chapter 12

Yeh saari dar ke jagah unke andar gusse ne le li jo Imama ko dekh kar aroused ho gaya thaUsne unhe dekh liya aur unki taraf badh rahi thi, uske chehre par ek bohot khushgawar muskurahat thi. "Tum college kyun nahi aayi aaj?" usne salaam kame ke baad poocha."Hum kisi jagah ke baare mein tab soch sakte hain jab tumhari pareshaani se fursat mile, Rabia ka lehja talkhi se bharpur tha. Imama ki muskurahat gaayab ho gayi."Rabia, kya masla hai, tum itni gusse mein kyun ho?" usne pareshani se kaha."Kamre mein aao, phir batati hoon." Rabia ne uska bazu pakad kar andar kheench liya. Javeria bhi bina kuch kahe peechhe chali gayi. Imama Rabia aur Javeria ke rawaiye se hairan thi. Rabia ne darwaza band kiya aur Imama ki taraf dekha."Tum kahan se aa rahi ho?" usne gusse bhari, tez awaaz mein poocha"Islamabad se, aur kahan se?" Imama ne apna bag neeche rakha. Uske jawab ne Rabia ke gusse ko aur bhadkaya."Tumhe sharam aani chahiye, Imama... humein aise dhoka dena, hamari aankhon mein dhool jhonkna... tum kya sabit karna chahti ho? Ke hum bewakoof hain? Idiots hain? Fools hain? Theek hai, hum hain, maan leti hoon, warna hum tumhari har baat pe andhi tarah yakeen nahi karte aur na hi dhokha khaate, Rabia ne kaha.."Mujhe tumhari baat samajh nahi aa rahi... kis dhokhe ki baat kar rahi ho? Behtar hoga agar tum baith kar mujhse aaraam se baat karo." Imama bechari lag rahi thi."Weekend tumne kahan guzara?" Pehli dafa, Javeria ne baat mein mudakhlat ki."Maine kaha na, main Islamabad mein thi aur college se seedha aayi hoon, aur ab college se..." Rabia ne uski baat kaat di.."Ye bakwaas band karo, Imama. Yeh jhoot nahi chalega-tum Islamabad nahi gayi thi.""Tum yeh kaise keh sakti ho?" Imama ne apni awaaz buland ki."Kyuki tumhare walid yahan aaye the kal."Imama ke chehre ka rang ur gaya. Woh khamosh thi Ab kyun chup ho? Kyun nahi kehti ke tum Islamabad mein thi?" Rabia ne tanziya kaha."Baba yahan aaye the?" Imama ne dheere se poocha"Haan. Woh tumhare liye kuch kapde laaye the, Javeria ne kaha."Kya unhe pata chal gaya tha ke main hostel mein nahi thi?""Maine unhe jhoot bola ke tum kuch kaam se bahar gayi thi. Unhone kapde diye aur chale gaye," Javeria ne jawab diya. Imama ne ek araam ka saans liya."Iska matlab unhe kuch pata nahi chala," Imama ne kaha aur bed par baith kar apne sandal ke straps kholne lagi."Nahi... unhe kuch pata nahi chala. Agle hafte tum phir se kahin aur ja sakti ho.""Dhyan rahe, Imama, main warden se is baare mein baat karne wali hoon. Humne tumhari taraf se bohot fikr ki hai aur ab aur nahi bardasht kar sakte. Tumhare maal baap ko pata chalna chahiye ke tum kya kar rahi ho." Rabia sakhti se boli; Imama ne uski taraf dekha."Maine kya kiya? Maine kya kiya hai?""Kya kiya hai? Tum kehti ho ke ghar ja rahi ho aur hostel se gayab ho jaati ho yeh tumhare liye kuch naya nahi hai." Imama ne jawab nahi diya. Usne doosre paon ke straps kholne shuru kiye."Mujhe warden ke paas jaana chahiye tha," Rabia ne kaha aur darwaze ki taraf badhne lagi.Javeria uth kar usko roka. "Hum warden se baad mein baat karenge. Pehle usse baat kar lete hain-jaldbazi mat karo.""Lekin uski zid aur rawaiya dekho.... uske chehre par sharam ka koi asar nahi hai," Rabia ne Imama ki taraf ishara karte hue kaha, woh ghusse se bhar gayi thi."Main tumhe sab kuch bata doongi; itna gussa hone ki zaroorat nahi hai. Mainne kuch galat nahi kiya aur na hi kisi galat jagah gayi... aur na hi bhaag gayi thi." Imama ne narmi se kaha, jab usne apne paon jooton se azad kiye."Phir tum kahan gayi thi?" Javeria ne poocha."Ek dost ke saath.""Kaunsa dost?""Ek hai...""Jhoot