chapter 16

Wo tb tak chalte rahi-footpaths par, sarkon ke paar, lagataar, bina yeh mehsoos kiye ke woh kitni door aa gayi hai.Woh ek canal ke kinare ek bench par baith gayi. Suraj doobne wala tha. Bahar sark par traffic ka shor tha. Woh bas khamosh baithi, paani ko behte hue dekh rahi thi. Kaafi der ki khamoshi ke baad, usne apne aap se bola."Main apne aap ke saath kya kar rahi hoon? Main gol gol kyun ghoom rahi hoon?Main kya talash kar rahi hoon aur kyun? Main Lahore yeh sab karne ke liye nahi aayi thi-main yahan dawaat parhne aayi thi, duniya ki behtareen aankhon ki doctor banne ke liye. Sab kuch kyun 'paighambar ke lafz par aakar khatam ho jata hai mere liye? Kyun?"Usne apne haath mein apna chehra chhupa liya."Mujhe is se nikalna hoga-main apni parhai par dhyan nahi de pa rahi hoon is tarah. Mera masla deen aur aqeeda nahi hona chahiye jo kuch mere buzurgon ne dia, sahi ya ghalat, woh kafi hona chahiye. Main dobara Sabiha ke lectures mein nahi jaungi, na hi kisi deen ya paighambaron ke baare mein sochungi," usne socha jab woh wahan baithi thi. *** Raat 8 baje jab woh wapas aayi, toh Rabia aur Javeria bohot fikar mand thi."Maine bas bazaar jana tha," Imama ne unhein safaqi se jawab diya."Hey, Imama! Tum itne arsay baad aayi ho. Tum ne ana kyun band kar diya tha?"Sabiha ke lecture shuru hone wala tha aur Imama ne kaafi arsay se Sabiha se mulaqat nahi ki thi,'Mujhe tumse kuch baat karni hai. Mein yahan intezar karungi jab tak tum free nahi ho jati, Imama ne jawab denay ke bajaye kaha.45 minute baad jab Sabiha room se bahar ayi, tou usne Imama ko corridor mein ghoomte hue dekha. Woh dono wapas room mein chale gaye jo ab khali tha. Sabiha ne Imama ki taraf dekha, intezar karte hue ke woh baat shuru kare. Imama kuch dair ke liye sochti rahi; phir usne kaha, 'Kya tum mere mazhab se waqif ho?""Haan, mujhe maloom hai. Javeria ne mujhe bataya tha, Sabiha ne pur-sukoon lehje. mein jawab diya. Mujhe samajh nahi aa raha ke mein kitni pareshan hoon... Mujhe lagta hai mein is duniya se bhagna chahti hoon! Mein... mein... Usne apna sar pakra. "Mujhe pata hai ke...' Phir se woh ruki. 'Lekin mein apna mazhab nahi chor sakti. Mein tabah ho jaungi-mere walidain mujhe maar dalenge. Mera career, mere khwab, sab kuch barbad ho jayega. Mein ne namaz parhna bhi chor diya hai, lekin mujhe sukoon nahi mil raha. Tum meri surat-e-haal samajh kar dekho-mujhe yeh sab ghalat lagta hai, lekin mujhe samajh nahi aata ke kya sahi hai."'Imama, haqiqi İslam qabool karo, Sabiha ka jawab sirf yeh aik jumla tha.'Mein yeh nahi kar sakti-mein ne tumhe apni pareshaniyan batayi thi!"'Phir tum mere paas kyun ayi?" Sabiha bohot pur-sukoon thi.'Mujhe samajh nahi aa raha ke mein kyun tumhare paas ayi hoon, usne be-basi se kaha.Tum is liye ayi ho ke tumhe bas yeh aik jumla sunna tha. Mein tumhe koi daleel nahi de sakti. Tum jawab dhoondhne nahi ayi kyun ke tumhe jawab pata hain. Tumhe bas sach ko qabool karna hai-kya yeh sach nahi?' Imama ki ankhon mein aansu bhar aaye.'Mujhe aisa lagta hai ke zameen mere paon ke neeche se nikal rahi hai-jaise mein hawa mein latak rahi hoon. Uska awaaz bhari hui thi.Sabiha ne jawab nahi diya: woh 'Bismillah' parh rahi thi. Imama ne apne haath se apni aankhein ponchi. 