Chapter 1
Rasta sunsaan, ghup andhera, pair shal, jism thakawat aur kapkapahat se choor tha. Magar woh bhaag rahi thi. Is jangal mein rafta rafta aati kai tarah ke jangli janwaron ki awaazon se khaufzada ho kar pal ko rukti magar aglay lamhay phir himmat baandhti.
Use abhi tak highway ka koi nishan nahin mila tha... magar...
Apni jaan aur apni aabroo bachane ke liye woh is sunsaan jangal mein daurti hi chali ja rahi thi. Us ke paas doosra koi rasta nahin tha. Use har haal mein khud ko is museebat se azaad karna tha.
Abhi thori hi der pehle ki baat thi ke woh Bukhari Villa ke pichlay bagheeche mein chahal qadmi kar rahi thi jab achanak kisi ne us ke sar par zordar shay se waar kiya tha. Is se pehle ke woh hamla aawar ko dekh paati ya kuch samajh paati, us ke chehre ko siyah rang ke kapray se dhaank diya gaya tha.
Sar se nikalti takleef deh teeson, sunn hotay asaab aur ghunoodgi mein jatay zehan ke saath jo aakhri baat use yaad thi woh yahi thi ke use kisi ne aghwa kar liya hai.
Chand lamhay pehle hi use hosh aaya tha.
Aahista aahista jab us ke hosh-o-hawas bahal hue to us ne dekha ke woh kisi boseeda si jhonpari mein thi. Jahan bilkul siyah andhera tha. Chhoti si ek kamray ki jhonpari jismein kuch bhi nahin tha. Bas ek kone mein use la kar phenk diya gaya tha.
Us ne apne chakratay sar ko thaam kar idhar udhar dekha. Kamray ka jaiza letay hue use ek kone mein chhota sa roshandan nazar aaya jo kamray mein aane wali roshni ki lakeeron ka wahid zariya tha.
Magar is se pehle ke woh us ke paas jaati, use bahar se bike rukne ki awaaz aayi.
Chehre par khauf se pasinay ke qatre numayan hue. Hathon ki kapkapahat wazeh thi. Us ne dimagh par zor dala ke ab is museebat se kaise jaan chhurayi jaye.
Woh khud ko us gunday ke hawalay hargiz nahin karne wali thi.
“Kuch bhi ho jaye... mujhe khud ko yahan se mehfooz nikalna hai.”
Us ne khud ko hausla diya.
“Ya Allah meri madad kar.”
Us ne dil hi dil mein Ayat-ul-Kursi aur charon Qul parhay aur kamray mein roshandan se aati ujale ki kirnon mein apne jism par zakhmon ke nishan dhoonday. Use kahin bhi neel ya kharash dikhayi nahin di.
Is ka matlab tha ke aghwa ke dauran behosh kar diye jane ki wajah se woh muzahamat nahin kar payi thi.
Sad shukar ke us par kisi tarz ka jismani tashaddud nahin kiya gaya tha.
Ab baari thi kisi behtareen hikmat-e-amli ki.
Dimagh ka bharpoor istemal karte hue us ne dobara poore hosh se kamray ka jaiza liya. Roshandan se aati halki roshni ki wajah se woh jhonpari ka darwaza dekhne ke qabil hui thi.
Us ne aahistagi se chal kar jhonpari mein bane iklote darwaze ke peechhe apna wajood chhupa liya.
Kuch lamhon ke tawaqquf ke baad jhonpari ka darwaza khula.
Tareeki ki wajah se aane wala shakhs kuch dekh nahin paa raha tha. Mobile ki torch chalate hue jaise hi woh thora andar ki janib barha...
Woh larki phurti se khulay darwaze se bahar ki taraf bhaagi.
Us ne peechhe mud kar ek baar bhi nahin dekha tha magar ek khauf tha jo use ghere hue tha. Ek ehsaas tha ke woh insaan ab bhi us ke peechhe tha.
Use bhaagtay bhaagtay ab pandrah minute ho chuke the.
