Jab main ghar mein daakhil hua toh dekha, biwi baithi ro rahi hai.
“Kya hua?” Maine poocha.
“Yeh aankhein kyun laal kar rakhi hain? Sab khairiyat toh hai na?”
“Aj us kamine ne, biwi ke kehne pe us budhiya ko phir maara hai,” woh hichkiyon se rone lagi.
“Tumhein kya? Woh uski maa hai, tumhari nahi. Aur phir budhiya zubaan chalati hogi, bahu ke maamlat mein dakhal deti hogi,” maine uska gham ghalat karne ke liye kaha.
“Zubaan chalati hogi? Maamlat mein dakhal deti hogi? Aapko kuch pata bhi hai? Us bechari ko faalij hai, uthne baithne ke liye sahaare ki mohtaj hai, atak atak ke apni baat poori karti hai,” biwi ne talkhi se jawab diya.
“Pehle tumne kabhi bataya nahi ki usko faalij hai,” maine anjaan bante hue kaha.
“Hazaar dafa toh bataya hai, magar aapko kapdon ke ilawa kuch yaad rahe na!” Biwi boli.
“Achha chhodo, hum kar bhi kya sakte hain?” Maine mawzu badalne ki koshish ki.
“Mera dil karta hai ki budhiya ko apne ghar le aaoon kuch dino ke liye,” meri biwi ne kaha.
“Kya? Kya kaha? Pagal ho gayi ho? Parai museebat apne gale daalogi?” Mujhe uski soch pe gussa aa gaya.
“Sirf hafte bhar ke liye…” Usne mere gusse ko nazarandaz karte hue kaha. Shayad woh pehle se hi sab plan bana ke baithi thi.
“Nahi, nahi! Yeh namumkin hai. Aur phir woh kyun dene laga apni maa humein?” Maine kaha.
“Uski biwi kayi martaba keh chuki hai ki budhiya kahin dafa toh ho nahi sakti, kutte ki si jaan hai, marti bhi nahi,” biwi ne kaha.
“Achha, yeh kehti hai woh?” Maine biwi ka dil rakhne ke liye kaha.
“Bas ab aap maan jao aur usko apne ghar le aao,” yeh kehte hue woh mere pehlu mein aa baithi. Aur yeh hi uska khatarnak hamla hota hai, apni baat manwane ka…
“Achha ji, ab is budhiya ko ghar lane ki zimmedari bhi mujh par daal rahi ho? Aur yeh toh socho ki tum usko sambhal bhi logi?” Maine kaha.
“Apne bachay toh hain nahi, main bhi ghar mein sawaay TV dekhne ke aur kya karti hoon? Chalo, woh aa jayegi toh mera dil bhi behla rahega,” usne udaasi se kaha.
Humari shaadi ko das saal ho gaye thay, magar aulaad se mehroomi thi. Maine socha—chalo baat karke dekhne mein harj nahi hai. Kaunsa woh apni maa humein dene pe raazi ho jayega…
“Agar raazi ho gaya toh?” Maine socha.
Phir bhi sirf ek hafte ki hi toh baat hai…
“Agar baad mein apne hi gale pad gayi toh?” Achanak mujhe khayal aaya.
“Agar woh budhiya mustaqil gale pad gayi toh?” Maine apne khadshat ka izhar biwi se kiya.
“Yeh toh aur achhi baat hai!” Usne khushi se kaha.
“Sach kehte hain… Aurat bewakoof hoti hai,” maine dil mein socha.
Agle din shaam ko, kaafi soch bichar ke baad, main unke ghar gaya…
Kuch baat karne ke bahaane drawing room mein baitha. Usne jhoote moonh bhi chai ka nahi poocha toh maine apne plan ke mutabiq usse kaha, “Meri biwi faalij ka ilaaj Quran Pak se karna jaanti hai, aur woh aapki walida ka ilaaj karna chahti hai.”
Yeh sunkar usne kisi khushi ka izhar na kiya, toh maine baat jari rakhi, “Isme masla yeh hai ki aapki walida ko hafta bhar hamare hi ghar rehna hoga. Aap fikar na karein, hum unka achhe se khayal rakhenge.”