bolne ki kya zaroorat thi?""Mujhe tumhare sawalon se bachna tha aur agar main apne gharwalon ko batati ya unki ijazat mangti, to woh kabhi nahi maante.""To kahan gayi thi aur kyun?" Javeria hairan thi."Mainne kaha na, main tumhe bataungi? Thoda waqt do," Imama ne jawab diya."Tumhe waqt dein taa ke tum phir se gayab ho jao aur shayad is dafa waapis bhi na aao!" Rabia ab bhi ghusse mein thi, lekin thoda kam. "Tumhe yeh bhi ehsaas nahi tha ke tum humein mushkil mein daal rahi ho. Tumhe pata bhi hai ke yeh hamare liye kitni zillat wali baat ho sakti thi kya tumhe koi ehsaas hai?" usne kaha."Mujhe kabhi umeed nahi thi ke Baba itni achanak yahan aa jayenge, aur mujhe nahi laga tha ke yeh tumhare liye sharmindagi wali surat bana dega-warna main aisa kabhi nahi karti." Imama ke lehje mein nadamat thi."Kam az kam tum humein bharosa karti aur batati ke tum kahan ja rahi ho," Javeria ne izafa kiya"Main aisa phir kabhi nahi karungi," Imama ne wada kiya."Khair, mujhe tum par ya tumhare waadon par koi bharosa nahi hai," Rabia ne tehqi se kaha."Rabia, mujhe apna mawqif wazeh karne do-tum bohot ghalat samajh rahi ho,"Imama ne kamzori se jawab diya."Kya tumhe ehsaas hai ke hamare career aur zindagi daao par lag gaye hain? Kya isi ko dosti kehte ho?""Theek hai, maine ghalti ki-mujhe maaf kar do,"Imama ne haar maan li."Jab tak tum humein nahi batati ke tum kahan gayi thi, hum koi maafi nahi maanenge aur na hi tumhe maaf karenge," Rabia ne zidd pakdi.Imama ne chup chaap unhe dekha. Kuch dair baad usne kaha, "Main Sabiha ke paas gayi thi." Rabia aur Javeria ne hairan hokar ek doosre ki taraf dekha. "Kaun?" unhone ek saath poocha."Tum usse jaanti ho," Imama ne jawab diya."Woh fourth year ki student, Sabiha?" Javeria apni hairani nahi chhupa saki.Imama ne sir hilaaya. "Lekin tum wahan kyun gayi thi?""Woh meri dost hai.""Dost? Kaunsi dost? Tum usse mushkil se jaanti ho. Tum usse sirf college mein milti ho; tumhe pata bhi nahi woh kis tarah ki insaan hai, aur tum uske ghar weekend quzarte ja rahi ho, Javeria ne afsurda hokar kaha."Aur woh bhi dhoke se-kam az kam tumhe humein aur apne gharwalon se jhoot bolne ki zaroorat nahi thi," Rabia ne izafa kiya. Uske lehje mein gussa tha."Tum usse call karke pooch sakti ho ke main wahan thi, Imama ne kaha."Chalo maan lete hain tum wahan thi, lekin hum pooch sakte hain kyun?" Javeria ne zidd ki."Mujhe uski madad chahiye thi," Imama ne kuch dair ke baad kaha.Woh uski taraf hairani se dekhti rahi. "Kis baat mein madad?"Imama ne unhe ghurte hue jawab diya, bina palkein jhapkaye. Javeria bechain hogayi. "Kaisi madad?" usne phir se poocha."Tum bohot achi tarah jaanti ho," Imama ne narmi se jawab diya."Main?" Javeria kuch haraan si ho gayi, usne Rabia ki taraf dekha jo usko ghaur se dekh rahi thi."Haan, tum bohot achi tarah jaanti ho.""Imama, isay paheliyan mat banao. Seedha seedha batao," Javeria ne tez awaaz mein kaha.Imama ne kuch dair ke liye usko chup chap dekha aur phir apna sir jhuka liya-woh apna mawaqif haar chuki thi. Batao, tumhari zindagi ki sab se pyari khwahish kya hai?" Us din Imama ne Javeria se poocha. Javeria ne kuch dair tak Imama ka chehra dekha aur phir boli, "Meri sab se pyari khwahish yeh hai ke tum Musalman ban jao."Imama ke dil mein ek jhatka laga-hairaan aur goom, usne Javeria ki taraf dekha jo dheemi aur ahista se bol rahi thi."Tum meri itni pyari dost ho, itni qareebi ke tumhein gumraah raaste par dekh kar dukh hota hai... sirf tumhein nahi, balki tumhari poori khandaan ko. Agar Allah mujhe mere kisi nek amal ke badle jannat mein bheje, to main chahti hoon ke tum bhi mere. saath