Chapter 73: CHAPTER - 72

•••

Neem ghanoodgi ke aalam mein kisi ne sahara de kar us ke labo se paani ka glass lagaya tha. Wo Abdul tha, us ki aankhon mein wahshat thehri thi, us ke haath bhi kapkapa rahe the. Wo apne labon ko janbish dete Huay kuch kehne ki koshish karta tha magar lafz ada na hotay the.

"Mujhe maaf kar do, main majboor tha. Baat na manta to mera beta maara jata. Mujhe nahi pata tha gaari mein tum ho, main samjha wo Hammad babu..." Kehte kehte ruk gaya. Faris Wajdan ki neem khuli aankho mein ubhra woh bejaan sa ta'assur tha hi aisa.

Abdul aik jhatke se peeche hat gaya aur uth kar chala gaya. Kothari aik baar phir andher ho gayi. Us ne apne ghutnon par sar rakh liya. Aankhein bojhal thi. Wajood zakhmo se choor aur nidhal tha. Jo thodi bohat sakkat thi wo Cheekhne chillane mein khatam ho chuki thi.

Jaane mazeed kitna waqt guzra usey kuch andaza na tha. Wo yeh bhi nahi jaanta tha din ka waqt ya raat ka sannata tha magar kothari ka darwaza aik baar phir khul gaya tha. Flashlight aik baar phir chamki thi. Abdul haath mein paani ka glass liye daakhil hua tha. Mur kar bahar dekhte us ne apni taraf se jaise kisi baat ki tasalli ki thi. Andaaz se wazeh tha, wo paani ke bahaane sirf us se baat karne hi aaya tha.

Us ne glass neeche rakh diya. Us ke peeche ki jaanib bandhay huay haathon ki rassi us ne dheeli kar di. "Yeh log… yeh log shaam tak tumhein maar dege." Kandho se thaam kar usey aagahi di thi. "Yeh tumhari laash Azam Shirazi ko bhejein ge. Sun rahe ho, main kya keh raha hoon?" Us ne sar utha kar khaali nazro se usey dekha tha. Pehchanne ki koshish ki thi, wo kya keh raha tha. Us ki samajh mein nahi aa raha tha. "Main das minute tak pichhli taraf ka darwaza khol duga, pehre daar khaana khane jaayega to main, Usey ooper hi rok loonga. Tum pichhle darwaze se bahar bhaag jaana. Bagh se aage sadak hai. Kisi Tareeke se sadak tak pohanch jaana. Sun rahe ho? main kya keh raha hoon?"

Usay kandho se thaam kar jhanjhod daala ke wo bas kisi tareeke se koi to jawab de. Magar wo koi bhi Jawab nahi de raha tha. Us mein khud se farar hone ki koi sakkat nahi rahi thi. Sakkat thi bhi to himmat nahi rahi thi. Wo bejaan sa lag raha tha. Abdul ne faisla karne mein sirf aik lamha liya. Doosre hi pal usKe haath khol diye. Usey bazoo se pakad kar uthaya aur khinchte huay rahdari mein le aaya. Usey saath liye Kuch ujalat mein andaaz-e-qadam uthata aage barhta gaya. Ta aage seedhiyan thi, jinki doosri taraf aahni darwaza tha. Yeh darwaza Abdul ne chaabi se khola tha aur usey khuli fiza mein bahar dhakela tha.

"Jao, ladke ke bhaago yahan se."

Aqab mein neeche kahi aahat hui thi. Gate khul gaya tha. Abdul ne darwaza kheench kar band kar diya.

Faris saakht aur matoohish sa apni jagah khada raha. Usey sochne samajhne mein dushwari ho rahi thi. Usey kya Karna tha, kahaan jaata tha, kuch samajh mein nahi aa raha tha.

