man-o-salwa by Umera Ahmed

part 9

"Main aap ke paas baithti hoon. Aap dua kar lein."

Zia ne is baar us se kuch nahi kaha balke unhon ne apne haath uthaa diye. Paanch minute ke baad jab unhon ne apne chehre par haath pherte hue neeche kiye to woh tab bhi un ke paas baithi hui thi. "Main ne bohot dua ki hai us ke liye bhi aur apni Zaini ke achay naseeb ke liye bhi." Zia ne apni beti ke chehre par phoonk maarte hue kaha. "Unka naseeb acha hoga to mera to khud bakhud hi acha ho jayega." Woh itminan se kehte hue unke paas se uth gayi.

"Aap ko Quran Pak la doon?"

"Haan." Woh chand lamhon mein Quran Pak la kar unhein thama gayi. Zia Quran Pak haath mein pakray usay andar jaate dekhte rahe. Woh waqai unki aankhon ka noor thi. Woh jis din Zaini ko na dekhte, unhein lagta jaise sooraj taloo nahi hua. Unhein chaaron bachon se pyar tha magar Zaini mein jaise unki jaan thi. Woh do saal ki umar se unke ghar aane par unke liye pani ka glass la rahi thi aur Zia ne pichlay athara saal se Zaini ke ilawa kisi aur ke haath se pani nahi piya tha. Zaini ke ilawa kabhi koi aur beti ya biwi unko pani la kar deti to woh glass pakar kar usi tarah rakh dete. Khud Zainab ko bhi baap ke saath chipke rehne ki aadat thi. Zia ghar mein koi cheez lane par uska hissa to usay dete hi thay magar apne hisse mein se bhi usay hissa dete thay. Unki jeeb mein har roz nikalne wala koi sikka bhi Zainab hi ki milkiyat banta tha. Aur yeh sikka is jeeb kharch ke ilawa hota tha, jo woh har roz doosre bachon ki tarah usay diya karte thay. Office mein overtime se milne wali raqam bhi woh Zaini ke bada hone par usi ke paas bachat ke tor par rakhwane lage thay. Zainab ne hamesha in paison ko badi imandari ke saath rakha tha. Woh baap ki qaleel amdani aur apne halaat se bakhoobi waqif thi.

Zia income tax mein clerk thay, unki jagah koi doosra clerk hota to woh is waqt mutawasit tabqay ke is muhalle ke is do kamron par mushtamil chaar marlay ke ghar ke bajaye kisi behtar ilaqay mein jadeed sahoolaton se aaraasta kisi bary ghar mein baitha hota magar Zia apni tanqah ke chand hazar par hi qani thay aur sirf qani nahi thay, woh rizq-e-halaal ko apna aizaaz samajhte thay aur is par fakhr karte thay. Office mein unke doosray saathi unke peeth peechay is fakhr par beshak mazaaq uraate hon magar unke samne koi unhein rizq-e-haraam ki targeeb dene ki himmat nahi karta tha. Log unse darte nahi thay, unki izzat karte thay.

aur un ke baaqi bachon ki tarah Zainab ko bhi is rizq-e-halaal par fakhr tha. Us ne baap se shukar warasat mein paaya tha. Baap mazhabi nahi tha, deen daar tha. Aur Zainab ne cheezon par lecture nahi sune thay, us ne maa baap ko amal karte dekha tha aur is amal ne usay aur us ke behan bhaiyon ko har cheez bohot wazeh tor par sikhadi thi.

☆☆☆

Us ne kitaab band kar ke be-ikhteyaar jahaayi li, wall clock par raat ke dhaai bajne walay thay.

Apni aankhon ko milte hue us ne kitaab mez par rakh di. Kuch dair be-maqsad kursi par baitha woh study table par jalne wale lamp ke bulb ko dekhta raha phir apne baalon mein baayein haath ki ungliyan pherne laga. Woh mutasarrif andaaz mein gehri soch mein dooba hua tha. Kuch dair woh is tarah baitha raha phir uth kar khada ho gaya. Chhote se is kamre mein aik chaar paai par uska baap gehri neend mein kharate le raha tha. Doosri chaar paai khaali thi. Woh kamre mein aik kone mein rakhi almari ke paas gaya aur us ne almari ke upar pada aik safri bag utar liya. Almari ka darwaza khol kar us ne andar se do trousers aur trouser nikale. Kuch dair woh tanqidi nazron se in kapron ko jaanchta raha phir halki si khafgi aur mayoosi ke aalam mein us ne in kapron ko bag mein daal liya.

