Shadi wala ghar teen din se roshniyon mein dooba hua tha. Sehan mein phoolon ki lariyan latak rahi thin, rasoi se elaichi wali chai aur garam pakoron ki khushboo aa rahi thi, aur har kamray mein kisi na kisi ke qehqahay goonj rahe thay. Ghar ki sab se bari beti, Mahnoor, apni shaadi se pehle ki aakhri raat par mehmanon ko sambhalte sambhalte thak chuki thi.
Drawing room ke kinare par, khirki ke paas, uski khala Saira baingani dupattay mein khamoshi se baithi thi. Saira aam tor par har mehfil ko apni baaton se roshan kar deti thi, lekin aaj woh khirki ke paar andheray aangan ko dekhti rahi. Mahnoor ne unke paas chai rakhi to dekha ke unki ungliyon mein purana sa lifafa daba hua tha.
“Khala, aap theek hain?” Mahnoor ne poocha.
Saira ne muskurane ki koshish ki. “Haan beta. Bas kuch yaadein hain jo shaadiyon mein wapas aa jati hain.”
Lifafay par uski marhoom ammi ki pehchani hui likhai thi. Mahnoor ka dil ek pal ko ruk sa gaya. Uski ammi ko guzray paanch saal ho chukay thay, aur unki cheezon mein se koi khat kabhi nahi mila tha. Saira ne lifafa band kar diya, magar Mahnoor us likhai ko pehchan chuki thi.
Raat ko jab mehmanon ka shor dheema hua aur sehan mein sirf bachi hui fairy lights jal rahi thin, Mahnoor ne khala ke kamray ka darwaza aahista se khatkhataya. “Agar yeh Ammi ka khat hai, to main usay parhna chahti hoon,” usne kaha. Saira ne pehle nazrein jhuka lein. Phir unhon ne kursi ke paas jagah banayi.
Khat mein koi badi daulat ya chhupa hua jurm nahi tha. Us mein ek aisi sachchai thi jo saalon se ghalat fehmi ke neeche dabi hui thi. Mahnoor ki ammi ne likha tha ke unhon ne Saira se ek wada liya tha: ghar ke puranay jhagray ko agli nasal tak nahi le jana. Magar wada nibhate nibhate Saira ne apni zindagi ke kai faislay khamoshi mein kar liye thay.
“Main samajhti thi ke sab ko bachane ke liye mujhe chup rehna hoga,” Saira ne dheemi awaaz mein kaha. “Lekin khamoshi ne tum sab ke darmiyan faslay barha diye.”
Mahnoor ne khala ka haath thaam liya. “Kal meri shaadi hai. Main chahti hoon ke nayi zindagi sach aur bharosay se shuru ho. Hum kisi ko zaleel kiye baghair baat kar sakte hain.”
Agli subah, dulhan ke joray aur mehndi ki khushboo ke darmiyan, Mahnoor ne apne walid aur Saira khala ko sehan mein chai ke liye bulaya. Khat mez par rakha gaya. Pehle lamhon mein sab ko samajh nahi aaya ke kya kaha jaye. Phir baat hui—ahista, ruk ruk kar, kabhi aansuon ke saath, kabhi purani yaadon par halki muskurahat ke saath.
Kisi ne guzra hua waqt wapas nahi manga. Kisi ne foran maafi ka mutalba bhi nahi kiya. Bas pehli baar sab ne ek doosray ko poori baat kehne di. Saira ne maana ke woh dard se bachana chahti thin, lekin unki khamoshi ne dard ko lamba kar diya. Mahnoor ke walid ne bhi apni ghalat fehmi ka hissa tasleem kiya.
Shaam ko jab ghar phir se roshniyon se bhar gaya, Saira khala khirki ke paas akeli nahi baithi thin. Woh mehmanon ke saath hansi, Mahnoor ko gale lagaya, aur purana khat apne purse mein sambhal kar rakh liya—ab raaz ke taur par nahi, balkay is yaad ke taur par ke mushkil sach bhi narmi se kaha ja sakta hai.
Us raat Mahnoor ne apni diary mein likha: “Shadi wala ghar sirf phoolon, roshniyon aur tasveeron se nahi sajta. Ghar tab sajta hai jab log ek doosray se sach bolne ki himmat karte hain.”
Pasand aayi? Kahani Ghar par apni agli Roman Urdu romance ya suspense kahani chunein.
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