SURKH GULAB

Subah ki pehli kiran ke saath hi Ahmed Hussain ki haveli mein ek nayi halchal mach gayi thi. Har taraf rawani thi, naukar-chakar daudte phirte nazar aa rahe the. Haveli ka bara hall sunehri pardo se sajaya gaya tha, aur beech mein rakha safed, aramda sofa iski shaan-o-shauqat mein aur izafa kar raha tha. Momina Begum har kona sambhalte hue naukron ko hidaayat de rahi thi.

Haveli ke har kone mein saje rang-birange phoolon ke guldaste haveli ki shaan ko aur badha rahe the.

"Hussain Sahab, ab waqt aa gaya hai ke hum apni dosti ko rishtedari mein badal dein," Gafoor Sahab muskaraate hue keh rahe the. Woh apne bete ka

rishta lekar Ahmed Hussain ke ghar aaye hi nahi, balki ache doston mein bhi shumar hote the. Apne ek laute bete ke liye woh Ahmed Sahab ki ek lauti beti, Amara ka rishta maangne aaye the.

"Hum aapke dar se khaali haath nahi jaayenge, aapki beti saath leke jaayenge. Meherbani farmaayein, humein apni beti de dein," Gafoor Sahab ne tehzeeb ke saath kaha.

Ahmed Hussain yeh baat pehle se jaante the. Unka dil khushi se bhar gaya tha. Gafoor Sahab ke ghar apni beti ko biyahna unke liye bohot badi baat thi.

"Gafoor Sahab, yeh toh hamare liye izzat ki baat hai ke aap ne humein is laayak samjha," Ahmed Sahab ne muskaraate hue unke haath par apna haath rakha.

Magar Gafoor Sahab ki begum, Alia, thodi maghroor aur mukhtalif mizaj ki aurat thi. Unhein is rishte mein kuch khaas dilchaspi nahi thi, lekin apne shohar aur bete ke zid par woh raazi

hui thi, warna Alia ka irada Kashmir ke top modern ladkiyon se apne eklaute bete Hasheem ki shaadi karwane ka poora irada tha.

Hasheem ek shaandaar, samajhdar aur tehzeebdar ladka tha, London se taleem hasil karke woh Kashmir wapas aaya tha. Woh apne walid ke business mein haath batane laga, har nazar uski professionalism ki qail thi. Zehni tor par modern, lekin dil se ek pur-sukoon aur mohtat larka tha. Phir ek din usne Amara ko Ahmed Hussain ke office mein dekha aur uska dil pehli baar kisi ke liye dhadka tha. Iske baad usne apni family mein yeh baat chedi thi, ke usse Amara bohot pasand hai aur usse Amara se hi shaadi karni hai.

"Ahmed bhai, zara Amara ko toh bulaaiye. bohut kuch suna hai Amara ke baare mein, kehte hain ki jo koi Amara ko dekh le woh usse dekhte hi reh jaata hai. Zara hum bhi dekhein apni hone wali bahu ko," Alia ne tanzeeyah andaz mein kaha.

"Saleha, beta Amara ko le aao. Mehmaan uska intezaar kar rahe

hain," Momina Begum ne Saleha ko hidayat dete huwe kaha.

Saleha, Ahmed Hussain ki badi bahu aur Hameed ki biwi thi, woh ek samajhdar aur shaista aurat thi. Har lamha ke mutabiq khud ko dhal lena jaanti thi.

Amara ka kamra kisi shehzadi ke mahal se kam nahi tha. Umdah furniture, laal aur safed pardo se sajaya gaya tha. Har kona surkh

gulabon se saja tha. Surkh gulab Amara ki pasand the.

Kamray ka theme white aur dark red ka shade tha - narmiyon aur jazbaat ka anokha milan. Dressing table ke samne ek haseen si ladki sajh-dajh ke baithi thi. Aankhen gehri siyah, rangat dhoop mein chamakte badal jaisi safed, aur hont surkh gulab jaise. Usne gehre sabz rang ke salwar kameez pehne the, uske baal ghane aur bhure rang ke, jo uski kamar tak aate the. Simple si jewelry pehne woh bohot pyaari lag rahi thi - woh Amara Hussain thi.

