Carpe Diem (Rabia Khan)

ch 24

Photoshoot ka waqt mutayyan karne ki gharz se wo dobara nazar amjad ke office ki janib badh aayi thi. Ander maujood umera zahid ko dekh kar lamhe bhar ke liye usne gehra saans liya tha. Wo nazar se apne mutawaqqu project ki baabat kar rahi thi. Uski pusht saleena ki jaanib thi. Wo asar liye bagair aage badh aayi. Phir sofe par aa baithi. Umera ne yunhi ruq pher kar dekha toh lamhe bhar ko thatak si gayi. Use saleena ki maujoodgi ki tawaqqu nahi thi.

Usne albatta muskura kar nazakat se do ungliyan hila kar use salam Kiya tha. Usne kadwi nigaah daal kar chehra wapas pher liya tha. Yuwal agle hi pal uske saamne aa baitha tha. Phir use agli shoot ki jagah aur auqaat batane laga. Wo ab sanjeedgi se aage jhuki, pure inhimaak (concentration) se use sun rahi thi.

"Tumhari shoot ka theme nazar bhai ne khud tay kiya hai." Usne muqtalif Thames per mushtamil kayi outlets uski jaanib badhaye the. Wo ab har ek outlet ko bagaur dekh rahi thi.

"Ye sab themes toh bohot dark hain!" Usne chehra utha kar pucha. Phir outlets ko saamne table per daal diya.

"Wo isi liye taake tum dobara se industry ki nazron mein aajao aur tumhare uper se ye flop actress ka tag hut jaaye." Ab ke jawab dene wali umera thi. Shayad uska kaam khatam ho gaya tha. Wo qeemti purse haath per taange bahar jaane ke liye bilkul tayyar lag rahi thi. Uske jawab per yuwal aur nazar. Dono ne gair araam deh nigaah saleena per daali thi. Wo khilaafe ma'amool bohot araam se baithi thi.

"Acha. Jabhi aapko hamesha bohot nude qism ke themes milte hain kyunke aapki badhti umar ke bais agar aapko is tarah ke dark themes de diye gaye toh aap. Actress Kam. Aur aapa zyada lagengi." Usne samajh kar sar hilaya tha. Yuwal ne bamushkil thook nigla tha.

"Tumhe mujh tak aane ke liye hamesha industry mein phaile dirty jokes ka sahara kyun lena padta hai aakhir?" Wo ander se peech-o-taab khaati bazahir muskura kar boli thi. Usne bhi muskura kar kandhe uchkaye.

"Aapko dekh kar dirty jokes ke alawa aur kisi cheez ka khayal hi nahi aata, umera aapa." Masumiyat se kaha. Aankhein patpata kar. Rone ke baad use apna aap bohot halka mehsoos ho raha tha aur wo pichli wali saleena hi malum ho rahi thi.

"Aapa?"

"My bad. Umera ji."

"Dekhti hun ke kitne din tum in photoshoots per zinda reh sakti ho." Uske kadwe andaaz per saleena ne muskura kar chehra uthaya tha.

"Ab toh lagta hai kamyab hona hi padega. Kyunke bohot saare log meri nakaami ke muntazir hain!" Umera uski baat per istihza sa hansi thi.

"Jaise tumhari khwaish se tum kamyab ho jaogi."

Wo dono hi qehqeh laga kar hans padi thien. Nazar ne apni tie ki Knot besaakhta hi dheeli ki thi. Wo in actress ko kabhi nahi samajh sakta tha.

"Mein khwaish nahi karti. Bas kaam karti hun. Aap bhi dusron ke maamlaat mein apni naak laane ke bajaye agar mehez apne kaam per tawajjah dengi toh ho Sakta hai aapki badhi umar nazar andaaz kar di jaaye." Yuwal ka yakdam hi taali bajane ka dil chaha tha. Saleena ke jawabat uske dil ko sukoon pohoncha rahe the. Umera jaisi ajeeb aurat ke saath kaam karte hue uske bhi bohot se hisaab us aurat ke khaate mein nikalte the.

Umera ne daant pees kar ek nazar chehra jhuka kar muskurahat rokte yuwal per daali aur phir dham dham karti wahan se nikalti chali gayi. Uske jaate hi saleena ne haath yun jhaade goya khas Kam jahan paak (remark made after getting rid of something or someone disagreeable) ka ishara kar rahi ho.

"Dekho. Tumhare liye aaj bhi badle le rahi hun mein." Usne yuwal ke jhuke sar ko dekhte hue kaha toh wo muskura kar uske outlets sametne laga.

"Ye. Hamari mazboot saleena!" Nazar ne use saraaha tha. Usne maathe tak haath le jaakar unhein salam Kiya.

"Agar koi actress aapko tough time de toh bas mujhe ishara kar dijiyega. Aisi tabiyat saaf karungi ke naslein yaad rakhengi unki." Usne nazar ko bhi apni qidmaat se aagaah kiya tha. Wo yakdam hi hans diya tha.

