Qurbaani ki barf mai’n lipti Mohabbat

George Santayana ka qaul hai:
“Kuchh kitaabai’n aisi bhi hai’n, jin kay haashiye me’in kisi qaari ke haath se tehreer kardah khyaalaat aur ta’assuraat un (kiatabo’n) ko un kay asl matn se zyaada dilchasp bnaa daitay hai’n. Duniya bhi aisi hi ek kitaab hai.”

Masoom Hazel ka shumaar bhi unhi azeem hastiyo’n mei’n hota hai jo apnay husn-e-amal ki haashiya aaraai se duniya ki kitaab ko haseen-tar bna deti hai’n.


15 March ki sard dopehar ko William Miner ne lunch ke baad mehsoos kiya ke mausam kharaab honay waala hai. Shumaal maghrib se ufaq par mandlaanay waalay siyaah baadal sooraj ko apni lapait mei’n lainay lagay.
Miner ne foran apni biwi se kaha,
“Tum samaan andar karo, may school se bacho’n ko le kar aata hoo’n.”
Miner ne taizi se apnay behtareen ghorray Kit par swaar ho kar dhai meel duuor school ka rukkh kiya. Baadal sooraj ko poori tarah maghloob kar chuka tha. Lagta tha, saaray manzar ki saans ruk gayi hai. Kai bachon ke ghoday aur barf gaariyaa’n school ke sehan mei’n kharri thee’n magar school kay sakht qwaaid o zwaabit mei’n yeh baat shaamil thi ke toofani mausam mei’n koi bacha apnay maa baap ke baghair akaila ghar nahi ja sakta.
Us ki pandrah bars ki beti Hazel Miner, gyaarah saal ka beta Emmet aur aath saal ki beti Myrdith us ki raah tak rahay thay. Bacho’n ne shaalai’n orrhee’n. Hazel ne bhai kay jooto’n kay tasmay baandhay. Baap ne dono bacho’n ko barf gaarri par bithaaya. Unhai’n dau kambalo’n aur ek ooni chaadar se dhaanpa. Hazel driving seat par baith gyi.

Taiz hwaa kay jhakkar chalay ay baap chilalaya,
“Tum log idhar ruko, aur phir mai’ray peechay peechay aao. May Kit (ghorray) ko aagay aagay chla kar raasta saaf karoo’n ga.”

Maude (ghorri) ka rukh shumaal ki jaanib tha. Woh hamesha pursukoon andaaz mei’n ghar ka rukh karti thi magar achanak ghan garaj se woh bokhla gyi aur junoob ki taraf barhnay lagi. Hazel ne bhi twaazun kho diya aur is ghambeer soorat-e-haal mei’n jaan na paayi ke Maude (ghorri) ghalat raastay par chal prri hai.

Woh apne peeche sehmay baithay behan bhai ko dekh kar boli,
“Ghabraao nahi, hum Daddy ko peechay chhorr kar un se pehlay ghar pahunch jaayenge.”

Ghori ko qaabu karna mushkil ho gaya tha kyu’n ke Hazel ke haath se baagai’n chhoot gyi thee’n. Phir achanak Maude ki raftaar khud bakhud madhham parr gyi aur woh ruk bhi gayi.

Emmet bola,
“Kya hum ghar pahunch gaye hai’n? Kya hum ne Daddy ko peechay chhor diya hai?”

Hazel neechay barf par utri. Sar chakkra dainay waali dhundlaahat mei’n usay khud maloom nahi tha ke woh sab is waqt kahaa’n hai’n.
Tmaam duniya aik korray barsaata hua jhaag daar samundar maaloom ho rahi thi. Woh haanpti kaanhti baagai’n haath mei’n liye dobaara swaar ho gyi aur boli,

“Nahi, abhi ghar to nahi pahunchay, magar mera khyaal hai ke hum qareeb hi hai’n. Ab Maude bhi pursukoon hai aur usay raastay ka ilm bhi hai.”

Maude aahista aahista aagay barrhnay lagi. Aur phir dhund mei’n aagay barrhti Hazel ki barf gaari achaanak aik pan-ghaati se takraayi aur ulat gayi. Hazel ne usay seedha karnay ki puri koshish ki magar nakaam rahi.

