Raat ke khane ke baad, main apne kamre ki taraf jaa hi rahi thi ke Sheiza ne
peeche se aakar mujhe awaaz lagayi. Uski aankhon mein wahi purani shararat khil
rahi thi. Chhat (terrace) ki taraf ishara karte hue woh bohot masoomiyat se
boli, "Aapi, chalo na! Sab aa chuke hain, chai piyeinge aur bhi bohot kuch hai."
Maine usey ek thaki hui muskurahat di. "Nahi Sheiza, main aaj bohot thak gayi
hoon." Sheiza ne thora sa apna muh phulaya to mera dil be-ikhtiyaar pighal gaya.
"Theek hai, lekin bas thori der ke liye."
Sheiza khushi se mera hath pakad kar upar le gayi. Terrace par dabe-dabe rangon
ki halki roshniyan jhilmila rahi theen. Wahan ek gol lakri ki table aur kuch
chairs rakhi theen. Khula aasman tha, taare chamak rahe thay, aur chaand apne
poore uruj par tha. Duha aur Zariya, ek-ek chai ka mug liye, pehle se hi bethi
theen sab apne apne night suits mein nihayat aaram-deh lag rahi theen.
"Jee, Samrah Aapi, batayein, kaisi thi site visit aaj ki?" Duha ne baat shuru
ki.
Main thora hichkichayi. Main kuch bol paati, isse pehle hi Sheiza bol uthi,
"Kaisi kya rehti! Arham bhai ke sath khoob dhabe par lunch ho rahe thay! Huh!
Batao batao, aur apni choti masoom behen ko wahin chhor ke!"
Duha aur Zariya to hairat se mera muh hi dekhti reh gayin.
"Dekho, main explain kar sakti hoon," maine foran apni safai deni shuru ki.
"Meri baat to suno! Tum logon ko mujh par bharosa nahi hai kya?"
Maine unhein dhabe ki poori kahani aur Arham ke maafi mangne ki saari baat
batayi.
Zariya ne meri baat sun kar aakhir mein kaha, "Chalo, ab baat rafa-dafa karo aur
kaam pe dhyan do. Aur sab se zaroori... khush rehne pe." Duha ne sapnon mein
doobi hui awaaz mein kaha, "Dekhna Samrah Aapi, Arham bhai aapko dil hi dil mein
pasand karne lage hain."
Jab Sheiza thori der khamosh rahi to hum sab ne sawaliya nazron se uski taraf
dekha. Usne phir apni aaj ki aap-beeti, poore gusse aur josh mein humein sunayi,
aur aakhir mein bura sa muh bana kar boli, "Agli baar bas woh murga mil jaye...
basss!" Is baat par hum sab khilkhila kar hansne lageen.
Kuch der aur baatein karne ke baad, main apne kamre mein wapas aa gayi. Main
balcony mein ja kar khari ho gayi aur thandi hawa ke jhonkon mein khamoshi se
aasman ko dekhti rahi. Kitni der tak main wahan khari rahi, mujhe khud yaad nahi
raha. Saamne hi kuch duri par ek khubsurat masjid thi aur uske barabar ek
hara-bhara garden.
Main ab andar aa gayi. Waqt dekha to khud par hi thora chirhte hue maine jaldi
se wazu kiya aur ja-e-namaz par baith kar namaz ada karne lagi. Namaz ke baad,
main laptop lekar bethi to Arham ka ek naya email aaya hua tha.
"Kya baat hai, Miss Samrah. Lagta hai aap ko neend nahi aa rahi hai."
Main ek dum se chonki. Meri aankhon ki neend jaise aik hi lamhe (moment) mein udh
chuki thi.
"Jee? Kya matlab?" maine jhatpat reply type karke pucha.
Main bhaagti hui apni khirki par gayi aur parda hata kar neeche dekha. Arham
wahin, road par saamne khare thay. Baal bikhre hue thay, ek shirt aur track pant
mein. Woh mujhe dekh kar muskuraye. Maine kuch hairat aur kuch ajnabiyat se,
unhein ek choti si muskurahat di.
Tum yahan kaise?
Maine email likha, to unka reply aaya:
"Aap neeche aa sakti hain? Ek walk? Aur kuch baat bhi karni thi."
