Episode 1: Rawalpindi ka Bhaijan

Episode 1: Rawalpindi ka Bhaijan

Raat ke do baje thay. Rawalpindi ke Farash Town ki galiyon mein sannata itna gehra tha ke door kahin kisi awara kutte ke rone ki awaz bhi deewaron se takra kar lout rahi thi. Is poore mohallay mein agar koi ek ghar tha jahan is waqt bhi roshni chal rahi thi, to wo Shamim ka do kamron ka chota sa makan tha.

Shamim ne purani steel ki balti mein haath dala aur thanday paani se apna chehra dhoya. Paani ki thandak jab uski ankhon se takrayi to uski neend thori kam hui. Usne sheeshay mein dekha. 54 saal ki umar, ankhon ke gird jhurriyan, aur chehre par thakan ki ek aisi teh jo shayad ab kabhi saaf nahi ho sakti thi.

Ghar ke dosre kamre mein unka beta aur betiyan so rahe thay. Shamim ne khamoshi se apni chadar uthaye, sar ko dhang se dhaka, aur darwaze ki taraf barhi.

"Abu... aap is waqt ja rahi hain?"

Ek halki si awaz andhere se aayi. Uska beta bister par uth kar baith gaya tha. Mohallay mein sab Shamim ko 'Bhaijan' kehte thay, aur ghar ke halat aur mardana kirdar nibhane ki wajah se bache bhi kabhi kabhi unhein isi tarhan pukarte thay.

"Haan beta, Fateh Jang jana hai. Malek sahab ke bhattay (brick kiln) se eentein load karni hain. Subah hone tak agar truck na pohncha to agla phera kisi aur ko mil jaye ga," Shamim ne bohot dheemi par pakki awaz mein kaha.

"Lekin rasta bohot kharab hai, aur raat ko akele..." Beta pareshan tha. Unka rasta koi aam rasta nahi tha. Pakistan ki highway par mard drivers ke liye bhi raat ko gari nikalna maut ko dawat dene jaisa tha.

"Gari aur road par jab nazar ho na beta, to darr khud hi peeche reh jata hai. Tum so jao, apna aur behno ka khayal rakhna."

Shamim ne darwaza khola aur thandi raat mein bahar nikal aayeen.

Farash Town se nikal kar jab wo adday par pohncheen, to wahan ka mahool bilkul alag tha. Charon taraf mitti, diesel ki boo, aur bare bare Bedford trucks khare thay jin par rang-baranga truck art bana hua تھا. Har taraf mard hi mard thay—kuch chai ke khokay par baithe sutte laga rahe thay, kuch gariyon ke neeche let kar grease saaf kar rahe thay.

Jaise hi Shamim ne adday mein qadam rakha, kuch purani ankhon ne unhein ghoora. Shuru mein jab unho ne Heavy Transport Vehicle (HTV) ka license liya tha, to log haste thay. Islamabad Traffic Police ke course mein 32 mardon mein wo akeli larki thi. Log kehte thay, "Aurat ka kaam ghar chalana hai, 10-wheeler chalana nahi." Lekin Shamim ne un sab awazon ko 'un-hear' karna seekh liya tha. Wo kisi ki taraf nahi dekhti thi, bas apne kaam se kaam rakhti thi.

"Salam, Shamim Baaji!" Ek naujawan driver, Usman, jo unka shagird bhi tha, tezi se agay aya. "Gari tayyar hai. Mobil oil check kar liya hai, pressure bhi pura hai."

"Walaikum Assalam, Usman. Charsadda wale malik ne kya kaha? Phera kahan ka hai?" Shamim ne pucha.

"7,000 eentein load karni hain Fateh Jang se, aur unhein Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) pohnchana hai. Takreeban 200 kilometers ka safar hai, aur rasta charhai wala hai."

AJK ka rasta... yani pahari raste, gehri khaaiyan, aur dunya ke sab se mushkil morr jahan ek choti si ghalti aur poora truck neeche.

Shamim ne truck ke bhaari steel ke darwaze ko khola aur upar driver seat par baith gaeen. Steering wheel itna bara tha ke ek aam aurat ke dono hath phele jate thay. Unho ne chaabi ghumayi. Gari ne ek bhari awaz ke sath start liya, aur poora cabin thartharane laga.

Gari jab Rawalpindi se nikal kar Fateh Jang ki taraf barhi, to purani sarak par sannaata tha. Shamim ka dhyan sirf teen cheezon par tha—unka khud ka wajood, unka truck, aur samne phaili hui sarak.

Bhattay par pohnch kar jab 7,000 eentein truck ke peeche load ho rahi thin, to thak-thak ki awaz ke sath Shamim ne steering par sar rakh diya. Unhein apni zindagi ke wo din yaad aane lage jab unka miyan ek maali (gardener) tha aur ghar ka kharcha poora nahi hota hai. Bache bhookay sote thay. Phir unho ne sweater bunna seekha, silai ki, par jab us se bhi guzara na hua to driving seekhi. Pehle car chalayi, phir Shehzore, aur aakhir mein is 10-wheeler truck par aa gaeen taake apni teen betiyon ki shadiyan kar sakein aur ghar ka choola jal sake.

"Baaji, loading ho gayi hai!" Mazdoor ki awaz ne unhein khwab se jagaya.

Ab asli imtihan shuru hona tha. 7,000 eenton ka wazan dunya ke sab se mushkil pahari raston par le kar jana tha.

Shamim ne gari ko gear mein dala aur clutch chora. Truck ne ek jhatka khaya aur Azad Kashmir ki taraf unchay paharon ki janib barhna shuru kar diya. Agay andhera tha, sarak ttooti hui thi, aur rasta bilkul anjan... lekin Shamim ke hath steering par bilkul mazboot thay. Wo janti thin ke unhein rukhna nahi hai, kyunke "Hum kamayein ge to hi khayein ge."

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