---

Walida sahibane humein dhyaan se dekhkar walid saahab se kaha-" Aur aap to kehte the ki surkh hokar aayega pahaadh se. Yeh to jyon ka tyon laut kar aa gaye.

Humne kaha-" Kuch din aur thehrte to shaayad surkh bhi ho jaate; magar yahan se pahunch gaya weh kofta."

Walid saahab ne chakit hokar poochha-" Kofta kaisa?"

Humne kaha-" Jee, weh Shibbu miyaan, jo mustaqil kofta hai. Un hazrat ki wajah se bhaagna hi padha wahan se."

Walid saahab ne hanskar kaha-" Achcha, weh! Bhai, weh to ajeeb behooda aadmi nikla. Tum dono ke jaane ke baad usne Miss Pal se peing badhaana shuroo kiye aur gadha is paaye ka nikla weh ki ek din Miss Pal se ishq baghaarne baidh gaya. Usne zameen aasmaan ek kar diya aur weh aafat machaayi ki Khan bahadur saahab tak ko khabar ho gayi. Chunaanche ab jo weh hazrat gaayab hue hain to tumhaare taar se pata chala hai ki weh mari mein mar rahe hain."

Theek isi samay Miss Pal ne humein dekhte hi hello ka naara buland kiya aur duadti huio humaare kareeb pahunchi to humne unko badhaai di-" Mubarak ho Miss Pal! Suna hai, aapne Shibbu miyaan ko shaheed kiya."

Miss Pal ka chehra ekdum surkh ho gaya. Boli-" Bhaag hi gaya weh idiot, warna main mazaa to chakhaa deti. Magar aap itni jaldi kaise aa gaye?"

Humne kaha-" Shibbu miyaan ne bheja hai taaki main aapko manaane ki koshish karoon."

Miss Pal ne munh bana kar kaha-" Laanat bhejiye un par. Waakai aap itni jaldi laut lyon aaye?"

Humne kaha-" Aapne apni bala hum logon ki taraf jo uchhal di thi. Weh hazrat yahan se seedhe pahunche mari aur hum ko majboor kar diya ki bhaago yahan se."

Walid saahab ne ekdum uchch swar mein kaha-" Tash banda nawaaz!"

Aur walida sahiba baawajood itna badal jaane ke Khan saahab ko aata dekhkar lapak kar baraamane mein se hoti hui kothi ke ek darwaaze mein gaayab ho gayi. Khan bahadur saahab R.ana ke saath pahunch chuke the aur beghum saahiba dheere dheere tashreef laa rahi thi. Khan bahadur saahab ne aate hi Miss Pal ko dekhkar humse kaha-" Apni Miss Pal ki harkat suni aapne Farhat miyaan?"

Miss Pal ne thithak kar kaha-" Leejiye, yeh bhi meri hi harkat hui."

Khan bahadur saahab ne kaha-" Maine to shukr kiya tha ki Miss Pal ke bahaane se sahi, magar weh yahan se dafaa to hua; magar phir tumhaara taar aaya ki weh hazrat tum dono ke liye musibat ban gaye."

R.ana ne kaha-" Daddy, hum dono ko bhaagna padha mahez Shibbu bhai ki wajah se, warna kuch din aur bhi rehte. Sachmuch mari jaana bekaar hi ho gaya."

Khan bahadur saahab ne bade dulaar se kaha-" Tum to ho bewakoof beti, nikaal diya hota wahan se. Tumse yeh kisne kaha tha ki uski mehmaandaari shuroo kar do. Suna hai ki Farhat miyaan, tumhein is pagle ne kaafi pareshaan kiya."

Humne R.ana ko dekhte hue kaha-" Weh bechaare kisi ko pareshaan karein yaa na karein-"

Khan bahadur saahab ne baat kaatkar kaha magar aadmi khudbakhud pareshaan ho jaata ki unse."

Isi beech mein beghum sahiba bhi dharti ko samtal banaati hui aa pahunchi. Walid saahab ne unka swaagat kiya aur Miss Pal ne humaare sabke liye turant garden chairs ki vyavastha kar di, jin par sab log ghera baandhkar baidh gaye to beghum sahjiba ne fooli hui saanson ko rokkar mujhse kaha-" Miss Pal ka kissa sun chuke honge tum?"

Miss Pal ne tum kar kaha-" Beghum sahiba, mera kissa kyon hota weh? Unhi Majnu aur Farhad ka kissa kahiye na."

Khan bahadur saahab ne kaha-" Main pehle hi samajh gaya tha ki naamaakool tum dono ko wahan na theherne dega. Magar main Miss Pal ka shukr guzaar hoon ki inki wajah se kam se kam yeh to hua ki hazrat ab idhar ka rukh to na karenge."

Beghum sahiba boli-" Jee aur kya, aise hi to gairatdaar hain. Dekh lena thodhe dino phir chikna ghadha bane tashreef le aayeinge."

Khan bahadur saahab ne bade josh se kaha-"Jee, nahin, ab mere ghar mein unke liye jagah nahin. Maine unke abba jaan ko saaf likh diya hai ki saahabzaade ko lagaam dekar apne paas hi rakhein. Weh idhar ka rukh phir kabhi na karein. Main to yon bhi unke aane ke khilaaf tha; magar yeh bahaana Miss Pal ki wajah se mil gaya."

