**”MashaAllah! Rang to bohot gehra aaya hai!”** Zunaira ne uske henai haathon ko dekhte hue shararaton se kaha.
Woh riwayati dulhan to nahi bani thi, magar aaj bhabhi ne uske haathon pe mehndi lagwa di thi aur jooron mein se sabse acha joda nikaal kar diya.
Jabhi to Sultana kehne lagi:
**”Sach hai bhai, dulhaniya to badi muqaddar wali hai jo itni chahne wali bhabhi mili hai. Wagarna aaj kal ki bahu betiyon ke mizaj hi nahi milte. Yeh joda jo abhi Sidra ne pehna hua hai na, Fakhira ne poore pandrah hazaar mein kharida hai.”**
Aapa Sultana ne apni behan ki darya dili ke qisse sunaye. Sidra ki shaadi karwane ka credit bhi aapa ko hi jata tha.
Kuch hi der baad dulha raja aaye aur bina band baajon ke dulhaniya ko byaah kar le gaye.
Rukhsati ke waqt jo log uske saath dhoadein maar maar kar ro rahe the, unmein uski do betiyan bhi shamil thi. Magar aaj, phir se bhai ki dehleez se bahar qadam rakhte hi, woh ek no-aamoz bachi ban gayi.
Anjaani jagah, anjaan log—woh khauf se tharthar kaanp rahi thi. Barasti baarish uski fikron ko aur barhane lagi:
**”Baarish kitni tez ho rahi hai! Khuda jaane unka kya haal hoga?”**
Benish aur Mubarra ka khayal aate hi uski aankhein nam ho gayin.
**”Kaash! Main ek talaq yafta na hoti to aaj mere bachay mere paas hote.”**
Usay sab yaad aane laga—sabiq shohar ka narawa salook, betiyon ko lekar bhai ki dehleez pe aana, bhabhi ka zabardasti doosri shaadi karwana… saare manzar ek film ki tarah samne ghoomne lage.
Woh apni bebasi pe hont kaatne lagi, aankhon mein aansuon ka samundar tha.
**”Assalamu Alaikum!”**
Mardana awaaz uski sama’aton se takraayi to woh aansu ponchti hui khud mein simat gayi.
Aur uska jhuka sar tab utha jab uski sama’aton se yeh alfaaz takraaye:
**”Itna sharmaane ya drama karne ki zaroorat nahi hai. Shaadi shuda reh chuki ho… balki talaq yafta ho!”**
Usne zaroori samjha ke usay uski *auqaat* yaad dilaye.
Amma ne jo kaha tha:
**”Pehle din hi isay uski auqaat pe rakhna, phir sari zindagi sar nahi uthayegi. Wagarna yeh bhagodi auratein kisi ki sagi nahi hoti. Sab kuch chhod chhaad kar bhaag jati hain. Dekhna kaise zalim maa hai apne sukh ke liye bachay chhod aayi.”**
Hameed ke kaanon mein yeh alfaaz goonjay to usne taftishi nigah se dekha.
Halka gulabi chiffon ka suit, henai haath, jhuka sar, masoom sa chehra—sab kuch uske dil ko lubhane laga.
**”Chhod yaar! Yeh waqt hai amma ki baatein yaad karne ka?”**
Usne sar jhatka, aur mauqe ki nazakat dekhte hue, Sidra ke kapkapate haathon ko apni giraft mein le liya.
Dono ki nazrein mili… aur muskara di.
Palak jhapakte hi dono ek dusre se mohabbat kar baithe.
—
**”Yeh ise neend aa gayi thi bachon ke bagair?”**
Lubna ne Sajid ke kaan mein sarghoshi ki to woh dastarkhwan pe naye-naweli jodi ko dekh kar reh gaya.
**”Waise yaar, farigh kitni hai?”** Sajid ne biwi ka hum-khayal hote hue kaha.
**”Badi himmat wali hai, bara hosla hai is larki ka. Main to apne Guddu ki ek din ki judai bhi bardasht na karoon aur yeh mohtarma do bachay chhod kar aa gayi…!”**
**”Lubna! Aaj aalu gosht bana lena!”**
Saas amma ne Lubna ko mukhatib kiya.