Woh bohat thak chuki thi. Taangein ab baqaida laraz rahi thin magar woh ruk kar risk nahin le sakti thi.
Thora mazeed aagay jane ke baad use sarak dikhayi di thi.
Dono atraf jangal ke darmiyan sarak dekh kar kuch hausla hua tha.
Jaise hi woh aagay barhi, kisi ne poori quwwat se us ke baal khenche.
Ek zordar cheekh us ke labon se nikli.
Ek jhatkay se us ka rukh kheenchne wale ne apni janib kiya tha.
Khauf se band aankhen khol kar saamne kharay shakhs ko dekh kar us ki jaan nikal gayi thi...
January ki khoobsurat dopahar, sannaate bhara mahaul aur rafta ba rafta aati baadalon ke garajne ki awaazein. Mahaul mein khunki ka asar aaj kuch zyada tha aur gehre siyah baadalon se maloom yahi hota tha jaise abhi palak jhapakte hi baadal apne ashk bahana shuru kar denge aur insanon ki duniya mein baarish ki soorat ek khoobsurat halchal macha denge.
Aise mein woh Lahore Gajjumata ki ek sarak ke kinare khari taxi ka intezar kar rahi thi. Lag bhag aadha ghanta wahan intezar karne ke baad bhi woh usi haalat mein sarak ke kinare khari thi.
Is sarak par traffic na hone ke barabar thi. Halaanke yeh chowk mashhoor tha aur yahan gahma gahmi hamesha hi rehti thi magar aaj na jaane kya maajra tha.
Jo bhi ikka dukka gaari aati, woh zan se aage barh jaati.
Ab woh wahan khari khari ukta gayi thi.
“Ya Allah please madad karein.”
Dil hi dil mein Allah se humkalam woh bezari se idhar udhar dekh rahi thi. Us ke haath mein ek file thi aur kandhe par latakta hua bag.
Kuch hi pal guzre the ke use apni janib do motorcycle sawar aate dikhayi diye.
Ghabrahat ne us ke wajood ko apni lapait mein liya magar us ne chehre ke taassuraat mein koi badlao nahin aane diya.
Us ka andaza theek sabit hua jab woh dono bike aur un par sawar chaar awara naujawan us ke bilkul qareeb aa ruke.
“Kahan ja rahi hai chambeli ka phool ban kar?”
Un mein se ek fard neeche utara aur us ke qareeb aa kar behayai aamez lehje mein kehne laga.
Hiba ne bas ek ghusse bhari nigah us par daal kar qadam barhana shuru kar diye.
Us ki yeh harkat dekh kar un naujawanon ki ana ki tazleel hui aur woh bhi bike par sawar aahista raftaar mein us ke peechhe chalne lage.
“Lift chahiye miss?”
Woh paanch minute se tez tez chalti zabt se un awara larkon ki bakwaas sun rahi thi jab us ke qareeb ek siyah Land Cruiser aa kar ruki.
Us ne apni bhoori aankhen utha kar offer dene wale ko dekha tha.
Shakal se shareef dikhta tha.
Aur phir ek nigah un chaaron awaraon par daali thi.
Woh baghair kuch soche samjhe us gaari ki front seat khol kar baith gayi.
“Thank You Allah Ta’ala, jaan chhuti.”
Magar ek second!
Woh un logon se bachne ke liye na jaane kis ajnabi ki gaari mein poore dharalle se baith chuki thi.
Oh shit!
Ehsaas ho gaya tha magar thodi si der kar di thi.
Us ne pasheman nigaahein utha kar saath baithe driver ko dekha.
Shakal-o-soorat se shareef lagta tha.
“Address batayein.”
Is se pehle woh koi shukriya ki daastan shuru karti, us ne poocha.
“K... kis ka?”
Larkharati zubaan se bamushkil alfaaz ada hue.
“Jahan aap ko jana hai, Miss.”
Us shakhs ke chehre par aise be-tuke jawab par sakhti dar aayi thi.
“Ji... ek minute.”
