This chapter has been edited.

" Ja chuke ho, magar nahi jaate,
Tum tw hijrat kamal krte ho "
~Unknown

Cape Town, South Africa

Saamer

Maine hasbe mamool apni aadat ke mutabiq uske kmre main kaghaz ke jahaz bheje, magar aik din se uska koi jawab nahi araha tha aur na hi main koi bahana dhoond pa rha tha ke uske ghar jata, ya phir aunty se milta.

Tumhare paas akar bhi,
Faasle hain darmiyaan,
Tum se mil kr bhi dil,
Tumse milna chahta hay

Pata naheen ke usse meri batain smjh aati bhi hongi ya nahi, ya kisi pagal ka pyaar smjh kr wo mjhe ignore kr rhi thi. Lekin main yahan poore 24 ghnte se betha tha, aj wo kaheen bahar bhi nahi nikli thi.

Dil ghbra rha tha, Allah hi jane kya maamla tha .

Nihayat bebas main darakht ke upar betha uske ghar ko takte takte thak chuka tha, ab main wahan se utar kar wapas apne insani hulye main akar apne thikane ko chal parra.

Ek baar akhri umeed liye maine nzren ghumai , dusri traf se wahi lrki jo ke uski saheli thi kisi larke ke sath apna hath uske bazuon main lapete arahi thi. Aur wo Maahrit ke ghar ki traf hi barh rhi thi. Main bhagte bhagte uske samne akar khara hogya. Mjhe usse sahi information koi nahi de skta tha, mjhe Maahrit se milne ki betaabi thi.

" Assalam.o.Alaikum. Maahrit kesi hay? Kahan hay wo? Aj wo kaheen bahar nahi gayi main kbse intezar kr rha tha... Wo main... "

Uss ne aik nazar shayad apne husband ki traf dekha phir muskurane lagi aur mjhse mukhatib hui,

' Walaikum Assalam, haan Maahrit ne mjhe btaya tha ke ap hi wo Sarphire.. Mtlb ap Saamer hain. Kher, wo islye nahi dikhi kiunke wo yahan hay hi nahi. '

Sarphire? Maahrit ne mjhe ye khitaab dya tha?

Main dil hi dil main hnsne laga aur phir Maahrit ki maujudgi ke bare main taftesh main lg gya.

'' Tw wo kahan hay? Kya hua usse? "

' Usse kuch nahi hua, preshan mat ho. Wo bus apni mamma ke sath Pakistan gayi hay. Itna achanak fesla kya tha uski mamma ne ke wo mjhe bhi nahi bta payi thi. '

" Oh acha, shukrya. "

Main pehle se kaheen zyada haara hua tha, main jis manzil ko paane ke liye itni musafat ke baad yahan do saal guzarne ke baad usse mila tha, wo mjhse itni beperwah, itni begaani thi?

Kher , ho bhi kiun na? Main uska lagta hi kon tha. Na jaan, pehchan. Aur wo tw ye bhi nahi janti thi ke main uske baba ka chaheeta tha aur uske baba ne khud mjhe uske liye chuna tha.

Aur jbse Sir uske baare main mjhse baat krne lage thay, uski undekhi mohabbat mere dil main tab se hi ghar krne lagi thi.

Halanke maine usse dekha nahi tha, lekin mjhe usse mohabbat hogyi thi.

Mohabbat naino ke saaye talay bikhra kajal nahi hay, aur na hi atlati hui rawaniyo ka josh hay...
Mohabbat wo hay jo mjhe tumse hay...
Mohabbat wo hay jo Allah ko bando se hay...
Mohabbat wo hay jo Allah ko Uske Rasool se hay...

Ek aur jahaz maine apne bchpan ke zauq ka urraya tha, magar ab ye jawani ke par liye hawaon ke bal pe Maahrit ke ghar mai uski khirki pr utar jata.

Jab uski saheli unke neighbourhood se waps ayi tb maine ek aur bar phir unka raasta roka aur phir se uske baare main pucha ,

" Kab tak ayegi wo waps? "

' Kuch andaza nahi hay, ho skta hay wo jldi waps ajaye. Kiunke agle hfte hi hmari graduation ceremony hay. '

Aur phir wo Allah Hafiz kehte huay wahan se chle gye, main apne rabte ke ek akhri zarye ko jate huay dekh rha tha.

Ab yahan pr beth kr mazeed faida nahi hay, chla jata hun.

Ya ek aur jahaz?

Sochte sochte shayad yunhi suraj dhal jayega, tum mere qareeb aese arahi ho jese suraj doob kr samandar se milta hay. Main doob raha hoon.

••••

Islamabad, Pakistan

Huzbaan

Main ne ghari ki traf shayad 50wi nigah dorayi, lekin uspe abhi tk 12 hi bjay huay thay jbke yahan pr dhoop karakti hui thi.

Wo apne maikay walon ke saath rawana ho chuki thi aur mjh mazloom pe blkl taras nahi khaya tha.

