Miss Pal ek hi chalti purza. Weh samajh to gayi thi ki baat kuch kuch zaroor hai; Magar hai kya iski use khabar na thi aur na hum se aur na R.ana se poochhne ka use saahas hota tha. Weh R.ana ki Timaardaari ke liye bhi baraabar jaati rehti thi aur humaari to teemaardaari thi hi, magar weh yeh baat poochhte hue jaise kuch darr rahi thi. Idhar hum jab Miss Pal ko dekhte the, Shibbu miyaan ka khyaal aata tha ki khuda jaane un par kya beet rahi hogi. Aakhir humne khud ek din Miss Pal se yeh zikr chhedha-" Miss PAl aapne Shibbu miyaan ki bhi khabar li."
Miss Pal ne kaha-" Chulhe mein gaye Shibbu miyaan! Manhoos kahin ke! Aise sabz kadam aaye ki sab kuch bigadh gaya. Weh udhar padhi hain beemaar aur aap idhar padhe hain."
Humne kaha-" Bhai beemaar to khair zindagi ki alaamat hai, magar aapne is ajnabee musaafir ki bhi khabar li hoti."
Miss Pal ne kaha-" Roz aakar mere naukar ko ek khat de jaate hain aur ab to Khan bahadur saahab ko bhi khabar ho chuki hai ki weh lahore mein hain."
Humne turant teh tak pahunchte hue kaha-" Mirza saahab ne yeh khabar pahunchaayi hogi?"
Miss Pal ne kaha-" Jee haan, Mirza saahab ne unhein dekha tha. Isliye yahan aakar nawaab saahab se keh diya aur Khan bahadur saahab se bhi keh diya."
Humne kaha-" Suna haia ki weh aapke liye kuch zewar khareed rahe the."
Miss Pal ne kaha-" Jee haan, ek angoodhi mere liye khareede hue phir rahe hain; Magar main mili hi nahin unse."
Humne kaha-" Bhai aapko kisi na kisi tarah milna zaroor chaahiye."
Miss Pal ne kaha-" Aur kya? Fursat bhi bahoot hai mujhe aajkal in fizool baaton ke liye. Kabhi yahan hoon, kabhi R.ana biwi ke paas. Aap to khair ab pehle se bahoot achche hain; Magar unki taraf se bahoot pareshaan hoon. Itne hi dino mein yeh haal ho gaya hai ki jaise khuda na kare barson se beemaar hain. Khan bahadur saahab bechaare doctor par doctor bula rahe hain; Magar kisi ke ilaaj se koi faayda nahin."
Humne kaha-" Aakhir haalat kya hai?"
Miss Pal ne kaha-" Ek baat poochhoon; Magar daar lagta hai ki kahin aap naaraaz na ho jaayein. Khair naaraaz ho jaayenge to manwa loongi, magar darr to yeh hai ki Allah na kare, dil ka daura padh jaaye."
Humne baat taalne ke liye kaha-" Bhai, to main ise kya kroon? Yeh to kuch ajeeb ittefaaq hai ki isi waqt main beemaar hua."
Miss Pal ne kaha-" Aur mujhe to beemaar bhi ek kism ki maaloom hoti hai; Balki agar mera kayaas galat nahin hai to beemaari ki wajah bhi shaayad ek hi ho. Warna meri samajh mein yeh baat nahin aati ki aap dono beemaar to khair hain; Magar ek doosre se itne alag alag khinche khinche se kyon hain ki aapke saamne jab unka zikr aata hai aap nihaayat khoobsoorati se taal jaate hain aur unke saamne jab aapka zikr aata hai, weh bhi gol ho jaati hain. Khud ek doosre ka zikr karna to doosri baat hai aur agar koi doosra yeh zikr chhedhe to aap dono taalne ki koshish karte hain?"
Hum kya uttar dete? Magar uttar dena aawaskyak tha; Isliye Miss Pal ko dhikha dena chaaha-" Yeh aap khaahamkhaah ki bahes mein kyon padh gayi hain? Mujhe to khuda ki kasam har waqt apni beemaari se zyaada R.ana ki beemaari ki fikr hai."
Miss Pal ne kaha-" Kya main poochh sakti hoon ki aapne kitne baar unka haaal poochha? Aur hairat hai ki weh bhi aapka haal mujhse nahin poochhti, balki aaj to Khan bahadur saahab bhi yahi baatein kar rahe the."