Aasman mukammal tor par badalo se dhaka hua tha. Chaand aur sitaare chup gaye thay. Dharti ki tareeki unki ghair mojoodgi mein kuch aur barh gayi thi. Isi tareeki mein taiz hawao aur barish ki sangat mein sunsaan si Waadi mein sar uthaye oonche liye darakht khauf ka samaan paida kar rahe thay. Aeen isi lamhe gunn shot ki awaaz goonji.

"Abdul!" Band darwaze ko dekhte wo ulte qadam peeche hata. Aur agle hi lamhe wo girta padta mukhalif simt, baagh ki taraf andha dhund bhaagta chala gaya.

Darakhto se takrate, jhaadiyon se ulajhte, barish mein bheegte kahin thokar kha kar girte, kahin himmat pakad kar uthte wo sadak tak pohanch gaya. Doosri taraf jalti bujhati mehm hoti nuqta nuqta roshniyaan thi. Atraaf mein makan the, abaadi thi.

Bilkul saamne hi aik dukan thi. Tamaam tareekiyo mein, gharo ke daaman mein sirf wahi aik dukan load shedding se bachi hui nazar aa rahi thi. Dukan ka shutter utha hua tha. Flashlights roshan thin. Andar koi shakhs khada tha.

Wo us tak pohancha to dukaandaar ne mur kar kuch hairat se is zakmi aur haal se beyhaal hote larke ko dekha. Aur...

Faris ki samajh mein nahi aa raha tha wo us se kya kahe aur kaise kahe. Dimagh bilkul khaali tha. Aankhon mein wahshat si thehri hui thi. Wo log is jagah se zyada doori par nahi thay. Baeed nahi tha ke wo usey Dhoondhte huye yaha tak aa jatay.

"Mujhe, mujhe phone karna hai." Us ki awaaz laraz rahi thi. Dukaandaar uski haalat dekh kar aik dum se ghabrahat ka shikaar hua tha phir usey andar aane diya. Apna mobile nikaal kar usay diya. Woh barish mein mukammal tor par bheega hua kuch dair tak khara raha. Us ke haath kaanp rahe the. Dimagh bilkul ma'oof tha. "Call kise kare?" Uski saansein bhaari theen. Ruk kar socha. Zehan par zoor diya. Phir number milaana shuru kiya to number bhoolne laga. Dukaandaar munjamid sa usey dekhta ja raha tha. Usne dosri baar number milaya, phir teesri baar.

Ruk ruk kar, zehan par zoor de kar, yaad kar ke bell jane ki toh usne maan'tay huay Mercury ki taraf dekha tha. Gariyaan guzar jaati thee warna sadak sunsaan nazar aati thi.

Chothi se paanchvi bell par phone utha liya gaya.

"Hello!" Awaaz Jannat ki thi. Woh kursi par chadh kar phone kaan se lagaye khadi thi.

"Hello!" Us ke lab hilay.

"Jannat!"

"Aap kaun?"

"Main... main Faris, Nana ko phone do. Mujhe unse baat karni hai." Us ka aik aik lafz mushkil se ada ho raha tha. Gun shot ki awaaz jaise samaat mein thahri hui thi.

"Faris!" Woh aik dum se cheekhi. Phir kursi par kharay kharay kitchen ki taraf moonh kiya.

"Saleem! Faris ka phone hai! Maine kaha tha na woh phone karega." Khushi se chehra chamak utha tha. Bartan dhote huay Saleem ne aik lambi si saans li. Yeh koi teesri call thi jo receive karte use Man'thi Aflatoon ka khayaal tha ke Faris ka hoga. Woh hostel se yeh batane ke liye phone karega ke woh bilkul theek hai kyunki usne Mudhat ko khat diya tha aur khat ab tak pohanch bhi gaya hoga.

"Main ne tumhe bohot yaad kiya. Tumhe pata hai Tipu ki cycle chori ho gayi?" Woh phone cord ko apnay bazoo mein ghumati wahin baith gayi. "Aur Baba ne kaha..."

"Jannat!" Usne foran uski baat kaati.