Beghum saahiba ne phir kaha-" Main kehti hoon bada bol na bolo, abhi to yeh josh kharosh hai aur agar weh aa gaya to phir hum sab majboor ho jaayenge. Bhalaa kisi ghar aaye ko nikaala kaise jaa sakta hai? Magar main itna bataaye deti hoon ki ab main R.ana ko unse kabhi na milne doongi."

R.ana ne is baat se vichitr laabh uthaaya, aur sabke saamne humein sambodhit karte hue kaha-" Yeh na samjhiyega ki maine kuch kiya hai. Yeh to sirf Miss Pal waale kisse ka nateeja hai."

Humne baat taahne ke liye kaha-" Yeh na maaloom hua ki Miss Pal se in hazrat ne kya kaha tha?"

Khan bahadur saahab ne bade maze se kaha-" Aur kya kehna tha. Pehle Miss Pal ke saamne khanjar rakha hoga-"
Phir kaleja rakh diya, dil rakh diya, sar rakh diya."

Miss Pal ne kaha-" Yeh kasaai ki dukaan weh mere saamne kholte to phir na kaleja waapas milta, na dil, na sir."

Khan bahadur saahab ne R.ana se kaha-" Haan, to tum kya keh rahi thi beti? Yeh to khair zaahir hi hai ki wahan bhi weh mardood apni harkaton se baaz na aaya hoga. Magar baat kya hui wahan?"

R.ana ne humaari or palatkar kaha-" Inhi se poochhiye, yeh mujhse waayda le chuke hain ki main unki koi badtameezi kisi ko na bataaoongi."

Humne kaha-" Baat to khair koi khaas nahin thi, albatta weh hain hi kuch ajeeb cheez."

Beghum sahiba ne apni moti si gardan hilaate hue kaha-" Nahin, nahin, Farhat miyaan. Baat gol na karo, main kehti hoon zaroor koi khaas baat hui hai."

Khan bahadur saahab ne kaha-" bhai, is naamaakool ki har baat tumhein chaahiye ki mujhe bata do. Aur agar tumne uski koi baat mujhse chhupaayi to iska matlab yeh hoga ki tum ek saanp ko paalne ka mauka de rahe ho."

R.ana ne kaha-" Yahi maine bhi Farhat saahab ko samjhaaya hai."

Walid saahab ne bhi yahi kaha-" Waakai tumko chaahiye ki tum saari baatein bhai saahab ke saamne dohra do taaki weh in saahabzaade ke baare mein kisi sahi nateeje par pahunch sakein."

Khan bahadur saahab ne walid saahab se kaha-" Bhai jaan, main to muddat se sahi nateeje par pahunch chuka hoon. Sab use mahez bewakoof samajhte hain; magar main use jaraayam pesha bhi samajhta hoon. Mujhe to weh chhata gua loafar nazar aata hai. Haan bete, to tum mujhe andhere mein na rakho main jaanta hoon ki tumhaari apni sharaafat ka taqaaza yahi hoga ki tum uske aib chhipaao, magar main har baat se waakif hona chaahta hoon."

Ab humaare liye iske alaawa aur koi upaay na tha ki Shibbu niyaan se jo baatein hui thi weh tanik saawdhaani ke saath sabke saamne dohra di jaayein. Magar tauba keejiye. R.ana tahiya ko mauka dene waali kab thi. Jab hum poora kissa suna chuke to weh boli-" Aur ullu ki zabaan jo mummy ne bhooni thi......?"

Khan bahadur saahab ne aashcharya se kaha-" Ullu ki zabaan? Yeh kya baat hai?2

Aur humko vivash hokar ullu ki zabaan ka kisaa bhi sunaana padha. Abhi yeh kissa khatm bhi na hone paaya tha ki R.ana ne kaha-" Are, weh laundiya ko gaayab ki karne baat?"

Nateeja yeh hue ki weh baat bhi bataani padhi, jise sunte hi Khan bahadur saahab tilmilaakar uth khadhe hue-" Gunda, badmaash! Mere saamne aa jaaye to goli se udha doon."

Walid saahab ne hairat se kaha-" Saahab, ajeeb behooda aadmi nikla weh to."

Beghum sahiba ne daant peeskar kaha-" Yeh inhi ki jimmedaari hai bhai saahab, jo is waqt baidhe tilmilaa rahe hain. Hamesha inhonein is moe lagenge aawaaraagard ko sir chadhaaya. Is baar bhi kuch nahin, hazaar dedh hazaar ke kapdhe hi banwaa diye."

Walid saahab ne kaha-" Nahin saahab, yeh to had hai. Aur iska matlab yeh hai ki yeh aadmi mustaqil khatra hai."

Khan bahadur saahab ne farmaaya-" Ajee, lahaul billa kuvvat! Khatra to khair kya hota. Magar main use aisa nange khaandaan ka bhi na samajhta tha. Main aaj hi uske walid ko tafseeli khat likhta hoon."

Beghum sahiba ne kaha-" Yeh ullu ki zabaan jo maine tumhein khilaayi hai, yeh charche to unke ghar hote hi rehte hain. Is tarah ki baatein main pehle bhi sun chuki hoon. Asal mein to kaante ki tarah khatakti hoon main."

Khan bahadur saahab ne badi gambheerta se kaha-" Bhai, yeh to har biwi ho haq hai ki weh apne shauhar ko kabze mein rakhe. Ullu ki zabaan khilaayi to achcha kiya, kisi ke baap ka kya izaara hai. Magar aur jo behooda baatein ki hain us gadhe ne. Main abhi likhta hoon uske baap ko khat......"

Aur Khan bahadur saahab waakai josh mein uthkar apni kothi ki or chale gaye.