Chapter 1
Elif, tum abhi tak tayyar nahi hui?"
Kamre ke bahar se Ammi ki awaaz aayi toh Elif ne kitab band karke side par rakh di. Woh bed ke kone par pair jodh kar baithi thi aur saamne khula hua wardrobe pada tha...
"Bas paanch minute, Ammi," usne narmi se jawab diya.
"Tumhare paanch minute kabhi paanch minute nahi hote."
Elif halki si muskura di.
Aaj uski khala ke bete ki mangni thi. Ghar mein subah se tayari chal rahi thi, lekin Elif ka hamesha wala andaaz tha - sabse aakhir mein tayyar hona.
Use family functions bure nahi lagte the... bas thaka dete the.
Wohi sawaal.
"Beta padhai kaisi chal rahi hai?"
"Ab toh shaadi ka socho."
"Itni khamosh kyun rehti ho?"
Jaise duniya ka har masla uski khamoshi se juda ho
Elif uth kar wardrobe ke paas gayi aur dark green jora nikaal kar bed par rakh diya. Kapda saadah tha, magar us par bani bareek silver kadhai usse ek narm si shaan de rahi thi.
Woh un larkiyon mein se nahi thi jo tayyar hone mein ghanton laga dein. Use hamesha aaraam pasand tha. Dheele kapde, halka sa itr, aur simple si tayyari.
"Khoobsurti woh nahi jo sabko rok le... khoobsurti woh hai jo dil ko sukoon de."
Aur Elif mein waqayi woh sukoon tha.
Uska qad darmiyana tha, na bahut lamba na chhota, magar uski chaal mein tehraav tha. Uske gaal halkay se bhare hue the, jo muskuraane par aur pyare lagte the. Aur jab woh hasti thi, toh uska chehra bilkul bachchon jaisa masoom lagta.
Lekin sabse khoobsurat uski aankhein thi.
Gehri shahedi aankhein.
Badi, pursukoon aur hamesha haya se jhuki hui.
Aisi aankhein jinmein shor nahi tha... bas khamosh duaayein thi..
Uski Ammi aksar kaha karti hain:
"Ladki ka asal husn uski haya hoti hai."
Aur Elif mein woh haya bohot khoobsurti se basi hui thi.
Woh paanch waqt ki namazi thi. Har kaam se pehle "Bismillah" kehna uski aadat thi. Qur'an ki tilawat uske din ka hissa thi. Aur duniya ki bheed mein bhi uska dil Allah se juda rehta tha.
Magar uske dil mein ek darr bhi tha.
Shaadi ka darr.
Usne bachpan se ghar mein mohabbat se zyada jhagde dekhe the.
Uske walidain ki ladaaiyan uski bachpan ki yaadon ka hissa thi. Oonchi awaazein, band darwaaze, khamosh aansu...
Kabhi kabhi bachpan insaan se uski masoomiyat bohot jaldi cheen leta hai.
Elif ne bhi bachpan mein yahi seekha tha ke har rishta sukoon nahi deta.
Isi liye use shaadi par zyada bharosa nahi tha.
Lekin Allah par tha.
Hamesha tha.
Woh har raat tahajjud mein uth kar dua karti:
"Ya Allah... agar mere naseeb mein mohabbat likhi hai, toh usmein sukoon bhi likhna."
Kabhi sajde mein rote rote uski palkain bheeg jaati,
Kabhi woh bas itna kehti:
"Ya Rabb... mujhe aisa humsafar dena jo mujhe aapse door na kare."
Aur phir chup-chaap apne aansu ponch kar dobara muskura leti.
Kyuki Elif un logon mein se thi jo toot kar bhi awaaz nahi karte.
Har khamosh chehra be-hiss nahi hota... kuch log apna dard sirf Allah ko sunate hain."
Tabhi uski choti cousin Meher kamre mein aa gayi.
Usne Elif ko dekha toh foran ruk gayi.
"SubhanAllah..."
Elif ne bhawein uthayi. "Kya hua?"
"Tum itni khoobsurat kyun lag rahi ho aaj?"
Elif ne foran nazrein hata li. "Bas karo."
"Main sach keh rahi hoon. Tumhari aankhein sach mein bohot khubsurat hai"
"Elif sharma rahi hai hoi."
Meher hans padi.
“Achha baba, nahi bolti.
Hall mein dakhil hote hi roshni, awaazein aur logon ka shor unke gird phail gaya.
"Thoda zyada muskurao," Meher ne dheere se kaha.
"Main muskura rahi hoon."
"Tumhari muskurahat lagti hai jaise kisi ne zabardasti karwayi ho."
Elif ne usse ghura aur dono andar chali gayin.
Har taraf rishtedaar hi rishtedaar the. Koi uska gaal kheench raha tha, koi keh raha tha "kitni badi ho gayi ho," aur kuch aunties ne toh pehle hi shaadi ki baatein shuru kar di thi.
Elif har ek ko adab se jawab deti.
Uski awaaz mein ajeeb si narmi thi. Woh kabhi tez lehje mein baat nahi karti thi. Aur jab kisi bade se milti toh nazrein jhuka kar salaam karti.
Uski saadgi mein ek noor tha.
Aur uski khamoshi mein ek waqar.
"Jo larkiyan haya mein rehti hain na... Allah unke naseeb bhi bohot khoobsurat likhta hai."
Kuch der baad woh hall ke ek pur-sukoon kone mein jaakar baith gayi.
"Alhamdulillah," usne gehri saans lete hue kaha
Meher uske paas juice lekar baithi. "Tumhari social battery bahut jaldi khatam ho jaati hai."
"Meri toh shuru se hi aadhi hoti hai."
Dono hans padi.
Elif ne hall mein nazar daudayi. Stage par tasveerein li ja rahi thi. Bachche idhar udhar bhaag rahe the. Aunties zevar aur joron par behas kar rahi thi.
Wohi hungama.
Har function mein wahi manzar.
Aur ajeeb baat yeh thi ke phir bhi usse yeh sab thoda apna sa lagta tha.
Shayad isliye kyunki family functions kitne bhi shor wale kyun na hon... unmein ek ajeeb si garmahat hoti hai.
Aur kahin dil ke andar Elif bhi ek sukoon bhare ghar ka khwaab dekhti thi.
Aisa ghar jahan awaazein buland na hoti hon..
Jahan mohabbat darr se zyada hon
Jahan "nikah" sirf rishta nahi... rehmat lage.
To be continued
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