man-o-salwa by Umera Ahmed

part 31

Chehre par chhayi sanjeedgi ko dekh kar woh yak dam phir sanjeeda ho gaya.

"Bewaqoof hai woh... main Abu se kahunga, woh ja kar Naeem ko samjhaain."

Zainab ne koi jawab nahi diya, woh chup baithi rahi. Chand lamhe pehle chha jaane wali sarshari fir yak dam ek baar phir kahin gayab ho gayi thi.

"Kam az kam ab is tarah munh bana kar to mat baitho ke mujhe lage tumhe mere aane ki koi khushi nahi hai," Shiraz ne be-sakhta kaha.

Zaini ne chonk kar usay dekha. "Aap ko lagta hai, mujhe aap ke aane se koi khushi nahi hui?"

"Tumhare chehre ko dekh kar to aisa hi lagta hai."

Shiraz sanjeeda ho gaya. "Main to soch raha tha tum bohot khush hogi, hansogi, baatein karogi lekin tum bas chup baithi ho," us ne gila kiya.

Us se pehle ke Zaini kuch kehti, Rabia chai ki tray lekar sehan mein aa gayi.

"Aap ko pata to hai Shiraz bhai! Yeh to iski shuru se aadat hai. Majaal hai is mein koi tabdeeli aa jaye," us ne Shiraz ki baat sun li thi.

"Bohot buri aadat hai aur Zaini ko pata hai mujhe yeh aadat pasand nahi hai," Shiraz ne Zaini ko dekhtay hue jatanay wale andaz mein kaha. Rabia kuch kehne ke bajaye tray rakh kar chali gayi.

Zaini ne Shiraz ko plate thamai. "Khaala kaisi hain?" us ne Shiraz se Naseem ke baare mein poocha.

"Ammi theek hain. Woh bhi tumhare baare mein pooch rahi thi," Shiraz ne ek samosa apni plate mein nikalte hue kaha.

"Main kal aaungi," woh Shiraz ki plate ke ek taraf chutney dalte hue boli. "Aur Nafisa khaala nazar nahi aa rahi hain?" Shiraz ko kaafi dair baad Nafisa ka khayal aaya.

"Woh andar hain. Namaz parh rahi hain, abhi aa jaati hain," Zaini ne chai ka cup uske aage rakhte hue kaha.

"Arey, maine tumhe bataya ke Abu bahal ho gaye hain?" Shiraz ne yakdam kaha. Zaini ne chonk kar usay dekha phir be-sakhta muskuraayi.

"Kab?" us ne be-had garmjoshi se poocha.

"Kal."

"Allah ka shukar hai, main to bohot duaain kar..." woh baat karte karte be-ikhtiyar ruki. Use yaad aaya...

Pichhli baar aisi hi kisi baat par naraz hua tha. Shiraz ne is baar aisa koi rad-e-amal zahir nahi kiya.

"Dua ke saath dawa bhi zaruri hoti hai, Zaini! Chacha ke afsar ne sifarish ki hai Abu ke mehakme mein, warna kya khaali duaon se bahal ho jaate. Arey, tum bhi to samosa lo na, main tumhare liye laya tha." Shiraz ko baat karte hue yakdam khayal aaya.

"Main le rahi hoon, jo bhi hai, bas shukar hai ke Taya Abu ka masla to hal ho gaya. Khaala bhi itni pareshaan thi," Zaini ne doosri plate uthate hue kaha.

Woh ab Shiraz ke achhe mood ki wajah ko aasani se samajh sakti thi. Usne apne kandhon se yakdam jaise kuch bojh halka hota mehsoos kiya tha kyunke Shiraz ke kandhon se ek bara bojh khatam ho gaya tha.

Bohat dino ke baad is waqt Shiraz ke paas baithe chai peete hue usne bohot saari baatein keen aur bohat dino ke baad kisi baat par hansi. Khud usne Shiraz ko bhi interview ke baad aaj pehli baar itna pursukoon aur mutmaeen dekha tha.

☆☆☆

Woh is waqt sehan mein bachon ko tuition padha rahi thi, jab darwaze par kisi ne dastak di.

"Farooq! Jao ja kar darwaza kholo," Zaini ne ek bache ki copy check karte hue use kaha. Bache ne ja kar darwaza khol diya. Zaini ne copy ka safha palat te hue darwaze ki taraf dekha aur phir se current kha kar apni jagah se uth khadi hui. Zahra apni chhoti bachi ko god mein liye sehan ke darwaze se andar aayi thi.