"Ab batayein. Itne dark themes kyun muntaqib kiye hain mere liye?" Uske puchne par yuwal peeche ho baitha tha.

"Taake kisi bhi dekhne wale ko tum qaabile tars na lago. Balke tumse aati vibes the bitch saleena wali ho. Jo mar toh sakti hai. Lekin doob nahi sakti." Usne ek nigaah dilchaspi se un themes per daali thi. Phir purse haath per daalti uth khadi hui.

"Mujhe themes per koi aitraaz nahi. Zara unhein bhi pata chale ke saleena kiska naam hai. Bye nazar bhai. Chalo yuwal, chal kar coffee peete hain." Wo dono uth kar nazar ke office se bahar ki jaanib badhe toh wo peeche gehra saans bhar kar reh gaya. Saleena kabhi nahi badal sakti thi. Aur sach toh ye tha ke wo use aise hi pasand thi. Shaffaf aur kabhi kabhi muskura kar tanz karne wali. Jazbati aur apne kaam se muqlis. Bewakoof aur masum.

_________________

Wajid ne use baazu se ghaseet te hue lounge mein rakhe sofe par dhakela tha. Uski aankhein shiddat e jazbaat se surkh pad rahi thien aur chehra tamtama raha tha. Mariya ki haalat bhi usse kuch muqtalif nahi thi.

"Tum mujhe tail kar rahi ho! Mujhe tail karti rahi ho tum!" Wo us per dahada tha. Jawaban wo bhi uth khadi hui. Phir uske muqabil aayi. Wo zaqmi lag rahi thi.

"Ye baat tumhe apni pichli mehbooba ke paas jaane se pehle sochni chahiye thi. Tum ne kaha tha ke tum usse raabte mein nahi ho. Tum usse nahi milte. Tum usse dobara kabhi nahi mile. Phir ye sab kya tha? Tum wahan us parking area mein kya kar rahe the?" Wo bhi utni hi shiddat se us per chillayi thi. Wajid ne badastoor tez hote tanaffus ke saath use nafrat se dekha.

"Mein uski zindagi sahl (easy) banae gaya tha."

"Kyun!! Kya lagti hai wo tumhari? Agar wo kuch lagti hai toh phir mein kon hun tumhari? Mujhe aur apni aulaad ko chod kar tum us bazari aurat se kya lene gaye the?" Uske alfaaz ka chunav bohot ghatiya tha. Ghar ke mulazim deewaron ke sath kaam lagaye sunne lage the.

"Uski zindagi meri wajah se tabah hui hai. Wo is haalat mein meri wajah se pohonchi hai. Agar mein us per lage ilzamaat rad kar deta toh kisi ki majaal nahi thi use is sab mein ghaseetne ki. Lekin meri buzdili ne use zaleel kar diya. Mein is guilt se azaad nahi ho sakta. Mein isse zyada apni zindagi ko asaan banana chahta hun." Usne surkh aankhein liye taish se kaha tha. Mariya ka saans dho nakni ki manand chalne laga. Uska dil kiya ke is duniya aur is mein palti har shay ko aag laga de. Usne ek jhatke se wajid ka girebaan jhapta tha.

"Wo tumhari kuch nahi lagti hai, wajid hassan! Wo tumhe barbaad kar degi. Tumhari siyaasi saakh aur campaign tabah ho kar reh jayegi. Tumhe us do takay ki ladki ke bajaye mere saath mere saath ye duniya fatah karni chahiye. Tumhe mera saath maangna chahiye. Tumhe meri qadr karni chahiye. Tumhe siyaasat ke is buland maqaam tak laane wali wo nahi. Mein hun."

Wajid ne agle hi pal ek jhatke se uske haathon ko pare kiya. Phir sulagti nigaahein us per jamayin.

"Tum ek intehaai ghatiya soch rakhne wali sick aurat ho. Pehle tumhein mehez bardaasht karna padta tha. Lekin ab guzarte waqt ke saath tum na qaabile bardaasht hoti jaa rahi ho. Mein wahan usse rishte ustuvaar (strong) karne nahi gaya tha. Mein uski madad karne gaya tha."

"Bhaad mein jaaye wo aur uski zindagi!" Wo dahadi thi. Wajid ko uski zehni haalat per shak sa hone laga tha. "Ab tum se koi shikayat nahi karungi. Ab is maamle ko mein khud dekhungi." Wo agle hi pal tezi se mudi lekin wajid ne uska haath kohni se thaam liya tha. Usne usi tezi se mariya ko apni jaanib ghumaya tha.

"Tum aisa waisa kuchh nahi karogi!" Wo use tanbeeh kar raha tha. Mariya ne nafrat se uska haath jhatka tha. Phir usi tezi se aage badh gayi. Wajid ne bebasi se apne baalon mein haath phera. Usne ek galat inteqaab kiya tha. Usne galat waqt per galat faisle liye the. Aur ab use un faislon ke khamiyaaze (punishment ) sada bhugatne the.

_____________________