"Acha, chalo. Jab sab ki baat cheet ho gayi hai to khana lagwate hain. Andar family table hai, wahin chalte hain." Maine is ajeeb, tanao se bhari khamoshi ko torne ke liye kaha.
Meri baat khatam hone se pehle hi, do mukhalif simton se ek jaisi awaazein takrayin.
"Is alien, looser ke saath main family table par khana nahi khaungi!"
"Is andhi bakri ke saath mujhe bhi family table par khane ka koi shauq nahi hai!"
Maine dono ko is tarah nazar-andaaz kiya jaise unki awaazein mujh tak pahunchi hi na hon. Ek waiter ko family table tayar karne ka ishara karte hue maine Muhib ko ek aisi nazar se dekha jo sirf woh hi samajh sakta tha. Iska bas aaj naseeb acha hai ke main sab ke saamne iski tarbiyat nahi karna chahta. Yeh baat maine apne dil mein hi rakhi.
"Arham, main kitchen mein dishes dekhne jaa raha hoon," maine mahaul ko normal karte hue kaha. "Samrah, Zariya, aap log bata dein, kya khana pasand karengi?"
"Main seafood prefer karti hoon," Zariya ne foran jawab diya.
"Bhai, Biryani bhi," Duha ne aahista se kaha.
Meri nazar Samrah par pari, jo ab tak Sheiza ka kaan maror rahi thi. "Bhai, mera kuch specific nahi hai. Jo sab khayenge, main kha lungi."
"Sheiza, tum?" maine usse pucha, jo abhi tak apna kaan Samrah ki giraft se churane ki koshish mein thi.
"Bhai, bas jo aap ko sahi lage," woh dard mein karah kar boli.
"Theek hai. Aur dessert mein kya?"
Isse pehle koi aur kuch kehta, Arham ki awaaz ubhri. "Dessert mein ice cream aur pastries zaroor add karna."
Maine hairat se ek eyebrow utha kar uski taraf dekha. Yeh Arham, jise meethay se koi khaas raghbat nahi thi, aaj uski yeh farmaish ajeeb thi. Main khamoshi se kitchen ki taraf barh gaya.
Arsalan bhai to chale gaye, lekin unke peeche jo toofan chor gaye thay, uska naam Arham tha. Unki woh ek nazar hi kaafi thi yeh batane ke liye ke meri khair nahi. Ya Allah, sab kuch aaj hi hona tha? Is andhi bakri ke saamne itni beizzati!
"Samrah, aap log aage chaliye. Hum teeno bhi aate hain," Arham bhai ne Samrah aur unki cousins se us muskurahat ke saath kaha jo dekhne mein to bohot narm thi, lekin main jaanta tha ke woh muskurahat mujhe kitni mehengi parne waali hai.
Samrah Aapi log aage barh gayin. Unke peeche Zaydin, phir main, aur sabse aakhir mein... mere be-rehem bhai. Jaise hi hum nazron se thora ojhal hue, bhai ne bohot pyaar se mera naam liya.
"Muhib beta!"
"Jee... jee bhai!" mere honton par ek na-chahi hui muskurahat phail gayi. Unhone bhi muskurate hue mujhe dekha, aur agle hi pal unka haath mere sar ke baalon mein tha.
"Bhai, sunein to... Allah! Allah! Bhai, dard ho raha hai! Bhai, main ganja ho jaunga aaj! Please, chor dein! Sorry! Pakka wala sorry!"
Lekin meri minnatein un par be-asar theen. Unhone meri ek na suni aur mere baalon ko pakre hue hi mujhe kheench kar andar le gaye. Bhai ki muthi ki giraft lohe jaisi thi. Mujhe waqai lag raha tha ke aaj mere saare baal shaheed ho kar hi rahenge.
Hum sab us bari, gol table par aise baithe thay, jaise alag alag jazeeron ke log ek hi kashti mein majbooran safar kar rahe hon. Mere left par Duha thi aur right par Samrah. Sheiza, Duha ke barabar mein, abhi tak apne kaan ko sehla rahi thi. Kuch der baad Arham bhai log bhi aa gaye. Sheiza aur Muhib to jaise ek dusre ka chehra dekhna bhi gunah samajh rahe thay.
"Aap log baatein karo, main Arsalan ko dekh kar aata hoon," Arham bhai yeh keh kar chale gaye.