Humne ab adhik dilchaspi lete hue kaha-" Khan bahadur saahab? Weh kya keh rahe the-?"
Miss Pal ne uttar diya-" Jo unhein kehna chaahiye tha, jo sab ko mehsoos ho raha hai. Weh mujhe alag le jaakar bahoot hi udaas lehze mein kehne lage ki yeh baat kya hai aakhir ki Farhat miyaan kuch khinche khinche se hain aur idhar R.ana ka bhi jaise unse koi taalluk na ho. Kahin in dono mein kisi tarah ki anban yaa jhagdha to nahin ho gaya?"
Humne poochha-" Phir aapne kya kaha?"
Miss Pal ne kaha-" Main kya keh sakti thi. Zaahir hai ki maine to yahi kaha ki in dino mein anban to khair ho hi nahin sakti. Magar mumkin hai koi galatfehmi paida ho gayi ho."
Ab hum Miss Pal ko kya bataate ki galatfehmi paida nahin hui hai; Balki door hui hai. Kahaawat yeh hai ki "Saanch ko aanch nahin", lekin humaari kismat se saanch ko aanch aakar rahi. Baherhaal yeh humaara farz tha ki jo humne mohabbat ki qurbaani dekar poora kiya aur aaj na sahi kal sahi, khud R.ana humaari is qurbaani ki kadr karengi. Yeh rog maansik dashaa asthaayi hai. Samay ke saath katuta door ho jaayegi ki humne R.ana ko dhokha nahin diya. Humne Miss Pal ko samjhaate hue kaha-" Magar aapko chaahiye tha ki R.ana se is baare mein poochh leti yaa apni is galatfehmi ko unse baat karke door kar deti."
Miss Pal ne kaha-" Main khud bhi ise galatfehmi samajhti thi. Magar jab maine ek din R.ana biwi se yeh zikr chhedha to unki tabiyat zyaada kharaab ho gayi aur mujhe nadaamat hui ki maine yeh zikr chhedha hi kyon."
Humne ab bhi jhooth bola-" Baherhaal meri taraf se aap yakeen kar leejiye ki na mere aur unke beech koi galatfehmi paida hui hai, na koi anban hai."
Miss Pal bhalaa is aasaani se maan sakti thi. Kehne lagi-" Dekhiye saahabzaade saahab, yeh sach hai ki aap mein aur R.ana biwi mein jo mel jol paida ho chuka hai, is mel jol mein agar kuch anban ki soorat bhi paida ho jaaye to siwaaye aap dono ke koi doosra use door nahin kar sakta. Agar koi baat hui bhi hogi to aap mujhe na bataa sakte hain aur na bataayenge. Magar itna bewakoof aap mujhe na samajhiye ki aap keh dein ki koi baat hui hi nahin aur main us par vishwaas kar loon."
Humne kaha-" Dekhiye Miss Pal, jab aap itni samajhdaar hain to aapko mujhse yeh sawaal hi nahin karna chaahiye tha! Baat yeh hai ki agar koi baat nahin hui hai to main bataaoonga kya! Aur agar hui bhi hai to sambawat aapko main kaise bataa sakta hoon? Isliye yeh zikr hi rehne deejiye. Albatta yeh bataayiye ki humaare yahan jo naye mehmaan aaye hain, unhein bhi padhne ka aapko mauka mila hai."
Miss Pal ne upeksha ke bhaaw se kaha-" Padhne ka shauk mujhe zarror hai; Magar main sirf mustanad kitaab padhti hoon. Yeh nahin jahan koi kaagaz padha paaya padhne baidh gayi."
Humne kaha-" Achcha to foya mere maamu aur unki Najjo betu aapke nazdeek aise gaye guzre log hain."
Miss Pal ne aankhein nikaalkar kaha-" Main to yeh keh rahi thi ki mujhe padhaane ki zaroorat hi kya hai? Weh aapke rishtedaar hai, mehmaan aaye hain, bas mere liye itna hi jaanna bahoot hai."
Humne kaha-" Aur agar aapko yeh maaloom ho jaaye ki unki tashreef-aawari ka bahoot kuch taalluk humse hai to?"
Miss Pal ne ab bhi upeksha ke bhaaw se kaha-" Yeh zaahir hai ki weh aapke maamu hain, aap unke bhaanje hain. Aap hi se ho sakta hai unke tashreef laane ka taalluk."
Humne kaha-" Achcha khair yeh bataayiye ki aap in logon ko dekhkar hairaan nahin hui ki yeh humaare kareebi rishtedaar kaise ho sakte hain?"