"Jannat meri baat suno." Awaaz bheegi hui thi. Lehja gulu geer ho raha tha.

"Nana se baat karwao meri."

"Baba toh busy hain. Tum mujh se baat kar lo."

Woh deewar par haath rakhay khara tha, apni peshaani bhi nikaali. "Please meri baat karwa do." Woh kitni mushkil se sabr kiye khara tha, ro diya. "Unse kaho, main is waqt…!" gardan mor kar sadak ki taraf dekhta hoon. Sunsaan raste aur tareeki ko dekhta hoon. "Main pata nahi is waqt kahan hoon!"

Laboon mein jumbish hui. Aankhon par haath rakh liya. "Faris ro raha hai?" Jannat ab ke heraan, phir sahi maano mein pareshan hui. "Baba toh ghar pe nahi hain. Tumhe kya hua? Tum kyun ro rahe ho? Tumhe chot lagi hai?"

"Haan! Mujhe chot lagi hai."

"Saleem!" Woh kursi se utar kar kitchen ki taraf bhaagi.

Is se pehle ke woh mazeed kuch kehta, sadak par gaari ke Tyre chir chiraye thay. Jhattay se brake Gayi thi. Phone us ke haath se chhoot gaya. Woh hawas bakhtagi ke aalam mein mura. Us ne baarish mein kisi ko gaari se nikalte dekha tha. Taiz roshni se aankhein chandhiya gayi thin. Us ka wujood mukammal ayan ho gaya tha. Woh usey dekh sakte thay. Us tak pohanch sakte thay. Us ne kisi ko apni janib ajalat mein qadam uthate dekha tha. Hawas bakhtagi ke aalam mein woh dukaan se nikal kar mukhalif simt bhaga tha.

Samne hi baen taraf se aati gaari ki headlights roshan hui thin. Woh aik jhatke se ruk gaya tha.

"FARIS" koi cheekh raha tha. Fiza goliyo ki tar tarahat se goonj uthi. Us ke wujood ko yakay baad deegar do goliya lagi. Teesri goli us wujood ne khai jo aik dum se us ke agay aa gaya tha.

Woh bejaan ho kar neeche aa gira. Door kahin police siren ki awaaz goonj rahi thi. Shor aik dum se taiz ho gaya tha. Us ki aankhein khuli hui thin, magar kuch nazar nahi aa raha tha. Woh zinda tha, magar wujood bejaan patthar ho raha tha.

Haath bhaari, aankho ko harkat dena bhi mushkil tha. Us ki saansain akharnay lagi. Us ka zehan tareek hone laga.

Aas paas ka shore, awazain tham gayin. Baarish ruk gayi, har aik cheez harkaat o sakanat se aari munjamid pathhar ho gayi.

"Gaari lao, jaldi se lao," koi cheekh raha tha.

Us ke seene ke neeche daayne hissay par dabao daaltay haath jam gaye. Wahan jahan goli lagi thi, wahan se khoon beh raha tha, zaya ho raha tha. Haath khoon se luthre gaye the. Us ka khoon, un ka khoon baarish mein aik ho raha tha.

•••

Usey emergency room mein le jaya gaya. Doctors ka amla fori tor par mutaharik hua tha. Anaesthesiologist ne apni jagah sambhalte hue windpipe mein endotracheal tube dali. Usi saraiyahat se doosri nurse ne baqiya mandah khoon se lathray kapray kaat kar jism se alag kar diye. Uski qalbi harkaat o saknat ka jaiza lene ke liye electrocardiogram sensors jism se chaspaan kar diye gaye. Larke ke survival chances bohot kam thay, kaafi se zyada khoon beh chuka tha. Chest compression shuru kiya gaya. Kuch samples liye gaye, X-ray machine kheench kar qareeb kar li gayi. IV line ko uske bazoo se munsalik kiya gaya taake khoon diya ja sake.

