jannat ke pattay...[Leaves Of Paradise]

part 44

"Chaare chichay?" unki aankhein phail gayi. "Yeh Turkey ki nahi, khulsoosan Mumbai ki mirchein hain, mein sare masale wahan se laati hoon."

"Oh nahi," usne be-ikhtiyar dil pe haath rakha, jabke DJ hans hans kar dohrayi ho rahi thi.

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Sardi ka zor pehle se zara toota tha. Iss subah bhi sannata ki dhoop taqseem square par bikri thi. Moazzama Azadi ke gird har so soone ke zaray chamak rahe the. Wo dono sat rowi se sarak ke kinare chal rahe the jab DJ ne poocha.

"Haan... yeh na qasam naam, kitne maze ka hai iska matlab kya hoa bhala?"

"Mein sheher ki mayor hoon, jo mujhe pata hoga na?"

"Nahi. Woh meri guide book mein likha tha ke 'Taqseem' Arabic ka lafz hai aur iske maa'ni shayad bantne ke hain, kyunke yahan se nadiyan nikal kar sare sheher mein batt jati thi tumhein. Arabic aati hai. Iss liye pooch rahi hoon." Arabic mein to 'Taqseem' ka koi lafz nahi hai, aur Arabic mein bantne ko 'taqseem' kehte hain." Woh ek dam ruki aur be-ikhtiyar sir pe haath mara. "Oh Taqseem, yani taqseem. Agar goro ki tarah munh teerha kar ke parho taqseem, ta qasam ya naqasam ban jata hai."

"Naqasam. Wow." Woh dono is baat pe khub hans ti hui aage barhne lagi. Woh shopping ke iraday se aaj 'Istiqlal Street' ki taraf aayi thi.

'Istiqlal Street' taqseem ke qareeb se nikalni wali ek lambi si gali thi. Woh agli dono ataraf se qadeem architecture wali unchi unchi imarat se gheri thi. Gali be-had lambi thi, wahan insano ka ek rush hamesha chalta dikhayi deta tha. Bohat se samne ki taraf ja rahe hote aur bohat se aap ki taraf aa rahe hote. Har shakhs apni dhun mein tez tez qadam utharaha hota.

Gali ke darmiyan ek patthi bani hui thi, jis par ek tareekhi surk rang ka chhota sa tram chalta tha. Woh paidal insaan ki raftaar se dugni raftaar se chalta aur gali ke ek sire se doosre tak pahuncha deta. Iss gali ko khatam karne ke liye bhi ghanta to chahiye tha.

Wahan dono ataraf mein dukaanon ke chhipakte sheeshe aur oopar qumqame lagaye the. Bazaars, nightclubs, restaurants, coffee shops, designer wear, ghareez har qisam ki dukaanen wahan maujood thi. Chand roz pehle woh idhar aaye to sirf windowShopping mein hi dhai ghante guzar gaye, aur tab bhi woh Istiqlal Jeddah ke darmiyan pahunchi thi, so thak kar waapas hui.

"Haya tum ne dekha Istiqlal Street jaise modern ilaqe mein bhi har thodi door baad par beer hall zaroor hoti hai."

"Bade neik hain bhai turk!" woh dono tanzia jinsi aur phir mutalashi nigahon se idhar udhar dekhne lagi. Istiqlal Street aane ka asal maqsad jihan se milna tha aur woh sirf is liye yahan ayi thi ke burger kha jaye aur "mein yahan se guzar rahi thi toh socha," keh kar us se mulaqat ka bahana hi dhund le.

Woh dono saath saath tez raftari se chal rahe the. Wahan hawa tez thi aur Haya ke khule baal ud ud kar us ke chehre pe aa rahe the. Woh baar baar jacket ki jeb se haath nikalti aur unhein kaanon ke peechhe udaas ti. Tab hi usne burger king ka board dekha to DJ ko bataye bina restaurant ke darwaze tak aayi aur us se pehle ke woh darwaze pe haath rakhti, darwaza ander se khula aur koi bahar nikla. Woh be-ikhtiyar ek taraf hui. Woh jahan thi, woh usay pehchan gayi thi magar woh akela nahi tha.

Woh us ke samne se aata saath se guzar kar nikla to woh palat kar dekhne lagi. DJ ne usay rakhte nahi dekha tha, woh apni dhan mein dukano ko dekhti chalti gayi aur logon ke railay mein aage beh gayi.

Haya yu nahi apne ghutnon tak aate siyah coat ki jebon mein haath daale usay dekh rahi thi. Ab woh hawa ke rukh par khadi thi, to us ke baal peechhe ki taraf udne lage the.

Jihan se door ja raha tha. Us ke saath ek draz qad larki bhi thi. Coat skirt mein malboos apne surkh balon ko unche jode mein bandhe, woh larki nagawari se haath hila hila kar kuch keh rahi thi.

Jihan ne usay nahi dekha, usay yaqeen tha. Woh dor kar un ke peechhe gayi. Woh dono bohat tez chal rahe the. Un ki raftaar se milne ki koshish mein woh Asiayi larki hanapne lagi, bimushkil woh un ke aien aqab mein pohanch paayi.