ho-lekin is ke liye zaroori hai ke tum Musalman bano."Imama ke chehre par mukhtalif ehsaas guzar gaye. Kuch dair baad usne kuch kaha."Javeria, mujhe umeed nahi thi ke tum mujhse Tehreem ki tarah baat karogi, maine socha tha tum meri dost ho, lekin tum bhi..."Javeria ne narmi se uski baat kaat di. "Jo kuch Tehreem ne tumse kaha tha woh theek tha."Imama ne uski taraf ghusse se dekha: woh Javeria ke alfaaz se gehri dukh mein thi.. "Main tab tumhare saath itni dostana nahi thi ke tumse yeh baat keh sakoon, lekin main Tehreem se mutafiq thi. Agar usne kaha ke tum Musalman nahi ho, toh woh ghalat nahi thi-tum nahi ho."Imama ki aankhon mein aansoo bhar aaye. Woh achanak uth khadi hui, bina kuch kahe.Javeria bhi khadi ho gayi. Imama ne jaane ki koshish ki lekin Javeria ne uska haath pakad liya. "Mera haath chhodo... mujhe jaane do. Dobara mujhse baat karne ki koshish bhi mat karna."Imama ka gala bhar aaya aur usne Javeria ki girfit se apne aap ko azad karne ki koshish ki. "Imama, meri baat samajhne ki koshish karo..."Lekin Imama ne usse baat mukammal nahi karne di. "Tumne mujhe buhat dukh diya hai, Javeria. Mujhe tumse yeh umeed nahi thi.""Main tumhe dukh nahi dena chahti: main tumhe sach bata rahi hoon. Jazbati hone ya rone ki bajaye, sirf thanda dimaag aur fareeqana soch se mere kahin baton par ghour karo.Main kyun bina kisi wajah ke tumhe dukh pohanchaungi?"Javeria ne uska haath nahi chhoda."Ho sakta hai ke tum jaanti ho ke tum yeh sab kyun kar rahi ho, lekin main jo jaanti hoon woh yeh hai ke tum aur Tehreem mein koi farq nahi hai. Asal mein, tumne mujhe usse zyada dukh diya-woh meri itni qareebi aur purani dost nahi thi jitni tum ho."Imama ke chehre par aansoo beh rahe the aur usne apne haath ko Javeria ki girfit se chhurane ki koshish ki."Tumne mujhse israr kiya ke main tumhe apne dil ki sab se pyari khwahish bataoon. Isi liye main tumhe nahi bata rahi thi-main ne tumhe pehle hi kaha tha ke tum dukhogi, lekin tumne yakeen dilaya tha ke tum nahi hogi," Javeria ne usse yaad dilane ki koshish ki"Agar mujhe pata hota ke tumhara jawab yeh hoga, to main kabhi tumse yeh nahi poochti ke tumhari zindagi ki sab se pyari khwahish kya hai," Imama ghusse se boli."Phir main kabhi tumse is mozo par baat nahi karungi," Javeria ne difaa'i andaaz mein jawab diya."Kya farq padta hai? Ab mujhe pata chal gaya ke tum mere bare mein kya sochti ho. Hamari dosti kabhi waise nahi ho sakti jaisi pehle thi. Maine kabhi tumhare aqeede. par tanqeed nahi ki, lekin mere mazhab ko Islam ke firqeon mein se aik samajhne ke bajaye, tumne mujhe deen ke dairay se bahar nikal diya," Imama ne kaha."Agar main yeh kar rahi hoon, to main ghalat nahi hoon-Islam ke tamam firqe yeh maan'te hain ke Hazrat Muhammad (SAW) Allah ke akhri rasool hain aur nabuwat un par khatam hui," Javeria bhi ab ghusse aur pareshaan thi."Apni zaban sambhalo!" Imama ne gusse se kaha."Main tumhe sach bata rahi hoon, Imama...aur sirf main nahi....sab ko maloom hai ke tumhari khandaan ne dolat hasil karne ke liye apna mazhab badla. Jazbati hone ki zaroorat nahi-koshish karo thanda dimaag se sochne ki...""Mujhe tumhari baaton par thanda dimaag se sochne ki zaroorat nahi," Imama ne uski baat kaat di. "Mujhe maloom hai ke kya sach hai aur kya nahi..."Tumhe kuch maloom nahi, aur yeh hi sab se dukh bhari baat hai," Javeria ne jawab diya.Imama ne kuch nahi kaha. Usne apna haath jhatke se chhuraya aur tez qadam se chal padi. Javeria ne uske peeche jaane ki koshish nahi ki. Fikrmandi se usne Imama ko door jaate hue dekha-Imama ka is tarah ghussa dikhana Javeria ko fikr mein daal gaya.Continue ✍️✍️✍️