**”Ji!”**
Madhum sa jawab baramad hua.
**”Mama! Aaj main school bees rupay le kar jaunga!”**
Saat saal ka Guddu bol utha.
Sajid ne usay godh mein utha liya.
**”Acha pehle yeh batao, bees rupay ka kya karoge?”**
Baap ne beta ka munh chuma.
**”Ek Koko Mo loonga, ek saadi slanty… aur das rupay ki Lays!”**
Tamam log muskara diye, magar Sidra, Benish aur Mubarra ka soch kar afsurdah ho gayi.
Uska dil dukh se bhar gaya, aankhein nam ho gayin, aur woh besakhta munh chhupa kar ro di.
Woh dastarkhwan chhod kar kamre ki taraf bhaagna chahti thi, magar Hameed ne mazbooti se uski kalayi thaami aur usey wahi baithne ka hukum diya.
**”Chachi kyun ro rahi hain?”** Guddu hairan hua.
**”Yeh hai hi manhoos aurat!”**
Amma ki awaaz phir se goonj gayi.
**”Is liye to pehle shohar ke saath na reh saki. Yeh ghar basane wali aurat nahi hai. Jo do bachay chhod kar aa gayi, woh dus bachay bhi chhod kar bhaag jayegi. Iski lagaam kas kar rakhna!”**
Hameed ne lab bheench liye.
**”Chalo aao tumhe aaj bahar ki sair karwa kar laun!”**
Usne Sidra ke kandhe pe haath rakha.
**”Tum ghar ki safai kar lo, yeh bartan samet lo, phir chalte hain bahar!”**
**”Ji!”**
Woh sar jhuka kar boli.
**”Wah beta wah! Paas baithi boorhi maa nazar nahi aayi tumhe, aur kal ki biyahi ko lekar nikal gaye?”**
Amma ne baramala gusse ka izhar kiya.
**”Amma! Main ab bacha nahi raha, shaadi shuda hoon, do bachon ka baap hoon. Mujhe meri biwi aur bachon ke haq poore karne dein!”**
**”Kya… kya… kaun… si biwi aur kaun se bachay?”**
Amma ke saath saath sab log shashdar reh gaye.
**”Sidra meri biwi hai. Aur Sidra ke bachay mere bachay hain! Main aaj hi bachon ko Sidra ke paas le aunga!”**
Hameed ke alfaaz sun kar sab ko saanp soongh gaya.
Woh aahista se chal kar maa ke ghutne se ja laga.
**”Amma! Aaj mujhe pata chala Allah ne mujhe Mariya se aulad kyun nahi di thi? Kyun woh waqt se pehle duniya chhod gayi? Kyunki Allah chahta tha main Sidra ke bachon ka baap banu. Sidra ka sahara banu. Mujhe yaad hai, Mariya aur main kaise aulad ke liye dar dar bhatak rahe the.”**
Hameed ne aansu chhupane ke liye aankhein band kar lein.
**”Ab Allah mujhe aulad ki naimat de raha hai, to main kyun inkaar karun? Kyun na is naimat se faida uthaaun? Khud chal kar mere ghar rehmat aaye aur main usey thukra du? Main aisa bewakoof harگز nahi hoon!”**
**”Aur haan, agar kisi ko mere faisle se aitraaz hai, to main Sidra aur apni bachiyon ko lekar alag ghar shift ho jaunga!”**
Sab ne danoton tale ungli dabaa li.
**”Jab miya-biwi raazi, to kya karega qazi!”**
Hameed ke faisle ke aage koi sar na uthaa saka.
**”Pata nahi maine kaunsi neki ki thi ke mujhe aap mil gaye!”**
Sidra Hameed ke qadmon pe jhuki.
**”Tumhari jagah mere qadmon mein nahi, mere dil mein hai.”**
Hameed ne muskara kar kaha.
**”Aur main wada karta hoon, main tumhara aur hamari betiyon ka muhafiz banu ga!”**
Kamre mein chain ki neend soti Benish aur Mubarra ko dekh kar Hameed bola, to Sidra ne sukoon se apna sar apne mehboob shohar ke seene se tikka diya.
Yehin thi uski **”Kunj Aabgeen”**.