Almari ke andar se aik tie aur moze nikaal kar bhi us ne is bag mein daal diye. Bag ki zip ko band karte hue us ne dobara almari ke upar rakha aur chaar paai ke neeche pada booton ka aik joda nikaal kar haath mein le liya phir study table par pada cigarette ka packet aur matchbox uthayi aur kamre ka darwaza khol kar bahar

sahan mein aa gaya.

Booton ko sahan mein paday aik stool ke samne rakhte hue woh seedhiyon ke neeche paday polish ki dabbi aur brush uthakar sahan ke stool par aa kar baitha. Aik cigarette jala kar honton mein dabate hue us ne aik  Joota uthakar brush ke sath kuch polish lagayi aur jootay ko ragadnay laga. Joota chand lamhon mein chamaknay laga tha magar us ke saath saath us ke aglay hissa mein padhi hui bohot saari lakeerain bhi be-had numayan hogayi thin. Us ne chand lamhon ke liye brush rakh kar cigarette honton se nikaal kar dhuan bahar nikalte hue aik aur kash liya. Dobara cigarette honton mein rakhate hue woh aik bar phir brush uthakar joota polish karne laga magar jootay par padhi silwatain jese us ke mathe par chhalakne lagin thin. Jootay ke jode ko polish karne ke baad us ne palat kar aik nazar us...

ke kone ko dekha, woh aage se buri tarah ghas chuka tha. Chand baar aur pehene jaane par yaqinan is mein chhed ho jata. Us ne be-had bezaari aur jhunjhlaahat ke aalam mein joota phainka aur doosra joota uthakar use bhi us tarah polish karne laga. Polish karte waqt us ne pehle ki tarah hi cigarette ka kash liya aur is baar cigarette ko farsh par phainkte hue paon mein pehni chappal se usko masal diya.

"Toh is waqt kya kar raha hai Shiraz?" Us ne apne aqib mein maa ki awaaz suni. Woh doosre kamre mein uske behnon ke saath so rahi thi aur yaqinan sahan mein hone wali khattar patar ki awaazon ko sun kar baat aayi thi.

"Apni qismat par maatam kar raha hoon." Us ne be-had sakhthi se jawab diya.

"Hai hai, kya ho gaya? Tabiyat toh theek hai teri?" Naseem ne ik dum harbada kar kaha.

"Theek hai, tabiyat ko kya hona hai?" Us ne be-had bezaari se polish ki dabbi band karte hue kaha.

"Aray tu kyun jootay polish kar raha hai? Mujhe kehta behno main se kisi ko jagaa deta hoon."

"Adhar se Main kar te hu, kar chuki hoon jootay polish. Ab toh rakhne wala tha yeh brush aur polish." Us ne maa ko  rokte hue kaha. Aur khud seedhiyon ke neeche polish aur brush rakh aaya.

"Soocha, abu paise le aayenge toh aik suit aur naye jootay le loonga lekin ab bhi ayn waqt par."

Us ne baat adhuri chhod di aur dobaara stool par baith gaya.

"ab kya karte woh? Jis jis se qarz maang sakte thay, maang liya unho ne. Lekin jab se ma'atil hue hain, har aik paisay dene se katarane laga hai." Naseem paas Biche hui chaar paai par bith gayin.

"Aap ne Zia chacha se baat ki?"

"Haan, aaj bhi gaye thay Zia ke paas. Par uska officer chhutti par gaya hua hai. Ab woh aaye toh hee koi baat bane. Par keh raha tha. Bahaal karwa doonga." Naseem ne pur-umeed andaaz mein kaha.

Aur yeh officer kitne din chhutti par rahega? Shiraz ne talkhi se kaha.

"Ab officers ki chhutti ka kis ko pata hota hai. Jab chahe aaye, nahi chahe toh na aaye. Chahe doosra solay par latka rahe." Shiraz ke lehjay mein zehr tha.

"Abu ko bhi poori duniya mein sab..."
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