Kher main ne socha Saamer ka haal maloom krletaa hoon, uski traf se bhi koi kher khabar nahi thi. Main apni beti se puch nahi skta tha kiunke main nahi chahta ke wo ye smjhe ke main ne uski zindagi main jaan bujh kr kisi ko bheja hay.

Kaafi bell bjne ke baad bhi jb uss ne call receive nahi ki tw main preshan hogya, uss ne mere sath kbhi aesa nahi kya tha. Kya hoskta tha? Hoskta hay wo masroof ho? Lekin ... Smjh nahi araha tha apni uljhano ko kese door karu ek trf meri biwi mjhse roothi bethi thi, aur dusri  traf main apni beti ke liye preshan tha... Ek baar bhi main usse dil bhar ke seene se nahi laga paya tha, Azaan usse mjhse door le gyi thi.

Kuch hi der mai mere phone ki ghnti baji aur phir maine video call receive ki. Ye saamer ki call thi.

" Assalam.o.Alaikum Sir. Kesa mosam hay wahan ka? Ap kheryat se hain? "

Mjhe dekhte hi uss ne apne chehre pr muskurahat sajai aur meri mizaj purusti krne laga.

" Walaikum Assalam, kaash sai hota. Meri biwi yahan achuki hay, magar wo mjhse bohat beprwah hay. Usse na meri fikr hay na mera khyal. "

Main ek dost ki trah usse apne dil ka haal bant rha tha.

" Ohh tw goya mosam wahan pr bhi yaheen ka hay. Do saalon baad mjhe Maahrit do din pehle hi mili thi. Uss ne apna ghar badal dya tha, kaheen se uska pata nahi milrha tha, uss din ittefaqi tor pr mera guzar uski gaari ke samne se hua aur istrah hmari mulaqat hui. "

Ohh. Main ye baat sun kr thora thatak gya tha, ke aesi kya zroorat pri hogi ke usse apna thikana badalna prra?

" Aur phir mjhe uski dost ne kal hi btaya ke wo Pakistan ke liye nikal chuke hain. Mjhe iski tawaqqa bilkul nahi thi. Aur wo kehrhi thi shayad jldi hi wapas ana ho kiunke agle hafte uski graduation ceremony thi. "

Wo ek baar phr taquf ke baad goya hua, jbke main iss soch main tha ke hum dono ek hi jahaz main sawar hain.

" Azaan bhi mjhse naraaz hay. Wo mjhse rooth kr apne maikay walon ke sath chli gyi. Maine apni beti ko 20 saal baad dekha, us se thk se mil bhi nahi paya. Aurten itni zaalim kiun hoti hain? "

" Sir agar mjhe iska jawab pata hota tw main apki beti ke sath hota, abhi tw srf apni hasraton ke jahaz bana bana kr uske ghar main urra rha hoon. "

Uss ne ek udaas shakal bnai aur phir kehne laga ke ab wo ja rha hay.

Maine bhi call kaat di, aur apni Azaan ko manane ke tareeqe sochne laga. Shayad mjhe ek bar phir se lover boy Huzbaan banna hoga, well. Biwi jab Azaan jesi ho tw uske liye mere jesa shohar kuch bhi kr skta hay!

Maine socha kiun na phir se wahi shuruat se kya jaaye jo 25 saal pehle uski mohabbat ne mjhe apni our khenchte huay kya tha.

••••

" Mama, mjhe baba se milna hay. Pls na ghussa thook den. Pls "

Maahrit ne bchon ki trah mera palloo hilate huay mjhse zid ki, kaheen se bhi nahi lgrha tha ke wo baligh lrki hay. Bilkul bacho ki trah behave kr rhi thi.

' Keh dya na mtlb keh dya, kya bacho ki trah ratt lgai hui hay baba baba krke! Itne arse se mere paas ho na, meri beti ho tum '

Maahrit mjhse naraz thi aur apne baba se milte hi wo apni sari krwahat framosh krke mjhse munh morrne ko tyyar thi magar usse apne baba se milna hi tha. Lekin mjhe unse nahi milna tha, unhe bhi tw pata chale kitna dard hota hay jab hum kisi apne ke bghair jeete hain.

" Kiun naak munh phula kr bethi hain, mjhe pata hay ap bhi baba se bohat pyar krti hain. Bus apko unpe ghussa hay, islye rooth kr bethi hain saiyyan jee se. "

Maahrit ne mjhe kinankhyo se dekha aur mere ghoorte hi chup chaap wahan se chli gyi.

Hunh, main nahi manne wali itni asaani se. Mjhe phir se wahi yaad araha hay jb ye pehli baar mera hath thamne ke liye mere amma abba ke samne itne papar bail rhe thay, aur phir ja kr barri mushkilo se main mani thi. Anjane main hi sahi unki wjah se mere labon pr ek muskurahat si bikherne lagi thi.

Arre, ye kya? Kaghaz ka jahaz?

Khirki se andr urta hua ek kaghaz ka jahaz akar mere sar k gird gol gol ghumne laga, aur main smjh chuki thi ke is jahaz ka pilot kon tha.