur parday aur carpet ka rang badal chuka tha. Magar setting wahi thi. Zareena ne kamre ke ek kone mein us ka bag rakh diya tha. Alizeh khamoshi se bed par jakar baith gayi thi.