'Kuch nahi hai, Sabiha! Mujhe kuch nazar nahi aa raha,' usne uski taraf dekhtay hue kaha.'La llaha illallah' Sabiha ne kalima dhelay lehje mein parhna shuru kiya. Imama ne aansu bahate hue Sabiha ke baad kalima dohraya.'Muhammad ur Rasool Allah,' usne aglay lafz kahta, uski awaaz tootne ke kareeb thi. Imama samajh nahi pa rahi thi ke woh itni ro kyun rahi hai-usne koi pachtawa nahi tha, woh udas nahi thi, phir bhi apne aansu nahi rok pa rahi thi. Jab kaafi dair baad usne rona band kiya, tou usne Sabiha ko wahan baithe dekha-aur uski taraf aansuon bhari muskurahat ke sath dekha. Rabia aur Javeria aik dosray ki taraf shocked khamoshi mein dekhti rahi. Imama apne paon se farsh par naqsh banati rahi, khayalon mein gum. Javeria ne khamoshi torhi. Tumhe pehle humein sab kuch batana chahiye tha.Imama ne sukoon se uski taraf dekha. 'Aur us se kya hota?' 'Kam az kam humein tumhare bare mein aise gumaan na hote. Hum tumhari madad kar sakte the.' Imama ne sir hila kar ajeeb lehje mein jawab diya, 'Us se koi farq nahi padta.'Javeria uske qareeb aayi aur narmi se boli, 'Mujhe bohot khushi hai ke tumne sahi faisla kiya, Imama, ke tumne ghalat raaste se wapas murh gayi ho-der aye durust aye. Tumhein andaza nahi ke mujhe is baat se kitni khushi hui hai.' Imama ne chup. chap uski taraf dekha. Javeria ne baat jari rakhi, 'Agar hum dono tumhare liye kuch kar sakte hain, tou bina jhijhak humein batana: humein bohot khushi hogi.'Mujhe tumhari madad ki zarurat hogi-bohot ziada, Imama ne jawab diya.'Kya meri wajah se tumne yeh faisla liya aur apna mazhab badla? Javeria pooch rahi thi. Imama ne uski taraf hairan hokar dekha. 'Tumhari wajah se?" usne socha. Uska zehan dhundhla gaya aur us dhundh se ek chehra nikalne laga jaise pani se koi ubar raha ho. Imama muskurai jab usne chehre ko pehchana aur awaaz suni."Jo ek qatra mangta hai, tum use samundar bakhshtay ho."'Bas kisi aur ko is baare mein mat batana. Zainab ko bhi nahi." Javeria aur Rabia ne sar hila kar razamandi di."Poore qad se jo khara hoon to ye tera hai karam, Mujh ko jhukne nahi deta sahara tera."Usne is awaaz ko pehchana, usne is chehre ko pehchana. Ye Jalal Ansar tha.Kuch din baad jab Imama ne medical college join kar liya tha, usne Zainab ko Lahore mein call ki jab wo weekend par Islamabad apne ghar aayi thi.'Ruko beta, main Zainab ko bulati hoon. Uski maa ne call receive ki thi. Jab tak Imama intezar kar rahi thi, usne ek jani-pehchani nazm sunni jo Prophet (pbuh) ki tareef mein thi, ek mardana awaaz mein-jo koi bhi tha, uski pareshani mein ek junoon tha. Qatra mange jo use too use darya de day Mujh ko kuch aur na de apni tamanna de dayUsse bilkul andaza nahi tha ke ek mard ki awaaz itni khoobsurat ho sakti hai ke woh sab par jadoo kar de. Imama hairan khadi thi, jaise usne saans lena bhool gaya ho."Log kehte hain ke saya tere paikar ka na tha Me to kehta hoon jahan bhar pe hai saya tera."Insani zindagiyon mein kuch lamhe mubarak hote hain, jaise Shab-e-Qadr ki raat jo kuch log beparwai se kho dete hain. Magar kuch sabr se intezar karte hain, haath uthaye dua karte hain, Allah ki barkat ke talib hote hain.Yeh woh intezar ka lamha hota hai jo behtay paani ko thamsa deta hai aur thame paani ko rawan kar deta hai, jo be-kahi dua ko taqdeer mein badal deta hai. Yeh mubarak lamha