Miss Pal ne kaha-" Kyon kya hua hone ko? Yeh koi zaroori baat to nahin ki khaandaan mein sabhi log padhe likhe aur paise waale ho. Khud mere gharaane mein bahoot se aise ameer hain ki agar main apne aapko unki rishtedaar kahoon to logon ko mushkil se vishwaas aayega. Aur bahoot se bechaare itne zyaada gareeb hain ki agar main unse apni rishtedaari zaahir karoon to log mazaak samjhenge."
Miss Pal niyam ke vipreet bahoot ki rookhi feeki baatein kar rahi thi. Isliye humne unhein yeh baat jataa dena zaroori samjha-" Aakhir aap is kadar sanjeeda banne ki kyon koshish kar rahi hain? Ajab kanooni se jawaab de rahi hain aap?"
Miss Pal ne bade dardnaak andaaz se kaha-" Saahabzaade saahab, agar aap buraa na maaein to aapki yeh asangat baatein mujhe kuch zyaada pasand nahin aa rahi hain. Main khud nahin jaanti ki main aapki kisi baat ka kya jawaab de rahi hoon. Mera ishaara us kothi ke aise kamre ki taraf hai jahan ek sundar phool murjhaaya hua padha hai aur din din uska rang uth raha hai. Saahabzaade saahab, aap to soch bhi nahin sakte ki R.ana biwi ko kya ho gaya hai? Weh kya se kya hokar reh gayi? Aapko nahin maaloom ki Khan bahadur saahab ki aajkal kya haalat hai. Maine unki beghum sahiba ko khud chhip chhip kar rote hue dekha hai."
Hum ekdum uthkar baidh gaye aur Miss Pal is prakaar sahemkar reg gayi jaise weh bhool gayi ho ki yeh baatein humaare saamne karne ki nahin hai. Magar weh bhaawna mein behkar apne ko samyat na kar saki. Humne taqaaza kiya-" Miss Pal, aap kahe jaayiye main waayda karta hoon ki apne kamzor dil ko majboot iraade se kaabu mein rakhne ki koshish karoonga."
Miss Pal ne kaha-" Main to sirk yeh keh rahi thi ki idhar aapka yeh haaal hai udhar unka weh haal. Aur yeh main achchi tarah jaanti hoon ki aap dono ek doosre ke liye kya kuch kar sakte hain. Phir aakhir yeh kyon hai? Agar baat koi ho bhi gayi hai to himmat se kaam lekar use bhulaane ki koshish kyon nahin karte."
Kitne vivash the hum ki na Miss Pal ko kuch baat keh sakte the, na R.ana ke is dard ka koi upchaar tha humaare paas. Yeh thi lagi hui weh aag jo sach ne lagaayi thi. Us sach ne jiske baare mein prasidh hai ki yeh saanch ko aanch nahin, magar hum iska dosh sach ko kyon de rahe hain? Yeh bhi to ho sakta hai ki yeh aag us jhooth ne lagaayi ho, jo yahan aane ke baad se bola jaa raha hai. Yeh sab kuch isi ka nateeja hai ki walid saahab ne badle hue haalaat ke saath apni asliyat ko badalne ki bhi koshish ki aur is koshish mein weh safal ho gaye ki yeh jhooth din din bhayaanak se bhayaanaktar banta chalaa gaya. Aur aakhir weh din aa gaya ki is saare jhooth aur kapat ka bhed khul jaaye. Hum R.ana ki neerehta aur saralta se khele the. Humaare pariwaar se Khan bahadur saahab ki kuleenta par batta lagaaya tha. Aur hum us grina aur awagya ke paatr the jo R.ana ke mann mein humaare prati utpann ho gaya tha. Magar dandh to humein yeh mil raha tha ki weh grina sab kuch jhelkar weh apni hi aag mein jal kar bhasm ho rahi thi.
Hum in vichaaron mein ulajhkar reh gaye aur Miss Pal ne yeh samjha ki uski apriye baatcheet ne humaare dil par phir bahoot bura asar kiya hai. Isliye usne sabse pehlke to humein ek khuraak dawaa ki di aur iske baad idhar udhar ki baaton se atyant abhinay ke saath mann behlaane ki rochakta paida karne ka prayatn kiya. Magar humne usse kshama yaachna ki is samay main aaraam chaahta hoon, ateh weh dabe paanw kamre se nikal gayi.