Jannat Ke Pattay

Part 32

"O, andar aajao," woh shanay uchka kar wapas palat gaya.

Woh jhijhak kar ooper zainay pe chadhi. Paidaan ko dekh kar kuch yaad aaya to foran pair jooton se nikale aur lakri ke farsh par qadam rakha.

Farsh be-had sard tha. Door rahdaari ke us paar jahan usne Jahan ko jaate dekha tha, wahan se hathoray ki thik thik phir se shuru ho chuki thi. Woh rahdaari aboor kar ke kitchen ke darwazay mein aakhdi hui. Amriki tarz ka kitchen nafaasat se aarasta tha. Ain wast gol mez ke gird chaar kursiyon ka phool bana tha. Ek janib counter ke saath woh Haya ki janib pusht kie hue khara tha, uske haath mein hathori thi, jis se woh ooper cabinet ke khulay darwazay ke jor par zor zor se zarbain laga raha tha. Woh chand lamhon ke shash o panj ke baad dheeth ban kar aagay aayi, aur qadrey aawaz ke saath kursi kheench li. Woh be-ikhtiyar chonk kar palta.

"Drawing room... khair!" Woh na-gawari se lab bheench kar wapas cabinet ki taraf mur gaya. Usne ek haath se cabinet ke darwazay ke jor par kisi cheez ko pakar rakha tha, aur doosray haath se hathori maar raha tha. Haya Suleiman ne zindagi mein kabhi itni tazleel mehsoos nahi ki thi.

"Mam... mam..." Chand lamhay guzray to woh usi tarah apne kaam ki taraf mutawajjah, chehray par dheeron sanjeedgi liye pukarne laga.

Woh ungliyaan marortay tang par tang rakhe, sir jhukaaye baithi thi.

Daftan chaukhat par aahat hui to sir uthaya.

"Rahdaari se bartan haath mein liye Sabin Phopho us pal kitchen mein daakhil hui thin.

Kandhon tak aate bob cut baal aur khulay lambay skirt ke ooper surmai sweater pehne woh kuch bolti aarhi thin.

Use baitha dekh kar thak kar ruki.

'Haya... mera bacha... tum kab aayi?'

Bartaan counter par taqreeban gira ke woh walahana andaz mein uski taraf lapki. Woh jo Jihan ke sard-meher rawaiye pe bad-dil si baithi thi, ghabra kar uth gayi. Sabin Phopho ne bohat garmi se use galay lagaya aur uski peshani choomi. Phir be-had mohabbat o apnayat bhari nam aankhon se muskurakar uska chehra dekha.

'Fatima ne bataya tha ke tum kuch roz tak aogi milne. Main soch rahi thi ke tum thakan utaar lo gi toh main khud hi tumse milne aungi. Kaisi ho tum? Kitni pyari ho gayi ho.'

Woh ab uske saath wali kursi par baithi, mohabbat se uska haath thame hue keh rahi thin.

'Main theek hoon, Phopho. Aap kaisi hain?'

Woh badqist muskurati unhi ki tarah angrezi mein guftagu kar rahi thi.

'Tum kitni badi ho gayi ho. Aankhein toh bilkul Sulaiman bhai jaisi hain.'
"Aap Dawar bhai ki shaadi mein nahi aayin. Dawar bhi kitna bara ho gaya hai ke mashallah shaadi bhi ho gayi."

"Kaisi rahi shaadi? Main ne video dekhi thi tumhari."

Usne chonk kar unhein dekha.

"Koun si video?" Uska saans rukne laga. Ek dum hi kamray mein bohat ghatpan ho gaya.

"Woh jo Dawar ke walima par stage par banayi gayi thi. Tumne red fraq pehn rakha tha. Main ne Roheel ke Facebook par dekhi thi."

"Roheel se contact hai aapka?"

Uski ruki saans ek khushgawar hairat ke saath bahal hui. "Aur aap Facebook use karti hain?"

Woh in dono ki janib pusht kiye cabin ke darwaze pe usi tarah hathora maar raha tha.

"Haan, bas Roheel ki updates dekhne ke liye karti hoon. Tum use karti ho Facebook?"

