Usi peher gehri hoti raat tale, mariya apne kamre mein andhera kiye baithi thi. Uska beta uske saath hi bistar par so raha tha. Usne ek nigaah us per daali aur phir bed se uth aayi. Darwaza khola aur phir aage badh aayi. Thande tiles per chalte hue usne ek haath railing per rakha hua tha. Neeche ghar mein gehri Khamoshi thi. Mulazmeen sone Jaa chuke the aur raat khaasi gehri ho rahi thi. Usne kadam zeenon per dhare aur aahista se neeche utarne lagi. Agle hi pal us lounge ka raasta aboor kiya aur phir aage badh aayi. Unche dakhili darwaze paar kiye aur aur phir chonk kar ruk si gayi.
Saamne hi sabza zaar per lagi safed kursiyon per uske maa baap aur hassan Mustafa birajman the. Shoaib qadre be rooqi aur bigde tasuraat liye unhein dekh rahe the. Uski maa ka chehra bhi itna hi sapaat tha lekin wo phir bhi hassan ki wazahat ko sunne ka takalluf kar rahi thien. Usne bedili se ye sab dekha aur phir ander chali aayi. Kaafi der baad wo dono bhi uth kar ander aaye toh use sofe per andhere mein baitha dekh kar chonk gaye.
"Beta. Andhere mein Kyun baithi ho?"
Uski maa ne aage badh kar battiyan roshan ki thien. Usne zakhmi aankhon se apne baap ka chehra dekha.
"Ye aadmi yahan kyun aaya tha, baba?" Uski awaaz mein ajeeb sarsarahat thi. Shoaib ne gehra saans lekar use dekha tha.
"Wo mujhe Wajid ke rawaiye ki wazahat de raha tha."
"Kya aap ne use nahi bataya ke humein kisi qism ki wazahat darkaar nahi hai?"
"Meine use yahi bataya hai." Unhone jaldi se kaha toh usne talqi se unki jaanib dekha. Ehsaase ziyaan ne uski aankhein pal bhar ko surkh kar di thi.
"Lekin aap ne usse apna karobari taluq todne ke mutaliq baat nahi ki hogi?" Uske sawal per wo dono chonke the. Uski maa zaida aur shoaib ke darmyaan alehdagi ho chuki thi lekin uske maamle ki wajah se uski maa usi ke saath ek chat tale rehne aayi thi. Shoaib se lakh iqtilaafat sahi lekin mariya uski ek lauti beti thi.
"Aap ne nahi ki. Mujhe aap se yahi umeed thi, dad. Aapke beti ki chahe unka beta zindagi tabah kar de lekin phir bhi aap usse kaarobaari taluq ko ustuvaar kiye hue hain. Kya meri aapki zindagi mein yahi ehmiyat hai?" Wo uth kar yakdam un per chillayi thi. Zaida ne beiqtiyaar use aage badh kar sambhala tha. Shoaib behad safed chehre ke saath use dekh rahe the. Wo usi tarah zaida ke dono haatho ko jhatak kar aage badhi aur unke saamne bheegi aankhon ke saath ungli lehrayi.
"Aapki bad aamaaliyon ki saza aapki beti ko mili hai, dad. Aap ne apni puri zindagi itni aurton se najayaz taaluqaat rakhe aur kisi ek ke saath bhi wafa nahi ki. Aap ne saari zindagi maa ko saza mein rakha. Apni biwi maujood hone ke bawajood bhi aap bahar muh maarte rahe. Ye sab. Ye sab jo mere saath ho raha hai. Ye aapki bad aamaaliyon ki nataaij hain." Wo buland awaaz se bolti jaa rahi thi. Awaaz phat rahi thi. Peeche khadi zaida rone lagi thien. Shoaib bas shola baar nigaahon se uska chehra dekh rahe the.
"Apne baap se baat karne ki tameez bilkul khatam hoti jaa rahi hai tum mein."
"Tameez! Aap is waqt tameez ke baare mein baat kaise kar sakte hain, dad! Meri zindagi tabah hui hai! Meri zindagi tabah hoti jaa rahi hai aur iske zimmedar sarasar aap hain." Wo seene per haath maar kar boli toh shoaib ne zabt kho kar use zordaar chaanta raseed kiya. Wo peeche jaa giri thi. Zaida ki cheeq besaakhta thi. Mariya ne usi tanaffur se ruqsar per haath rakh kar unhein dekha tha.
"Mein. Ab is mulk mein nahi rahungi. Mein ye mulk chod kar apne bete ko lekar kahin dur chali jaungi. Aap se. Is ghar se. Is zindagi se." Wo bhi zabt kho kar puri quwwat se chillayi thi. Phir apna haath buri tarah chuda kar tezi se zeene aboor karti uper badhti gayi. Wo dono gardanein utha kar use jaata dekh rahe the. Phir zaida ne ek talq nigaah shoaib per daali.
"Aap ye bhool gaye the shoaib. Ke aamaal ke nataij agar aap nahi bhugtenge toh wo aapki aulaad bhugtegi. Dekhein. Kya haal hogaya hai meri beti ka! Meri itni pyaari beti ko un do take ke logon ne zaleel kar diya hai aur aap ab tak unse karobari taluq rakhe hue hain?"
