The Modern Mafia Queen

Raat ke 12 baje chuke the. Islamabad ke ek hospital ki thandi aur sunsaan corridor mein, middle-class family se belong karne wale Azan ke qadam ruk nahi rahe the. Wo bar bar labor room ke band darwaze ki taraf dekhta, jahan us ki mohabbat, us ki biwi Rehana dard se tarap rahi thi. Room ke andar se aane wali Rehana ki chikhain Azan ke dil ko cheer rahi thin. Darwaze ke bahir Azan ke boorhe maa baap bhi tasbih hath mein liye khare the aur un ki ankhon mein bhi fakar aur duaen thin.

Waqt jaise tham sa gaya tha. Dekhte hi dekhte raat ke 3 baj gae, par labor room se na koi doctor bahir aaya aur na hi koi nurse. Corridor ki khamoshi mein sirf Azan ke bhari qadam aur us ki maa ki dabi dabi siskiyan sunai de rahi thin.

Azan ne deewar se sar tika liya aur khuda se gidgida kar dua mangne laga, "Ya Allah, meri Rehana ki hifazat karna... Akhir itni der kyun lag rahi hai?"

Puri raat isi karb aur intezar mein guzar gai. Subha ke thik 6 baje, jab suraj ki pehli kiran khidki se andar aai, labor room ka darwaza khula aur andar se ek masoom, khubsurat rone ki awaz aai. Wo ek aisi awaz thi jis ne bahir khare parivar ke chehron par ek pal mein khushi bikhair di. Azan ke chehre par ek sukoon bhari muskurahat aai, lekin wo is baat se bilkul anjan tha ke is khushi ke peechay ek aisi qayamat chhupi hai jo us ki zindagi hamesha ke liye badalne wali thi.Doctor thake hue qadmon ke sath ek choti si jaan ko kapray mein lapait kar bahir aae.

"Congratulations Azan sahab, beti hui hai aap ke ghar," Doctor ne halki muskurahat ke sath kaha.

Azan ne larzate hathon se apni beti ko apni god mein liya. Us ka naram aur masoom matha chuma. Khushi ke ansu us ki ankhon se tapak rahe the. Par achanak us ka dhyan labor room ke andar gaya. Us ne pareshani mein doctor se poocha, "Doctor sahab... Meri biwi? Rehana kaisi hai? Main us se mil sakta hoon?"

Doctor ki muskurahat achanak gayab ho gai aur un ki ankhon mein ek gehra dukh utar aaya. Unho ne apni nazrein jhuka lin aur bhari awaz mein kaha, "I am so sorry Azan sahab... Aap ki biwi ab is duniya mein nahi rahin."

Azan ka dil jaise dharakna bhool gaya. Us ke hathon mein beti thi, par pairon tale se zameen nikal chuki thi.

"Doctor! Yeh aap kya keh rahe hain?!" Azan chikh utha.

Doctor ne us ke shane par hath rakha aur dukh se kaha, "Hum ne boht koshish ki, lekin is bachay ko janam dete hue jo dard aur takleef unho ne sahi hai, un ka jism use mazeed bardast nahi kar saka. Delivery ke dauran hi un ka intiqal ho gaya."

Yeh sunte hi wahan khare Azan ke maa baap dhang reh gae. Maa ne apne munh par hath rakh liya aur rone lagin. Azan gum-sum khara reh gaya, jaise us ke andar ka sab kuch toot phoot gaya ho. Wo apni beti aur apni biwi ki manat (akhri nishani) ko lekar hospital se ghar aaya.

Ghar aakar sab ne bhari dil se Rehana ki akhri rusoomat ko poora kiya aur us ki rawayat ke mutabik use mitti ke hawale kar diya.

Dafan karne ke baad jab Azan ghar ke khali kamray mein aya, to us ka dil ro raha tha. Rehana ki jagah ab wahan sirf khamoshi thi. Tabi palang par leti hui us ki masoom beti ne rona shuru kar diya. Us ki chikhain kamray mein goonj uthin. Azan ne agay barh kar apni roti hui beti ko apni god mein utha liya, use apne seene se lagaya aur ansu bahate hue kaha:

"Meri beti... Kya hua meri jaan? Mat ro meri bachi..."

Tabi darwaze par khari Azan ki maa andar aai. Un ki ankhon mein apni bahu ka gham aur poti ke liye fakar saaf dikh raha tha. Unho ne dukh bhari nazron se Azan ko dekha aur kaha:

"Beta... Tumhare liye boht mushkil hoga is bachay ko akele palana. Ek mard bina maa ke beti ko kaise pale ga?"

Azan ne apni roti hui beti ko dekha, phir apni maa ki taraf nigaah uthai. Us ki ankhon mein ab gham ke sath sath ek ajeeb sa irada aur sakhti aa chuki thi...

Azan ne apni roti hui beti ko seene se lagaya aur us ki ankhon mein ansuon ki jagah ek ajeeb sa junoon chamka. Us ne apni maa ki taraf dekha aur boht hi pakkay irade ke sath kaha:

"Maa, aap bilkul fikr mat karo. Main apni beti ko aise paalo ga ke yeh poori duniya dekhegi. Yeh mere liye sirf meri beti nahi... Yeh mere jigar ka 'Sher' hai!"

