Media, reporters, flash lights, logon ka hujoom.
Mustafa hassan ke aas paas ek qayamat machi hui thi. Dusri jaanib maujood wajid ab airport ki jaanib daud raha tha. Azlan aur mariya ke mulk chodne ki italla milne per wo har emergency per la'nat bhejta yahan chala aaya tha. Lekin usne der kar di thi. Mariya aur azlan ko gaye hue kayi ghante ho chuke the. Usne wahin khade khade apne baal noch liye the. Wo apne plans mein itna masroof tha ke use andaza hi na ho saka ke mariya ne uski tabahi ka saamaan kar liya hai.
Mustafa hassan ne apne secretary ko aankh se ishara kiya toh kayi bodyguards ne reporters ke jame ghafir ko pare dhakela. Wo apne siyasi amle ke saath office ki jaanib badh aaya tha. Phir darwaze ke bahar theher kar un sab ko ishara kiya toh wo chut gaye. Wo us waqt tanha rehna chahta tha. Use kuch sochna tha us saare mess se nikalne ke liye. Aur tanhai se behtar filhaal uske paas koi raasta nahi tha.
Wo ander aa kar apni jhulti kursi per birajman ho gaya. Chand pal sar kursi ki pusht se tikaye wo gehri soch mein gharq raha. Yakayak phone baja toh usne haath aage badha kar utha liya.
"Aslam. Mujhe kisi se nahi milna filhaal." Lekin phir wo dusri jaanib ki baat se sun kar chup sa hogaya tha. Saath hi gehra saans liya aur phir sar hilaya.
"Bhej do ander."
Kuch pal baad kisi ke kadmon ki chaap sunayi di. Mutawazun aur thehri hui chaal. Office ka darwaza halka sa baja aur phir koi ander dakhil hua. Usne lamhe bhar ko sar utha kar dekha tha. Saamne haneefa aistadah the. Unka chehra had darja safed tha. Aankhon mein Zakhmi sa taasur liye wo use hi dekh rahe the. Mustafa ne kursi se tek laga kar ek pal ke liye tie ki greh dheeli ki thi. Chehre per halka sa izteraab (restlessness) bhi tha jise wo zabt kiye baitha tha. Uske andaaz ka azali (timeless) sukoon khaasa mutazalzil (shaken) lagta tha.
"Aao haneefa. Bohot der kar di tum ne aate aate." Usne saath hi kisi ache mezbaan ki tarah saamne maujood kursi ki jaanib ishara kiya tha. Haneefa usi Khamoshi se aage badh aaye. Lekin wo baithe nahi. Wo yahan baithe nahi aaye the.
"Kya meri beti tumhari beti nahi thi, mustafa? Kya hum kisi waqt mein dost nahi the?"
Unki awaaz mein zakhm sa tha. Wo unhein chehra uthaya chand pal dekhta raha. Unhein dobara baithne ko kaha tak nahi.
"Wo meri beti nahi thi, haneefa. Wo mere raqeeb (competitor) ki beti thi. Wo meri beti kaise ho sakti thi? Kya tum bhool gaye ke shagufta ne mujhe dhutkaar kar tum se shadi ki thi. Kya tumhein lagta hai ke mein dushmaniyan bhool jaane wala insaan hun?"
"Hum kabhi dost the!" Unhone aage badh kar gusse se dono haath table per rakhe the. Mustafa mutaasir hue bagair use dekh raha tha.
"Hum dost the, haneefa. Hum dost hain nahi!"
"Acha nahi kiya tum ne mere saath. Tum ne apne dil ki purani khalish ka badla meri beqasoor beti se liya hai. Bajaye iske ke tum apne pagal bete ko aise kisi bhi kaam se baaz rakhte. Tum ne uski madad ki. Tum ne use aise ghunawne kaam per ubhara. Tum ne uski tashih nahi ki. Tum is jurm mein barabar ke shareek ho."
"Tum court mein kuch saabit nahi kar sakte!"
"Ye waqt batayega. Mein tumhe har adalat mein ghaseetunga. Aisi ghatiya saakh ke baad log tumhe ya tumhare bete ko vote dene se bhi khaufzada honge. Tumhari siyasi career khatam ho chuka hai, mustafa hassan. Aur mein is baat ko yakeeni banaunga ke tumhara beta aur tum. Aindah kisi ladki ki zindagi ko jahannum nahi banao."
Wo agle hi pal palte aur tezi se bahar nikalte chale gaye. Mustafa hassan ne lamhe bhar ko band hote darwaze ki jaanib dekha aur phir gehra saans liya. Use yaklaqt hi kasafat si mehsoos hone lagi thi. Office ki buland o baala imarat ke bahar gaadiyan, reporters aur kayi log maujood the. Ajeeb afra tafri si thi har jaanib. Unhi gaadiyon ke darmyan police ki gaadiyon ka siren bhi bajne laga tha.