Aur tab hi achanak uska dil ruk gaya. Dhadkan khatam ho gayi.

Khoon ki kami ke bais usey cardiac arrest hua tha.

Surgeon Fariya mehze ek lamhe ke liye munjamid hui thin, agle hi pal unhon ne surgical tray se scalpels utha liya.

Unhon ne dil expose kar ke aorta ko is tarah se clamp kiya taake khoon ki circulation jism ke peechay hisse se munqata kar ke usey dimagh tak pohancha sakein. Is dauran wo open heart massage ke zariye usay revive karne ki koshish karti rahin jo ke kaamyaab rahi. Unke atraf mein nurse aur residents apne kaam mein jute rahe. Goli nikalte, zakhm ka muaina karte, khoon rokte, stitches lagate, drugs administrate karte rahe. Electrocardiogram par doobara ubharti laqeeren mutaharik rahin.

Aasman par kahin badal garajte thay. Bijli chamak kar andheray mein daraar daalti aur khatam ho gayi thi. Baarish taiz ho rahi thi. Woh gaari mein baithe thay. Chehra sapaat, aankho mein sakhti tehri hui thi. Unke haath aur kapro par khoon ke nishan thay, gaari ki aqbi nashist par bhi. Driver aur guard ke ilawa, unke barabar mein Agha Ali betha tha.

"Meri ghalti hai, maine aap se rabte ki koshish ki thi magar aap se baat nahi ho saki. Aur Hammad babu, woh bohot zyada majboor kar rahe thay." Woh ruk gaya. "Maine us din aap se baat ki thi. Aap ne kaha tha, main Hammad ko jab bhi Islamabad lau to apni jeep mein laaon, koi security nahi."

Uski awaaz kamzor ho rahi thi.

Toh jehaat aur daleelain sab dhundhli ho rahi thin. Yeh sach tha ke usey yeh qadam Hammad ki wajah se uthana pada. Is mein Azam Sherazi ki ijaazat shaamil nahi thi kyun ke un se rabta mumkin nahi ho sakta tha.

Shirazi Mansion mein Hammad sirf teen din tak raha tha. Chauthe din uski wapsi thi. Us din jab woh Agha Ali ko phone par schedule se aagaah kar rahe thay to usne Faris ke baare mein poocha tha. Woh ek lamhey ke liye ruk gaye thay. Unhein Faris ke maamlay mein sare se koi khatra nazar nahi aaya tha. "Sunday tak gaari wapas aa jayegi jab usay hostel drop kar dena"

Woh hukum de kar chale gaye magar shaam tak unhon ne mana kar diya tha. Hammad Sherazi ek haftay ke baad hi Islamabad ja sakta tha. Khud unhein zaroori meeting ke liye Germany jana pada tha.

Magar Hammad ne to jaise wapsi ki zid baandh li thi. Usey har surat Islamabad jana tha aur kal hi jana tha. Majbooran usey Hammad ki baat manni padi thi. Us se bohot bari ghalti, bohot bari bhool hui thi. Usay Azam Shirazi ka hukum manna chahiye tha. Agar woh aisa na karta to Faris Wajdan ki zindagi is tarah khatre mein na aati. "Mujhe maaf kar dein sahab, yeh meri ghalti hai." Agha Ali ne bohot dukh aur sharmindagi se kaha.

Ek baar phir aitraaf kiya tha.

Unhone koi jawab nahi diya. Rukh mod kar khidki se bahar hospital ki imarat ko dekhne lage. Phir kalai mod kar waqt dekha. Haider ne gaari ke sheeshe par dastak di to unhone sheesha neeche kar diya. Faris ko ICU mein shift kar diya gaya tha, thoracotomy kamiyab rahi thi. Go ke us ke bachne ke chances bohot kam thay aur wo abhi bhi khatre se bahar nahi tha. Us ne surgeon Fariya ke alfaaz min o an Azam Sherazi ko suna diye thay. "Tum jaante ho, ab tumhein kya karna hai?" Unhone kaha. Aur phir keh kar apna hukum dohraaya.