Ahmed Hussain ki ek lauti beti, unka sukoon, unki duniya. Unke liye Amara sirf unki beti nahi, khuda ki dheron niyamaton se zyada azeez niyamat thi, jo unke dil ke sabse kareeb thi.

"Masha Allah, Amara, tum kitni pyaari lag rahi ho. Nazar na lage, tum mano ya na mano Allah ne tumhe badi fursat se banaya hai, zaroor tum uske pyaare bandon mein shumar hoti hogi," Saleha ne Amara ke sar par pyar bhara haath rakhte huwe kaha.

Amara ke liye Saleha sirf bhabhi nahi, ek dost, ek maa jaisi thi.

"Chalo Amara, sab tumhara intezaar kar rahe hain. Abbu jaan bula rahe hain, chalo," Saleha ne muskurate hue kaha.

Amara ne halki muskurahat ke saath sar haami mein hilaya, sharmaahat uski aankhon mein utar aayi thi.

Haweli ki seedhiyan utarte waqt har nazar sirf ek chehre par tik gayi thi - Amara. Mehfil mein har awaaz ruk gayi thi. Alia Begum ka muh khula ka khula reh gaya, jaise kisi mo'jze ka saamna kar liya ho.

"Aao beta, yahan baitho," Ahmed Hussain ne bohot narmi se Amara ka haath pakad kar sofa ki taraf le aaye.

"Bhai, hamari taraf se toh haan hai! Amara humein bepanah pasand aayi hai. Main Hasheem ko call kar deta hoon - aaj hi mangni ki rasam karwa dete hain," Gafoor Sahab jazbaat se labraiz ho kar Amara ko dekhte hi Ahmed Hussain se kehne lage.

"Waise Amara ki qualifications kya hain Ahmed bhai?" Alia ne tashweesh karne ke andaz mein poocha.

"Amara ne Bachelors of Fine Arts (BFA) kiya hai. Hamari beti ko paintings ka bohot shauq hai. Ghar mein saji saari paintings Amara ki hi hain," Ahmed Hussain muskurate hue Alia ko samjhane lage.

"Main chahta hoon Amara apni paintings ka exhibition kare. Bohot umdah aur lajawab paintings hain Amara ki," Mueed ne bade hi faqria andaz mein Alia aur Gafoor Sahab se kaha.

Mueed Hussain Amara ka dusra bada bhai tha, thoda sa guroor, thoda sa ghamand usme jhalakta tha. Ahmed Hussain ki teesri aulad unki beti thi jiski paidaish ke kuch der baad hi inteqaal ho gaya tha. Uske kai saal baad Mueed ka hona jaise ek mo'jza tha. Ahmed Hussain Mueed ki har jaiz aur najaiz khwahishen poori karte the. Mueed ki

biwi Sakeena, Mueed ki hi pasand thi. Woh Mueed jaisi hi thi, hamesha apne shohar ko apne isharon par nachana uski aadat thi jo woh shaadi ke pehle se karti aa rahi thi. Woh Mueed ke bagal mein baithi Alia Begum ke diamond jewelry aur kapdon ka jaiza le rahi thi. Alia ne diamond ka ek simple sa necklace aur designer silk ka long gown pehna tha, jo halka sa shimmer kar raha tha. Uska dupatta ya shawl pure chiffon ka tha, jisme golden zari ka kaam tha. Haathon mein mehngi bangles aur ek branded clutch uski personality ko aur bhi classy bana rahe the. Har cheez mein elegance aur royal touch tha - jise dekhte hi log impress ho jaayein, jaise Sakeena ho gayi thi.

"MashaAllah yeh toh bohot achi baat hai, Amara beta tumhe karna chahiye exhibition. You're so talented. Mujhe aisi hi bahu chahiye thi Ahmed Sahab. Waise kya umar hai beta aapki?" Gafoor Sahab ne Amara se bade mohabbat se poocha.

Amara ne apni nazrein uthakar Ahmed Hussain ko dekha.

"Amara 23 saal ki hai," Ahmed Hussain surat-e-haal sambhalte huwe bol pade.

"Arey Ahmed bhai, Amara ko bhi to bolne ka mouqa de, jiski itni pyaari shakal o surat ho uski awaaz kitni pyaari hogi. Zara hum bhi sunein. Bolo beta, aur kya hobbies hain tumhari?" Alia ne tashweesh ke andaz mein Amara se poocha.

