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Walid saahab ne phir kaha-" Jhooth khul jaaye to khul jaaye main to saaf keh doonga ki maine dilwaaya tha weh taar aur isliye dilwaaya tha ki jis rishte par aap log adhe baidhe hain, usse sabr kar lein isliye ki kisi bhi keemat par yeh rishta na hone doonga."

Humne kaha-" Magar iska nateeja badnaami ke siwa aur kya hoga? Maamu saahab ko aap jaante hain weh dhindhora peet denge humaari asliyat ka, aur hum jo bade khaandaani nawaab bane baidhe kisi ko munh dikhaane ke kaabil na reh jaayenge."

Walid saahab ne kaha-" Jo kuch kismat mein likha hai, weh hokar rahega. Magar main kasam khaakar kehta hoon ki tumhaare maamu ki ladki meri bahu nahin ban sakti, nahin ban sakti, nahin ban sakti. Main tumhaare liye koi mehatraani byaah kar laaoon, koi chamaaran utha laaoon, magar yeh ladki qayaamat tak is ghar mein bahu bankar nahin aa sakti. Aur doosri baat yeh sun lo ki agar tumhaari maa ne zaraa bhi teen paanch ki to apne baap ki aulaad na samajhna mujhe agar is haraamzaadi ko talaak dekar ghar se na nikaal diya badi apne bhai par fooli hui hai! Saale ko khule baazaar weh jootiyaan lagwaaoonga ki yaad kare weh bhi-."

Yeh saala jo gaali ke taur par istemaal hua tha, asal mein waaqa bhi tha. Hum walid saahab ko is silsile mein kuch samjhaana bhi chaahte the ki Miss Pal ne humse kaha-" Aapko aapki aunty, kya kehte hain unhein mamaani, jee haan aapki mamaani bula rahi hain."

Humne Miss Pal ko taal khud bhi yahan theherna uchit na samjha aur apne kamre se nikal kar "Mullah ki daud masjid tak" ki kahaawat ke anusaar Khan bahadur saahab ki or ho liye. Magar khyaal se hum raaste hi se laut padhe ki ab kis munh se wahan jaa rahe hain. Aaj hi kal mein humaari pol khul jaayegi aur kitna dukh hoga R.ana ko, jab weh yeh sunegi ki jise weh na jaane kya samajh rahi thi, weh vaastav mein na sirf naai hai, balki itna neech manushye bhi hai ki ab tak apni asliyat ko chhipaaye raha. Hum inhi vichaaron mein uljhe hue Khan bahadur saahab ke compound se nikal kar sadak par ho liye aur anmanne se shimla pahaadi tak tahelne chale gaye. Sach poochhiye to ab himmat na hoti thi R.ana ke saamne jaane ki. Maaloom hota tha ki jo bhed R.ana par kuch dino mein khulega, weh hum par aaj hi khul gaya hai. Hum apne drishti se khud hi gir chuke the aur aaj yeh bhaawna bahoot hi kashtdaayak bani hui thi ki aakhir humne R.ana se yeh baat chhipaayi hi kyon? Aur agar yeh koi chhipaane ki cheez thi to R.ana se yeh peenge is had tak badhaane ki zaroorat hi kya thi? Humne is maasoom ko dhokha diya. Weh kaise vishwaas karegi ki hum kitne dhokhebaaz hain. Magar saath hi saath ek khyaal yeh bhi aaya ki ab aakhir hum der kyon kar rahe hain? Yeh khabar kisi na kisi tarah to use ho hi jaayegi ki hum kya hain phir kya yeh behtar nahin ki hum saahas se kaam lein aur khud R.ana ke saamne sweekaar kar lein ki hum jaati ke naai hain. Zaahir hai ki ab yeh kaam humaare liye sahej na tha. Magar humaari zyaadati ka agar koi ilaaj tha to sirf yeh ki humein veerta se kaam lekar pareeksha ko paar karna hi tha aur R.ana ke saamne sach bolna tha. Kehte hain ki saanch ko aanch nahin kya aashcharye hai ki R.ana par humaara yeh sach asar kar jaaye. Aur weh in jaatigat vichaaron ko na maanti ho. Magar yeh dhaarna kuch sthaayi siddh na ho saki. Yeh vichaar bhi aaya ki agar R.ana khud itni udaar bhi hui to bhi Khan bahadur saahab ka kya theek hai? Weh kyonkar gawaara karenge ki unki beti aise kul mein jaaye aur unka daamaad ek naai bane. Magar iska matlab yeh to nahin ho sakta ki hum chor bane ab bhi baidhe rahein. Jitna jitna vichaar kiya yahi baat samajh mein aayi ki jo sach humaari kaayarta ab tak na khol saki weh sach bolne mein ab humein der na karni chaahiye. Aur isse pehle ki iska bhed kisi aur Saadhan se khule humein kam se kam R.ana par asliyat awashye prakat kar dena chaahiye. Yeh vichaar itni der se zaroor paida hua tha; Magar ab bhi paida ho gaya tha to theek hi tha. Shukr hai ki ab tak nikaah yaa mangni wagairah ki naubat na aayi thi, warna is dhokhebaazi ka samardhan ho jaata. Vichaaron ka silsila to khuda jaane kahan se kahan pahuncha; Magar humne yeh nishchay kar liya ki aaj aur isi samay humein jaan par khelkar R.ana ko yeh bhed awashye bataa dena hai. Is dridh sankalp ke saath humphir laute aur Khan bahsdur saahab ki kothi pahunch kar R.ana ke kamre mein aakar dam liya. R.ana is samay padhne mein vyast thi. Humein dekhkar usne pustak rakh di aur apne usi nireeh bhaaw se kaha-" Aaj to bahoot se mehmaan aa gaye aapke ghar."