Imama Hashim ki zindagi mein Shab-e-Qadr ko nahi aaya tha aur na hi usne haath uthaye the aasman ki taraf dua ke liye, phir bhi zameen aur sitare apni jaga ruk gaye kainaat aik gumbad thi jahan sirf ek awaaz goonj rahi thi."Dastgiri meri tanhai ki too ne hi to ki Me to mar jata agar sath na hota teraWo andheron me bhi durrana guzar jate hain Jin ke maathe pe chamkta hai sitara tera"Awaaz mazboot aur saaf thi. Imama mohit si baithi thi, receiver apne kaan se lagaye hue. "Hello Imama!" Ye Zainab thi. Mard ki awaaz gayab ho gayi aur ruk gayi zameen phir se ghoomne lagi. 'Hello, Imama, kya tum mujhe sun sakti ho?' Woh achanak zindagi mein wapas aayi.'Haan, sun sakti hoon...."Ye theek hai: mujhe laga line kat gayi thi, Zainab ne kuch sukoon se kaha.Imama ne kuch dair usse baat ki lekin uska zehan kahin aur hi masroof tha Jalal Ansar Zainab ka bara bhai tha. Imama uske bare mein jaanti thi magar kabhi mulaqat nahi hui thi. Zainab aur Imama class fellows thi aur pehli baar tab mili jab Imama ne college join kiya. Unka taluq barhne laga aur is tarah Imama ko uske ghar walon ka pata chala, ke wo chaar behan bhai hain aur Jalal sab se bara hai; wo doctor banne ke baad house job kar raha tha. Zainab ke walid WAPDA mein engineer thay aur unka khandan kaafi deeni tha Islamabad se waapsi par, Imama ne kaha, "Zainab, us raat jab main ne phone kiya tha, to peechay koi naat parh raha tha. Kaun tha wo?" Usne zyada tajjub dikhane ki koshish nahi ki."Oh, wo... wo Jalal Bhai thay, Wo naat competition ke liye practice kar rahe thay. Hamara phone corridor mein hai aur unka kamra khula tha is liye tumne sun liya hoga," usne samjhaya."Uski awaaz bohot achi hai.""Haan, uski Quraan ki tilawat naat se bhi behtar hai. Usne kayi inaan jeetay hain tilawat ke liye. Wo college ke competition mein hissa le raha hai tumhe aana chahiye."Zainab ko tab Imama ke deeni rujhanat ka pata nahi tha. Wo parde ka bohot khayal rakhti thi isliye Zainab ne socha Imama bhi uski tarah conservative khandan se hai. Do teen din baad, apne doston ko bina bataye Imama ne classes bunk ki taake naat competition attend kar sake. Yahin pe usne pehli baar Jalal Ansar ko dekha. Wo ek 25 saal ka nojawaan tha, daari wala aur Zainab se milta julta tha. Imama ki nazar uska peecha karti rahi jab wo apni seat se uth kar stage par gaya aur rostrum par apni jagah li. Aankhein band aur haath seene par bandhe, usne parhna shuru kiyaKuch nahi mangta shahon se ye sheda tera Is ki dolat hai faqat naqsh-e-qaf-e-paa teraEk karant si Imama ke andar se guzar gayi. Hall mein pin drop silence tha jahan sirf uski awaaz goonj rahi thi, jaise jadoo kar rahi ho. Usne nahi dekha kab wo khatam karke stage se utra, kaun next aya, competition ka kya nateeja tha ya kab aakhri student hall se nikal gaya. Bahut der baad uski hosh waapas ayi.Usay achanak ehsaas hua ke woh wahaan akeli bethi thi. "Kal mainay tumhare bhai ko naat parhtay suna," usnay Zainab ko bataya. "Sach? Usnay pehla inaam jeet liya." Zainab muskurai.Chand lamho ke baad, Imama ne jawab diya, "Woh bohot khoobsurat naat thi." "Woh bachpan se Quran aur naats parhta aa raha hai aur inaamaat jeet raha hai. Ab to usay ginati bhi yaad nahi, Zainab ne fakhar se kaha. "Uski awaaz ki khoobsurati !!!        Contine ✍️✍️✍️