chapter 21

"Magar tumne kiya." Usne nafrat se sir hilaaya. "Tumne jaan bujh kar mujhe phansaya."Imama ki aankhon mein aansu agaye. "Phansaya?" usne shikasta lehje mein kaha."Tum mere Nabi (pbuh) se mohabbat ke baare mein jaanti thi. Ab jab mujhe tumhare baare mein pata chal gaya hai, shadi to door ki baat, main tumse koi taluq nahi rakhna chahta. Dubara kabhi mujhse milne ki koshish mat karna." Jalal ka lehja karwa aur sakht tha"Jalal, main Islam qabool kar chuki hoon," usne dheeme se kaha."Oh, come on! Tum yahan khade khade bas mere liye musalman ban gayi ho," usne mazaq urate hue kaha."Mainne yeh tumhare liye nahi kiya-halan ke tum is raaste par raahnuma zaroor banay. Yeh kayi mahine pehle hua tha aur agar tumhe yaqeen nahi, to chalo-main tumhe saboot dikhati hoon." Jalal pareeshaan tha"Main maanta hoon ke pehla qadam maine tumhari taraf badhaya," Imama ne kaha, "tumhe phansaya, jaise tum kehte ho. Magar main tumhare mamle mein majboor thi-yeh mere ikhtiyar mein nahi tha... tumhari awaz thi. Maine tumhe bataya tha ke jab pehli baar tumhe tilawat karte suna tha to kya mehsoos kiya. Kya tum usi tarah se bartao karte agar tumhe pehle se mere baare mein pata hota? Yeh hi wo khauf tha jo mujhe itni dair tak chup rehne par majboor karta raha. Kuch cheezein zindagi mein hamare ikhtiyar se bahar hoti hain-mere liye wo tum the.""Kya tumhare ghar walon ko is baare mein pata hai?""Nahi... nahi... main unhe nahi bata sakti. Main pehle hi mangni shuda hoon-maine yeh bhi tumhe nahi bataya tha." Usne ruk kar kaha. "Main us gharane mein shaadi nahi karna chahti... main tumse shaadi karna chahti hoon. Main bas apni taleem. mukammal karne ka intezar kar rahi hoon taake apne paon par khadi ho sakoon, phir main tumse shaadi kar loongi. Char saal baad, jab main ek doctor ban jaoongi, shayad mere walidain mere intekhab par aitraz na karein. Agar main unhe ab bata doon ke maine Islam qabool kar liya hai, to wo mujhe college se nikal lenge aur Asjad se shaadi karwa denge." Usne apne khauf ka izhar kiya."Main abhi bhi un par depend hoon... mere haath bandhe hue hain. Tum meri akhri umeed thay ek raasta dikhane ke liye, aur main tumse sacchi mohabbat karti hoon,Jalal, warna main tumse shaadi ka izhar nahi karti. Tumhe mere halaat ka zara bhi andaza nahi hai, meri mushkilat ka-agar tum mere jagah hote to tumhe samajh aata ke mere paas koi raasta nahi tha magar sab kuch chupane ke."Jalal kareebi lakri ki bench par baith gaya. Wo saaf tor par pareshan tha. Imama ne apne aansu ponchhe. "Kya tumhe mere liye kuch mehsoos nahi hota? Kya tum sirf is liye mere saath ho kyunki main tumse mohabbat karti hoon?""Baitho, Imama," usne jawab diya. "Pura Pandora's box mere samne khula hai. Agar main tumhare halaat ka andaza nahi laga sakta, to tum bhi meri surat-e-haal nahi samajh sakti. Mere walidain kabhi yeh nahi manenge ke main kisi ghair-Muslim se shaadi karoon, chahe meri us ke liye jo bhi feelings hon.""Jalal, main ghair-Muslim nahi hoon," usne phir se kaha."Ab tum nahi ho, magar pehle thi, aur phir tumhara khandan...""Yeh wo cheezein hain jo mere bas mein nahi hain," usne kamzori se jawab diya. Dono kuch der tak khamosh baithe rahe. Phir usne Jalal ki taraf dekha. "Kya tum apne walidain ki razaamandi ke baghair mujhse shaadi nahi kar sakte?""Yeh bohot bara qadam hoga," usne udasi se sar hilate hue kaha. "Aur agar main faisla kar loon, tab bhi main nahi kar sakta-tumhari tarah main bhi apne walidain par depend hoon.""Magar tum house job kar rahe ho aur kuch saalon mein maqbool ho jaoge.""Main house job ke baad specialize karna chahta hoon aur bina apne walidain ke financial support ke main yeh nahi kar sakta. Specialization ke baad apni practice. establish karne mein mujhe teen se char saal lagenge.""Phir?" Imama ka lehja mayoosi se bhara tha."Phir mujhe sochne ka waqt do-ek raasta nikalne ka. Main tumhe khona nahi chahta aur apna career bhi nahi khona chahta. Mera masla yeh hai ke mere paas apna kuch nahi hai jo kuch bhi hai wo mere walidain ka hai aur wo apni saari jama punji mujh par is umeed mein kharch kar rahe hain ke main unke liye kuch karoon ga future mein." Usne ruk kar kaha, "Kya yeh mumkin nahi hai ke tumhare walidain mujhe tumse shaadi karne ki ijazat de dein? Is surat mein, kam az kam mere walidain mutmain ho jayenge ke tumne unki razaamandi ke baghair mujhse shaadi nahi ki."Imama ne mayoosi se uski taraf dekha. "Mujhe nahi pata... main nahi keh sakti ke yeh mumkin hai ya nahi." Usne dheere se kaha. "Mere gharane