Woh apne bag mein se kaaghaz ka ek chhota sa tukra nikal kar us mein likha hua address use batane lagi.
Jise sun kar us mard ki aankhon mein tahayyur utara.
“Aap wahan kyun ja rahi hain?”
Us ki janib se sawal hua.
Hiba ne ek nazar us par daali.
“Job ke silsile mein.”
Us ne mukhtasar sa jawab diya.
“Aap ka naam kya hai?”
Woh is interview ki bilkul mutawaqqa nahin thi is liye nigahon mein uljhan liye use dekhne lagi.
“Hiba... Hiba Nayab.”
Woh pehle se simat kar baithi mazeed simti.
Use yun us ke baare mein tafteesh kiye jana bhala maloom nahin ho raha tha.
“Bukhari Villa ja rahi hain?”
Us ke sawal par Hiba ki bhoori aankhon mein tahayyur utara.
Us ne phir se woh kaaghaz ka tukra nikal kar dekha jahan Bukhari Villa likha nazar aaya.
Us ne us ki janib dekhte hue sar-e-isbaat mein hila diya.
“I am Talal Bukhari, CEO of Bukhari Industries.”
Woh saamne ki janib nazrein jamaaye apna taaruf karwate hue us ke sar par bomb phor chuka tha.
Toh kya us ne harbarahat mein apne boss se lift le li thi?
Us ki janib se khamoshi lambi chali thi.
Kya kya nahin tha us khamoshi mein?
Uljhan...Pachtawa...Pashemani...Be inteha sharmindagi...Aur bechaini!
“Chalein Miss, aap ka interview main das minute tak loonga. Tab tak aap easy ho jayengi.”
Bukhari Villa ke porch mein gaari park kar ke mulaazim ko use bithane ki hidayat de kar woh wahan se lamhon mein ghaib hua tha.
Hiba bas tazabzub ka shikar us mulaazim ke peechhe chal di thi.
Woh bechaini se sofa par baithi thi.
Bukhari Villa bahar se jitna qabil-e-deed tha, andar se utna hi qabil-e-sataish tha.
Khoobsurti aur nafasat se sajaye gaye drawing room mein woh had se zyada bechain thi aur agar kaha jaye ke khaufzada thi to woh bhi kuch ghalat nahin tha.
Kuch lamhon ke intezar ke baad use us kamre mein ek nahin, kai nufus aate dikhayi diye the.
Us ka pehle se tez dhadakta dil mazeed ek sau assi ki speed mein harkat mein aaya.
“Ya Allah madad karein please...”
“Ji Miss, naam?”
Un mein se ek naujawan larka us se intehai formal lehje mein poochne laga.
Us ka chehra Talal Bukhari se bohat milta julta tha.
Shayad woh Talal ka bhai tha.
Us ne to yahi andaza lagaya tha.
“Hib... Hiba.”
Us ki kapkapati awaaz nikli.
“Poora naam?”
Ab doosre larke ne poocha tha.
Agar daregi to yeh job bhi haath se jaayegi Hiba!
Confidence se deal kar...
Mere paas jobs ke zyada mauqe nahin hain...
Us ke dimagh ne use sahi waqt par sahi mashwara diya tha.
“Hiba Nayab.”
Woh is baar pehle se thoda pur-aitemad dikhayi di.
“Age?”
Sawal pehle wale larke ki janib se aaya tha.
Is sawal par Hiba ne mutahayyir nazrein utha kar use dekha.
Jaane kyun yeh sawal is job interview ka hissa nahin lag raha tha.
“Twenty Three.”
Woh pehle ke muqablay mein pur-aitemad zaroor thi magar bechaini ab bhi qaim thi.
“Marital Status?”
Us ki putliyan hairat se phailin.
Us ne ek nazar un sab ke chehron par daali jo sanjeedgi ka taassur liye hue the.
Kahin se aisa nahin lag raha tha ke yeh kisi qisam ka mazaaq tha.
Toh yani us ke dimagh ne hamesha ki tarah yahi faisla kiya ke yeh sab sawalat interview ka hissa the.
