Saathi

19. Dua.

Kuch deyr pehle...

Toofani hawaon ke sath barish ke teez qatron ke khirdke se takrane ki awazain ghonj rahi thi us kamrey mey jubke charo taraf sirf andhera tha lekin usey koi aiteraaz nahin tha kyun ki es waqt usko apni qismat bhi kuch aisi hi lag rahi thi, andhero se gheeri hui. Woh deewar pe thaik laga kar apni ankhain band kar ke baita en toofani hawaon ko sun raha tha lekin tub hi usko kisi ki ek buhat hi khobsurat si baat yaad agayi;

"Pata hai agar barish mey koi sachey dil se dua mange toh... woh qabool hojati hai..."

Maazi ke us haseen pal ko yaad kar ke uske udaas se chehre pe ek halki si muskurahat namudar hogai lekin tub hi usey khayal aya ke jaise usne us raat ko dua mangi thi aur uski dua qabool bhi hogayi agar woh ajj bhi yehi mang le toh kya usey woh mil jayega jo woh mang raha hai. Bina ek lamha zaya kiye woh fouran utt gaya aur balcony mey chala gaya lekin achanak se barish tham gayi usey yaqeen nahin a'raha tha apne qismat pey ke uske bahir qadam rakte hi barish ka youn acahanak se ruk jana. Na umeedi aur mayoosi uske dil ko apne girifth mey lene lagey aur ek lamhe ke liye usey youn laga jaise usey uski qismat bhi yehi keh raha ke jisey woh mang raha hai woh uske qismat mey nahin;

"Duaon mey itni taqat hai ke woh na mumkin ko mumkin mey badalti hai, jo taqdeer mey pathar ke lakeer ki tarah hoti hai usko bhi badal kar rak sakthi...per yeh hum per inkhisar karta hai ke hum kitne yaqeen aur khuloos-e-dil sey apni dua ko mangte  hai aur dua mangne ke liye kisi khaas mauqe ki zaroorat nahin... jub apke dil ney kiya us waqt apne rab se manglo per yaqeen ke sath..."

Asad ke kanon mey uski ami jaan ki kahi hui baatein ghonjne lagi.

Kuch lamhe pehle joh mayoosi thi woh sab ghayab hogayi kyun ke woh apne dil mey ek naye aitemaad ke sath asmaan ke neechey karda hogaya aur asmaan ke taraf dehk kar dua karne laga;

"Izzat... Qamiyaabi... Shohrat... Daulat.... aap ne yeh sab kuch mere bina mange hi mujhe ata kardiya... zindagai ke har qadam pe apne rehmathon se mujhe malamaal kiya hai se... mein khudko duniya ka sabse khush qismat tareen isnaan manta hon, mere maula... kyun ki mujhe mere umeed se bhi ziyada aap ne nawaza hai, en sab ke liye mein aap ka jitna bhi shukar ada karon kam hai... aap ke nawazishon ke badualat mein duniya ke samne ek qabil aur qamiyaab businessman hon... lekin... lekin..."

Akhri lafz mein usne nazarain jhuka li aur sargoshi mey apni baat ko jari rakte hue kehne laga;

"...es qamiyaab se insaan ka dil nakaam hua apni mohabbat ko paney mey... nahin janta mein aisa kya kar baita jo woh mujhse itni khafa hogayi ke mera saath toh kya... woh mera shakal tak dehkne pasand nahin karti, mujhe dhoke baaz kehti... han, janta hon mujhe us sey apni London janey wali baat nahin chupani chahiye thi, mein janta hon woh meri sabsi bardi ghalthi hai lekin uska youn dhoke baaz aur bewafa kehna toh ghalath hai... kyun ke meine agar mohabbat ki hai toh sirf aur sirf us'sey ki hai... log kehte hai ke mard ke dil ko har bar ek naye sirey se mohabbat hojati hai...lekin... mujhe har bar ... naye sirey se mohabbat hojathi hai sirf us sey... nahin kar sakta mein kisi aur se mohabbat kyun ke es dil ne sirf us'sey mohabbat karna seeka hai..."

Woh ilthija karte hua bola aur apni baat ko jari rakte hue kehne laga;

"...mere rab... nahin janta aisi kaunsi ghalthi ki saza mil rahi hai mujhe... per ab aur nahin hota mujhse... nahin dehk sakta usey kisi aur ke saath... nahin sun sakta uske zubaan pey kisi aur ka naam... nahin seh sakta mein kisi aur ko uske qareeb... mujhe lauta dey meri mohabbat... nahin jee paonga uske baghair... yeh ek arsa ek saza ki tarah guzaar diya per ab aur nahin... khatam karde en durriyon ko, en ghalat fehmiyon ko jo humare darmiyan hai, suljha dey en dilon ke uljhanon ko...meri mohabbat ko lauta dey phir na bichardne ke liye... lauta de, mere rub!"

