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Shibbu miyaan ne bajaaye is baat ka uttar dene ke kaha-" Maar daala saahab is sardi ne. Majboor hokar dauda. Gali mein bistar khola maine aur nikaalkar lihaaf odh liya."

R.ana itni der mein is durghatna se sambhal chuki thi aur usne bhi atyant virikt swar main kaha-" magar janaab tashreef kaise le aaye?"

Shibbu miyaan ne kooli ko daam dekar vida karte hue kaha-" Pehle mujhe kamre mein pahuncha deejiye, phir itminaan se baat karoonga. Main to jamaa jaa raha hoon."

Humne kaha-" Aap philhaal mere kamre mein chaliye air aag ke paas baidhiye."

Shibbu miyaan ne chalte hue kaha-" Shaayad yahi ki mitti thi, meri maut kheench laayi hai mujhe. Namumkin hai ki main zinda na reh sakoon."

Kamre mein pahunchkar weh apne lihaaf mein lipte hue aag ke paas is prakaar baidhe ki aap toast banaanaa chaahte hain.

Humne coffe banaakar pesh ki to pehle to badhawaasi mein uska ek ghoont pi gaye, phir munh banaakar bole-" YEh kya coffe hai? Lahaul bila! Yeh to main pi bhi nahin sakta. Mujhe to chaaye pilaayiye, main baaz aaya hukke ke is paani se."

Humne ghanti bajaakar baira bulaaya aur chaaye laane ka order de kar ab jo waapas aaye hain to R.ana Shibbu miyaan se uljhi hui hai. " Main aapse zabaani baat to karna hi nahin chaahti. Mujhe aap yeh likhkar de dein ki daddy ne aapko bheja hai. Farhat saahab, suna aap ne? Farmaate hain janaab ki daddy ne bheja hai aapko."

Humne kaha-" Haan, to kya hua bheja hoga."

R.ana ne aatmvishwaas se kaha-" Namumkin hai. Weh bhalaa kyon bhejte? Yeh khud hi tashreef laaye hain. Aur bahoot mumkin hai ki ghar mein kisi ko pata bhi na ho ki kahan gaye hain?"

Shibbu miyaan ab is yogya ho gaye the ki apni bhaddi muskaamo ki bijliyaan hum par giraayein ateinw muskaraakar farmaaya-" Leejiye, to kya aapka matlab yeh hai ki main bhaagkar aaya hoon, aur mera huliya likha jaayega ab. Saahab, maine to sirf itna kaha tha ki mujhe bhi barf girte dekhne ka shauk hai. Is par chacha jaan ne kaha-" Agar tum jaana chaahte ho ab chale jaao."

R.ana ne unki aankhon mein aankhein daalkar kaha-" Mere khyaal mein to yeh bhi galat hai, Allah hi jaane aapki kaun si baat sach hoti hai aur kaun si jhooth? Farz kar leejiye ki aisa hi hua hai to sawaal yeh hai ki aakhir hum logon ne aapka kya igaadha hai?"

R.ana ki spashtta ko sahen na kar khub humne baat kaat kar kaha-" Aap dono ki chhed to khair chalti hi rahegi........"

Shibbu miyaan par aisi khuda ki maar thi ki weh khud apni shaamat gher kar laate the. "Chhed" shabd sunte hi bole-" Yeh aap ne bilkul sach kaha-"
"Chhed khoobaan se chali jaaye asad"
(Aye asad, jo sundar hain unse chhed hoti rahe)

Aur R.ana ek baar phir tilmilaa uthi-" Khoobaan? Kaun hai khoobaan? Kise keh rahe hain aap khoobaan?"

Humne phir beech bachaaw kiya-" Saahab, yeh to khoobamiyon ka ras le rahe hain?"

Magar lahaul bilaa kuwwat? Humne bhains ke aage been bajaayi thi. Weh hazrat bole-" Jee nahin, maine to "asad" yaani Ghalib ka misra padha tha."

R.ana ne jalkar kaha-" Zinda hota Ghalib, to goli maar deti aapko, apne misre ke is behooda istemaal par."

Hum chaahte the ki yeh musibat jab aa hi padhi hai to ab ise khushgawaar banaane ki koshish ki jaaye. Isliye hum phir beech mein tapke-" Shibbu miyaan, meri raay yeh hai ki pehle aap itminaan se gusal wagairaah kar lein."

Shibbu miyaan ne ekdum chaunk kar kaha-" Jee, kya farmaaya aapne? Gusal? Yahan? Is mausam mein? Saahab mein is pardes mein yeh khudkushi kyon karne laga?"

Humne kaha-" Achcha jaane deejiye, magar yeh to baat bataa deejiye ki ab aapka programme kya hai."

Shibbu miyaan ne apne ko lihaaf mein kuch aur bhi lapette hue kaha-" Saahab, yahan siwaay iske aur programme hi kya ho sakta hai ki aadmi lihaaf mein lipta aag ke saamne baidha rahe. Mera to yahan bhi dum nikla jaa raha hai. Samajh mein nahin aata ki aap log yahan thehre hue kaise hain?"

R.ana ne upeksha bhaaw se kaha-" Khair, hum aapki samajh ke jimmedaar to hain nahin aur na darasal aap khud apni samajh ke jimmedaar hain. Baherhaal hum dono to jaa rahe hain sketting ke liye. Agar aapko yahin theherna hai to shauk se tashreef rakhiye.

Shibbu Miyaan ne aashcharya se kaha-" Skettin? Yaani aap dono barf par fisalne jaa rahe hain? Kamaal hai saahab."

