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Aaj bhi jab laun par garden chairs daale hum aur R.ana baidhe dhoop khaa rahe the Miss Pal ne kareeb aakar kaha-" Bhaiya ho to aisa, jaise mere sachche aashiq Shibbu miyaan hain. Ajeeb kism ke bhaiya hain. Weh roz mere ghar aate hain aur ek khat mere naukar ko de jaate hain. Aaj naukar ne yeh taaza khat kar diya hai."

Humne Miss Pal ke saath se lifaafa le liye jo itar mein basaa hua tha. R.ana ne bhi lifaafa jhapatne ki koshish ki; Magar humne kaha-" Yeh galat hai........... Main padhkar sunaaye deta hoon."

Aur lifaafa khol kar padhna shuroo kiya-" Sarkaar yeh mera gyaarwaan khat hai. Main har roz theek waqt par jaata hoon aur jo armaan lekar jaata hoon, unhi ko aahein banaakar laut aata hoon. Yeh to maaloom ho chuka hai ki aap Farhat aur R.ana ki beemaariyon ke kaaran se masroof hain? Magar apne beemaar ko kis par chhodha?"
"Achche jaise ho mareezon ka khyaal achcha hai."
Khuda ke liye sirf ek baar waqt nikaal kar mujh se mil leejiye."
Aapka aur sirf aapka
Shahaana

R.ana ne kaha-" Miss Pal, yeh kissa to beech hi mein reh gaya."

Humne kaha-" Bhai, aaj Miss Pal aap unse mil hi lein. Kya khyaal hai R.ana, chalogi na?"

R.ana ne kaha-" Mera khyaal kuch aur bhi hai ki aaj daddy aur uncle ko bhi yeh tamaasha dikha diya jaaye. Baat yeh hai ki jab humaare buzurg humaare dost bane hue hain to kyon na hum unhein bhi is tamaashe mein shareek karein. Lutf aa jaayega unhein bhi."

Humne kaha-" Magar Khan bahadur saahab ke gusse se darr lagta hai."

R.ana ne kaha-" Nahin, main unhein samjha doongi ki weh sirf khaamoshi se tamaasha dekhein."

Miss Pal ne kaha-" Agar in dono ka jaana bhi tey ho jaaye to mujhe pehle se bataa deejiyega. Pehli baar to mere ghar jaayenge. Kam se kam chaaye hi mil jaaye zaraa dhang ki."

Humne kaha-" Chaaye tak to khair ganimat hai; Dhang wang ki nahin bas nilkul saada asal masad hai, tamaasha dekhna, chaaye ki daawat thodhi hai."

Miss Pal ne kaha-" Phir bhi mujhe zaraa pehle se maaloom ho jaaye."

R.ana ne kaha-" Bas aap tey samjhiye. Main in dono ko zaroor le aaoongi."

Yeh tey hone ke baad Miss Pal to apne ghar chali gayi aur R.ana ne pehle to walid saahab ko jaakar poora kissa sunaaya, phir unhein saath lekar Khan bahadur saahab ko saari kahaani keh sunaayi aur yeh tey ho gaya ki aaj yeh dono buzurg bhi saath chalenge.

Hum log jab nishchit samay par Miss Pal ke yahan pahunche to wahan baqaaydatea party ki vyavastha thi aur nihaayat pur takalluf naashte se mez saji hui thi. Khan bahadur saahab ne yeh vyavastha dekhte hi kaha-" Bhai yeh kya takalluf liya hai tumne Miss Pal?"

Miss Pal ne prasann hokar kaha-" Khan bahadur saahab yeh takalluf nahiin, balki maine R.ana bibi aur Saahabzaade saahab ke gusle sehat ki khushi mein yeh party ki hai. AUr yeh meri khushnaseebi hai ki ismein humaare nawaab saahab aur aap bhi shareek ho gaye hain."

Walid saahab ne kaha-" Bhai saahab, is ladki ne mere ghar mulaazim ki haisiyat se aakar apne ko aisa mila liya hai ki mujhe waakai mehsoos hota hai ki mera sirf ek ladka nahin, balki ek ladki bhi hai."

