Barish Wali Raat

Lahore mein us raat barish aisi barsi jaise aasmaan ne mahinon ka gussa ek hi shaam mein utaar dena ho. Mehreen ne chai ka mug uthaya, shawl kandhon par theek ki aur balcony ke purane sofe par aa kar baith gayi. Saamne Model Town ki gali paani mein doobi hui thi, street light ki peeli roshni barish ki boondon mein toot toot kar gir rahi thi, aur door kahin kisi ghar mein Noor Jehan ka purana gaana baj raha tha.

Paintees saal ki Mehreen ko barish hamesha se pasand thi. Abba kehte the, "Meri beti barish mein khil jaati hai, jaise mitti." Abba ko gaye do saal ho chuke the. Tab se yeh teesri manzil ka flat, yeh balcony aur yeh sofa hi uske saathi the. School mein woh English parhati thi, shaam ko copies check karti, aur raat ko yahan baith kar sheher ko dekhti rehti.

Magar aaj uske haath mein chai ke saath ek aur cheez thi. Ek chhota sa safaid kaghaz, jo shaam ko uske darwaze ke neeche se andar sarkaya gaya tha. Us par sirf ek line likhi thi, saaf aur seedhi likhawat mein: "Aaj raat balcony ki batti band mat karna."

Yeh teesra kaghaz tha. Pichhle mahine jab bhi barish hui, aisa hi ek kaghaz aaya. Na naam, na koi nishaan.

Pehle kaghaz par Mehreen hansi thi. Socha kisi bachay ki shararat hogi. Doosre par usne building ke chowkidar Rasheed chacha se poocha. Chacha ne sar khujaya, "Bibi ji, main to shaam ko chai lene gaya tha. Haan, woh naye sahib hain na, chauthi manzil wale, Saad sahib, woh us waqt seedhiyon par the."

Saad. Tees saal ka, teen mahine pehle Islamabad se aaya tha. Kisi bank mein kaam karta tha. Lift mein do teen dafa mulaqat hui thi. Lamba qad, sanjeeda aankhein, aur ek aadat ke woh hamesha lift ka darwaza pakad kar kehta, "Pehle aap." Ek dafa Mehreen ke haath se copiyon ka dher gir gaya tha to usne saari copiyan utha kar di thin, aur ek copy par likha naam parh kar muskuraya tha, "Aap teacher hain? Mujhe pehle hi lag raha tha. Aap ki nazar mein woh wala rau'b hai."

Mehreen ne us din usay ghoor kar dekha tha, magar seedhiyan chadhte hue khud bhi muskura di thi.

Ab yeh kaghaz. Kya yeh Saad ka koi andaz tha? Ya kuch aur? Paintees saal ki umar mein Mehreen ne itni duniya dekh li thi ke har muskurahat ke peechhe neeyat dhoondhti thi. Log kehte the, "Akeli aurat hai, flat mein rehti hai." Aur un baaton ne usay mazboot bhi banaya tha aur thoda sa sakht bhi.

Raat ke saarhe das baje bijli chali gayi. Poori gali andhere mein doob gayi. Sirf aasmaan par bijli kabhi kabhi chamakti aur ek pal ke liye saari imaratein safaid ho jaatin.

Mehreen ne rechargeable lamp jalaya aur kaghaz ki baat yaad aate hi usay balcony ki table par rakh diya. "Batti band mat karna." Kyun? Kis ke liye?

Tabhi bijli phir chamki, aur us ek pal ki roshni mein Mehreen ne kuch dekha. Saamne wali khaali, adhoori building ki doosri manzil par, ek aadmi khara tha. Seedha uski balcony ki taraf dekhta hua.

Andhera wapas aa gaya. Mehreen ka dil zor se dhadka. Usne mug neeche rakha aur sofe se uthi. Doosri dafa bijli chamki, wahan koi nahi tha.

Phir neeche seedhiyon se aahat aayi. Bhaari qadmon ki. Kisi ne teesri manzil ke landing par ruk kar saans li. Mehreen ne darwaze ki kundi check ki. Lagi hui thi. Phir halki si dastak hui.

"Mehreen sahiba? Main Saad hoon, upar wala. Aap theek hain?"

Mehreen darwaze ke paas khari rahi. Aawaz Saad ki hi thi, magar dil ab bhi kaanp raha tha. "Aap is waqt kyun aaye hain?"

"Aap please balcony ka lamp jalta rehne dein aur darwaza na kholein," Saad ne dheemi aawaz mein kaha. "Main Rasheed chacha ke saath neeche hoon. Police ko phone kar diya hai. Main baad mein sab samjhata hoon."

Agle bees minute zindagi ke sab se lambe bees minute the. Mehreen balcony ke sofe ke kone mein simti baithi rahi, lamp ki roshni mein barish ki boondein ginti rahi. Neeche gali mein kabhi torch ki roshni hilti, kabhi kisi ke chillane ki aawaz aati. Phir police van ki neeli batti ne poori gali ko ranga, aur saamne wali adhoori building se do sipahi ek aadmi ko bazu se pakde baahar laaye.