Larki buland awaz mein sar hilati kuch keh rahi thi. Jihan bhi khasa jhinjla ya ho jo aba kh kar raha tha. Woh Turk bol rahe the, ya koi doosri zaban, woh faisla nahi kar paayi. Shayad turk nahi thi. Woh bohat lambe lambe firqe bol rahe the aur jitni turk Haya ne ab tak suni thi, woh aisi nahi thi. Turk mein firqe chhote hote the. Bas fail istemal kiya aur us ke aage peeche sabqe lagaye lagaye ek bara lafz bol diya jo ma'ani mein kayi firqon ke barabar hota tha

"Jihan....... jihan......" woh shorewarsh mein bimushkil itni awaaz se usay pukar paayi ke woh sun sake. Us kiTeesri pukar pe woh ruka. Larki bhi saath ruki. Woh dono ek saath palte.

"Jihan..." us ke hont Jihan ko dekh kar ek masoom muskurahat mein dhalne lage the.

"Kya masla hai?" usne sanjeeda, akhre akhre andaaz mein abru uthaye. Uske chehre par itni sakhti aur nagawari thi ke Haya ke muskurahat mein khulte lab band ho gaye. Uska rang fika pad gaya.

"Mein... Haya..." woh be yaqeeni se bina palk jhapkaye usay dekh rahi thi. Usay shak guzra ke Jihan ne usay nahi pehchana.

"Haan toh phir?" woh bhanwen se kuchre bola.

Woh larki coat ki jebon mein haath dale khari napasandeedgi se Haya ko dekh rahi thi. Phir? Haya ne be yaqeeni se zair lab dehraiya. Woh shash ressi Jihan ko dekh rahi thi.

"Koi kaam hai? Koi kaam hai?" woh bimushkil zabt kar ke bola.

Haya ne dheere se nafe mein sar hilaya. Usmein bolne ki sakti nahi rahi thi.

"Toh meri shakal kya dekh rahi ho? Jao!" woh shanay jhatk kar palta. Larki bhi ek uchti nigaah us par daal kar mud gayi.

Istiqlal Street par logon ka raila aage badhta gaya. Jihan Sikandar aur us larki ke peechhe bohot se log us simt ja rahe the. Kitni hi der woh sakht khadi bohot se saroon ki peeth ke darmiyan aur un dono ko door jaate dekhti rahi. Uski palkein jhapakna bhool gayi thi.

Un dono ke sarape hujoom mein gum ho rahe the. Woh do nukte bante ja rahe the. Madham...

Door... bohot door...

"Haya... Haya..." DJ kahin door athal pathal ki saanson ke darmiyan chilla rahi thi, magar woh sun nahi rahi thi. Woh usi tarah bhed ke darmiyan pathar hui khadi usi simt dekh rahi thi. Woh bohot door ja chuke the.

Sakht patliyon mein ab dard hone laga tha. Bilaakhir bojh se uski palkein giri aur jhuk kar uthin to manzar bheeg chuka tha.Tha. Usne phir se palkein jhapkain to bheegi aankhon se qatray rukhsaron par girne lage. Samne ka manzar qadray wazeh hua magar...

Lamhe bhar ki takheer se uska taaqub haar gaya tha. Woh dono beter mein gum ho gaye the. Woh apna manzar kho chuki thi. Aansu tap tap uski thodi se neeche gardan par larhtay gaye.

"Haya... kahan reh gayi thi tum?" DJ ne nadhal si aakar uska shanah jhankhoda. Uska saans phool chuka tha aur woh hanp rahi thi. "Main kahin bohot peechhe reh gayi hoon DJ!" woh usi simt dekhte hue barabaray thi.

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Usne ek haath se oven ka dhakan khola, doosre haath se garam tray bahar nikali. Tray par bhuri, kahsta garam garam jinjr bread tayar pari thi. Adrak ki halki si khushbu sare kitchen mein pheli thi.

Woh doosre haath se jinjr bread ko check karti seedhi hui aur tray la kar counter par rakhi. Woh safaid dheele si adhay baazuon wali T-shirt mein malboos thi. Baalon ka dheela sa jora agar din par para tha aur abhi abhi si lahein gaalon ko chhoor rahi thi. T-shirt ke oopar pehne apron par jagah jagah chocolate aur cream ke dhabbe lage the.

Muatasim counter ke ek taraf khada piyale mein ande ki safedi phaint raha tha. DJ doosri taraf khadi sajaawat ke liye bunties aur rang birangi beans ke packet khol khol kar plate mein ande le rahi thi. Har rang ke beans, candies aur surkh beans ka dheer lag chuka tha.

Aaj Husain ki salgirah thi. Riwayati tareeqe se cake banane ki bajaye Haya uske liye jinjr bread house tayar kar rahi thi. Ek foot uncha jinjr bread se bana ghar jo chocolate, cream aur rang birangi jellies se sajaana tha. Woh pichle char ghante se lagi hui thi aur ab bil aakhir uske jinjr bread ke chhe ke chhe bake ho chuke the. Char deewaron ke liye aur do makhrooti chhat ke liye.

"Aao isko jurate hain." Usne kaha to Muatasim jo icing bana chuka tha. Pyala rakh kar uski taraf aaya. DJ ab ek deewar utha kar us mein se mastaqil darwaza kaat rahi thi.