Episode: Muree Expressway aur Tootta Hua Clutch

Episode 2: Murree Expressway Aur Tootta Hua Clutch

Fateh Jang se jab 7,000 eenton ka bojh laad kar Shamim ka Bedford truck nikla, to subah ki pehli kiran paharon ke peeche se jhaank rahi thi. Thandi, nam-dada hawa cabin ke ttoote hue sheeshay se andar aa kar Shamim ke chehre par lag rahi thi. Unho ne apni chadar ko ek haath se mazeed kas liya aur steering par dono haath jama diye.

Gari ab Rawalpindi ko peeche chorde hue Murree Expressway ki unchi charhaiyon ki taraf barh rahi thi. Yeh rasta jitna khubsoorat tha, ek truck driver ke liye utna hi beraham tha. 7,000 eenton ka wazan koi mazaq nahi hota; gari ka engine har charhai par aisi cheekh marta tha jaise abhi phat jaye ga.

"Baaji, agay dundh (fog) barh rahi hai," Usman ne cabin ke kone mein baithe hue pareshani se khidki bahar dekha.

"Dundh se mat daro Usman, dundh to chath jati hai. Bas yeh dua karo ke gari ka pressure na tootay," Shamim ne gehre lehjay mein kaha. Unki ankhon mein is waqt raste ka darr nahi, balki ghar ka fikar tha. Unhein yaad aa raha تھا ke kaise kal raat unki sab se choti beti ne unse kaha tha, "Abu, is phera ke baad aap do din ghar rukna, mujhe lagta hai aap ab thak chuki hain."

Thak to wo waqiyee gayi thin. 54 saal ki umar mein jab log araam ka sochte hain, wo har roz maut ke koochay mein gari dalti thin. Unki pith mein har waqt ek ajeeb sa dard rehta tha, aur dono ghutnay heavy clutch daba daba kar sujj chuke thay. Lekin jab ghar ke choolhay aur betiyon ki izzat ka sawal ho, to maa ka jism thakan ko pehchanna chor deta hai.

Gari jab Kohala ke qareeb pohnchi, jahan se Azad Kashmir ki hadd shuru hoti hai, to sarak mazeed tang aur tedhi ho gayi. Ek taraf aasmaan ko choti hui pahari deewar thi, aur dosri taraf hazaron feet gehri khai, jahan neeche darya-e-jhelum ka paani shore macha raha tha.

Achanak, ek bohot unchi charhai par agay chalne wali ek passenger bus ne bina kisi signal ke brake maar di.

"Baaji! Brake!!" Usman chikh utha.

Shamim ne foran apna poora wazan daal kar heavy brake pedal dabaya aur sath hi left paon se clutch ko neeche tak dhabo diya taake gari peeche na ghire. Lekin sarak par mitti aur pichli raat ki shabnam ki wajah se truck ke bhaari tayyar slip hue.

KKKRRRCCCKHHH!

Ek khofnak awaz aayi. Gari ka clutch pedal achanak dheet ho kar bilkul neeche baith gaya. Clutch ka taar ttoot chuka tha!

7,000 eenton se lada hua heavy truck ab bina kisi control ke, us unchi charhai par peeche ki taraf ludhakna shuru ho gaya. Gari ka handbrake itna wazan rokne ke qabil nahi tha. Peeche maut thi—wohi gehri khai aur darya.

"Usman! Gootka (wooden block) nikalo! Bhaago!!" Shamim ne chikh kar kaha, unka apna gala khushk ho gaya tha.

Usman ne chalti, peeche girti gari ka darwaza khola aur sarak par chalang laga di. Usne bhagte hue truck ke pichle taaye ke neeche lakri ka bhaari gootka fasane ki koshish ki, lekin gari ki raftaar barh rahi thi.

Inside the cabin, Shamim akeli thin. Steering unke hathon mein tharthar raha tha. Agar wo gari ko seedha rakhtin to wo peeche khari dosri gariyon ko tabaah karti hui khai mein chali jati. Is ek secnd mein, unki ankhon ke samne unka poora ghar ghum gaya—unka beta, unki betiyan jo unke raste ko takti thin.

"Ya Allah! Madad!" Shamim ne poori jaan laga kar steering ko right taraf ghumaya, jahan pahar ki sethi deewar thi. Unho ne truck ke pichle hissay ko pahar se takrane ka faisla kiya, taake gari ruk sake, bhale hi unhein khud chot kyun na aa jaye.

BOOM!

Ek zordar jhatkay ke sath truck ka pichla hissa pahari chattaan se takraya. Eentein tootne aur sheeshay bikharne ki awaz aayi. Gari ek jhatkay ke sath ruk gayi.

Sannata cha gaya. Sirf engine se nikalne wala dhuwan aur radiator ka paani ubalne ki awaz aa rahi thi.

Usman bhaagta hua driver side par aya. "Baaji! Baaji! Aap theek hain?!"

Shamim ka sar steering wheel par gira hua tha. Unka poora jism kaanp raha tha. Unho ne dheere se apna sar uthaya. Unki peshani par ek chota sa zakham tha jahan se khoon beh kar unki ankh ke qareeb tak aa gaya tha. Lekin unki ankhon mein ansoo nahi thay—wahan ek ajeeb sa sukoon aur shukar tha. Wo bach gayi thin. Unka truck bach gaya tha.

Unho ne kaanpte hathon se cabin mein latki hui ek purani tasveer ko dekha jo unke bacho ki thi.

"Main theek hoon Usman," Shamim ne ttooti hui awaz mein kaha, jabki unka gala roudh raha tha. "Zindagi ne ek baar phir mohlat de di hai. Gari se neeche utro, dekho mechanical toolkit mein naya clutch wire para hai ya nahi. Hamein yeh phera har haal mein aaj hi pohnchana hai."

Usman hairat aur izzat se apni is 54 saal ki ustaad ko dekh raha تھا, jo maut ke munh se nikal kar bhi haar manne ko tayyar nahi thi.

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