This chapter has been edited.

" Mana ke anmol ho kasrate nayab ho tum,
Hum bhi wo log hen jo har dehleez pr nahi milte "
~Unknown

Jahaz thori der tk ghumte rehne ke baad mere samne wale table pr land ho chuka tha. Main uske paas ja kr jahaz ka bator tibi muaina krne lagi.

' Kya chahte hain ab ap? Samne ajayen, chupan chupai khelne ka mera koi mood nahi. '

Maine apne shohar miyan ko pehchan lya tha, unke paas atay hi unki aik khaas khushbu mjhe apni girift main le leti aur wohi khushbu thi wohi sehar tha, wohi sab tha.

" Main tab tak samne nahi auga jab tk tum maan nahi jaati. "

Oh, tw janab brre ghamandi ho rhe hain.

' Mana ke anmol ho kasrate nayab ho tum, Hum bhi wo log hen jo har dehleez pr mila nahi krte '

Main apni narazgi pr qaim thi.

" Haan haan kisi bhi dehleez pr nhi milti issiliye tw tumhe Allah se maang ke laya tha. "

Unki baat pr mere dil mai phool khilne lage, lekin main blush nahi krskti thi. Main nahi dekh skti unhe, wo mjhe dekh skte thay.

' Maahrit ajayegi ap jayen yahan se. Maine nahi krni ap se baat. '

" Tw ajaye, konsi choti bachi hay wo. Pata tw chale usse uske waldain kitne romantic hain. "

Maine ankhen upar ghumate huay apne mathay pr hath mara, tw phir unki traf se ek aur comment mila.

" Ghusse main haseena lagti ho , maan jao isse pehle ke main deewana hojaun "

' Kya bachon wali hrkaten hay ye , jahaz urrane ka shauq apko kbse hua? '

" wo tw mere hone wale... Mtlb bus ismai shauq ki kya baat hay pehle chits chorta tha ab socha waqt agay brh chuka tw jahaz bheju. "

Maine jhuk kr wo jahaz uthaya aur usmai safai se rkhe huay teen kaghaz aur thay.

Maine deehan se jahaz ke paron ko khola aur un kaghzat ko bahar nikala, teen alag alag folded papers thay.

' Ye kya hay? '

" Khol kr dekhlo "

' Ap kbtk aese mjhse hawa se batein krwayege, koi dekhega tw smjhega budhi pagal hogyi hay. '

" Haan budhi pagal tw hay, uska buddha jo chor gya tha. "

' Hunh '

Maine apna deehan ghusse se hata kr wapas un teen kaghzat pr focus kya, jiska pehla kaghaz mai kholne lagi thi.

" Aan, Aan. Ese nahi. Pehle maan jao phir dekhne duga "

Mere hath se kaghaz urr kr ab hawa main thay, koi dusra dekhta tw darr ke mare bhag jata. Lekin hum tw ek jinn sahab ki ehlia thay hamain kya drna!

' Nahi, aesi konsi jaidaad mere naam ki hay jo main dekhne se pehle hi maan jaun. Nahi manugi! '

Utne main maahrit achuki thi aur wo munh pr hath rkhe dabi awaz main hns rhi thi,

' Idar ao kmbkhat apni maa pe hnsti ho '

Mera ghussa ab satwe asmaan pr pohnch chuka tha.

" Mamma kya hua apko, ap theek tw hain. "

Uss ne mere samne ki janib ishare se ankh marte huay pucha, iska mtlb wo janti thi ke Huzbaan yahan ane wale hain.

' Oh tw ye ap baap beti ka plan tha, maahrit mjhe tumse koi baat nahi krni . Aur apne pyare baba se kehdo wo papers bhi khud rkhen aur apni beti bhi apne paas rkhen. Main ja rhi hu yahan se! '

" Arre lekin, ap tw bohat zaeef hain. Yahan se nikal kr kahan jayegi. "

Maahrit bohat bdtmeez hogyi thi lekin ab mjhe samne se bhi hnsne ki awaz arahi thi.

