MUSHAF (by Nimra Ahmed)

Chapter 2.4

us roz sidra ke rishte ke silsile mein kuch log aa rahe the. yeh khabar musarrat ne usey tab di, jab woh ghar bhar ki safaiyo aur ladkiyon ki phurtiya dekh kar hairan si maa ki taraf aayi thi, warna pehle toh jab bhi dopehar mein lounge ka darwaaza aahista se khol kar aati toh ghar mein sannata aur weerani chhai hoti thi aur aaj....

lambi si Samia baans ke jharoo se chhat ke jaale saaf kar rahi thi. sidra drawing room ki decorations kar rahi thi. nida, maa ke sir pe khadi lawn ki safai suthrayi mein mashgool thi toh Mehreen, mehtaab taayi se sir hilaate koi hadaayat sun rahi thi. aik arzoo hi thi, jo terrace mein taang par taang rakhe baithi, kaano par walkman lagaye, kisi magazine ke page ulat rahi thi. be parwa, be niaz aur maghrour. shukar ke woh khubsurat nah thi, warna shayad woh aasman se neeche nah utarti.

"Rishta sidra ka hai aur yeh khud gharz khandan saare ka sara laga hua hai, matlab?"

"Ohho aahista bolo" musarrat ne ghabra kar idhar udhar dekha, phir aahista se batane lagi. "Darasal bhai begum ka mehez andaza hai ke rishta sidra ka hi hoga. Nauman bhai ki begum ne khasusan kisi ka naam nahi liya, so Fiza ko shayad kuch umeed ho."

"Noman bhai ki begum kon?"

"tumahre abba ki dur ki rishta daar hain. un ka beta Furqan aero technical engineer hai. bohat acha gharana hai. aur aik beti hai, shadi shuda. Australia mein rehti hai. begum Noman ne kisi ke zariye kahelwaya hai."

"Aur yeh saari ladkiyan is umeed pe lagi hui hain ke shayad woh unka rishta maang le. what a rubbish." woh tamaskhrana hans kar apne kamre ki taraf chali gayi.

shaam mein musarrat ne usey kitchen mein madad ke liye bulawa liya tha.

"achaar gosht, biryani, seekh kabaab, fried machhli aur kitna kuch karengi aap?" woh bartano ke dhakkane utha utha kar puch rahi thi.

"yeh sab toh tayyar hai. tum mithe mein do cheeze, aur russians salad bana do. aur chaii ke sath snakes bhi"

"chaye bhi aur khana bhi?"  woh kamar pe haath rakhe hairat se boli. "itna kuch kis liye? kya itna rishto ka kaal tha, sidra baji ke liye?"

"Ohho aahista bolo."

"Mein kisi se darti thodi hoon? abhi jaq kar muh pe bhi keh sakti hon."

"aur tumhare is kehne pe baatein toh mujhe sunni padti hain mehmil!" woh thakan se halke se boli toh woh khamosh si ho gayi, phir dupatta ki girah kass kar kaam mein lag gayi.

chaii ki trolley usne bahut ehtemaam aur mehnat se sajai thi. Us waqt bhi woh panjo ke ball baithi trolley ke nichle hisse mein plate set kar rahi thi, jab mehtaab taayi kuch kehti hui kitchen mein daakhil hui. sidra unke peeche thi.

"sab tayyar hai?"

"Jii" usne baithe baithe gardan uthai. mehtaab taayi qadre ujlat mein nazar aa rahi thi.

"theek hai sidra! tum yeh le jao. aur mithai kidhar hai? mera khayaal hai, chaii ke baad hi baat pakki kar dete hain, mithai tab tak set kar lena."

"Woh toh rishta mangne aayi hain taayi! baat itni jaldi pakki kar dengi?" woh hairan si haath jhadti khadi hui aur taayi bhi kisi aur mood me thi, so batane lagi.

"haan, toh ab mazeed kya intzaar? ladka itna acha aur khush shakal hai, phir hamare paas koi kami thodi hai? mangni aaraam se mahine do mahine tak karenge. aur shadi saal dhedh saal tak. aisi dhoom dhaam se shadi karun gi sidra ki ke zamana dekhe ga." un ke andaaz se taqabbur ki smell aati thi.‏

aik lamhay ko mehmil ka dil chaha, nafees si ki woh khatoon jo drawing room mein baithi hain, woh sidra ko napasand kar ke chali jaye aur taayi sadme se bemaar hi pad jaye. aakhir khud par ghazib log ache lagte hain? magar shayad idhar toh saare plan ban chuke the.