Unke jaate hi table par wahi ghutan wali khamoshi phir se chaa gayi. Maine Samrah ko dekha; uske hont ek an-kahi baat kehne ke liye khule, aur phir band ho gaye. Main jaanti thi, lambe, thaka dene waale din ke baad use tanhai chahiye hoti hai. Lekin shayad is ajeeb ittefaq mein bhi koi behtari hi hogi.
Is khamoshi ko Muhib ki awaaz ne tora. "Zariya Aapi, aap hi business student hain na?" usne aisi masoomiyat se pucha ke ek pal ke liye main uski pehli ki harkatein bhool gayi.
"Haan. Aur tum kya kar rahe ho?" maine jawab diya.
"Main architecture ki studies kar raha hoon, abhi Masters ke first year mein hoon."
"Acha, tum Sheiza wali university se hi ho na?"
"Jee Aapi. Maine sirf aap ke baare mein Khalu se ya Arham bhai se hi suna tha, to mujhe aap se milne ka bohot mann tha."
Dusri taraf, Zaydin ne Samrah se baat shuru ki. "Samrah Aapi, aap ke kaam kaise jaa rahe hain?"
"Alhamdulillah, abhi to bohot acha hai. Aur tum batao, tumhari parhai kaisi jaa rahi hai?" Samrah ne muskura kar pucha, aur phir main aur Muhib apni baaton mein masroof ho gaye.
"Aapi, meri B. Pharmacy ho chuki hai. Abhi bas D.Pharm karne ka irada hai," Zaydin ne halki muskurahat ke saath jawab diya.
"Aur, aur! Bhai guitar bhi bohot acha bajate hain aur gaane bhi likhte hain!" Muhib ne josh se bataya. Is par Zaydin ne playfully uski gardan daba di aur Muhib maafi maangne laga. Is manzar par hum chaaron hi apni hasi rok nahi paaye.
"Lagta hai sab ki achi jam gayi hai, siwaye Muhib aur Sheiza ke," Arham ki awaaz sunai di. Woh cooking apron pehne hue thay, aur unke haath mein kuch bowls thay. Unke saath hi Arsalan bhai thay.
"Yeh rahe seafoods," Arsalan bhai ne saare bowls aur trays Zariya ke saamne rakhte hue kaha. Fried fish, malai fish... na jaane kya kya tha. Zariya ka muh dekhne laayak tha, jaise kisi khazane ke laalach aur use khatam na kar paane ke khauf ke beech phans gayi ho. Meri hasi chhoot gayi.
Arsalan bhai apna apron utaar kar ek chair par baith gaye. Tabhi mera dhyaan gaya ke Arham wahan nahi thay.
"Chalein phir, khana shuru karte hain," Arsalan bhai ne kaha.
"Aur Arham?" Mere alfaz, jo mere dil mein thay, na jaane kaise zabaan par aa gaye.
"Woh aa jayega abhi. Tum pareshan na ho," Arsalan bhai ne muskurate hue kaha. Maine bhi halki si muskurahat ke saath sar hila diya.
"Lo, aa bhi gaya woh."
Arham ke haath mein ek carry bag tha. Woh seedha meri taraf aaye, aur ghutnon ke bal mere saamne baith gaye. Waqt, awaazein, log... sab kuch achanak se pas-e-manzar mein chala gaya. Unhone meri taraf dekha.
"Aap heels utaar dein."
Yeh ek hukum tha, jo bohot narm lehje mein diya gaya tha. Unhone ek jori flip-flops mere pairon ke aage rakh diye. Main bas unhein dekhti reh gayi. Mere aas-paas ki har cheez, har insan, be-maani ho gaya tha.
Kya main inpar bharosa kar sakti hoon...? Aur agar maine kar bhi liya, to kya mere maa baap mujhpar bharosa kar payenge? Kya main sab kuch sambhal paungi?
Mere khayalon ka silsila tab toota jab khana shuru hua. Khane ke poore waqt, table par hasi aur baaton ka shor raha. Kabhi Sheiza aur Muhib ek dusre ko muh bana kar chiraate, to kabhi Zariya aur Zaydin ki baatein shuru ho jaatin. Kabhi Arsalan bhai Zariya ki plate mein fish rakhte hue nazar aate. Yeh kuch lamhon ka sukoon hi mere liye kaafi tha.
Jab meri nazar apni plate par pari, to woh sabse zyada bhari hui thi. Jise maine nahi, Arham ne bhara tha.
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