Woh akhri jumla sargoshib ko mey bola tub hi ek zorr daar bijli kardki asmaan mey aur teez barish shoro gayi, Asad asmaan ko hairat sey dehkne laga jubke woh pori tarah se bheeg raha tha. Usne ankhain band kar li aur usey sirf woh chehra nazar aya joh humesha usey dehk kar sharmati thi, uski es ada pey woh apne dil ko har bar uske ulfat mey deewana hota hua pata. Woh kafi deyr tak barish mey kharda raha lekin phir woh ahista ahista qadam lete hue balcony se kamrey mey agaya aur washroom mey jake khud ko ek fresh towel se sokhane laga. Woh fresh hone ke baad wahan se nikal aya aur us taraf chal parda jahan pey kisi ki moujodgi  se uske dil ko sukoon milta hai;

"Kyun ja'rahe ho wahan jahan tumhari zaroorat nahin... woh tumhein dehkna tak nahin chahti, baat karna toh durr ki baat hai..."

Uske zameer ne kaha.
Asad khamosh Raha aur ser jhukaye ahisthagi se chal raha tha apne sochon mey gum lekin achanak se koi us sey takra gaya aur woh peechey ghirne wali thi lekin Asad ne uski kalayi ko thaam liya. Amber ankhain band kar'ke cheekh pardi aur apni kalayi ko uske girifth sey chordane ki koshish karne lagi;

"Chordo mujhe... chordo..."

Woh rotey hue apne hath ko chordate hue boli jubke Asad pareshan hogaya usey youn dekh kar;

"Amber... kya hua... mein hon"

Uski awaz sun kar woh ek lamhe ke liye ruk gayi aur usey beyaqeeni bharey nazaron se dehkne lagi lekin ajj itne waqt ke baad pehli baar uski ankhain usey dehk kar khush hui bilkul waise he jaise woh humesha usey dehkne se hoti thi lekin ajj un ankhon mey naami thi aur es'sey pehle ke Asad kuch pochta woh uske paas akey boli;

"Aa...aap..."

Woh larzthey hue lehje mey aise boli jaise Asad uske zehaan ka koi khayal ho aur apni kanptey hue hath sey Asad ko choa jaise key woh khud ko yaqeen dila na chahti ho. Lekin jaise hi usne usey choa woh besakhta hoke ro pardi aur us'sey se galey lag gayi, us ek lamhe ke liye toh Asad ko youn laga jaise woh koi khuwab dehk raha hai lekin usey uske sochon se Amber ki iltijha bhari awaz ne kheench liya aur woh sirf ek hi baat ko baar baar dauhra rahi thi;

"Mujhe chord ke na'jaye... mujhe chord ke na'jaye... kabhi bhi nahin..."

Asad ko apne qismat pey aithebar nahin ho'raha tha kyun ki jis ladki ko paney ki duain woh kuch deyr pehle kar'raha tha woh uske bahoun mei thi, lekin phir usne kuch aisa sun liya jisne usey hairaan aur pareshan kardiya;

"Woh yehi hai... woh mujhse badla lene ke liye wapas aya hai... please mujhe chord ke najaye warna woh shaks ajayega... please, Asad!"

Woh peeche hatt kar Asad ke hathon ko pakard kar boli jubke Asad ko samjh mey nahin a'raha tha yeh kis ki baat kar rahi hai;

"Amber tum kis ka keh rahi ho?... kaun hai joh tumse badla lene ayega?"

Woh buhat khayal se pochne laga lekin jawab mey Amber aur ro'pardi aur Asad ke hath youn thaam liya jaise woh abhi usey koh degi agar usne usey nahin thama. Amber ko youn khauf zada ajj tak usne nahin dehka siwaye ajj sham ke us admi ke wajah se jisne Amber ke sath badtameezi karne ki koshish ki. Woh apne sochon ko rad kar ke phir se pochne wala tha ke woh kehne lagi;

"W.... woh admi... y... yehi hai... Asad... woh yehi humare room ke bahir b...balcony mey... please na jaye warna...w...woh ajayega!"

Asad dang rehgaya es darri aur sehmi hui ladki ki baat sun kar.