Humne kaha-" Jee haan, rishtedaar hain apne. Maamujaan aur unke baal bachche aaye hain hindustan se."

R.ana ne kaha-" Hindustan se? Phir to badi khushi ki baat hai ki bichhude hue mile. Magar aap to kuch udaas se maaloom hote hain."

Hum sach bolne par tule hue the. Kaha-" Jee haan, main udaas hoon. Mehmaano ke kaaran nahin kisi aur kaaran se."

R.ana bhi chintit ho gayi aur hum sharm se uth gaye ki yeh nireeh ladki humaare liye chintit ho rahi hai. Usne waakai vyathit swar mein poochha-" Baat kya hai? Aakhir khairiyat to hai?"

Humne kaha-" Mujhe nahinmaaloom ki khairiyat hai yaa nahin. Iska faisla aapse baatcheet karne ke baad hoga."

R.ana ne chintaajanak vismay se kaha-" Mujhse baatcheet karne ke baad-" To keejiye na baatcheet yahan koi na aayega."

Humne kaha-" Aaj main tumse bahoot hi uthli baatein karna chaahta hoon isliye ki unhi baaton par tamaam daaromdaarhai. Main bina kisi bhoomika ke yeh poochhna chaahta hoon ki is had tak mere kareeb aane ke baad agar yakaayak tumhein maaloom ho jaaye ki jo kuch main nazar aa raha hoon darasal weh nahin hoon. Isse neech, bahoot neech aur tumhaari sateh se gira hua ek insaan hoon to iska asar tum par kya hoga?"

R.ana ne bholepan se kaha-" Main samjhi nahin aapka matlab. Aap mujhe darra kyon rahe hain. Jo kehna chaahte hain saaf saaf keh deejiye na."

Humne kaha-" Main saaf hi baat kar raha hoon ki agar tumko yeh maaloom ho ki jin bulandiyon par tum mujhe dekh rahi ho, weh bulandiyaan darasal pastiyaan hain to kya tum mujhe aasaani se nazar andaaz kar sakogi?"

R.ana ne kaha-" Nazar andaaz karne ka to khair khyaal hi dil mein na laaeeye. Yeh sawaal to paida hi nahin hota. Magar aapko yeh khyaal aaya kaise? Aap jo kuch kehna chaahte hain, usse pehle mujhse sun leejiye ki agar mujhe yeh maaloom ho ki khuda khwaasta aapki maali haalat kharaab ho chuki hai to mujhe par iska koi asar nahin padh sakta. Agar mujhe yeh pata chale ki aapne kisi aur ko mohaabat karna shuroo kar diya hai to main aapke raaste se hat kar chaahe khud kaisi hi takleef mein mutbalaa hoongi, magar aapko takleef na uthaane doongi. Agar mujhe pata chale, khuda na kare, kiaapko koi aisa rog lag gaya hai, jiska ilaaj mumkin nahin to main apni kismat ka likha samjhoongi; Magar main aapko na nazar andaaz karoongi aur na chhodh sakoongi."

Humne bade himmat karke kaha-" R.ana jo kuch tum keh rahi ho, weh mujhe tumhaare baare mein maaloom tha. Isliye main tumhaare saamne aaj benaqaab aana chaahta hoon, taaki is rangeen naqaab se dhokha na khaa sako. Main tumhein dhokha nahin de sakta, tumse jhooth nahin bol sakta, main tumse kisi kism ka dikhaawa aur kapat nahin kar sakta. Mere dil ki itni fatkaar mere liye kaafi hai ki maine ab tak yeh baat tumse kyon na ki. Magar aaj main benaqaab tumhaare saamne aa raha hoon. Agar tum mujhse nafrat karogi to main apne ko iska mustahek samjhoonga......"

