Chapter 1.1
Laptop takiye pe rakha hua tha aur wo uske samne kohniyo ke bal ondhi leti thi. Screen ki roshni uske chehre ko chamka rahi thi. Wo thodi tale hatheli rakhe dusre haath ki ungli laptop ke touchpad par pher rahi thi.
Lambe, seedhe, siyah baal piche kamar pe pare the. Uski ankhen bhi waise hi thi. Siyah, bari bari mughlayi ankhein, jis mein chandni ki si chamak rahi thi aur chehra to malayi ka bana lagta tha. Safed, malaym aur chamakdaar.
Wo ussi magan andaaz mein screen par nigahein markooz kiye, touchpad pe ungli pher rahi thi. Ek click ke baad agla safah khula to ek dam uski mutarrikh ungli thaher gayi. Screen pe jami ankhon mein zara sa tafaqur ubhra aur phir be-chaini. Usne jaldi jaldi do, teen button dabaye.
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Agle safeh ke load hone ka intezar karte huw ussi muztarab andaaz mein usne ungli se chehre ke dayen taraf phisalti latein piche ki.
Chand second baad safah load ho gaya tha. Wo bechaini se chehra screen ke kareeb layi to sikly baalon ki chand latein phir se shane pe phisal kar agey ko giri.
Jaise jaise wo parti gayi, uski siyah ankhein hairat se phelti gayi. Lab zara se khul gaye aur pura wajood be-yaqeeni mein doob gaya. Dher saare lamhe lage the, usko khud ko yaqeen dilane mein ke jo wo par rahi hi, bilkul sach hai, aur jaise hi uske zehan ne yaqeen ki dharti ko chua, wo ek jhatke se uth bethi.
Uska cell phone side table pe rakha tha. Usne haath bharha kar cell uthaya or chaldi chaldi koi number milane lagi. Raat ki muqaddas khamoshi mein buttanon ki awaz ne zara sa artash peda kiya tha.
"Hello Zara?" Shayad rabta mil gaya tha, tabhi wo dabe dabe josh se chehki. "Kaisi ho? So to nahi gayi thi? Haya bol rahi hoon."
Dusri taraf se uski dost kuch keh rahi thi. Wo lamhe ko sunnein ke liye ruki, phir dheere se hans di.
"Saari baatein choro Zara! Mere paas jo bari khaba hai, wo suno." Ab wo adatan siyah baalon ki ek moti latt ungli pe lapetti keh rahi thi. "Aur tum yaqeen nahi karo gi, mein janti hoon."
"Arey nahi, Daud bhai ki shaadi ke mutaliq nahi hai." Dusri janib Zara ne kuch kaha to usne foran tardi ki. "Balke yun kar, tum guess karo mein tumhe kya batane wali hoon."
Usne ek haath se laptop pare kiya aur takiya nikal kar bed crown ke saath seedha lagaya, phir usse teik laga kar paun seedhe kar liye. Saath saath wo nafi mein sar hilati Zara ke kahe andazon ki tardi bhi karti ja rahi thi.
"Nahi, bilkul nahi."
"Aisa to hai hi nahi."
"Arey meri shaadi wagera nahi ho rahi."
"Jee nahi, Iram ki bhi nahi ho rahi."
"Seriously Zara! Tumhari soch bas yahin tak hai. Ab kaan khol kar suno! Tumhe wo Erasmus Mundus Exchange Programme yaad hai, jiske liye humne apply kiya tha? Can you believe it! Ke mujhe European Union ne scholarship ke liye select kiya hai?"
Dusri janib Zara itni zor se cheekhi k mobile ka speaker off hone ke bawajood uski cheekh saare kamre mein sunayi di.
"Bilkul sach keh rahi hoon Zara! Abhi pandra minute pehle mujhe university ki taraf se mail mili hai."
Usne saath hi ek haath se pare pade laptop ka rukh apni janib mora aur sar aage kar ke ghor se dobara dekha.
"Haan, pandra minute pehle, thik sare no baje selection ki mail ayi hai. Tum bhi foran check karo, tumne bhi apply kiya tha tumhe bhi mail ayi hogi."
Wo phone ek haath se pakarey dusre se button duba kar laptop off karne lagi.
"Nahi, Spain ki Deusto ne nahi balke Turkey ki Sabanci university ne humein select kiya hai aur ab hum ek semester parne panch mah ke liye Istanbul ja rahe hain."
Laptop ki screen andher hui tousne usse haath se daba kar band kiya, phir tar nikal kar side table pe rakh diya.
"Haan,maine Sabanci ko net pe dekha hai. Boht khubsoorat university hai, maghar....."
Wo lamhe bhar ko khmosh ho gayi. Wo dusri janib se ghaliban istafsar kiya gaya to wo goya hui.
"Bas, ek chota sa masla hai lein uske baare mein apni families ko agah nahi karen ge."