Yeh sunkar uske chehre pe sharmindagi aur khushi ke mile jhule asraat peda hue.
Thodi si behas ke baad usne ijaazat de di.
Maine uthte hue kaha, “Ilaaj mein pandrah bees din bhi lag sakte hain.”
Is par usne aur bhi zyada khushi mehsoos ki.
Kehne laga, “Saleem sahib, main toh chahta hoon meri maa theek ho jaye, bhale mahina lag jaye.”
Aur yun, is tarah, amma mustaqil hamari hi ho ke reh gayin.
Agle din woh budhiya hamare ghar muntaqil ho gayi. Bas woh budhiya kya thi… safed roi ka galla si thi… Noor ka ek dher sa tha… Laagar si, kamzor si… Jaise zamane bhar ke gham uske noorani jhuriyon bhare chehre pe tehre the…
Meri biwi toh tan, man, dhan se uski seva mein jut gayi. Uske liye har cheez nai kharidi gayi—bistar, kambal, chadrein, kapde…
Achi ghiza aur dekhbhaal se amma ke chehre pe roonak aane lagi. Pata hi na chala, mahina guzar gaya.
Pehle uski bahu har do din baad aati rahi. Phir char din ka waqfa hua, phir hafta hone laga. Amma ko wapas le jaane ki baat na usne ki, na humne.
Doosre mahine mein woh ek hi dafa aayi, ghar ki masroofiyat ka rona roti rahi. Teesre mahine ke baad usne aana band kar diya.
Maine biwi se keh diya, “Ab amma tumhari zimmedari ban gayi hai, ab tum sambhalo.”
Biwi ne khushi ka izhar kiya.
Yeh ghaliban saatwa mahina tha ki us aadmi ko uski biwi ne qatal kar diya aur baad mein woh khud bhi pakdi gayi.
Aur yun, amma sirf hamari hi ho ke reh gayin.
Jis tarah amma ki taqat waapis aa rahi thi, chehre pe roonak aur muskaan badhti ja rahi thi, waise waise mera karobar traqqi karne laga aise lagne laga tha k mujh pe dhan barasne laga ho saal bhar me meri 3 dukane hochuki thi Teesre saal, hum teeno—main, biwi aur amma—Hajj ki sa’adat hasil ki.
Gulistan-e-Johar mein paanch sau gaz ka bangla khareed kar wahan shift ho gaye.
Amma hamare saath saat saal rahi. Har pal unka humein duaein dete guzarta.
Aur hum miyan biwi, khushi se phule na samate.
Ek ajeeb karamat ye hui ke amma ki barkat aur duaon se, Allah ne mujhe aulaad se nawaza!
Aaj woh hamare darmiyan nahi, magar unki kami shiddat se mehsoos hoti hai.
Jaise koi apna kahin kho gaya ho.
Humne bhi kabhi unse unka naam tak na poocha.
Bas unse ek khalis mohabbat ka rishta tha…
Pichle dino, meri biwi bohot khush thi.
Vajah poochhi toh kehne lagi,
“Maine ek khwab dekha hai!”
“Kaisa khwab?”
Maine poocha.
“Main ne dekha, ke Mahshar ka din hai…”
(aur woh pura khwab bayan karti rahi…)
Maine suna, phir hansa,
“Mubarak ho, bohot acha khwab hai! Magar tumhein mera khayal na aaya?”
“Kasam se, main itni pareshan thi…”
“Chalo, khair, humein bhi koi na koi mil hi jaayega jo Pul Sirat paar kara dega.”
“Ameen!”
Biwi ne dil ki gehraiyon se kaha.
Aur phir…
Maine use ye nahi bataya ke aisa hi khwab main bhi dekh chuka hoon!
Bas farq sirf itna tha…
Amma ne mera haath pakadte waqt kaha tha—
“Chalo, tumhein Muneera ke paas le chalu, woh Pul Sirat ke paar, tumhara intezar kar rahi hai…!”
