man-o-salwa by Umera Ahmed

part 30

"Haan koi farq nahi padta, bas yeh ho ga ke agar gali mein Shiraz se mulaqat ho gayi to woh be-had naaraaz ho ga. Tumhe pata hai na usay tumhara is tarah ka haliya kitna bura lagta hai?" Rabi'ah ne jaise usay khabardar kiya.

"Kuch nahi hota aur waise bhi Shiraz is waqt kahaan gali mein mil sakte hain." Zainab ne laaparwahi se kaha aur kamre mein ghus gayi. Rabi'ah ne is baar usay kuch nahi kaha.

Woh das minute baad kamre se nikli. Rabi'ah ne muskurate hue usay dekha. Usne kapde tabdeel kar ke baal sanwaar liye the. Rabi'ah ne be-ikhteyar apni muskurahat chhupai.

☆☆☆

"Aap mujhe joota mat pehnayein, main khud pehn loongi." Salesman ne uske paon mein joota pehnane ki koshish ki to Zainab ne jaise karnt kha kar apna paon peeche kiya.

"Aapko ek baar kahi hui baat samajh mein nahi aati, main ne aap se kitni baar kaha hai mere paon ko haath mat lagaayiye, main khud pehn loongi."

Usne ghusse se surkh hote hue ek baar phir apna paon be-had taish ke aalam mein peeche kiya. Salesman ne uske rokne ke bawajood ek baar phir dhitayi ke saath usay joota pehnane ki koshish ki thi aur Zainab be-had bharam ho gayi thi. Is baar uski awaaz qadri buland aur talkhi thi aur salesman uski tawaqqo nahi kar raha tha, woh harbada kar khada ho gaya.

"Kya hai Zainab! Kya ho gaya hai? Joota hi to pehnara tha, bechara." Uske saath baithi Jameela ne usay kohni se halka sa tehoka dete hue kaha.

"Main ne kab kaha hai ke mujhe joota pehnaayein, jab mana kiya hai to." Zainab ne ghusse mein baat mukammal karne ke bajaye paon jo main pehna hua tha woh jhatke se utaar diya.

Uska mood ek dum be-had kharab ho gaya tha, woh joota bilkul aisa nahi tha jese pehnay ke liye kisi ki madad ki zarurat padti, aur Zainab hamesha is mamlay mein zaroorat se zyada mohtat thi, koi bhi joota try karne se pehle hi woh dukan-daar ya salesman se keh diya karti thi ke woh joota khud pehnegii, usay madad ki zarurat nahi hai. Woh Jameela ke israr par jooton ki is chhoti si dukaan par aayi thi. Aur woh dukan mein daakhil hote hi Zainab ko salesman aur dukan-daar dono ke andaaz aur nazron se be-ikhteyar wahshat hui thi. Woh apne aadhe chehre ko chadar se chhupaaye hue thi. Woh iske bawajood unhein ik tak dekh rahe the. Unke baat karne ka andaaz bhi zaroorat se zyada be-takallufana tha. Jameela saath na hoti to Zainab ek minute ke liye is dukan mein na baithi hoti, lekin...

Jameela bara aaram ke saath dukan daar aur sales man se gup shup mein masroof ho kar jootay nikalwane lagi thi. Jooton ke joray pasand karne aur bhao tao karne ke dauran, dukan daar aur Jameela ke darmiyan be-takallufi kaam ho chuka the ke woh dono aik doosray par ma'ni khayz andaaz mein jumlay kis rahe thay aur sales man is dauran usay joota dikhane ki koshish kar raha tha.

Jameela ke israr par usne aik joota niklawaya aur joota niklawate hi sales man do toke andaaz mein bata diya ke usay joota pehnay ke liye kisi madad ki zarurat nahi. Is ke bawajood sales man ne joota nikaal kar uske paon ke paas rakhtay hi jaan boojh kar uske paon ko chhua. Zainab ne apna paon ikhtiyar peeche kheenchte hue usay aik baar phir mana kiya. Woh farsh par baithay baithay kuch peeche hat gaya. Magar jaise hi Zainab ne jootay pehnay ke liye uska strap oopar karne ke liye neeche jhuki, sales man ne danisti tor par aik baar phir us haath par apna haath rakhte hue strap oopar karne ki koshish ki aur Zainab ke liye ab mamla bardasht se ho chuka tha. Usay chhoti chhoti baaton par gussa nahi aata tha, lekin jab gussa aata to phir usay bardasht karna mushkil ho jata.

"Kya hua Baaji? Aap to naaraaz ho gayi hain?" Usne joota paon se jhatakte hue aur uth kar khada ho gaya.

"Bas kaafi jootay le liye hain. Ab aage kisi dukan par dekh lena," us ne be-had sakhti se Jameela se kaha, jo dukan daar ke saath ab teesray jootay ke liye bhao tao kar rahi thi.