man-o-salwa by Umera Ahmed

part 11

"Tehreeri imtihan qualify kiya tha aur ab interview ke liye Islamabad ja raha tha. Is imtihan se pehle tak har aik ko Shiraz ki qismat par rashk aata tha jise achi taleem hasil karne ka bhi moka mil raha tha aur khandan ki sab se khoobsurat larki bhi uski biwi banne wali thi lekin is imtihan mein kamiyabi ne ik dum har aik ko Zainab ki qeemat par rashk karne par majboor kar diya tha. Woh mustaqbil mein officer banne wale khandan ke pehle mard ki biwi banne ja rahi thi. Uska mustaqbil is mohalla se bahar kisi bohot unchi, bohot achi, bohot behtar jagah par nazar aa raha tha aur jis mard ka saath usko milne wala tha, woh us par jaan chhidakta tha. Zainab ke ilawa Shiraz ko kuch nazar nahi aata tha. Is se behtar haal Zainab ka tha. Aur yeh sab kuch mohalla aur khandan mein kisi se dhaka chupa nahi tha.

Woh sahan ka darwaza band kar ke wapis bawarchi khana mein aa gayi. Rabi'ah bhi wahan baithi nashta kar rahi thi. Zainab ne to chulhay par rakhte hue raat ka paka hua qeema nikaal liya aur parathay banane lag gayi. Rabi'ah ne is ki saari sargarmiyon ko dekha phir kaha.

"Shiraz bhai ke liye bana rahi ho?"
"Jab tumhe pata hai to poochne ki kya zarurat hai?" Zainab ne bade inhamak se paratha banate hue usay dekhe baghair kaha.

Un ke ghar mein mahine mein aik baar qeema pakta tha aur Zainab apne hisay ka qeema nikaal kar rakh deti phir woh agar subah Shiraz ke liye qeema wala aik paratha bana kar usay de aati. Yeh routine itne arse se jaari thi ke Rabi'ah thik se yaad bhi nahi tha. Haan, usay yeh zaroor ehsaas tha ke woh Eid-e-Qurbani ke siwa poora saal qeema ke zaiqay se aashna nahi hoti thi. Rabi'ah is ki is routine ko kabhi badal nahi sake thi. Yeh woh janti thi. Chunnancha usne apne hisay ke salan ko hamesha baantne ki koshish ki lekin Zainab is par bhi tayaar nahi thi.
"Main apna hissa le chuki, tumhara hissa kyun loon?"

"Kya farq padta hai? Tum behn ho meri," Rabi'ah usay qa'il karne ki koshish karti. "Apna hissa mangaytar khila aati ho to koi harj nahi, agar mere hisay mein se kuch le lo. Tumhara bhi to dil chahta hoga tum kabhi yeh khud se khao."

"Jab Shiraz har baar mere hisay ki koi cheez khate hain to mujhe bagair khaye bhi is cheez ka zaiqa mahsus hota hai. Aur is zaiqay se zyada acha hota hai jo main use khud karke mahsus karti hoon. Mujhe to kabhi khayal bhi nahi aata ke main yeh paratha unko khila aati hoon, khud nahi khati." Uske paas sidha jawab hota tha.

"Allah ka shukar hai, Imran Kuwait mein baitha hua hai, warna tumhari harkatein dekh kar agar woh bhi mujh se farmayish shuru kar deta ke main bhi use is tarah apne hisay ke qeema wale parathay bana bana kar khilaon to main kya karti. Main to tumhari tarah qeema khaye baghair nahi reh sakti."

Rabi'ah mazaq udaane wale andaaz mein apne hone wale mangaytar ka hawala de kar kehti. Uski baat bhi apne khala zads ke saath tay thi lekin Zainab ke baraks woh is tarah Imran par fida nahi thi. Na hi Zainab ki tarah Imran ka naam har waqt uski zuban par hota tha. Woh fitratan la parwaha thi. Zainab fitratan be-had hassaas.

