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Humne kaha-" Kya hua? Shibbu miyaan ka koi mohabbat bhara khat to nahin aa gaya?"

Miss Pal ne tunak kar kaha-" Chulhe mein gaye Shibbu miyaan aur bhaadh mein gaya unka mohabbat bharaa khat? Main to aapke liye khushkhabri laayi hoon aur aap mujhe jalaa rahe hain."

Humne kaha-" Achcha, chaliye, khila denge mithaayi bhi. Ab bataayiye kya baat hai?"

Miss Pal ne waakai khilkar kaha-" Bas, ab to aapki hone waali hai."

Humne kaha-" Paheli mein baat na kahiye, kaun meri hone waali hai?"

Miss Pal ne kaha-" Jinhein hona chaahiye, saahabzaadi R.ana beghum.......Abhi nawaab saahab se Khan bahadur saahab keh rahe the ki aapko poora akhtiyaar hai jab chaahein is farz se chhutkaara paa lein. Mere yahan poori taiyaari ho chuki hai aur mujhe koi intezaam nahin karna hai. Is par nawaab saahab ne jawaab diya ki bas zaroori mashwire kar lo. Iske baad pehle to badhi saadgi se nikaah ho jaaye, taaki shaadi ke waqt sharaarat karne waalon ko sharaarat ka mauka na mile.

Humne kaha-" Achcha saahab! Aapki mithaayi to pakki ho gayi; magar Miss Pal, Allah jaane R.ana bhi is rishte ko pasand karti hai yaa nahin."

Miss Pal ne badhi teekhi chitwanon se kaha-" Allah jaanta hai, jab aap aisi baat karte hain to sakht gussa aata hai. Aap aahir mujhe itna bewakoof kyon samajhte hain. Main aap jaisi aalaa dimaag na sahi, magar sir mein sirf joot aur patsan ke khet hi to nahin thodhi bahoot akal bhi hai."

Humne kaha-" Achcha to isi thodhi bahoot akal se kaam lekar bataayiye, kya R.ana is rishte ko pasand karegi?"

Miss Pal ne kamar par haath rakhkar bade teekhe andaaz se kaha-" Miyaan biwi to pehle hi raazi ho chuke hain, kaazi to khaahamkhaah aa raha hai aap kyon meri zabaan khulwa rahe hain. Na jaane kaise kaise waayde ho chuke honge, na jaane kaise kaise ishq bikhar chuke honge. Ab chale hain aap mujhse poochhne ki weh is rishte ko pasang karegi?"

Humne kaha-" Agar aap yakeen karein Miss Pal to bataaoon ki mere aur R.ana ke darmiyaan na koi ishq bikhra hai, na koi waayda hua hai. Ismein shak nahin ki main use bahoot pasand karta hoon, magar choonki pasand karne se zyaada uski izzat karta hoon isliye maine uski beizzati kabhi nahin ki ki ishq bikhre ka baazaaripan karta."

Miss Pal na bade aashcharye se kaha-" Lo aur suno, yeh baazaaripan ho gaya. Aap kis kadar sanjeedgi se mazaak karte hain!"

Humne waakai gambheerta se kaha-" Main aapse sach kehta hoon. Main mazaak bilkul nahin kar raha hoon. Maine sau baaton ki ek baat keh di hai, main uski izzat karta hoon."

Miss Pal ne kuch na samajhte hue kaha-" Na jaane aap kya keh rahe hain? Yeh jo din raat ka saath uthna baidhna hai, yeh jo tanhaaiyaan haasil hain, yeh jo pahaadhon par aap unhein liye firte hain aur yeh jo cinema ke andhere aapko naseeb hote rehte hain, inke baad aapki yeh baatein meri samajh mein to aa nahin sakti."