Maine unhein khirki se hi haan mein sar hila kar jawab diya aur do minute ka
ishara karke, jaldi se apna brown scarf baandha aur dheeme qadmon se neeche
utarne lagi.
Maine usey gate se bahar aate dekha. Main is waqt ek formal white shirt aur
loose black track pant mein tha. Mere baal bikhre hue thay aur halkay se mere
maathe par aaye hue thay.
"Assalamualaikum," maine narmai se kaha. Samrah ne mere salam ka jawab diya aur
chup-chaap mere saamne aa khari hui. Maine walk ke liye haath se aage ki taraf
ishara kiya. Samrah khamoshi se aage-aage chalne lagi, aur main apne haath
peeche kiye, uske peeche-peeche chalne laga.
Hamare beech ki is gehri khamoshi ki lari ko Samrah ne hi toda. "Aap ko kuch
baat karni thi?"
Ab main aahista-aahista uske sath barabar chal raha tha. Is sawal ka jawab to
main us dabe-paon chalne wale pal mein hi bhool gaya tha, jab Samrah gate se
meri taraf aa rahi thi.
"Baat to main do saal se akele mein kar raha tha. Aaj sirf sunne aaya hoon."
Yeh jumla mere labon se be-sakhta nikal gaya tha. Samrah ek pal ke liye ruki aur
mujhe hairat se dekhti reh gayi. Maine uski taraf nahi dekha, meri nazrein to
khamoshi se road par hi jami theen.
"Aap apni professional boundaries cross kar rahe hain, Mr. Arham Shaikh. Mere
sath casual hone ki koshish na karein," Samrah ne hath baandhe, road ki taraf
dekhte hue thore sakht lehje mein kaha.
"Professional boundaries to tabhi toot gayin, jab aap is waqt mere sath walk ke
liye maan gayin," maine ek halki muskurahat ke sath uski taraf dekha. Mere haath
jaib (pockets) mein thay aur mera sar halka sa uski taraf jhuka hua tha.
Hum dono ab sarak ke ek kone par ruk chuke thay. Samrah mujhe be-ikhtiyaar
dekhti reh gayi. Woh poori tarah shock thi. Uska chehra halka sa surkh ho gaya
tha. Woh mujh par chirh rahi thi? Ya uski aankhon mein gussa tha? Woh shayad
khud bhi nahi samajh paa rahi thi. Lekin main itna to samajh chuka tha ke woh
poori tarah hairan hai, aur yeh soch kar meri hansi chhoot gayi.
Is par Samrah ki aankhein aur bari huin. Ab woh pakka wali chirh chuki thi. Woh
gusse mein hath baandh kar ab tezi se aage-aage chalne lagi.
"Samrah, ruko to!" Main hasta hua uske peeche-peeche bhaga. "Mera hasne ka koi
irada nahi bha! Dekhein, aap naraz na hon!" Samrah apne ghar ki taraf chalti
rahi, aur dabe-dabe lehje mein badbadati rahi, "Main kya koi joker dikh rahi
hoon? Ya pagal samjha hua hai mujhe?"
Main wapas uske peeche bhaga. "Acha, I am sorry! Sunein to, Samrah jee!" Main
apni hansi ko mushkil se dabaye, sorry bolte hue uske peeche bhag raha tha.
Samrah thora ruki, usne peeche mud kar mujhe dekha, aur hath baandhe khari ho
gayi.
"Yahan paas mein hi ek ice cream parlour hai. Agar aap...?" maine pucha. Samrah
ne mujhe kuch pal ke liye ghaur se ghoorne ke baad kaha, "Nahi."
Mere chehre ki muskurahat ek dum se gayab ho gayi. "Samrah jee, woh sach mein
mazak tha. Maaf kar dijiye na," maine bachon jesi masoom aur naram aankhon ke
sath uski taraf dekha.
Ab Samrah apni muskurahat ko bohot mushkil se rokte hue puchi, "Kaunsi taraf
hai? Chalein. Lekin main do ice cream khaaungi!" usne ek choti bachi ki tarah
khush ho kar kaha.
Maine uske chehre par aisi khushi dekh kar ek gehri saans li, jo khushi aaj
pehli baar meri wajah se uske labon par aayi thi.