" Nahi betaa maahrit tumhari maa ab itni bhi buddhi nai hay. Iski jawani sirf mjhe dikhai deti hay, tum nahi smjh skti. Ay meri zohra jabeen tujhe maloom nahi tu abhi tak hay haseen aur main jawan, tujhpe qurban meri jaan meri jaan meri jaan "

••••

Koi bohat hi purane zamane ka gaana gaa kr baba mamma ko khush krne aur unhe manane ki beintehaa koshish kr rhe thay. Aur abhi tk tw mjhe asaar nahi lgte thay ke mamma manne walon mai se hain.

Aur phir ye keh kr baba mamma ke samne ghutne tikaye bethe thay, aesa lgrha tha jese main koi new couple ko apni ankhon se dekh rhi hu.

" Ab kholo ek ek krke. "

Baba mamma ki traf bohat pyar se dekh rhe thay, aur mamma ka ghussa bhi kuch bhagne laga tha.

' Tickets hain ye tw? '

" Haan, hum umre pe ja rhe hain. Tum. Main. Aur hmari beti, Maahrit. "

Mjhe apne kaano pr yaqeen nahi araha tha, main ankhe phare kaghaz ko dekh rhi thi jis pr mamma ne apni nazren jamai huien thi, aur kbhi baba ko dekhtin jo khushi se chehak rhe thay.

Maine dil main Allah ka shukr ada kya, ke wo un dino ko wapas la rha tha jinki hasrat meri maa krti thi aur mere liye baba ka pyar blkl naya tha.

' Baba, hum sach mai ja rhe hain? '

Maine kaghaz mamma ke hath se lete huay ek bar phr confirm krne ke liye baba se pucha.

" Haan beta, lekin sirf paanch din ke liye. "

' Oh.. Magar sirf paanch din kiun? Hum wahan zyada din bhi tw ruk skte hain, blke ek mahina, nahi nahi blke hmesha ke liye. '

Main soch soch kr khushi se sarshaar thi, ke Allah itna Wadood hay itna Muqeet hay ke wo apne bnde ke dil main apni mohabbat dalne ke baad usse veeran nahi chorta, blke uski pemaish krta jata hay, krta jata hay. Alhamdulillah. Alhamdulillah.

' Lekin baba.. '

" Nahi beta, mjhe pata chala ke tmhari graduation ceremony agle hfte hi hay tw main bhi tmhare sath wahan ana chahta hun. Aur in sb ke liye mjhe sir ne sirf ek hafte ki chutti ki ijazat di hay. Tw hum aj raat tak niklege In sha Allah, aur phir Cape town jayege. Azaan, tum aj jee bhar ke rehlo apne maikay. Bus. Main raat tk le jauga tumhe yahan se. Allah ke samne, uska shukar ada krne, uski bandagi aur tumhari mohabbat sonpne ki khushi ka sajda krne "

Mamma abhi tk gumsum tickets ko dekhe ja rhi thi, unhe shayad yaqeen nahi araha tha.

' Main ab ap se naraaz nahi hun. '

Ye keh kr mamma baba ke seene se lg gyin aur dono ek dusre se mil kr aese khil uthay thay jese shabnam ki boondon se phool gulistaan main khil uthte hain, jese bohat toofano ke baad panchi apne ghonsle main ja kr zikre Khudawand krte hain, jese baarish ki pehli aamad kisi banjar zameen ko sarmaya'dar krti hay... Bilkul wese...

Ma sha Allah... Kaash mjhe bhi aesa jeewan sathi mil skta...

' Lekin... Lekin baba apko kese pata chala ke meri graduation ceremony aik hfte ke baad hay? '

Mjhe achanak yaad aya ke baba ne abhi abhi iss bat ka tazkira kya tha.

" Wo tw jab main Saamer se baat kr rha tha naa.. "

Baba kehte kehte ruk gye, aur phir unke chehre ka rang fiq prrne laga.

Baba Saamer ko jante hain?