Tabi paas khare Azan ke baap ne thandi aah bhari aur shafqat se bete ke kandhe par hath rakh kar bola, "Par beta, maa to bachon ko baap ke bina paal leti hai, lekin ek baap ke liye maa ke bina bacha paalna boht mushkil hota hai. Aur phir yeh to beti hai..."

"Bhai! Aap akele nahi hain, aap fikr mat karein. Main aap ke sath hoon. Hum dono mil kar apni is gudiya ko palein ge," kamray ke darwaze se ek aahista lekin pur-azm awaz aai. Yeh Rehana ki choti bahen Tahreem thi. Tahreem ki ankhon mein ansu the, lekin wo is masoom bachi mein apni marhooma bahen Rehana ki jhalak dekh rahi thi.

Azan ne Tahreem ki taraf dekha aur us ka hosla barh gaya. Lekin us waqt koi nahi janta tha ke Azan is bachi ko sirf paale ga nahi, balki use is bereham duniya ke sath larne aur chalne ka wo tarika sikhaye ga jo koi baap apni beti ko nahi sikhata.

Kuch din guzar gae. Ek shaam Azan ne apni beti ka naam socha aur sab ke samne aakar bola, "Main ne apni beti ka naam 'Anaya' rakha hai."Sab ke chehron par muskurahat aa gai. Maa baap aur Tahreem ne ek sath kaha, "Boht hi pyara naam hai... Anaya." Lekin us waqt koi nahi janta tha ke waqt ne kismat ke pannon par is masoom naam ke agay kya likh kar rakkha hai, aur aane wale kal mein kya bhonchal aane wala tha.

Waqt tezi se guzarta gaya. Din hafton mein aur hafte saalon mein badalte gae. Anaya ab 5 saal ki ho chuki thi. In saalon mein zindagi ne boht se rang badle the. Rehana ke jaane ke kuch saal baad hi Azan ke boorhe maa baap bhi ek ek kar ke is duniya se rukhsat ho gae the. Un ke jaane se pehle, unho ne Tahreem ka nikah Azan se kar diya tha, taake Tahreem apni bahen ke bachay ko maa ki kami mehsoos na hone de aur is ghar ko sambhale.

Tahreem ne is rishte ko poore dil se nibhaya tha. Wo Anaya se apni jaan se barh kar pyar karti thi. Lekin Azan ne aaj tak kabhi bhi Tahreem ko apni zindagi mein Rehana wala makam nahi diya tha, wo use sirf apni beti ki parwarish mein ek saathi manta tha. Tahreem is baat se waqif thi, par wo phir bhi is rishte mein khush thi. Anaya apni khala yaani Tahreem ko 'Maa' nahi balki piyar se 'Maso' kehti thi.

Ek shaam, Azan factory se kam kar ke ghar lauta to us ke chehre par ek alag hi khushi thi. Wo andar aaya aur zor se bola, "Tahreem! Anaya! Jaldi se tayari shuru karo!"

Tahreem kitchen se bahir aai aur hairani se poocha, "Kyun, kya baat hai Azan? Kahan ki tayari?"

Azan ne muskurate hue ek letter Tahreem ke hath mein thamaya aur kaha, "Mujhe Singapore se offer letter aaya hai! Hum sab Singapore ja rahe hain. Meri factory walon ne mujhe wahan shift kar diya hai. Aur Monday ki shaam ko hamari flight hai!"

Tahreem ki ankhein hairat se phat gaein, "Monday ki shaam? Matlab... hum? Matlab aap akele ja rahe hain?"

Azan ne muskurate hue Anaya ko god mein uthaya aur kaha, "Nahi, main akela nahi ja raha. Main apni poori family, matlab Anaya aur tumhein apne sath le kar ja raha hoon. Hum sab wahan sath rahein ge."

Yeh sun kar Tahreem ke chehre par khushi ki lehar daur gai aur Anaya bhi khushi se uchal parhi, "Hurrah! Hum Singapore ja rahe hain!"

Monday ki shaam aane mein sirf do din baqi the. Tahreem aur Azan ne mil kar din raat ek kar diye. Ghar ka zaroori saman pack kiya gaya aur safar ki poori tayari mukammal kar li gai. Akhir Monday ki wo shaam aa hi gai jab un ki flight thi.

Azan ne aakhri baar apne us purane ghar ko dekha jahan us ne apni zindagi ke sab se bade dukh aur khushiyan dekhi thin. Us ne bhari dil se ghar ke darwaze ko lock kiya aur wo sab airport ki taraf rawan ho gae.

Airport pahunch kar unho ne apni boarding clear ki aur luggage jama karwaya. Jab un ka international flight ka announcement hua, to wo teeno musafir pakkay irade ke sath Singapore ke liye flight mein sawar ho gae.

Kayi ghanton ke lambe safar ke baad, jab plane Singapore ke chaktawndh kar dene wale airport par land hua, to bahir nikalte hi wo sab wahan ki modern duniya, aakash-chooti imaratein aur us anjan, chamakdar shehar ko dekh kar dhang reh gae. Anaya ne apne baap ka hath zor se pakar liya, jabki Azan ki ankhon mein is naye shehar ko fatah karne ka ek naya khwab tha...