In mahila ka naam Miss Pal tha. Aur such to yeh ki balaa ki aurat thi. Har waqt kisi na kisi kaam mein vayast aur hardum taaza. Kya majaal ki kisi samay zaraa bhi thakaan ya udaasi us ke chehre par nazar to aa jaye. Abhi walida sahiba ko padha rahi hain, to abhi khaane ki mez sajaane mein vayast hain. Abhi walida sahiba ka libaas durustkar rahi hain, to abhi drawing room mein maali se guldaste lagwa rahi hain, drawing room se jo chali to khaansaama ke sir par sawaar hai aur usko cake banaane ke nuskhe samjhaane mein vayast hain, wahan se rawaana hui, to apni dekh-rekh mein walida sahiba ke suit par istri karaana shuroo kar di. Kuch hi din mein is mahila ne ghar ka yeh haal kar diya ki subah aankh khulte hi hum ko apne boot polish se jagmagaate hue milne lage, aur naukar ki yeh aawaazein kaan mein padhne lagi ki huzoor gusal laga diya hai, huzoor chaaye laga di hai, huzoor naashta laga diya hai. Ab se pehle yeh cheezein kabhi na lagti thi. Khud humaare kamron ka yeh haal ki sheeshe ki tarah chamakne lage. Ek-se-ek mez-posh har mez par nazar aane laga. Kya majaal ki kisi din bhi guldaan baasi phoolon se murjhaaya nazar aaye aur sabse badhkar yeh ki walida sahiba to ab pehchaani na jaati thi. Unke baalon ki kaifiyat hi ab kuch aur thi, libaas ka saleeka hi kuch doosra tha. Kapdhe weh pehle bhi ek se ek kimati pehna karti thi, khud apne ghar mein itne kimati kapdhe nikle the ki unhein chirkaal tak naye banwaane ki aawashayakta hi na thi. Magar un kapdhon mein pehle ki si baat na thi, jo ab nazar aati thi, rangon ka samisharan aur kis kapdhe ke saath kaun sa kapdha pehna jaaye, iska saleeka to ab kahin Miss Pal ke kaaran prapt hua hai. Phal weh pehle khaaya karti thi, magar is prakaar ki utha ke ek seb aur sir khujaati hain aur us seb ko bhanbhodhti jaati hain, bhojan ka haal yeh tha ki bartano ki khuda ke fazal se is ghar mein koi kami na thi, magar weh hamesha roti par saalan daalkar mutthi mein daboch leti thi aur ukdoon baidh kar kha liya karti thi. Ab wahi walida saahiba chammachein istemal karti thi, phal chhuri se kaat kar khaati thi, bhojan ke upraant jo haath kameez ke palle, dupatte ke sir yaa kabhi kabhi payjaama ke panyechon se ponch liye jaate the ab saabun aur tauliya se saaf hone lage. Kursi par khud baidh kar mez par khaana rakhkar khaane mein unko kasht awashye hua balki unke apne kathaanusaar khaane ka mazaa na aaya, na pet bhara, magar dheere-dheere khaane lagi. Kaur todhkar jahan unhonein donge ki aur badhaaya aur Miss Pal ne toka, "Na beghum sahiba, apni plate mein khaaeeye, donge se nikaal leejiye jitna jee chaahe, magar donge mein haath na daaliye."

Shuroo shuroo mein aksar khali chamcha unke muhn mein jaata tha aur chamche ki har cheez plate mein gir padhti thi. Magar aakhir chamche se khaane lagi, aur Miss Pal ke dhyaan ke kaaran ab sir khujaane ki zaroorat bhi na padhti thi, bade sundar baal har samay bane rehte the, aur in baalon ko kabhi phoolon se kabhi ribbon se aur kabhi kaanton se Miss Pal sajaaya karti thi. Walida sahiba ki prasannta ki kuch na poochhiye. Maaloom hota tha ki unhein muhn maangi murad mil gayi. Miss Pal walida sahiba ko film dhikhaane le jaati aur unhein sair bhi karaati thi. Iska nateeja yeh hua ki thode hi dino mein unhein waakai sabhye samaaj mein baidhne ka na sirf dhang aa gaya, balki unki baatcheet bhi itni manj gayi ki kisi ko yeh sandeh ho hi nahin sakta tha ki yeh koi naain hai.

Shukr hai ki Miss Pal ki bhaasha bahoot saaf thi arthaart urdu bolne mein weh aam christian auraton ki tarah "Kehne kagtta hai" aur "Jana maangtta hai" aadi waakiyon ka proyog na karti thi, balki bahoot hi saral aur muhaawaredaar bhaasha bolti thi. Iske alaawa weh jaanti thi ki yeh ghar poorvi sabhayta liye hue hona chaahiye, ateinw weh poorvipan ki bhi upeksha na hone deti thi ardhaart is ghar se paandaan aur uske mehetw ko khatm karne ki bhi cheshta na ki, balki khud apni dekh rekh mein badhiya kism ke paandaan, paano ke jhoomraan tambaako aur ilaaichi aadi ki halki dibiyaan banwaayi, aur bade shauk ke saath khud walida sahiba se chhaliyaan kaatne ki kala seekhi.

Aur to aur sabse badi baat to yeh hui ki walid saahab kibla ki saral subodh gaaliyon ka silsila khatm ho gaya aur Miss Pal ke kaaran ab unhein har waqt zabaan sambaale rakhni padhi, warna, ghar ke bheetar aakar to weh bina gaali ke baat hi na kar sakte the. Khaas taur par walida sahiba se to isi bhaasha mein viniyam kiya karte the. Magar Miss Pal ki upasthiti mein khud nihaayat khaamoshi ke saath shareef banne ki koshish kar rahe the.

Vaastav mein walid saahab ki yeh bahoot badi katuniti thi ki weh Miss Pal ko is kaam ke liye ghar mein laye, agar weh kisi muslim khaatoon ka prabandh karte to humaari jaati ka bhaanda har waqt phoot sakta tha. Reh gayi Miss Pal, unke yahan jaati paati ka jhagdha hi na tha aur khuda jaane woh khud kis khaandaan se thi. Muslamaan aurat hoti to weh aaye hi peedhiyon ki khoj lagaati aur walida saahiba ke rang dhang dekh kar to jhat samajh leti ki yeh mitti kis bhoomi ki hai. Phir lagaai bujhaai ka silsila shuroo ho jaata aur aakhir yeh bhed jungle ki aag ki tarah saare sheher phail jaata aur har ek ko maaloom ho jaata ki humaari sharaafat ki asliyat kya hai. Magar Miss Pal ka dhyaan is or jaata hi na tha, weh apne kaam ko jis tanmayata aur dayaanatdaari se kar rahi thi uska yeh chamatkar samajhna chaahiye ki ab walida sahiba akhbaar kuch tatolne lagi thi.

Miss Pal yon to saare ghar par apna saleeka kharch karti thi magar humaare kamron par unki kuch vishesh drishti thi, aur jab kabhi humaari or tashreef laati thi to unka andaaz aur hota tha hansmukh to khair weh yon bhi thi magar humaare kamron ka jalwaayu unko kuch adhik hi raas aata tha aur unki vinodsheelta khaastaur se badh jaaya karti thi.

Aaj abhi hum raat ke libaas mein baidhe akhbaar hi padh rahe the ki aap tashreef le aayi aur apni aawaaz mein jaan boojh kar kuch adhik mithaas paida karke boli-" Saahabzaade saahab, main subaah ka salaam dopeher se kuch hi pehle arz karti hoon."