Agha Ali ne sar utha kar kuch sadi se Azam Sherazi ko dekha. Haider ke ta'suraat bhi kuch aisay hi the. Agle hi pal wo sar hila kar chala gaya tha. Unhon ne gaari ka sheesha band kar diya. Baarish hanuuz barasti rahi. Un ki nigaahe bahar, light poles ke aks par jami rahi jo baarish ke jama shuda paniyon mein jagah jagah munakis ho rahi thi.

ꨄ

"𝙼𝚞𝚓𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚞𝚗𝚘  𝚓𝚊𝚒𝚜𝚎 𝚔𝚘𝚒 𝚋𝚊𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝚔𝚘 𝚜𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚊 𝚑𝚊𝚒

𝚣𝚊𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚎 𝚔𝚎 𝚞𝚗 𝚋𝚎𝚑𝚔𝚝𝚎  𝚕𝚊𝚛-𝚔𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚚𝚊𝚍𝚊𝚖𝚘 𝚔𝚒 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚊𝚙…

𝚜𝚞𝚗𝚘…

𝚓𝚊𝚑𝚊 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚊𝚊𝚗 𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚑𝚕𝚎𝚎𝚚 𝚔𝚊 𝚛𝚞𝚔𝚊  𝚔𝚊𝚑𝚒𝚗 𝚔𝚘𝚒 𝚠𝚞𝚓𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚑𝚒 𝚗𝚊𝚑𝚒

𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚊𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝚔𝚘 𝚋𝚑𝚒 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚞𝚗𝚘…

𝚘 𝚌𝚑𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚙𝚎 𝚐𝚒𝚛𝚎 𝚓𝚊𝚊𝚝𝚒 𝚑𝚊𝚒

𝙶𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚎 𝚓𝚞𝚗𝚐𝚕𝚎 𝚖𝚎𝚒𝚗 𝚢𝚎 𝚛𝚊𝚊𝚝

𝚔𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚊𝚞𝚛 𝚛𝚊𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚞𝚒 𝚓𝚊𝚊𝚝𝚒 𝚑𝚊𝚒

𝙶𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚓𝚝𝚒 𝚋𝚒𝚓𝚕𝚒 𝚖𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚘 𝚔𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚖𝚒𝚢𝚊𝚗…

𝚒𝚔 𝚐𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚊 𝚋𝚊𝚗𝚊 𝚕𝚒𝚢𝚊 𝚑𝚊𝚒

𝚊𝚞𝚛 𝚎𝚔 𝚋𝚎𝚚𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚊𝚛 𝚞𝚓𝚛𝚊𝚢 𝚋𝚊𝚊𝚐𝚑 𝚖𝚎𝚒𝚗  𝚊𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚐𝚒 𝚔𝚒 𝚝𝚊𝚜𝚟𝚎𝚎𝚛 𝚕𝚒𝚢𝚎  𝚝𝚞𝚖𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊 𝚜𝚊𝚊𝚢𝚊 …

𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚊𝚏𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚛  𝚊𝚙𝚗𝚒 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚊𝚒 𝚔𝚘 𝚙𝚑𝚊𝚒𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚊 𝚓𝚊 𝚛𝚊𝚑𝚊 𝚑𝚊𝚒."

❏❏❏

Aur agle din theek dhai baje ek shakhs reception par kisi larke ke baare mein daryaft karne aaya tha jise goli lagi thi aur jise kal shaam hi hospital laya gaya tha. Usey bataya gaya ke larka mar chuka tha aur us ke waris uski laash le ja chuke the. Us ne mazeed tahqiq karte hue gehraai mein jana chaha to documents bhi dikha diye gaye. Maut ki wajah, timing, umar waghera tamaam tafseelaat darj thi. Us ka chehra sapaat magar aankho mein aik chamak si utar aayi thi. Woh ek sahafi ke roop mein tamaam tafseelaat lene aaya tha. Wapsi par kaafi mutmaeen tha.