“Single.”
Us ne yak lafzi jawab diya.
Un larkon mein ek ke dil ko jawab sun kar dhaaras si mili thi.
“Tumhein noodles aur macaroni banani aati hai?”
Ab sawal un sab mein maujood gol matol si larki ki janib se hua tha jo un sab mein se chhoti lagti thi.
“Ji?”
Woh bebasi aur beqarari se unhein dekh rahi thi.
Un ke sawalat us ki rahi sahi himmat ka imtehan le rahe the. Woh jitna bhi pur-aitemad banne ki koshish kar rahi thi, utna hi woh use confuse kar rahe the.
“Answer, Miss?”
Sab se pehla wala larka sanjeedgi se bola.
“Ji, bana leti hoon.”
Mukhtasar jawab.
“Aur tumhein white sauce pasta banana aata hai?”
Phir se yeh sawal usi larki ki janib se aaya tha.
Magar is baar us se pehle ke woh jawab deti, un mein se khamosh khari larki cheekhi.
“Talal Bhai!”
Talal ka naam suntay hi woh sab wahan se aise ghaib hue jaise bhoot dekh liya ho.
Is se pehle ke woh kuch samajhti, Talal us kamre mein aata dikhayi diya.
Use dekh kar us ki jama ki hui himmat phir Allah Hafiz keh kar nikal gayi thi.
Kuch us ki shakhsiyat ka roab tha aur kuch us ke chehre ke taassuraat ke har koi us se humkalam hone par aise hi puzzle ho jaya karta tha.
Woh use dekh kar hairan hua.
Jis ki haalat ab ghair ho rahi thi.
“Miss Nayab, aap theek hain?”
Us se sawal karta woh tashweesh mein lagta tha.
“J... ji... haan...”
Us ne thehr thehr kar jawab diya.
“Okay, to hum aap ka interview shuru karte hain.”
Woh lamba saans hawa mein tahlil karte hue bola.
“Magar... mera interview to ho chuka.”
Us ki zubaan se phisla.
“Kya matlab? Main to ab aaya hoon, to aap ka interview kis ne liya?”
Ab hairan hone ki baari Talal ki thi.
“Woh... un sab ne.”
Woh rawani mein boli.
Us ki baat ka matlab shayad woh samajh chuka tha is liye aage kuch nahin bola.
Drawing room ki oat mein kharay un sab ne Hiba ke jawab par daanton mein zubaan daba li thi.
Pakray jane ka itna afsos nahin tha jitna baad mein hone wali dargat ka darr tha.
“Aap apni file mujhe dein, main check kar loon.”
Us ne ta’eedi andaaz mein haath mein pakri apni CV Talal ke hawale ki.
Jitni der woh file ka mutala karta raha, utni der Hiba ki bechaini had se sawa rahi.
“Is file mein likhi maloomat ke mutabiq aap hamare eligibility criteria par poora utarti hain.”
Us ki baat sun kar us ka kab se ruka hua saans bahal hua.
“Magar...”
Kya ab bhi koi imtehan reh gaya tha?
“Ji?”
Woh bechaini se boli.
“Aakhri test ke baad hi aap ko approval mil sakti hai. Chaliye mere saath.”
Woh goong magoong ki kaifiyat mein Talal ke peechhe chal di thi jahan ek aur aham imtehan us ka muntazir tha.
Woh chup chaap sar jhukaye us ke peechhe chalti ja rahi thi.
Is naukri ke interview ki ajeeb hi sharaait saamne aayi thi ya shayad aaj ka din hi ajeeb tha.
Pehle saare din mein use koi taxi nahin mili thi.
Doosra yeh ke us ne anjaane mein apne boss se hi lift le li thi.
Teesra un logon ka interview.
Aur ab chautha yeh interview ka aakhri marhala jo us ki samajh se bahar tha.
Chalte chalte woh ek kamre ke darwaze ke bahar ruke the.