Khan bahadur saahab ne kaha-" Main yeh baat Miss Pal ke munh par kehna nahin chaahta tha, magar yeh zikr chhidh gaya hai to kehna hi padhta hai ki mujhe to yeh waakai ghar hi ki bachchi maaloom hoti hai aur yeh haisiyat usne apni imaandaari aur mohabbat se haasil ki hai. Waakai badhi khoobiyaan ki ladki hai."

Walid saahab ne to baqaayada sneh jataana shuroo kar diya. Sir par haath ferkar bole-" Beti yeh takalluf waakai zaroorat se zyaada hai. Baherhaal agar yahi tumhaari khushi hai to hum bhi tumhaari khushi mein shareek hain."

Miss Pal ne kaha-" AB aap lo chaaye se nipat leejiye, warna weh hazrat aa jaayenge to sabka unhi ki taraf dhyaan jaayega."

Ateh chaaye shuroo ho gayi aur Miss Pal khaatirdaari mein lag gayi. Abhi hum logon ne chaaye khatam bhi na ki thi Miss Pal ne naukar ne aakar kaha ki weh hazrat ek aur saahab ke saath aa gaye hain.

Hummein se kisi ki samajh mein na aa saka ki yeh doosre kaun saahab hain. Balki andesha yeh paida ho gaya ki in doosre saahab ke kaaran kahin rang mein bhang ne padh jaaye. Baherhaal Miss Pal ne is kamre ka darwaazaband karte hue us kamre ka darwaaza to Shibbu miyaan ki aawaaz aayi-" Tashreef laayiye."

Aur Miss Pal se yeh kehte hue kamre mein daakhil hue-" Yeh aap Mirza saahab se hargiz pareshaan na ho, apne hi aadmi hain aur aapki badhi taareef karte hain. In bechaare ne in zamaane mein mera badha saath diya aur mera haath dekhkar mujhe bataa chuke hain ki mohabbat mein kaamyaabi ke alaawa aur koi khaas baat mere haath mein nahin hai."

Miss Pal ne kaha-" Magar mujhe Mirza saahab se darr hi lagta hai. Yeh humaare nawaab saahab ke doston mein se hain. Agar inhonein wahan jaakar yeh khabar kar di ki aapka yahan aana jaana hai to main wahan na reh sakoongi."

Mirza saahab ne apne khaas dhang se kaha-" Kamaal farmaati hain aap bhi Pal beghma."

Aur in Pal beghama par R.ana ne apne munh mein rumaal thoons liya. Mirza saahab keh rahe the-" Main is kism ka aadmi nahin hoon. Awwal to mera aur aapke nawaab saahab ka taalluk sirf is kadar hai ki weh nihaayat bewakoof kism ke aadmi hain aur unhein kabhi kabhi mere mashwaron ki zaroorat hoti hai."

Shibbu miyaan ne kaha-" Aap goya har ek ke rehnuma ban jaate hain."

Mirza saahab ne kaha-" Man aanam ki man daaman ( Jo kuch hoon main hi jaanta hoon.) Main to isliye inke saath aaya hoon ki main bhi inki sifaarish aapse karoon ki ab to inki haalate bakhuda dekhi nahin jaati, khuda ke liye in par rahem keejiye."

Shibbu miyaan ne kaha-" Yeh kye rahem karengi, aasra dekar itne din gaayab rahi. Naukari ka yeh matlab to nahin ki aadmi apne ghar par hi na aaye."

Mirza saahab ne kaha-" Yeh Miss Pal hain hi nihaayat bholibhaali, inki jagah main hota to is boodhe ko aisa sheeshe mein utaarta ki saari daulat us ghar ke bajaaye is ghar mein nazar aati. Aise bewakoof raees to kismat se milte hain."

Miss Pal ne kaha-" Magar musibat yeh hai ki main akeli jaan, rupya jar bhi loon to aahir kiske liye?"

Shibbu miyaan ne vishay badla-" Yeh farmaayiye ki ab rang kya hai wahan? Suna hai ki humaare ehmak chacha jaan ne apni saahabzaadi ko kisi din nawaab ke shauhade ke saath dekhkar weh marammat ki hai saahabzaadi ki ki weh bistar se lag gayi hain."