R.ana ne baat kaatkar kaha-" Yeh aakhir aapko ho kya gaya hai? Lekin is kambakht Shibbu miyaan ne to koi gul nahin khilaaya hai? Aakhir yeh aap kaisi baatein kar rahe hain? Mera dam ulajh raha hai yeh baatein sunkar."

Humne kaha-" Mujhe muaaf kar do R.ana aur yeh kadhwe ghoont pee lo. Maine badi mushkil se aaj apne mein yeh jurrat paida ki hai ki tumhaare saamne itna khatarnaak sach bol hi doo ki main tumhaare kaabil nahin. Tum ek shareef khaandaan ki beti ho. Tumhaara baap khaandaani aur samaaji aitbaar se bahoot buland hai aur weh shareef insaan jitna buland hai, main utna hi neech hoon. Main tumhaari kasuati par poora nahin utarta. Darasal maine tumhaari tauheen ki hai ki mera naam tum se jodha jaata hai."

Aur humne apna poora itihaas vistaar ke saath R.ana ko suna diya ki hum kya the, kin haalaat mein humein hijrat karni padhi aur yahan aakar hum kya se kya ban gaye. Walid saahab ne jo dhong rachaaya tha, walida saahiba ke paagalpan ki jo kahaani mashhoor kithi, Miss Pal ko jis uddheshye se rakha gaya tha, saaraansh yeh hai ki sabhi kuch R.ana ko suna diya uski yeh dasha ki weh moorti bani baidhi thi. Aur Siwaay iske usmein koi parivartan nahin aaya tha. Chehre ka rang dheere dheere udh kar bilkul udh chuka tha. Yahan tak ki jab hum poori daastaan sunaa chuke to bhi weh usi prakaar maun aur achal baidhi rahi, yahan tak ki kuch intezaar karne ke baad humein khud use sambodhit karna padha-" Ab main apne asal roop mein tumhaare saamne hoon aur ab tum mujhe achchi tarah dekh sakti ho."

Yeh sunna tha ki R.ana dono haathon se apna munh chhipa kar ek ghuti hui si cheekh ke saath kursi se uthi aur ladhkhadhaati hui kamre se baahar chali gayi. Hum der tak kimkartavyevimoodh se kamre mein akele baidhe rahe R.akas aaya aur humein soonghkar chalaa gaya. Neero aaya kuch der sir humaare pairon se ragdha kuch der munh uthaaye humein dekhta raha aur aakhir yeh bhi tanha chhod gaya. Jab der tak R.ana waapas na aayi to hum bhi uske kamre se nikal kar khoye khoye se apne ghar aakar apne kamre mein band ho gaye. Magar baawajood is maansik kasht ke maaloom hota tha ki jaise kisi bhayaanak operation ka bhay lagaa ho aur operation ek dum ho jaaye. Bhaar ki jalan aur durbalta ka ehsaas awashye hota hai, magar dil mein weh dukhprad bhay nahin hota hai, sirf yeh ki R.ana par jaane kya beeti hogi. Uska weh hridye vidaarak cheetkar aatma mein ab tak tair raha tha. Kaash! Koi usse jaakar keh deta ki-
"Are munh dhaank kar rone waale,
Dam ulat jaayega fariyaad na kar."

Miss Pal ne khaane ke liye poochha to inkaar kar diya aur tabiyat ki kharaabi ka bahaana kar diya. Aaraam se padhe rehne ke liye kaha. Magar jab poochh taachh hone lagi to usse sirf itna kaha ki Khan bahadur saahab ke ghar jaaeeye aur R.ana ka haal maaloom kariye. Miss Pal ne Khan bahadur saahab ke yahan se aakar uttar diya ki R.ana biwi ko to khuda jaane kya ho gaya hai ki behosh padhi hain aur jwar se funk rahi hain. Aur dil ke daure maaloom hote hain. Khana bahadur saahab doctor ko lene gaye hain abhi gaadhi par.

Aur shaam tak yeh bhi maaloom ho gaya ki doctor ne uski is dashaa ko kisi aaghaat ka asar bataaya hai aur ghar waalon ko rogini ka mann behlaaye rehne ki hidaayat di hai. R.ana ko dekhne walid saahab bhi gaye, Miss Pal bhi baar baar gayi, magar humaare liye aap hi aap yeh bahaana paida ho gaya ki humaare doctor ne dil ki kamzori bataa kar chalne firne ki manaahi kar di aur is kaaran se Miss Pal ko bhi samjha diya. R.ana ki beemaari ki koi khabar humein na pahunchaaye."