Humne kaha-" Aapki samajh mein yeh baatein isliye nahin aa rahi hain ki aap uchakkepan ko shaayad mohabbat samajhti hain. Na main itna gira hua tha aur na R.ana ko is kadar ghatiya samajhta tha ki is kism ki baatein karta. Maine in tamaam tanhaaiyon se aur is ek saath ghoomne se sirf ek kaam liya hai ki R.ana ke dil mein apna vishwaas paida karoon aur uske vishwaas ko mazboot banaaoon."

Miss Pal ne ekdum angrez bankar kaha-" Yeh to kuch bahoot unchi baatein hain! Main to isi par hairaan thi ki mari jaakar aapne bajaaye ek hotel ke do kamre kyon liye?"

Humne kaha-" Dekhiye Miss Pal, yeh baat bhi gireh mein baandh leejiye, ki jo aadmi kisi ladki se shaadi karna chaahta hai, agar shaadi se pehle hi apne jazbaat ka shikaar hokar uske jazbaat se khelna shuroo kar deta hai to mere khyaal se usse zyaada neech aur koi nahin ho sakta. Aur iska matlab alaawa iske aur kuch nahin ki weh jis ladki se shaadi kar raha hai pehle uski asmat bigaadh raha hai iske baad ek aisi ladki ko biwi banaakar fakh karta hai. Haalaanki yeh uske liye doob marne ki baat hai."

Miss Pal kuch khoye khoye andaaz se kursi par baidhkar boli-" Yeh aapne bahoot keemti baat kahi hai, aur iska ek pehlu yeh bhi hai ki aisi biwi ki izzat shauhar kabhi nahin kar sakta, jo shaadi se pehle bhi use haasil ho chuki ho."

Humne kaha-" Haan, ab aap meri baat tak pahunch gayi hain; ab aap hi bataayein kya main jhooth keh raha hoon?"

Miss Pal ne kaha-" Magar aamtaur par hota iska ulta hai."

Humne kaha-" Chunaanche aamtaur par mohabbat jaisi meethi cheez kadhwi saabit hoti hai. Aapne suna hoga ki mohabbat ki shaadiyon ka intezaam zyaadaatar naakhushgawaar hota hai. Iski wajah sirf yahi hai ki shaadi se pehle hi tamaam mithaas khatm ho jaati hai aur gharelu jimmedaariyon ka kadhwaapan baaki reh jaata hai. jabki mohabbat ke sard saans aur garm ashk ke bajaaye noon tel lakdi ki fikr apni haqeeqaton ko benaqaab karke saamne aa jaati hai,"

Miss Pal ne kaha-" Tauba! Tauba! Itna bhi aadmi samajhdaar na ho! Mujhe aapki yeh baatein sunkar is waqt apni saheli Mrs. Ikhlaaf yaad aa rahi hain, jo khud behad samajhdaar thi. Ab jahan is kism ki baatein unhonein suni, aur unhein dehshat hui. Weh hamesha yeh kaha karti thi ki agar aadmi aisa hi samajhdaar bankar reh jaaye to yeh duniya bhi jiski raunak darasal bhoolon hi ki wajah se hai, itni baakaayda bankar reh jaayegi, jaise koi bank ho, jahan dastakhat tak badalne ka akhtiyaar nahin hota! Main aapko ek alhadh, manchala aur befikra samjhe baidhi thi. Aaj maaloom hua ki jise main deewaana samajh rahi thi, weh asal mein maulaana."

Humne daad di-" Baat aapne kahi hai! Main mehsoos karta hoon ki jo raunak khilindadhpan mein hai, weh is sanjeedagi mein nahin hai." Magar Miss Pal, main duniya ke chaahe har kaam mein khilindadha nazar aaoon, mohabbat ho khel nahin banaa sakta."

Miss Pal ne bade afsos se kaha-" Iska matlab yeh hua kismat ne jitni tanhaayiyaan aapko di thi, ek saath rehne ke jitne mauke aapko mile the, weh sab aapne kho diye."

Humne kaha-" Miss Pal, baat yeh hai ki mere usool ki to aap kaayal ho chuki hain. Magar yeh usool choonki aapke neeji tajurba ke khilaaf hai, isliye hathdharmi farma rahi hain."

