---

R.ana ne kaha-" Jee haan, kaafir adaa, bade maze ka khat hai yeh hai."

Humne kaha-" Baidh jaayiye Miss Pal. Achcha hua ki aap khud aa gayi, warna aapko bulwaana padhta. Maine is khat par kaafi gaur kiya hai aur main is khat se badha kaam lena chaahta hoon, basharte ki aap madad karein. R.ana bhi is waqt maujood hai. Sab milkar ek dilchasp plat banaate hain. Yeh bahoot hi ahcha mauka mila hai, ise haath se khona nahin chaahiye."

R.ana ne kaha-" Kuch maaloom to ho ki inka iraada kya hai?"

Humne kaha-" Main apna plat to baad mein bataaoonga. Pehle Miss Pal se pataa karein ki weh madad karengi. Saahab, main sach kehta hoon ki agar Miss Pal mere plat par amal kar jaayein to bas mazaa aa jaaye. Yeh bewakoof bhi kya taad karega ki kin logon se paala padha tha."

Miss Pal ne kaha-" Agar in hazrat ko sazaa dene ki koi scheme hai to main gale gale paani shareek hoon."

Humne kaha-" Aisi sazaa ki yaad kare zindagi bhar."

R.ana ne badhi utkantha se kaha-" Tauba hai ab bataa bhi deejiye?"

Humne kaha-" Miss Pal se use is khat ka jawaab likhwaata hoon. Pehle weh jawaab dekh lein. Aap dono uske baad salaah dein. Maine raat is khat ke jawaab ka masidwa taiyaar kar liya hai."

Aur yeh keh kar humne mez se uthkar miswida sunaana shuroo kiya-" Janaab mann, Tasleem."

Aapka Khat padhkar pehle gussa aaya. Doosri baar phir gusse mein padha magar yeh gussa apne oopar zabardasti laana padha. Teesri baar yeh khat padhkar mujhe zaroori maaloom hua ki main iska jawaab doon aur aapko thande dil se samjhaane ki koshish karoon ki kisi ki khamoshi zindagi mein khaahamkhaah halchal paida karne ka mazaak aapka nihaayat berehmaan fail hai. Main is kism ke bahoot se khel dekh chuki hoon aur un nateejon se naawaakif nahin hoon. Aurat ki zindagi wagair kadrdaan ke jungle ke phool ke alaawa aur kuch nahin. Usko talaash hoti hai apne husn ki tareef karne waali nazron ki. Par iska matlab yeh nahin ki weh in nazron se dhokha bhi kha jaaye. Weh apne kadrdaan ke alaawa apne liye tareef ki aur bhi kuch cheezein dhoondhti hai. Matlab is tareef mein sachchaayi aur us par kaayam rehne ki himmat par bhi gaur karti hai. Phir apne chaahne waale tak pahunch aur apne aur uske mizaaj ke baare mein bhi sochna padhta hai. Khair in sab baaton ka to itminaan hai; magar mujhe na maaloom ki aapne khud apne dil ko kahan tak tatol kar yeh kadam badhaaya hai. Meri dostaana raay yeh hai ki pehle aap khud apne ko tolein aur phir mujhe sochne ka mauka dein. Is baat ko bachchon ka khel aur dil ki baazi na banaayiye. Main darasal yeh khaton kitaabat bhi isliye galat samajhti hoon ki mumkin hai aapko yaa mera koi khat pakdha jaaye aur khaahamkhaah ki badnaami ho. Kya yeh munaasib na hoga ki aap nihaayat khaamoshi se kaam lekar lahore aa jaayein aur mere makaan mein reh kar mujhe aapko samajhne ka aur aapas mein khyaalaat ke badalne ka mauka dein. Mera makaan aapko Gadhaashaahu Barganja Road par aasaani se mil jaayega. Yeh khat aapko aaj ke doosre din yaani 14 January ko mil jaayega. Agar 15 January ko chal kar 16 ki subah ko pahunch jaayein to main aapko apne hi makaan par aapka intezaar karte hue miloongi.

