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Jab se R.ana ki tabiyat kharaab hui hai aaj pehli martaba Khan bahadur humaare yahan yon aaye hain. Ek baar humein dekhne aaye the; Magar us samay R.ana ke baare mein koi chintaajanak nirnaye nahin hua tha. Humne unhein dekhkar aur is kadar prasann paakar mann hi mann aashcharye to kiya; Magar unhonein aashcharye karne ka bhi poora awsar na diya. Phir bole-" Barkhurdaar main poochh raha hoon, bhai saahab kahan hain?"

Humne kaha-" Jee we apne kamre mein honge. Main khabar karta hoon abhi."

Khan bahadur saahab ne kaha-" Sirf khabar na keejiye, balki pakadh laayiye unhein mere paas aur khud bhi saath hi tahsreef laayiye."

Aur yeh keh kar ek do taaza patrikaayein uthaakar badhi tarang se seeti bajaate hue kursi par baidh gaye. Hum jaakar thodhi hi der mein walid saahab ko bula laaye to Khan bahsudr saahab ne badhe prem se unka haath pakadh kar kaha-" Zaraa aap tashreef laayiye dono mere saath."

Khan bahadur ke saath hum dono unke ghar tak gaye ayr weh hum dono ko liye hue us kamre mein pahunche, jahan R.ana ab tak beemaar padhi thi. Hum logon ko dekhkar usne uthne ke prayatn mein asafal rehkar, sirf apne oopar chaadar le li aur aashcharye se humein dekhkar nazrein churaane lagi. Aur Khan bahadur saahab ne walid saahab ko sambodhit karte hue kaha-" Bhai saahab, khuda ki kasam itne dino ke baad aaj mere chehre par hansi aayi hai aur aaj maine dopaher ko khaana pet bhar kar khaaya hai. Zaraa in dono ko dekhiye ki kya haal hai inka. Magar main shukrguzaar hoon aapke saale Fazloo miyaan ka, jinki tashreef aawari ne saari gutthi suljha di."

Aur walid saahab sannaate mein aa gaye-" Fazloo! Kya weh yahan bhi aaya tha?"

Khan bahadur saahab ne kaha-" Jee haan. Weh mujhe sab maaloom ho chuka hai ki weh aap se naaraaz hokar aapke yahan se chale gaye. Aur ab aapke khilaaf mere kaan bharne aaye the. Baherhaal unki tashreef aawari ne yeh gutthi aisi suljhaayi hai ki sun leejiye. Un hazrat ne aakar aapke khaandaani haalaat par kuch aisi roshni daali ki main sannaate mein aa gaya. Magar jab ek aadmi khud yeh kahe ki saahab main jaati ka naai hoon aur yeh mere sage chachere bhai bhi hain aur behnoyi bhi to aadmi aakhir keh ki kya sakta hai. Unka baherhaal shukriya adaa karke maine unhein phir bulaaya hai. Magar jab maine yeh zikr in saahabzaadi ki maujoodgi mein apni biwi se kiya aur saath hi saath yeh kaha ki is tamaam kisse mein yeh baat samajh nahin aati ki Farhat jaise sachche aur khare aadmi ne is dhokhebaazi mein kaise hissa liya, to yeh saahabzaadi ek dum bol padhi ki un par dhokhebaazi ka ilzaam galat hai aur weh yeh baat pehle bataa chuke hain. Zaahir hai ki is par mujhe aur bhi taajjub hua ki yeh maaloom ho jaane ke baad bhi yeh saahabzaadi un hazrat se milti rahi to maaloom yeh hua ki darasal in dono ki beemaariyon ka sabab hi yeh hai ki yeh bhed R.ana ko bataa dene ke baad udhar to humaare barkhurdaar Farhat miyaan dil ke daure lekar padhe, idhar yeh saahabzaadi aisi padhi bistar par ki maa baap ka dam hi nikaal diya. Bhai saahab aapko nahin maaloom ki in ke thook aur balgham ke buaane shuroo ho gaye the aur ek doctor saahab ne to mashwara de diya tha ki inhein turant kisi sanitorium mein pahuncha diya jaaye. Yeh tey tha ki khuda na khaasta tapedik ke paale padhi hain yeh saahabzaadi ab maaloom hua ki yeh kissa tha. Achcha saahab ab mujh se suniye. Farhat miyaan zaraa yeh darwaaza band kar do."