Talal ne dheere se darwaza khola tha aur darwaza khulte hi kamre ka andarooni manzar wazeh hua tha.
Kamre ke saamne ki janib jahazi size ka khoobsurat bed rakha gaya tha.
Us ke dono atraf side tables thin.
Dayein janib bed ke kone mein bathroom ka darwaza tha aur us ke saath bairuni janib deewaar gir badi si almari rakhi gayi thi.
Baayen janib nazar ghumayen to ek full-size mirror rakha hua tha jo side table ke saath tha.
Us ke saath bara sa singhar mez tha.
Us ki ek janib kone mein ek wheelchair bhi rakhi gayi thi.
Kamre ka raqba bohat bara nahin tha magar samaan nafasat se rakha gaya tha jis ki wajah se woh bohat khoobsurat maloom hota tha.
Us bed par ek umr raseeda aurat leti hui thin.
Talal ki pairwi karte hue woh bhi aage barhi.
Talal ne maa ke qareeb ja kar unhein sahara diya aur uth kar baithne mein madad di.
Hiba is sab ke dauran chup chaap khari rahi.
Maa uth baithin to un ki nazar Hiba par pari.
Unhon ne ishare se us ke baare mein poocha.
“Yeh aap ki care taker hain, Mama. Aaj se aainda yeh aap ki har cheez ka khayal rakhein gi.”
Talal ki baat par us ne formal muskurahat saja kar Khalida Bukhari ko dekha.
Badle mein woh bhi use dekhne lagin.
Woh jism ke dayein hisse se maflooj thin.
Yani un ke jism ke dayein janib ke asaab kaam nahin karte the.
Un se jawab bas haan ya na ki soorat mein liye jaate the, woh bhi bamushkil.
Woh aankhon ke ishare se apni baat un tak pohanchaya karti thin.
Un ki is haalat ko paanch saal ho chuke the.
“Aap ko koi aitraaz hai?”
Talal maa ke sarhane baitha bohat mohabbat se unhein dekhte hue pooch raha tha.
Un ki aankhen nafi ka ishara dene lagin.
Talal samajh chuka tha ke woh Hiba ko apne paas bula rahi thin.
“Mama aap ko bula rahi hain.”
Talal ki baat sun kar woh ta’eedi andaaz mein sar hilaati hui bed tak aayi.
Ab us ne ghaur se Khalida Begum ko dekha tha.
Woh shakal-o-soorat mein Talal aur neeche drawing room mein milne wale us larke se bohat milti thin.
Shayad un ke dono bete apni maa se bohat mushabihat rakhte the.
“Assalam-o-Alaikum ma’am... main Hiba hoon... Hiba Nayab.”
Us ne muskurate hue formal andaaz mein apna taaruf karwaya.
Woh hanuz nigaahein us par tikaye hue thin.
Hiba un ki nazron se nervous ho rahi thi magar yeh baat un dono par zahir na hone dene ki bharpoor koshish kar rahi thi.
Unhon ne Hiba ko dekhte hue muskurane ki koshish ki.
Hiba un ke labon ki harkat se yahi andaza laga saki thi.
Aur unhon ne apna baaya haath us ki janib barhaya.
Hiba ne narmi se un ka haath thaama.
Kuch pal yunhi khamoshi ki nazar hue.
“Theek hai Hiba. Aap kal se officially join kar sakti hain.”
Talal ki baat sun kar woh khushi se cheekhna chahti thi.
Magar aedhi choti ka zor laga kar aakhir kar use koi dhang ki naukri mili thi.
Woh use khone ka filhaal koi risk nahin le sakti thi.
Jab ke use is ki zaroorat bhi bohat thi.
Talal Bukhari ne use jitni bari zimmedari di thi, job ka package bhi usi munasibat se diya tha.
Is liye woh har haal mein yeh naukri khush usloobi se karne ka irada rakhti thi.
BS Nursing karne ka kuch to faida hua tha.
Us ne alwida’i kalmaat aur kal se join karne ka keh kar wahan se wapsi ki raah li thi.