Aajkal yahan ke haalaat bhi dirragoo hain. Aapko maaloom hi hoga ki aapki chacheri bahen R.ana beghum se mere maalik Farhat saahab ki shaadi hone waali thi. Magar kuch khatoot Khan bahadur saahab ke paas is is kism ke aaye hain ki yeh shaadi gadhbadh ho gayi hai. Main aapki taraf se isliye aur bhi darrti hoon ki ab aapke liye udhar se bhi koshish ki jaayegi aur aapke liye udhar bhi achcha mauka hoga. Iske baad shaayad main aapko yaad na reh sakoon. Baher soorat aapka tashreef laana. Zaroori hai.

Meherbaani farmaakar is khat ka koi jawaab na dein. Main 16 January ko subah aapka intezaar karoongi.

Aapki
Rajaras Pal."

Yeh khat sunkar pehle to ek sannaata raha. Iske baad R.ana ne aankhon mein ek chamak paida karke kaha-" Laajawaab soojhi hai aapko ki main daad nahin de sakti. Is khat se weh yakeenan chakme mein aakar dauda hua aayega."

Humne kaha-" Solaah january ki subah ko aap use yahin leejiye."

Miss Pal ne kuch hais bais ke saath kaha-" Tamaasha to achcha hai." Magar mera ghar khaahamkhaah rakh rahe hain aap. Saare muhalle mein muft ki badnaami hogi."

R.ana ne kaha-" Yeh bhi theek keh rahi hain. Kisi hotel mein kyon na kaha jaaye unhein theherne ko?"

Humne kaha-" Mere zahen mein bhi pehle hotel hi aaya tha. Magar hotel mein unki rihaahish hum dono ke liye bekaar ho jaayegi. Miss Pal ke ghar mein yeh aasaani hai ki hum dono bhi chhip kar yeh tamaahsa dekh sakte hain."

Miss Pal ne kaha-" Agar aap dono bhi unke aane se pehle solaah ki subah ko mere makaan par pahunch jaayein to koi aitraaz nahin hai. Phir to main yeh keh sakoongi na, ki mere yahan mehmaan aaye hain main to sirf in hazrat ki maujoodgi se ghabraati hoon."

R.ana ne kaha-" Magar hum log aakhir kahan tak aapke yahan rahenge. Weh aa rahe hain to zaraa tafseel se rahenge."

Yeh baat waakai vichaar karne ki thi. Doosre yeh bhi ki Miss Pal sthaayi roop se yahan ka kaam chhod kar apne ghar nahin reh sakti thi. Ateinw humne salaah di-" Dekhiye na, weh aayenge to apne ghar unhein baqaayda naashta karaayein, balki din ka khaana bhi khila deejiye. Iske baad unhein mashwira deejiye ki is kisse ko chhipaaye rakhne ke liye zaroori hai ki aap kisi hotel mein thehrein. Warna mumkin hai ki nawaab saahab ke yahan se koi aakar aapko yahan dekh le."

R.ana ne bhi samardhan kiya-" Haan, yeh theek hai, unhein keh deejiyega ki khaali waqt mein main nawaab saahab ke yahan se aur aap hotel se yahan aate rahiye."

Miss Pal ne bhi anumati di-" Haan, yeh theek hai auur zaahir hai ki do teen din se zyaada yeh tamaasha kya rahega?"

Humne kaha-" Yeh kuch nahin kaha ja sakta. Miss Pal. Yeh to tamaasha shuroo hone ke baad andaaza hoga ki plat kitna taweel hai aur use kitne scene par failaaya jaaye."

Miss Pal ne kaha-" Magar kuch us tamaashe ka khulaasa to maaloom ho jaata."

Humne kaha-" Khulaasa filhaal itna hi sun leejiye ki jab weh aap se milenge to unke is khat aur is jawaab ki roshini mein unse aapki baatein hongi. Zaahir hai ki weh aapka shaq mitaane ke liye tarah tarah ke waayde karenge. Aur humein to darasal yeh dekhna hai ki weh aapke saamne kis rang mein namoodaar hote hain. Ab tak to darasal unka rang khila hi nahin hai. Unko kabhi khul khelne ka mauka hi na mil saka. Isliye ki har jagah weh kuch dabe hue se rahe. Magar ab khuda ne weh din dikhaaya hai ki unki himaakat ko dheel mile to weh ab kuch aur hi nazar aayenge."