Aur humne jab darwaaza band kar diya to Khan bahadur saahab ne walid saahab ko cigarette pesh karte hue kaha-" To kahiye in bachchon ne, khuda inki umr mein barkat de mere sir se ajeeb bojh utaar diya hai. Mere aur aapke ghar aane ka jab se silsila shuroo hua hai, main baraabar isi fikr mein tha ki ilaahi iska kya anjaam hoga? Mera dil mujh par malaamat karta tha ki main kitna badha ranga siyaar hoon aur main apne dil mein aisa chor paata tha ki kisi waqt mujhe itminaan haasil na tha. Aapke baare mein yeh socha bhi na jaa sakta tha ki aap yeh honge jo ab maaloom hua hai. Zaahiri haalat dekh dekh kar main darr raha hoon ki khuda na khaasta kabhi aap ko yeh maaloom ho gaya ki main kya hoon to nateeja kya hoga?"

Walid saahab ne chaunk kar farmaaya-" Jee kya farmaaya aap ne? Main kya kahoon? Kya matlab hai aapka?"

Khan bahadur saahab ne hothon mein muskuraate hue kaha-" Abhi zaraa sunte jaayiye bhai saahab! Khuda ki kasam, yeh to yeh baat hui ki waakai hairat hoti hai kudrat ke intezaamaat par. Mujhe sabse zyaada fikr in bachchon ki hoti thi ki yeh kis umang ke saath ek doosre se mil rahe hain aur aap maasoom dilon ko ek doosre se waabaasta rakh chuke hain. Is bhed ke maaloom hone ke baad ki main bhi darasal kaum ka kanmailiya hoon."

Walid saahab ne phir kaha-" Jee kanmailiya?"

Khan bahadur saahab ne kaha-" Bhai saahab baat yeh hai ki asal mein to hum aur aap sab sheikhon mein se hain. Aapke yahan pesha yeh shuroo ho gaya ki baal banaa diya karte the, isliye aap naai kehlaane lage. Humaare bade budhe kaan ka mail nikaal diya karte the, isliye unka yeh pesha unki jaati ban gaya. Ab hum laakh Khan bahadur aur nawaab ban gaye hain; Magar jo humein jaante hain, weh humein kanmailiya aur naai hi samjhenge na? TO saahab main dil mein darrta rehta tha ki agar yeh bhed kabhi khula to in dono ki judaai kis kadar khatarnaak saabit hogi. Chunaanche dekh leejiye ki saahabzaadi ne yeh maaloom hote hi apna kya haal kar liya hai. Aur agar yahi baat mujhe kuch din aur na maaloom hoti to zaahir hai ki jis naamuraad beemaari ka shubha kiya hai sachmuch lag jaati."

Ab walid saahab ke chehre par bhi chamak thi. Unhonein bade sneh aur utsaah se Khan bahadur saahab ka haath pakadhkar kaha-" Bhai saahab, khuda ki kasam aapne mujhe nayi zindagi de di hai. Allah yeh jaanta hai ki ab yeh ummeed to khair thi hi nahin ki shaadi ho sakegi, ab to fikr yeh thi ki is padhos ka kya banega? Khuda ki kasam meri samajh mein na aata tha ki main kyon kar aap se aankhein chaar kar sakoonga. Ab aap se kya chori? Kai martaba dil mein khyaal paida hua ki aapke saamnesharminda hone se behtar yahi hai ki bandook bhar ke kanpati par rakhoon aur halaalkhoron ki yeh zindagi basar karne se behtar yahi hai ki haraam maut mar jaaoon. Mujhe kisi ka khyaal na tha, sirf aapka khyaal tha aur aap hi se aankhein chaar karne ki himmat na hoti thi."