"Nahi. Pehle karti thi, phir chhod diya. Mujhe ye social networks pasand nahi hain. Har shakhs aap ki zindagi mein jhank raha hota hai. Insaan ki koi privacy hi nahi rehti."

"Hmm... Oh Haya, tum Jihan se milein?"

Ek dum khayal aane par unhone gardan pheer kar apne betay ko dekha, jo chehre par dheron sakhti liye apne kaam ki taraf mutwajjah tha.

'Log kehte hain meri aankhein meri amma se milti hain, Phopho,' woh halka sa jhijhak kar boli.

'Bhai, mujhe toh tum mere bhai ka hi aks lagti ho.'

Aur sab kaise hain?

Woh ek ek ka haal pooche gayi, aur woh sab ki khairiyat batakar kehne lagi..."

"Jihan, tum Haya se mile ho? Yeh Sulaiman bhai ki beti hai, Roheel ki behan aur tumhari first cousin."

"Hmm, mil chuka hoon..." Woh ab jhuk kar drawer se keel nikal raha tha. Yeh rishtedariyan yaad rakhne ke maamle mein bohat pooray hai. Waise koshish toh karta hai aur usay rishtay yaad bhi rehtay hain.

"Dar asal, phupho insaan ko rishtay tab yaad rehtay hain jab uske maa baap usay rishtay yaad dilayein. Bachon ka kya qasoor? Saara qasoor walidain ka hota hai. Agar walidain hi kabhi aulad ko rishtedaron se na milayein, toh ilzam kis ke sir rakha jaye?"

Scene mein phupho ka jo shauq-o-khurosh se chamakta chehra tha, wo dheere dheere feeka par gaya. Magar woh usi tarah talakhi se kehti ja rahi thi. Jihan ab bhi kaam mein masroof tha.

"Maslan ab aap log hain. Aap kai dahaiyon se idhar muqeem hain. Aur shayad aapka wapas aane aur apne khooni rishton se milne ka dil hi nahi chahta. Toh hai na yeh unfair. Nahi?"

Phupho ka chehra safed par gaya tha, lathay ki maanind safed aur feeka.

Phir woh badqat zara si muskurayeen aur sir jhatka.

"Thik... thik keh rahi ho, bas kabhi aa hi nahi sake." Woh ab mutmain thi apne lehjay par. Use bilkul afsos nahi hua tha. Yeh un logon ki be-rukhi thi jis ke baais uska in se taluq ek sawalia nishan ban ke reh gaya tha.

"Zameen aur aasman ke darmiyan muallaq thi. Kisi ki mankuha ho kar bhi khandan ke ladke us se umeed lagaane lage the. Uski karwi dawa ka zar uska laka yeh zimmedaraan bhi toh chhakein. Jinhein apne beta ko yeh batana yaad raha tha ke woh uski cousin thi aur bas..."

Dafatan uski nigah fridge ke upar rakhe photo frame par pari. Us mein ek khush shakl darmiyani umar ke sahib muskurate hue the. Sar par army ki cap aur kandhon par saje tamghay aur phool sitaray, "Yeh phupha hain?" Woh gardan utha kar hairat se tasveer dekhne lagi. Sabin phupho ne uski nigahon ke ta'aqub mein dekha aur dheere se sar hila diya.

"Insaan ko rishtay tab yaad rehtay hain jab uske maa baap usay rishtay yaad dilain..." Woh palte bina khaas jata kar bola toh Haya chonki. Woh toh use itna taluq samajh rahi thi. Uska khayal tha Jihan ne uski "Telkh baaton pe"dhyan nahi diya. Magar nahi, woh bazahir nazar andaaz karte hue bhi sab sun raha tha. Woh zara mohtaat si ho kar seedhi hui. "Mera matlab tha, phupha army mein the? Pakistan Army mein??"

"Nahi," Jihan hathoory slab par rakh kar aage badha aur fridge par rakha frame gira diya. Tasveer wali taraf fridge ki chhat par sajda riz ho gayi.

"Haya, tum ne khana toh nahi khaya na?"