Humne kaha-" Aaj barf ke maidaan mein inka hockey matcxh hai. Agar dekhne ka shauk hai to tashreef laaiye."

Shibbu miyaan ne lihaaf kaleje se lagaakar aur khud lihaaf ke kaleje mein ghuskar farmaaya-" Bakhshiye saahab mujhe, meri to rooh jami rahi hai aur aapko barafbaazi ki soojhi hai."

Humne kaha-" Kam se kam yeh tey to kar leejiye ki aap rahenge kahan?"

"Ek kamra inke paas hai, ek kamra yeh hai mera. Aap farmaayein to ek teesre kamre ka bandobast kar diya jaaye."

Shibbu miyaan ne aashcharye se poochha-" Yaani do kamre hain aapke paas? Goya ek kamra fi aadmi?"

R.ana ne jalkar kaha-" Aur nahin t6o kya aapka khyaal tha ki hum dono ek hi kamre mein honge."

Shibbu miyaan jaldi se sach bol gaye-" Main to yahi samajhta tha, baherhaal ab teesre kamre ki kya zaroorat? Inhi mein se kisi mein padha rahoonga."

R.ana ne nihaayat rookhepan se kaha-" Khair, dono mein se kisi mein to kahiye nahin, mere kamre mein to aap padh nahin sakte. Albatta Farhat saahab ko apne kamre ka adhikaar hai."

Humne kaha-" Aap shauk se is kamre mein reh sakte hain. Main ek aur mashari mangwaaye deta hoon yaa agar aap alag kamra chaahein to uska intezaam kar doon?"

Shibbu miyaan ne udaaseen bhaaw se kaha-" Jaisa aap munasib samjhein? Baherhaal kamra jara kam hawaadaar aur thodha bahoiot garm ho to achcha hai."

R.ana se phir chup na raha gaya. Boli-" Phir to aapke liye hotel ka baawarchi khaana shayad theek rahega."

Shibbu miyaan ne aatishdaan mein do teen lakdiyaan aur daalte hue kaha-" Nahin saahab, meri chaarpaayi isi aatishdaan ke paas bichhwa deejiye."

R.ana ne kamre se baahar jaane ka iraada karte hue kaha-" Bahoot achcha, yahin intezaam ho jaayega. Aaiye, Farhat saahab warna sketting ka programme reh jaayega."

Humne hotel se baahar jaate hue baire ko shibbu miyaan ke baare mein aawashyak aadesh de diye aur phir R.ana ke saath hotel ki seema se baahar ho gaye. Raasta badi khaamoshi se tey ho raha tha. R.ana khuda jaane kis soch mein thi ki kuch na boli. Aur hum choonki uski is tanmayta ka kaaran samajh rahe the isliye jaan boojhkar chup rahe. Magar aakkir kab tak. Vivash hokar R.ana se poochhna hi padha-" Kya koi sher socha jaa raha hai?"

R.ana ne ekdum chaunk kar kaha-" Waakai sher hi yaad aa raha hai. Jauk ne zindagi bhar mein jo ek kaam ka sher kaha tha weh aaj kaam aa gaya ki-"
"Ab to ghabra ke yeh kehte hain ki mar jaayenge.
Mar ke bhi chain na paaya to kidhar jaayenge."

Humne kaha-" Waakai, bada achcha sher hai. Magar mujhe farsi ka yeh misra yaad aa raha tha ki-"
"Baher zameen ke raseede, aasmaan paida ast"
(Tu jis zameen par bhi pahunch jaata aasmaan paida ho jaata hai.)

R.ana ne atyant chintit swar mein poochha-" Magar ab hoga kya?"

Humne kaha-" Hona kya tha,mazaa rahega."

R.ana jal hi to gayi-" Aapko to soojh raha hai mazaak; Magar main aapko kaise bataaoon ki is aadmi ka wajood bardaasht nahin hota."

Humne kaha-" Achcha, sketting se waapsi par is maamle par gaur karenge?"

R.ana ne kaha-" Main sketting ke liye nahin jaa rahi hoon. Main to sirf wahan se tali hoon dimaag kam bojh halka karne. Farhat, tum nahin jaante ki main is aadmi ko dekhkar kitni chidh jaati hoon."

Hum is samay jhoom rahe the. R.ana ne pehli baar Farhat saahab ke bajaaye sirf Farhat kaha tha. Kitna apnapan tha is sambodhan mein aur kitna utsaahjanak thi yeh upaadhi. Humne R.ana ko samjhaaya-" Mujhe maaloom hai R.ana ki tum koft mein ho; Magar jab musibat padh jaaye to us musibat se dilchaspi lekar use jahan tak ho sake khushgawaar banaana chahiye. Aur jab tum khud yeh jaanti ho ki hazrat jis wahem mein padhe hain, weh sada wahem hi rahega isliye use padha rehne do. Tum uske liye itni gambhir kyon banti ho?"

R.ana ne kaha-" Mujhe sabse zyaada fikr aapke baare mein hai ki badtameez aadmi khuda jaane aap par kya waar kar baidhe."

Humne kehkaha lagaate hue kaha-" Meri fikr ki itni zaroorat nahin ek to meri zindagi itni keemti nahin. Doorse, main itna gaya guzra bhi nahin ki in hazrat ke waar ka taaw bhi na laa sakoon."

R.ana ne kaha-" Aapki zindagi aapke liye na sahi, doosron ke liye to keemti hai."

Kya yeh waakye itna nasheela na tha ki iske aanand mein hum jhoomte hi reh jaate. Aankhon ki baat zubaan par aakar kayaamat ban chuki thi.