Ice cream parlour mein, hum dono ne 'Cookie & Cream' aur 'Coffee Almond Fudge'
ka order diya. Khamoshi se ice cream khane ke baad, hum dono wapas uske ghar ki
taraf chalne lage.
"Thanks," maine is khamoshi ko toda. Samrah ne sawaliya nazron se mujhe dekha.
"Aap is waqt mere sath walk ke liye aayin, isliye thanks."
Samrah kuch der chup rahi, phir puchi, "Waise, aap yahan is time kya kar rahe
thay? Aur kaise pata tha ke main soyi nahi hoon?" "Wo main namaz ke baad
wahan..." Main kehte-kehte achanak ruk gaya. "Haan? Wahan kya?" "Achaaa! To aap
jaag hi rahi theen? Maine to bas aise hi bol diya tha," maine jald hi baat
badli. "Acha theek hai, koi baat nahi. Aap bol rahe ho to maan leti hoon."
Maine ek gehri saans li. Usey kya bolta? Ke main roz raat ko usko dekhne ke liye
us dehleez par rukta hoon? Ke pichle do saal se tum meri khamosh zindagi ka sab
se bada hissa ban chuki ho? Naah baba na, ye larki mera qatal kar sakti hai.
Tabhi raste par ek safed billi ka bacha dekh kar maine usey ishara kiya. "Wo
dekhein, wo bacha kitna pyara hai." "Haan, hai to," Samrah neeche baith kar uske
sar par hath sehlate hue boli. "Lekin ye mujhe thora bhooka bhi lag raha hai."
Main baghair aik pal gawaye paas ke ek store se doodh, cat food aur disposable
katori le aaya aur uske saamne rakh diya.
Kuch hi door par Samrah ka ghar tha. Usne mujhe gate ke bahar hi 'Allah Hafiz'
kaha aur andar jaane lagi. Peeche mud kar dekha to main abhi bhi wahin khara
tha. Mujhe khara dekh kar, Samrah ne mujhe hath ke ishare se jaane ka ishara
kiya.
"Pehle aap," maine door se hi kaha. Samrah be-ikhtiyaar muskura di aur andar
chali gayi.
Kamre mein aakar, jab woh khirki par parda daalne gayi, to main abhi bhi wahin
khara tha. Samrah ne haste hue mujhe sawaliya nazron se dekha to maine hath upar
karke 'bye' kaha aur chalne laga. Aur main tab tak peeche mud-mud kar dekhta
raha, jab tak Samrah ki khirki meri nazron se bilkul ojhal nahi ho gayi.
Subah ke theek 8:00 baj rahe thay, aur main apne office mein baitha tha. Maine
sky blue formal shirt aur off-white pant pehni hui thi. Laptop par main kal ki
site visit ki tasveerein review kar raha tha ke ek tasweer mein mujhe Samrah
dikhi. Woh kisi worker se muskurate hue baat kar rahi thi. Main bas us tasweer
ko hi dekhta raha.
"Haan theek hai, lekin main do ice cream khaaungi."
Uske bolne ka woh masoom andaaz... mere labon ki muskurahat mein aur izafa ho
gaya. Uske baal, uske gulabi gaal, uska hijab, uski aankhein... mujhe woh poori
ki poori hi pasand thi.
Darwaze par knock hua. Mera secretary, Ali Asaf, andar aaya. "Good morning,
sir." "Aaj zyada hi good morning ho chuki hai," maine muskurahat ke sath kaha.
Asaf aaj mere is narm aur khush-gawar ravaiye par bohot chaunka tha.
"Meeting ke documents ready hain?" "Jee, sir," Asaf ne jawab diya.
Main apni kursi se utha. Har meeting se pehle, mujhe office se kahin bahar akele
mein ja kar baithna pasand tha apni bechaini aur ghutan ko thora kam karne ke
liye. Paas hi ek sofe par baith kar maine apni aankhein band kar leen.
Har kisi ko thori na main Samrah ki yeh haseen muskurahat dekhne doonga... main
dil hi dil mein soch raha tha.
"Mr. Arham?"
Mere khayalon ke is haseen silsile mein achanak ek awaaz goonji.
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