Amara apni masoom aur laachar aankhein utha kar apne baap ko dekhne lagi.

"Woh, woh bol nahi sakti," Ahmed Hussain ne bhaari awaaz mein kaha.

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25 saal pehle

Ek aalaishan 40 maale ka office Hussain Group of Companies ke naam se mashhoor tha, jiske chairman Ahmed Hussain the. Unki 10 saal ki mehnat aur mushakkat se khada kiya gaya yeh business unke liye bohot azeez tha. Ahmed Hussain Kashmir ke textile and fabric production industry ke jaane maane businessman ban chuke the. Unki imaandaari ke charche poore Srinagar mein mashhoor the.

"Momina! Khana lagao bhai, bhook lag rahi hai," Ahmed Hussain dining table par nashta ke liye baithe huwe Momina se keh rahe the.

Momina kitchen counter ke saamne khadi bread slice par butter lagate huwe kuch khamosh thi.

"Kya hua begum, sab theek hai? Mood kyun off hai tumhara?" Ahmed Hussain sanjeedgi se poochne lage.

"Aapke liye toh yeh office, meetings, clients, doston se milna yeh hi sab kuch hai. Hum toh kuch lagte nahi hain aapke," Momina bade rukhe andaz mein Ahmed Hussain se keh rahi thi.

"Arey, hua kya hai Momina Begum? Aap hukum karein, agar aapki khwahish puri nahi ki tab kahiye ga," Ahmed Hussain ne mazakhiya andaz mein Momina ko cheda.

"Aap jaante hain, jab se Mueed paida hua hai hum kahin ghoomne nahi gaye. Aapke paas hamare liye waqt hi nahi hota hai. Ab woh teen saal ka ho gaya hai. Woh bhi aapko yaad nahi hoga. Khair, koi badi baat toh hai nahi! Aapko kya hi farq padta hai, hai na Ahmed Sahab?" Ahmed Hussain ek tak Momina ko dekh rahe the jaise kuch samajh nahi paa rahe ho.

"Hmmm, toh yeh baat hai. Khair koi baat nahi, main tumse waada karta hoon ke agle itwaar hum sab ghoomne jaayenge. Mere dost ka farmhouse hai, wahi chalte hain. Lekin ab mujhe apne ustaad se milne jaana hai, aapki ijaazat hai toh jaaun?" Ahmed Hussain halki muskaan liye kehkar table se uth gaye.

Ahmed Hussain, Momina se bohot mohabbat karte the. Shaadi ke kai saal baad bhi apni biwi ki har khwahish poori karne ki poori koshish karte the. Unki biwi Momina ek samajhdar aur ba kirdaar aurat thi, jisper Ahmed Hussain ko bohot faqr aur maan tha.

"Lekin, aapka nashta?" Momina pareshan ho gayi, use darr tha kahin uska shohar usse naraz na ho jaaye.

"Main raste mein kar loonga, mujhe jaana hai, Ustaad ji mera intezaar kar rahe honge."

"Yeh kaunse ustaad hain aapke, jo aap unse milne ke liye itne beqaraar ho rahe hain?" Momina ne tashweesh karne ke andaz mein sawal kiya.

"Woh meri zindagi mein bohot ahem hain Momina! Jaanti ho, unhone mujhe achi aur naik zindagi jeene ka saleeqa sikhaya hai. Unki badolat aaj main iss maqam par hoon."

"Waise kaun hain yeh ustaad?" Momina ne sawaal kiya.

"Ek bade jaane maane ustaad hain. Unke bohot shagird bhi hain. Unka naam Zulfikar Ustaad hai. Woh mujhse milna chahte hain. Arif bata raha tha ke kuch bohot zaroori kaam hai unhe mujhse. Main chalta hoon."

Yeh kehkar Ahmed Hussain ghar se rawana ho gaye.

Momina unhe jaate huwe dekhti reh gayi thi.

Woh nahi jaanti thi ke ab jo hone wala tha, woh uski aur uski beton ki zindagi mein kaisa zalzala khaiz bhoonchaal lane wala tha.

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Love from fathima♡