R.ana ne kaha-" Yeh to nihaayat boda plat hai. Main to ise kuch aur hi banaana chaahti hoon."

Humne kaha-" Bhai, is drame ke lekhak to darasal hum teeno hi hain aap jo chaahti hain weh bhi farmaayein."

R.ana ne kaha-" Us kambakht se yeh zaroor kabool karwa liya jaaye ki yeh khat jo daddy ko usne bheja hai yeh usi ka likha hua hai."

Humne kaha-" Weh to maaloom hi hai sabko."

R.ana ne kaha-" Nahin, main chaahti hoon ki daddy aur uncle khud aone kaano se sun lein aur jo ilzaam usne aap par aur mujh par lagaaye hain usmein weh khud mabtala hokar unki nigaahon ke saamne aa jaayein."

Humne kaha-" Iska matlab yeh hua ki aap Khan bahadur saahab ko walid saahab ko bhi yeh tamaasha dikhaana chaahti hain. Magar main iske haq mein nahin hoon. Phir yeh tamaasha sanjeeda bankar mumkin hai taqleefdeh ho jaaye."

Miss Pal ne bhi kaha-" Khan bahadur saahab waakai gussa zabt na kar sdakenge. Ise to bas ek dilchasp tamaasha ki had tak rehne deejiye."

R.ana ki samajh mein yeh baat aa gayi aur usne bujhe hue dil se kaha-" Jaisi aapki marzi. Magar phir bhi yeh tamaasha itna mukammal ho ki Ghalib ke purze udh jaayein. Yeh na ho ki-
"Dekhne hum bhi gaye the pai yeh tamaasha na hua."

Humne kaha-" Iska tamaam daaromdaar Miss Pal par hai. Weh jitni achchi acting karengi, utna hi achcha tamaasha hoga. Ismein shaq nahin ki inhein apne dil par kaabu rakhna padhega kyonki Shibbu miyaan se ishq karna koi maamooli baat nahin hai."

Miss Pal ne kaano par haath rakh kar kaha-" Na baba mujh se ishq wishq nahin ho sakta."

R.ana ne kaha-" To phir aap unhein kis silsile mein bula rahi hain? Dekhiye na maksad to bewakoof banaana hai. Ismein shaq nahin ki jis had tak weh Allah ki taraf se bewakoof bane hue hain, wahi humaare liye bahoot hai; Magar hum to himaakat ke samundar ki gehraayiyon ka tamaasha dekhna chaahte hain."

Humne Miss Pal ko samjhaaya-" Saahab, aapko yeh itminaan to hona hi chaahiye ki parde ke peechhe aapki jaan aur izzat ke do rakhwaale maujood honge. Phir aap darrti kyon hain? Zaraa meethi meethi baatein keejiyega taaki weh tay kar lein ki bas jeet lee usne baazi. Aur phir dekhiye ki us aashaqsaadik ka haal kya hota hai? Bakhuda main to is haalat mein unhein zahen mein laata hoon to besaakhta hansi aa jaati hai. Aap ghabraayein nahin.Main aapko kaafi rehearsal kara doonga."

Is itminaan ke saath Miss Pal ne khat likhne ka kaagaz sambhaala aur chaahe weh urdu zaraa tatol tatol kar likhti hain; Magar khat zyaada bura nahin. Thodhi si der mein unhonein khat likhkar aur lifaafe par pata likhkar mere hawaale kar diya aur hum teeno Shibbu miyaan ki tashreef aawri ke jashn ke prograame der tak banaate rahe. Yahan tak ki R.ana ke yahan se unka baira yeh sandesh laaya ki saahab yaad karte hain. Ateinw salaah mashwira ki yeh mehfil barkhast karni padhi.