"Meri samajh mein to aik baat nahi aati. Shiraz bhai ne kabhi yeh nahi kiya ke parathay ke do hisay kar ke aadha tumhe de dein. Saara khud khay jaate hain." Rabi'ah qadray mazaq udaane wale andaaz mein boli.

"Hamesha woh mujhe khane ka kehte hain, main khud nahi khati. Ek chhota sa paratha hota hai. Main bhi khane baith jaungi to woh kya khayenge?" Zainab ne be-had gussa mand kar ke kaha.

"Aur phir tumhe kya takleef hai. Tum khawakhwaah mein..."
Rabi'ah ne uski baat kaat di. "Tumhe yaad hai jab Shiraz bhai chhote hotay thay, tab bhi tumhari cheezein le kar khay jaate thay?"

"Main khud deti thi unhein." Zainab ne aur gussa manaa. Unke maangne par.
Rabi'ah ko use tang karne mein maza aa raha tha.

"Ji nahi, maangne se bhi pehle." Zainab ne be-sakhtha kaha. "Is wajah se to aadatein bigad gayi hain unki." Rabi'ah ne use mazeed cheda.
"Ab tum apne test ki tayari karo aur fazool baatein mat karo."

Zainab ne paratha taway se utar kar, is baar qadray zyada narazgi se kaha. Woh ab tray ka rakh rahi thi.

"Tum khud to kam az kam nashta kar ke jao." Rabi'ah ko aik dum khayal aaya. "Nahi, main aa kar karungi. Aaj to ghar par hi hoon."

"Aur aaogi kab?"
"Main abhi aa jaati hoon. Zyada der nahi lagegi mujhe."

"Shiraz bhai jane se pehle yahaan se ho kar jaayenge na?" Rabi'ah ne bawarchi khana se bahar...

"Us ke peeche aate hue kya.
Pah nahi, poochungi. Ammi to ghar par hain nahi. Woh hotay to phir zaroor aate. Khaira aate to woh sirf tumhare liye hain yahaan, wart chaar khala ya un ke doosray bachon mein.
Rabi'ah ki baat par us ne aik dum palat kar usko ghoora. Achha achha yeh hain aakhri baat thi. Rabi'ah ne jaldi se kaha. Salman ko nashta de diya. Un sab ko aik dum college ke liye tayar hotay hue Musalman ka khayal aaya.
Shukr hai, logon ko bhai ka bhi khayal aaya." Rabi'ah ne madham awaaz mein kaha.
Zainab ne yun zahir kiya jaise us ne suna hi na ho. Woh man ka darwaza...
☆☆☆
"Almi Umar hai Zainab ki mashallah. Abhi naam le rahe thay tahara aur tum aa gayi." Qeem ne Zainab ko bairooni darwazay se andar samne aate dekhte hi be-sakhtha kaha. Woh hassan mein? Baithi kapray dhorahi thi. Darwaza laamat ne khola tha.
"Mera naam kaise le liya khala aap ne?" Main ne be-ikhitiyar muskara kar kaha.
"Aray nahar imam to din raat liya jata hai is ghar mein meri likhti hoon, kaanama nahin liya jayega, main jay aur kis ka liya jayega." Naseem ne be-had pyaaray pyaaray bhai ke muskurate hue chehre ki dilatabadan mein banayi.
"Haan bhi, usi ko to bas akelota beta aur akeloti bahu hi yaad rehti hai. Humara to kisi ginti mein shumaar."
Sheiraz ki chhoti ne binaari nafrat se kaha. Woh aur jab taqreeban hum umar hain, is. Sheiraz ki baqi dono behnon ki nisbat in dono ke darmiyan aapas mein zyada be-taklifi thi.
"Haan bhai aap to hai. Khala ko zikar to bas hamara hi karna chahiye. Aakhir hum ne to rehna hi hai khala."
Reni ne bhi usi andaaz mein jawab dete hue kaha. Woh abhi tak tare haath mein liye mil ke pa baithe ki javan sher ke paas khadi thi."