part 6

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"Yeh ehsaas tak nahi tum ko ke itni sardi mein yahan la kar khada kar diya hai. Dekho, mere haath tak neelay ho gaye hain."

Apartment tak wapsi ke paanch minute mein woh bolti rahi thi aur woh sunta raha tha. Uske haath se be-ikhtiyar ek baal gir kar uske pairon ke paas aayi. Usne kharay kharay, jootay ki nok se baal uski taraf larhkayi aur aglay bhikhari ki taraf barh gaya. Agle bhikhari ne usay apni taraf aatay dekh kar flute bajatay hue sar ko be-ikhtiyar kham kar ke hamesha ki tarah uska istaqbaal kiya. Usne aaj pehli dafa uske is istiqbaali andaaz ko nahi dekha. Uski nazrein uske dabay ke paas paray surkh branded Italian jooton ke us joray ko dekh rahi thi jo usne kal aik bohot mehangay store se koi pachaas jootay try karne ke baad usay khareed kar diye thay. Uski reedh ki haddi se ek lehr guzri thi, woh kya pagal ho gayi thi ke is sardi mein woh jootay wahan utaar kar wahan se paidal apne apartment ki building tak gayi thi. Barf aur sard khurdari sarak ne uske pairon ka kya haal kiya hoga. Koi usay apne pait mein ghone martay mehsoos hua. Usay apne surkh kapron ke sath match karta surkh jooton ka ek jora chahiye tha. Chaar mukhtalif stores se phirte phirate woh bil-aakhir paanchwein store mein aaye thay aur tab tak woh kuch jhunjhla chuka tha jabke woh abhi usi tarah chehakti hui khush-baash mukhtalif jooton ko pehen pehen kar dekh rahi thi. "Tumhein aakhir kis qisam ka joota chahiye?" Usne pandhrwan jora try karne ke baad reject kar diya toh usne bil-aakhir tang aa kar poocha.

Usne jawab mein bay-had sanjeedgi se usay jootay ki shakal, miyaar, style aur rang ke bare mein jo teen minute ka lecture usay diya tha, us se woh sirf yeh ikhlaas kar sakta tha ke usay Stiletto heel wala ek surkh joota chahiye.

"Tum kisi aur rang ka joota kyun nahi khareed letin?"

Saathwein store ke darwazay se andar daakhil hotay hue hifz ma taqaddum ke tor par usne kaha. Usne jawaban usay itni malaamat bhari nazron se dekha tha ke woh be-ikhtiyar sharminda ho gaya.

"Mere kapray surkh rang ke hain." Usne ek ek lafz par zor dete hue is tarah kaha jaise koi bara kisi bachay ko samjhata hai. "Is liye common sense toh yehi kehti hai ke mujhe surkh jootay hi khareedne chahiyein." Usne mazeed izafa kiya. Usne dobara kuch bolne ki zehmat nahi ki thi.

"Kahin na kahin ek surkh jooton ka jora hoga jo uske naam ka hoga aur mujhe kya karna hai, mujhe sirf usko escort hi toh karna hai." Usne jaise khud se tay kiya tha. Aur bil-aakhir jab usay yaqeen hone laga ke sheher mein surkh jooton ka aisa koi jora nahi hai jo uske naam ka hai, toh usne jootay pehen kar usay dikhate hue poocha, "Mera khayal hai, yeh theek hai. Tumhein kaise lag rahe hain?"

"Just Perfect."

Woh be-ikhtiyar wallet nikalte hue uth khada hua. Woh uske andaaz par be-ikhtiyar nahi.

"Kum az kum dekh toh lo ke maine kya khareeda hai aur yeh mere pairon mein kaise lag rahe hain." "Yeh jaise bhi lag rahe hain, mujhe sirf yeh khushi hai ke tumne bil-aakhir jootay pasand kar ke bandh kar liye hain." Usne credit card nikalte hue ek sarsari nazar uske pairon par daali. Woh jootay uske pairon mein achay lag rahe thay magar usay woh pichlay pachaas joray bhi buray nahi lagay thay jo usne pichlay paanch ghanton mein mukhtalif stores mein pehen kar usay dikhaye thay. Aur ab paanch ghante ki jaddo-jahd ke baad dhai sau dollars ke woh branded jootay us nahumwar footpath par flute bajate us aadmi ke saamne paray thay jo shayad usi ki tarah is hadiyon tak utarti sardi mein usay jootay paon se utaarte dekh kar hairaan hua hoga aur phir usne wahi socha hoga jo usay sochna chahiye tha ke woh shayad nashe ki haalat mein hai. Uska mink coat, jootay, ghari, mobile us footpath par paray thay toh ab uske paas utaar phenkne ke liye aur kya reh gaya tha. Woh jaanta tha, ke uske jism par sirf do cheezen baqi thin. Uska surkh libaas aur haath mein pehni hui anguthi (uske jism par us din sajaya hua wahid zevar). Woh libaas uska apna tha. Uska dilwaya hua hota toh woh usay bhi utaar kar usi footpath par phenk chuki hoti. Woh kisi doosri aurat ko jaanta tha ya nahi magar usay jaanta tha. Woh us footpath par uski di hui cheezen phenk rahi thi.

Footpath par baithe sketch banati us adheer umar aurat ke paas uski anguthi honi chahiye thi. Woh aage barh kar us qataar mein baithe paanchwein bhikhari ke saamne aa khada ho gaya. Woh aurat makhboot-ul-hawas thi ya kam az kam in dono ko yahi lagta tha. Peechay chaar bhikhariyon ke baraks woh kabhi sar utha kar paas se guzarte walay ya paas aa kar kharay hone walay logon ko nahi dekhti thi.

man-o-salwa by Umera Ahmed Where stories live. Discover now