Bijli wapas aayi to darwaze par phir dastak hui. Is dafa Mehreen ne kholi. Saad bheega hua tha, baal maathe par chipke, jacket se paani tapak raha tha, aur saath Rasheed chacha the, jin ke haath mein ek purana danda tha.

"Andar aa jaiye," Mehreen ne kaha, "warna aap ko bukhaar ho jaye ga."

Saad ne darwaze par hi ruk kar kaha, "Main yahin theek hoon." Phir usne seedhi baat ki. "Ek mahina pehle, pehli barish wali raat, mujhe neend nahi aa rahi thi. Main apni khirki par khara tha jab dekha ke saamne wali khaali building mein koi aadmi chhupa hai aur aap ki balcony dekh raha hai. Jab bijli jaati aur aap lamp bujha kar andar chali jaatin, woh neeche utar kar hamari building ki seedhiyon ki taraf aata. Doosri raat bhi yahi hua. Mujhe laga ke woh chor hai jo andhere mein khaali ya akele flats dhoondhta hai."

"To aap ne mujhe bataya kyun nahi?" Mehreen ki aawaz mein gussa bhi tha aur hairat bhi.

Saad ne nazar jhuka li. "Kaise batata? Ek ajnabi aadmi raat ko darwaza khatkhataye aur kahe ke main aap ki balcony dekhta tha... aap mujhe hi chor samajhtin. Is liye kaghaz likhe. Jab tak aap ki batti jalti, woh aadmi qareeb nahi aata tha. Aaj maine police aur chacha ke saath us ka intezar kiya."

Rasheed chacha ne danda zameen par thoka. "Bibi ji, police wale keh rahe the is ne pichhle saal Garden Town mein bhi teen flat loote the. Saad sahib na hote to..."

Mehreen kuch der khamosh rahi. Usne woh teen kaghaz yaad kiye, aur har dafa apna shak. Phir usne aahista se kaha, "Shukriya, Saad sahib. Aur maafi bhi. Main aap ke baare mein ghalat soch rahi thi."

"Aap ne sahi socha," Saad muskuraya, thaki hui magar sachchi muskurahat. "Akele rehne wale ko shak karna hi chahiye."

Agli shaam barish phir aayi, magar is dafa halki, mehrbaan si. Mehreen ne do mug chai banayi aur chauthi manzil par ja kar dastak di. Saad ne darwaza khola to woh copiyon ke bajaye haath mein thermos liye khari thi.

"Kal aap bheeg gaye the. Aaj kam az kam chai to pi lein. Balcony mein. Meri balcony ka sofa sheher ka sab se achha sofa hai."

Woh dono balcony mein baithe, sofe ke do kinaron par, beech mein ek mug jitna faasla. Gali phir paani mein doobi thi, street light phir boondon mein toot rahi thi, magar aaj Mehreen ko andhera dar nahi de raha tha.

"Ek baat poochun?" Saad ne kaha. "Aap har barish mein yahan kyun baithti hain?"

"Abba ki aadat thi," Mehreen ne kaha. "Woh kehte the barish mein sheher apne asli rang mein hota hai. Saari dhool beh jaati hai, sirf sach reh jata hai."

Saad ne chai ka ghoont liya. "Phir sach yeh hai ke main kaghaz sirf chor ki wajah se nahi likhta tha."

Mehreen ne bhaven uthayin. Uski aankhon mein woh teacher wala rau'b aa gaya, magar hothon par muskurahat chhupi nahi.

"Matlab, chor ki wajah se hi shuru kiya," Saad jaldi se bola, "magar har dafa likhte hue dil chahta tha ke ek line aur likh doon. Ke aap jab barish mein muskurati hain to poori gali roshan lagti hai. Phir socha, teacher hain, spelling ghalti nikal dein gi."

Mehreen zor se hans padi. Itni khul kar woh shayad do saal baad hansi thi. Barish ki boondein railing par taal de rahi thin, aur ek pal ke liye dono khamosh ho gaye. Woh khamoshi jismein bohat kuch kaha ja raha tha.

"Saad sahib," Mehreen ne aakhir kaha, "main paintees ki hoon, aap tees ke. Log baatein karein ge."

"Log to tab bhi baatein karte jab aap akeli thin," Saad ne kaha. "Main seedha aadmi hoon. Agar aap ijazat dein to agle hafte meri ammi Islamabad se aa rahi hain. Woh aap ki khala se milna chahti hain. Sab kuch izzat se, apne tareeqe se."

Mehreen ne baahar barish ko dekha. Abba ki aawaz jaise kahin se aayi: meri beti barish mein khil jaati hai.

"Ammi ko bataiye ga," usne aahista se kaha, "ke ladki chai bohat achhi banati hai. Magar spelling ki ghaltiyan bilkul bardasht nahi karti."

Saad hansa, aur us raat balcony ki batti der tak jalti rahi. Is dafa kisi dar ki wajah se nahi, balki is liye ke do log baatein khatam hi nahi kar pa rahe the.