ki ek bhi larki ne apni marzi se shaadi nahi ki taake main keh sakoon ke kya hua. Magar mujhe pata hai ke aise amal ka reaction bohot sakht hoga. Mere walidain mujhse bohot mohabbat karte hain magar wo mujhe yeh qadam lene ki kabhi ijazat nahi denge. Tumhe andaza nahi hai ke mere walid ke liye iski kitni beizzati aur izzat ka sawal hai-wo apne tareeqe mere wajah se nahi badlenge.""Agar mujhe apne khandan se kisi support ki umeed hoti, to main tumse madad nahi mangti." Imama dheemi awaz mein bol rahi thi, apni awaaz ko tootne se bachane ki koshish karte hue,"Imama, main tumhari madad karoonga... mere walidain mujhe rad nahi karenge halan ke unhe manana waqt lega. Main tumhari madad karoonga... tum theek keh rahi ho, mujhe tumhari madad karni chahiye." Jalal soch mein magan tha magar pareshan bhi. Imama ko thoda sukoon mehsoos hua; Jalal ne usay nirash nahi kiya."Mainne sahi intekhab kiya," usne apne aap se socha.Ye bekaar mashwara sirf Asjad ka hi ho sakta hai-koi aur aisi baat nahi kar sakta! Kya usay ye samajh nahi aata ke mein abhi parh rahi hoon?" Imama apni bhabhi se gusse mein boli."Nah, ye Asjad ya uski family ka nahi tha-ye Baba ka khayal tha," uski bhabhi ne itminan se jawab diya."Baba ka khayal? Mujhe yakeen nahi ho raha! Jab mujhe medical college mein admission mila tha, toh aisa koi plan nahi tha. Waqt aane par Baba Uncle Azam se kehte the ke meri shaadi meri house job khatam hone ke baad hogi. Ab kya ho gaya hai unko?" Imama heran thi,"Zaroor koi dabao hoga, lekin Ammi ne bataya ke Baba yahi chahte hain," uski bhabhi ne wazahat ki."Toh unko keh do ke mujhe house job khatam hone se pehle shaadi nahi karni.""Theek hai.. mein tumhara paigham pohcha doongi, lekin behtar hoga ke tum khud Baba se baat karo," usne mashwara diya.Uski bhabhi kamre se chali gayi, lekin Imama bahut fikrmand thi. Ye khabar itni achanak aur ghair mutawaqqa thi ke wo jhatka kha gayi-sirf soch mein hi nahi, balki waqai. Wo apni house job mukammal karna chahti thi aur phir apni practice shuru kama chahti thi: is se wo maali tor par khudmukhtar ho sakti thi aur apne plan ke mutabiq Jalal se shaadi kar sakti thi jo tab tak apne aap ko bhi mustaqil kar chuka hota. Lekin ye achanak shaadi ka masla-ab kyu uth gaya tha?  "Asjad ke ghar walon ne koi darkhwast nahi ki hai; maine khud unse baat ki hai," Hashim Mubeen ne itminan se samjhaya. Imama unke kamre mein thi-wo zaroori samjhti thi ke maloom kare ke kya chal raha hai."Apne unse pehle hi baat kar li-mujhse pooche baghair, Baba? Aap aisa kaise kar sakte hain?" Imama ko yakeen nahi ho raha tha.Unke walid ne uski taraf ghor se dekha. "Agar tumhe yaad ho, Imama, ye rishta tumhari raza-mandi se manzoor hua tha," unhone kaha.Rishta tay karna aur cheez hai... aur shaadi alag cheez hai. Aapne maan liya tha ke house job se pehle shaadi nahi hogi," usne yaad dilaya."Tumhe shaadi se kya aitraz hai? Tumhe Asjad pasand nahi?""Ye pasand na pasand ka sawal nahi hai. Mein apne parhai ke darmiyan shaadi nahi kama chahti. Aapko ache se pata hai ke mujhe eye specialist banna hai: agar ab shaadi kar li toh mere plans, mere khwab kabhi poore nahi honge.""Bahut si larkiyan shaadi ke baad bhi parhai jari rakhti hain. Humari family mein misaalain hain..." unhone tasalli dene ki koshish ki, lekin usne baat kaat di."Wo larkiyan bahut tez, bahut samajhdaar hongi-mein nahi hoon. Mein ek waqt mein sirf ek kaam kar sakti hoon,""Maine Azam Bhai se baat ki hai aur wo tareekhein tay karne aa rahe hain." Hashim Mubeen ka lehja sakht tha."Aap meri sari mehnat zaya kar rahe hain," usne ehtijaj kiya. "Agar aapko yehi kama tha, toh pehle hi koi waada nahi karna chahiye tha.""Cheezein tab alag thi; halaat ab badal gaye hain..."Usne phir se baat kaat di. "Kyu? Ab kya badal gaya hai ke aap mujhse aisa bartao kar rahe hain?""Mein yaqeen dilata hoon ke Asjad tumhari taleem mukammal karne mein poori madad karega; woh tumhe kisi bhi tarah nahi rokeyga, Hashim ne usay tasalli dene ki koshish ki."Baba, mujhe Asjad ki madad nahi chahiye, mujhe aapki madad chahiye," usne iltija ki. "Please, mujhe apni parhai mukammal karne dein.""Imama, zid karna band karo..mein wohi karunga jo maine faisla kiya hai," unhone sakhti se kaha, uski iltijayen nazarandaz karte hue. "Tumhare mangni ko chaar saal ho gaye hain aur yeh bohat lamba arsa hai. Agar unhon ne rishta tor dene ka faisla kar liya toh?""Toh unhe kar lene dein. Woh abhi rishta tor sakte hain-kal ka intezar kyun? Aakhir, yeh duniya ka anjaam toh nahi!" Continue ✍️ ✍️ ✍️