Khan bahadur saahab ne kaha-" Aur mujhe kiska darr tha siwaaye aapke? Khuda ki kasam andar hi andar Khan khushk hua jaata tha is khyaal se, aakhir hoga kya aur yeh bedha paar kaise hoga? Kai baar iraada kiya ki Farhat miyaan ko alag le jaakar samjha doon ki beta hum tumhaare laayak nahin hain. Tum ek oonche gharaane ke chashm-o-chiraag ho. humaara tumhaara koi jodh nahin. Bas itna ehsaan karo ki R.ana ko apne se itna bezaar kar do ki tumhaara bichhudhna uske liye khatarnaak saabit na ho. Magar tab itni bhi himmat nahin hui. Magar shaabaash hai is bachche ko jisne aisa bhayaanak sach bolkar yeh saabit kar diya ki bade bade sher dil bhi is duniya mein maujood hain aur saath hi saath yeh bhi pataa chal gaya ki Farhat chaahe ek oonche khaandaan ka bachcha na ho; Magar khud itna ooncha hai. Usne R.ana ko fareb dena ne chaaha par apni mohabbat ko qurbaan kar diya; Magar dhokha na diya use jise chaahta tha."

Walid saahab ka is samay khushi ke maare bura haal tha. Khile jaa rahe the aur samajh mein na aata tha ki kya karein. Kehne lage-" Khuda ki kasam yakeen nahin aata ki main jaag raha hoon. Kuch ajeeb sapne ki haalat mehsoos ho rahi hai."

Khan bahadur saahab ne kaha-" Aur suniye weh aapke Mirza saahab pehle to yeh khabar laaye ki weh naamaakool Shibbu miyaan lahore mein maujood hai. Phir un hazrat ka suraag lagaakar unke mustaqil paigaamarsaa ban gaye aur unki kartoot laane lage mere paas. Un saahabzaade ki vaastav mein yeh koshish thi ki main unhein muaaf kar doon aur unki kameengi ko sharbat ka ghoont samajhkar pee jaaoon. Mirza saahab to uske bade sifaarishi bane hue hain. Yeh kissa to chal hi raha tha ki aapke saale aa pahunche aur unhonein yeh gul khilaaya. Magar bhai saahab main unka to baherhaal ehsaan maanta hoon ki unki badaulat mujhe itne bojhon se chhutkaara paane ka mauka mila. Ab jab farhat aur R.ana ke sehre ke phool khilenge to saanp lautege un logon ke seenon par."

Walid saahab ne kaha-" Bhai jaan is mubaarik mauka par hum dono shaadi ki taareekh tey kar lein is waqt."

Khan bahadur saahab ne kaha-" Main to aapko akhtiyaar de hi chuka tha; Magar ab to inhi dono ko hi tey karna padhega. Jis kadar yeh apni sehat bahaal karenge, itni jaldi shaadi ho sakegi."

Yeh kehkar choonki aadmi samajhdaar hain. Walid saahab ko saath lekar baahar chale gaye aur bole-" Aap se kuch zaroori baatein karni hain."

Aur ab hum dono kamre mein tanha reh gaye. Magar ab haalat yeh ki-
Mohabbat hai, magar is kasham kash mein
Taqaaza hua idhar se tha udhar se."

Der tak dono apni jagah khaamosh rahe aakhir humne pahel ki-" Yeh haal kya banaa liya hai aapne?"

R.ana ne kaha-" Khud bhi kabhi aaina dekh liya hota. Aadhe bhi nahin rahe."

Humne kaha-" Sehat haasil karne ka iraada hai aur kya hota? Magar mujhe to aisa mehssos ho raha hai jaise main bilkul theek hoon. Apni beemaari ka dukh mujhe to ab ehsaas bhi nahin."

Humne kaha-" Aapko na hoga, magar mujhe hai aapki beemaari ka ehsaas."

R.ana ne kaha-" Zaraa mujhe sahaara deejiye main baidhna chaahti hoon."

Humne use utha kar baidha diya to usne is baar kaha-" Sachmuch main ab beemaar nahin hoon."