"Is museebat se to jaan chhuti!" Phone par apne sahab se baat ki to us ne kaha. "Larkay ne mera chehra dekha tha, woh mujhe pehchan hi leta."

"Waise hairat ki baat hai sahab! Azam Shirazi khud us ke liye aaye the"

Aur yeh baat to uske sahab ko bhi hairan kar rahi thi. Saara maamla Abdul ki wajah se gadbad hua tha. Usne mukhbari ki thi. Jagah ka pata diya tha. Aik pal mein na sirf police ki bhaari nafri wahan mojood thi, balkay Azam Shirazi ke aadmi bhi wahan aan pohanche they. Firing mein unke do aadmi bhi halaak hue thay. Abdul ko to usi waqt maar diya gaya tha jab usne Faris ki madad ki thi. Woh Shirazi khandan ka mulazim tha. Zara dair ke liye bete ki jaan bachane ke liye bedaar tha. Tamaam tar ikhlas to phir bhi unke saath jata raha tha. Aakhri waqt tak.

"Kadi nazar rakhna, in par kuch bhi pata chale to mujhe fori aagah karna."

"Jaisa aap ka hukum, boss!" Uske boss ne call kaat di thi.

Woh apne kamre mein tha jab mulazim ne darwaze par dastak de kar usey Azam Shirazi se mutaliq aagah kiya. Unhon ne usey apne office room mein bulaya tha.

"Baba, yehin hain?" Hammad shadeed hairan hua tha.

"Woh kab aaye thay? Abhi kuch din pehle hi to woh business ke silsile mein Germany gaye the." Woh ek lamhe ke liye ruk kar phir khushgawar ta’asuraat ke saath seediyan utarta neeche aaya.

Office room ka darwaza kholta woh andar daakhil hua. Azam Shirazi office table ke is paar glass of water ke samne khade thay. Deewar geer khidkiyo se Margala ki pahadiya nazar aa rahi thin. Ba-is se pehle ke woh kuch kehta, unhon ne palat kar usey dekha.

"Agha Ali ko orders kis ne diye they?" Unki aankho mein sakhti thi, aur chehre se sard mehri nazar aa rahi thi.

Unke sard lehje mein puchne par woh apni jagah ruk gaya tha. Dada ke ta’asuraat phir leley thay. Munh bhincha hua tha. Ragein ubhri hui thi, woh shadeed ghusse mein thay magar khud par qaboo kar ke baat kar rahe the.

Pehle pehal to woh unki baat samajh hi na paya ke wo kis order ki baat kar rahe thay, magar jab samajh mein aaya to aik shariir muskurahat uske labo ka ihata kar gayi.

"Toh aap is liye naaraz hain?" Usne kaha.

Azam Shirazi ke ta’asuraat mein koi tabdeeli nahi aayi thi. Usey achanak aur shak hone laga,

"Kya maine tum se yeh nahi kaha tha ke aik hafte ke baad hi Islamabad aaoge?" Mutahammil asaab ke saath unhon ne lab bhinchte hue kuch barahmi se yaad dilaya.

Daahne haath ki mutthi sakhti se bhinchte hue thi.

Hammad ke liye apne dada ka yeh rawaiya hairat angez tha. Aaj se pehle unhone sakhti se dekhna to door, kabhi is lehje mein baat bhi nahi ki thi.

"Haan, lekin..."

"Lekin?" Unka lehja kaat daar tha. Hammad Shirazi munjamid ho gaya. Aik baar phir apne dada ko dekha. Woh us se be inteha mohabbat karte the. kabhi awaaz buland nahi ki thi, kabhi lehja sakht nahi kiya tha.

Woh is qadar shadeed mohabbat karte the ke woh kabhi bhi unke raub mein nahi aaya tha, magar aaj pehli baar usey unke rawaiye aur lehje se pareshani mehsoos hui thi. Apna aap ajeeb khauf aur mukhmase ka shikar lag raha tha.