Unho’n ne barf gaari ko aarzi panaah gaah bna liya aur madad ka intezaar karnay lagay. Is be-rehm hwa mei’n Hazel kay paas aik hi tareeqa tha ke un dono ko apnay hisaar mei’n lay lay. Us ne un par kambal phela diye. Hatta ke apna overcoat utar kar dono bachon ko dhaanp diya. Barf musalsal girti rahi. Teeno saakat parray rahay. Woh teeno’n hwaas baakhta ho rahay thay. Hazel ne khud par qaabu paaya aur chillaayi:
“Emmet! Myrdith! Aankhai’n band na karna. Ek doosre ko punch maaro. May sau tak ginu’n gi. Aur saath apni taango’n ko bhi upar neechay kartay rehna, jaisay ke tum dono daurr rahay ho.
Shuru karo:
Aik, dau, teen….”

‘Woh apnay neechay nannhay azaa harkat kartay mehsoos kar rahi thi. Us ne khud bhi apnay azaa ko harkat dainay ki koshish ki. Us ka dimaagh taango’n ko paighaam tau pohcha raha tha magar usay khabar nahi thi, taangai’n kya kar rahi hai’n.
“May thak gyi hoo’n. Kya may so jaao’n?”
Myrdith ne ghutti hui aawaaz se kaha.
“Nahi, nahi. Abhi to may ne sirf ikhattar tak gina hai!”
Phir Hazel ne hukm diya:
“Apne dastaano mei’n hi haatho’n ki ungliyo’n ko sau baar kholo aur band karo.”
Emmet ne chaadar kay andar se apna sar nikaala aur bola:
“Hazel, andar aa jaao. Hum jagah bna lai’n gay.”
“Nahi, may nahi aa sakti. Hwaa bohat taiz chal rahi hai aur mujhay chaadar ko sambhaalna hai. Aao wohi taarana parhtay hai’n jo hum har roz subah assembly mei’n parhtay hai’n.”
Teeno’n ne taraana paraha.

Myrdith phir boli:
“Chalo, ab Khuda se dua kartay hai’n, woh hmari madad karay aur mujhay tau ab neend bhi aa rahi hai.”
Hazel ne baat kaat di:
“Nahi, bilkul nahi. Aao hum mil kar koi wazifa kartay hai’n.”

Aazmaish ki is raat Hazel ne unhai’n exercises, kahaaniyo’n, geeto’n aur duaao’n ki taraf lagaaye rakha. Saath saath woh Myrdith aur Emmet ki taango’n par prray barf kay tukro’n ko hataati rahi aur bacho’n ko bhi hidaayat karti rahi:
“Yaad rakho, aap logo’n ne kisi bhi soorat sona nahi. Agar main so gayi tay bhi nahi. Mujh se waada karo. Chaahay kitni bhi gehri neend aaye, aap dono ne ek doosray ko jagaaye rakhna hai. Wada karo.”
Unhon ne waada kar liya.
Myrdith ne baar baar swaal kiya:
“Daddy abhi tak aaye kyu nahi?”

William Miner ko ghar aa kar maaloom hua ke bachay abhi tak nahi pahunchay tau us ne foran ilaaqay ke afraad se madad ki darkhaast ki. Chalees afraad apni zindagi ki parwaah na kartay huway in bacho’n ki khoj mei’n nikal parray. Baqi sab bachay ghar pahunch chukay thay magar in teeno’n ka koi saraagh na mila.
Jhakkaro’n ki raftaar saatrh meel fi second ho gyi. Darja haraarat kam hotay hotay sifr ho gya. Tareeki barh gyi aur talaash naa-mumkin ho gyi.

Aglay roz, Mangal ko, jab bacho’n ko ghaaib huway pachees ghantay guzar chukay thay, school se junoob ki jaanib dau meel kay faaslay par aik ultee hui barf gaari dikhaai di. Is ke aagay aik bhoot numa ghorra kisi santri ki maanind saakit magar zinda khara tha.

Ek larki ka akrra hua jism ondhay munh prra tha. Us kay baazu bhai aur behan kay ird gird haayel thay. Woh maut kay waqt bhi unko panaah dainay aur glay lagasnay mei’n masroof rahi jaisay zindagi mei’n unka khyaal rakhti thi.
Logon ne usay pyaar se uthaaya. Phir aahista aahista unho’n ne chaadar hataayi aur baad-baani kaprray kat tukrray bhi uthaaye jisay Hazel ne apnay jism kay neechay dbaa rakhaa tha.

Us kay andar Myrdith aur Emmet thay — sehmay huway aur kuch kuch jmay huway, magar zinda.
Unho’n ne waada kiya tha, woh is mohlak neend ki aaghosh mei’n pnaah nahi lai’n gay.
Hazel jaanti thi:
Agar woh so gaye to phir dobaara kabhi jaag nahi paaye’n gay.