Dheemi awaz mein bolte hue, usne gardan mod kar band dawaze ko dekha. "Darasal Sabanci mein larkiyon ke head scarf par pabandi ai. Udhar sar dhanpna mana hai. Ghar walon ko bata kar mutanfir karne ki bajaye is baat ko gol kar jana. Waise bhi hum dono main se koi scarf nahi leta."
Ussi pal khidki ke us par kuch khadka tha. Wo chounk kar dekhne lagi. Kad adam khidkiyon ke aagey bhari parde gire the, albata piche jaliyan khuli thi. Shayad uska weham tha. Wo sar jhatak kar phone ki janib motawajah ho gayi.
"Abba ne mujhe kabhi scarf lene ya dhakne par majboor nahi kiya, thank God...... Haan Iram ghar se bahir scarf leti hai, uske abbu, tayya Furqan, zara sakht hain na." Wo phir se bed crown se teik lagaye, neem daraz magan si batane lagi.
"Permission to koi masla hi nahi. Abba Spain jane ki ijazat na dete maghar Turkey mein Sabeen phupho rehti hain na, so wo maan gaye the. Waise bhi unhe apni beti pe pura bharosa hai."
Phir wo chand lamhe ear piece se ubharti apni dost ki baat sunti rahi. Zara khamosh hui to usne nafi mein sar hila diya.
"Kal nahi, Daud bhai ki mehendi parso hai, tum aa rahi ho na?"
"Aur haan, mein aur Iram lehenga pehen rahe hain."
"Saare cusin boht excited hain, khandan ki pehli shadi hai na."
"Okay tum ab ja kar mail check karo, mein bhi soti hoon, raat boht ho gayi hai." Alvidayi kalamat keh kar usne mobile kaan se hataya aur takiye pe uchal diya. Phir jane ke liye uth khari hui.
Bahir lounge khamoshi mein duba tha. Haya ne ahista se apne kamre ka darwaza band kiya aur nange paon chalti lounge se kitchen ki taraf ayi. Siyah lambi kameez aur siyah khule trouser mein uska qad mazeed daraz lag raha tha.
Kitchen min andhera phela tha. Wo darwaze ke kareeb ruki aur haath se deewar pe switch board tatola. Button dabane ki awaz ayi aur saari batiyan jal uthi.
Usne age bar kar fridge ka darwaza khola aur pani ki bottle nikalne ko jhuki. Jhukne se reshmi bal kandhe se phisal kar samne ko aa gire. Haya ne nazaqat se ungli se un ko piche hataya aur bottle nikal kar seedhi hui, phir counter pe rakhe rack se sheeshe ka glass uthaya aur bottle us mein undeli. pani ki nadi si glass mein girne lagi. Tab hi uski nigah counter pe rakhi kisi safed cheez pe pari. Wo jaise chaunk uthi, bottle wahi slab pe rakh kar us taraf ayi.
Wo safed adhe khule gulabon ka bouquet tha, jis mein kahi kahi sabz pattey jhalak rahe the. Saath hi ek band safed lifafa rakha hua tha.
Haya ne guldasta uthaya aur chehre ke qareeb la kar ankhein munde sungha. Dil fareb tazgi bhari mehek uske andar tak utar gayi. Phool bilkul taza the, jaise abhi abhi tode gaye ho. Jane kon rakh gaya idhar?
Usne band lifafa uthaya aur palat kar dekha. Uspe ghar ke pate ke upar numaya sa "Haya Suleman" likha tha. Piche bhejne wale ka pata na tha, bas courier service ki mohr aur stamp lage the. mohr pe ek roz qabl ki tareekh thi.
Us ko kabhi kisi ne yun phool nahi bheje the. Kya mamla tha yeh bhala?
Ulajte hue Haya ne lifafa check kiya. Andar ek mota kaghaz tha. Usne do ungliyan lifafe mein dal kar kaghaz pakara aur nikala.
Safed kaghaz bilkul saaf tha. Na lakeer, na koi design. Bas uske wast mein angrezi mein teen lafz likhe the. "Welcome to Sabanci"
Wo sanate mein ro gayi.
Yeh kya mazaq tha? Bhala khat bhejne wale ko kaise pata ke wo Sabanci ja rahi hai? Khat pe to ek roz kabal ki tarikh thi, jabke qabooliyat ki wo email usse abhi pandra minute pehle mosul hui thi. Jo baat usse officially hi pandra minute kabal gayi thi, wo us shaqs ko ek roz peshtar kaise maloom hui?
Aghar Zara ko usn khud bhi na bataya hota to wo samajti k yeh uski harkat hai aur yeh khat Sabanci university ki taraf se bhi nahi aa sakta tha kyu ke uspe ek qomi satah ki courier company ki mohr lagi the, phir kisne bheja usse yeh?
Pani se bhara glass wahin slab pe chor kar, bouquet aur lifafa uthaye wo ulajti hui apne kamre ki taraf chali gayi.