Miss Pal ne chaunk kar kaha-" Mere neeji tajurbe kaun se hain, bhalaa?"

Humne sharaarat se kaha-" Apne neeji tajurbon ko mujhse zyaada aap khud jaanti hongi."

Miss Pal is baat par shaayad bura maanne ki koshish kar rahi thi; Magar unhein walid saahab ke ekaaek aa jaane se iska awsar na mil saka. Walid saahab ko dekhkar ekdum ghabra uthi aur boli-" Nawaab saahab, maine yeh khush khabri saahabzaade saahab ko pehle hi pahuncha di hai."

Walid saahab ne kaha-" Aapka shukriya ki aapne mujhe is khabar pahunchaane ki takleef se bacha liya. Baherhaal, agar aap ijaazat dein. to inse kuch khaas baatein kar loon. Aur haan, yeh baatein beghum sahiba tak na pahunche, to main kar loon main inse baatein."

Miss Pal ne uthkar jaate hue kaha-" Zaroor, zaroor! Mujhe to ab khud jaana tha. Beghum sahiba ko hawakhori ke liye le jaana hai."

Miss Pal ke jaane ke baad itminaan se kaha-" Baherhaal tumhein yeh to khabar ho gayi ki aaj mere aur Khan bahadur saahab ke darmiyaan sab baatein tay ho gayi. Magar maine unhein mashwira diya hai ki pehle nihaayat khaamoshi aur saadgi ke saath nikaah kar dein. Iske baad shaadi mein jo armaan chaahein poore karein. Baat asal mein yeh hai ki unhein to maine sirf yeh samjhaaya hai ki Shibbu miyaan aur uske maa baap ki taraf se sharaarat ho sakti hai; lekin unhein khabar hi us waqt ho jab nikaah ho jaaye. Magar main apne yahan ke haalaat dekhte hue bhi yeh zaroori samajhta hoon ki pehle nikaah ho jaaye."

Humne kaha-" Humaare yahan ke haalaat kya hain?"

Walid saahab ne dheere se kaha-" Saahabzaade kain aap, beta yeh kabhi na samajhna ki tumhaari maa, to itni badal chuki hain, apni asliyat bhi bhool gayi hongi. Unki zindagi bhar ki tamanna yeh hai ki Najjo ko bahu banaakar laayein. Agar pehle se unhein khabar bhi ho gayi, to weh in tamaam baaton ko laakar rakh dengi aur ek khaalis naain bankar saamne aa jaayein."

Humne kaha-" To yeh matlab kya hai aapka. Goya nikaah unse bhi chhipaaya jaayega?"

Walid saahab ne kaha-" Yahi to salaah lena chaahta hoon ki aakhir soorat kya ho? Baat yeh hai ki bura waqt aate der nahin lagti. Allah jaane kitne log baraabar udhar se idhar aa rahe hain. Na jaane apna koi sambandhi aa mare aur saara bhaanda phoot kar reh jaaye. Isliye zaroori hai ki jaldi se jaldi nikaah ho hi jaaye."

Humne kaha-" Aur agar nikaah ke baad yeh bhaanda phoota to?"

Walid saahab ne kaha-" Phir kya hoga? Phir to Khan bahadur khud apni izzat ke khyaal se is par har tarah se parda daalenge. Weh itne bewakoof nahin hai ki ladki ka nikaah kar dene ke baad duniya bhar mein yeh kehte firein ki daamaad jaati ka naai hai. Albatta agar nikaah se pehle unhein maaloom ho gaya to banaa banaaya khel bigadh jaayega."

Walid saahab humse to yeh kehkar chale gaye ki tum bhi vichaar karo; Magar hum vichaar sirf yeh kar rahe hain ki kitni neechta ki jaa rahi hai ek bhale aadmi ke saath, aur kitna bada dhokha diya jaa raha hai is gareeb ko.