Miss Pal ne kaha-" Yeh aapse kisne kaha? Wahan to iske ulat phir dono ki shaadi tey ho rahi hai aur main khush hoon ki yeh shaadi ho jaaye to mujhe aap par bharosa paida ho."

Shibbu miyaan ne Mirza saahab se kaha-" Inhein ek shubha yeh paida ho gaya hai khaahamkhaah ki main kahin R.ana se shaadi na kar baidhoon. Haalaanki bhai khuda lagti kahiyega Mirza saahab, main kar sakta hoon R.ana se shaadi?"

Mirza saahab ne kaha-" Ajee, lahaul willa kuwwat! Aur yeh goya itne bewakoof hain ki aapke hote hue R.ana ko pasand karenge. Is laundiya mein dharaa hi kya hai? Gadhbadh zaroor hai. Mujhe to weh paakbaaz maalom hoti nahin."

Aur theek isi samay ek bijli ke sadrash kadakti hui aawaaz waataawaran mein goonj uthi-" Khabardaar! Jo ek lafz bhi tere munh se nikla namak-haraam , kameene, teri yeh majaal ki tu R.ana ke baare mein aisi baatein kahe."

Aur humne dekha ki walid saahab gusse mein bhare hue is kamre se nikal kar us kamre mein pahunch chuke hain. Mirza saahab ki jo haalat ho sakti hai weh to zaahir hai; Magar hum bhi hairaan the ki yeh ekdum hua kya? Walid saahab ke wahan pahunch jaane ke baad Khan bahadur saahab bhi is kamre mein pahunch gaye aur badhe teekhe swar mein Shibbu miyaan ko sambodhit karte hue kaha-" Aur tum is kaabil ho ki chauraahe par khadhe karke goli maar gi jaaye tumhein. Begairat apni bahen ke baare mein is kism ki baatein ek gair aadmi se baidha sun raha tha."

Walid saahab ne kaha-" Yeh dono aaj asal rang mein nazar khoob aaye. Main waakai bewakoof tha ki is khatarnaak insaan ko nihaayat ehmak kism ka munaasib samajhta raha. Apni haisiyat hi bhool gaya hai ki dastarkhaan ki makkhi to hai aapki haqiqat aur mashgala hai, jis thaali mein khaayein usi mein chhed karne ka."

Aur Mirza saahab ne kadmon par girkar walid saahab ke pair pakadh liye. Magar walid saahab ne wahan se hatkar kaha-" Main nahin chaahta ki tu mere pairon ko naapaak kare. Khairiyat isi mein hai ki main waakai tera khoon pi loon, door ho jaa mere saamne se."

Khan bahadur saahab ne kaha-" Khair yeh to hai hi galeez makkhi! Magar is kutte ke bachche bhaiya ko dekhiye. Aaya hai wahan se Miss PAl se mohabbat jataane. Yeh munh aur masoor ki daal. Jee chaahta hai ki joote maar kar nikaaloon yahan se. Miss Pal apne naukar se kahiye ki in dono ko gardan mein haath dekar nikaal de yahan se."

Humne aage badhkar kaha-" Bas yeh apni sazaa ko kaafi pahunch chuke hain. Ab yeh khud chale jaayenge. Tashreef le jaaye aap dono."

Shibbu miyaan aur Mirza saahab dono sir jhukaaye hue kamre se baahar nikal gaye. Aur unke chale jaane ke baad kuch der to unhi dono ka zikr hota raha aur aakhir mein walid saahab ne kaha-" Bhai, bas kofat ko door karne ke liye aaj main apni beti Miss Pal ke ghar mein shaadi ki taareekh ka ailaan karta hoon ki hum dono ne agle maheene ki doosri taareekh tey ki hai."

R.ana is kamre se khisak gayi aur doosre kamre mein jaakar humein haath ke ishaare se bulaaya. Hum bhi wahin pahunch gaye to R.ana ne aaj pehli baar yeh chanchalta ki ki humaare kaan mein chupke se kaha-" Mubaarak ho..............."

Aur hum yeh bhi na keh sake maare khushi ke.