"I know, aap security issues ki wajah se aisa keh rahe thay. But believe me Baba, aisa koi masla nahi hua. Main bilkul theek hoon, safar mein bhi koi problem nahi hui."

Woh isi qisse aur ishtiaal mein mutahammil se khade rahe, magar uski wazahat aur jawabi bayaniya se na aankho mein narmi utri thi aur na ta’asuraat se sard mehri gayi thi.

"Sab theek nahi raha," unhon ne har aik lafz par zor de kar kaha. Woh apne asaab par qaboo paate hue sabr ka muzahira kar rahe the.

“Baba! I’m fine!”

“I’m not talking about you!” Hammad ki aankho mein hairat utar aayi. Baat kya thi, aakhir maajra kya tha? Woh waqai mein uljhan ka shikar tha.

“Faris hostel jana tha,” unhone kaha.

“Who is Faris?” uske muh se besaakhta nikla. Second ke hazaarwe hisso mein Hammad ko yaad aaya ke woh kis Faris ki baat kar rahe the. Uske hont bhinch gaye. Us larke ke tasavvur se hi uska mood ghaarat ho chuka tha.

“Maine aagha se kaha tha, woh usey aap ki gaari mein pahuncha sakta hai,” usne zabt kar ke kaha. Yeh ehsaas ke tamam ghussa woh aik mulazim larke ke liye dikha rahe thay, usey andar tak ishtiaal dila gaya.

“You are not in a position to make such orders!” Maiz par haath maarkar unho ne shadeed ghusse ke aalam mein kaha tha.

Hammad apni jagah tham gaya tha.

“Do you have any idea ke tum ne kya kiya hai?”

“Baba…"

“you should've followed my orders,”  mutahammil asaab ke sath unho ne kaha.

"Yeh Pakistan hai, America nahi ke tum apni marzi se bahar aa jaa sako. Tum achi tarah se jaante ho. You've security issues here! Is liye maine tumhe aik hafte tak wahan rukne ka kaha tha. I made clear to you ki thi ke khatra hai."

Hammad lab bhinche khamosh khada raha.

“Is ke bawajood tum ne risk liya” unki aankhon mein khafgi ka asar tha.

“Baba! Sab theek to hai. Main kisi khatre mein nahi aaya.”

“The boy is in danger because of you!” unhone jis lehje mein kaha, Hammad apni jagah tharr gaya.

“Woh us gaari mein tha, jis gaari mein unka khayal tha ke tum ho sakte the.”

“Main... main yeh baat nahi jaanta tha.”

“You may leave now.” Apni baat khatam karke, unhone ishara kar diya tha. Unka ghussa, narazgi woh bhi kisi mulazim ke bachay ke liye. Hammad ko aik dam se ishtiaal dila gaya tha, lekin woh khud par qaboo paaye raha.

“Baba! I’m sorry,” uske lab hile.

“Tum ja sakte ho,” apni baat dohra kar unhon ne apna rukh deewar geer khidki ki taraf kar liya. Usey unka band darwaza us taraf kuch dair tak mutthi sakhti se bhinche hue khara raha. Chehre par surkhi aayi hui thi. Aankho me ghussa aa tehra tha. "Zindagi mein pehli dafa Azam Shirazi ne us par aawaaz buland ki thi aur woh bhi kis ke liye? Aik mulazim ladks ke liye?"

Usne sadar darwaze se kisi ko aate aur phir dastak de kar study room mein dakhil hote dekha.

“To hell with Faris,” burburate hue seerhiya charhta kamre mein band ho gaya. Aleezey ne sofa se gardan mor kar usay dekha, phir doobara gubaarah phorti magazine ke safhe par jhuk gayi. Scissor se katar katar woh phir se tasveer mein kaatne lagi thi.

---- •♡• ----