Episode 3: Paharon ki chhaon aur kalejay ka bojh

Episode 3: Paharon Ki Chhaon Aur Kalejay Ka Bojh

Kohala ki thandi hawa ab zakhmi truck ke gird ghum rahi thi. Sarak par bikhri hui eenton ka malba aur radiator se nikalti hui bhaap ka shor ab maddham ho chuka tha. Usman truck ke neeche leta hua gande kapron aur grease se lathepar, kaanpte hathon se naya clutch wire fasane ki koshish kar raha tha.

Shamim sarak ke kinare ek bhaari patthar par baithi thin. Unho ne apni chadar ke pallu se apni peshani ka khoon saaf kiya, par dard unke sar se hota hua unki reedh ki haddi tak ja raha tha. Unka poora jism is waqt cheekh raha tha ke 'ab bas kar do', lekin unka dil unhein ijazat nahi de raha tha.

"Baaji! Ek hath zara is lever ko pakarna, thora upar kheenchein!" Usman ki awaz truck ke neeche se aayi.

Shamim uthin, unke ghutno ne saath chorne ki koshish ki par unho ne khud ko sambhala. Cabin ke andar jhuk kar unho ne lever ko poori taqat se oopar kheecha. Unke hathon ki rabein ttan gaeen.

"Ho gaya Baaji! Chordein!" Usman ne haanpate hue kaha aur truck ke neeche se bahar nikal aya. Uska chehra mitti se kala ho chuka tha, aur ankhon mein abhi bhi darr saaf nazar aa raha tha.

Usman ne Shamim ki taraf dekha, unki peshani par se abhi bhi khoon ka ek halka sa qatrah tapak raha tha. Us se raha nahi gaya. Usne apne dupattay ke kone se hath saaf kiye aur bola:

"Baaji... ek baat kahoon? Bura mat maniyega."

Shamim ne dheet clutch pedal ko paon se daba kar check kiya, "Haan Usman, bolo. Kya baat hai?"

"Baaji, aap ghar kyun nahi baith jatin?" Usman ka gala bhar aya, uski awaz mein sachiyee thi. "Aaj jo hua... agar thora sa steering left na hota, to aap aur main is waqt is darya mein hotay. Aapki betiyan hain, beta hai... unka sochein. Is umar mein mardon ke liye yeh 10-wheeler chalana azaab hai, aap kyun apni jaan suli par tangti hain har roz?"

Shamim khamosh ho gaeen. Unho ne steering wheel par jami hui mitti ko dekha, phir dheere se ghum kar Usman ki ankhon mein dekha. Unki ankhon mein ansoo nahi thay, ek ajeeb sa, pathar jaisa sach tha.

"Usman beta," Shamim ki awaz bilkul dheemi par bhaari thi. "Tumne kabhi apni maa ko bhookha sote dekha hai?"

Usman ne nafi mein sar hilaya.

"Main ne apne bacho ko dekha hai," Shamim ne chadar ko apne kando par phela diya. "Jab unka baap beemar tha, aur ghar mein ek anay ka dana nahi tha. Main jab logon ke gharon mein kapre dhone jati thi, to log aisi nazron se dekhte thay jaise main koi khairat mangne aayi hoon. Us din main ne socha tha, izzat ki roti mardon ke is jahan mein cheen kar leni parti hai. Agar aaj main darr kar ghar baith jaoon, to kal meri betiyon ki parhai choot jaye gi, unki shadiyon ka kharcha kahan se ruki sarak se thodi na aaye ga? Yeh truck meri majboori nahi hai Usman, yeh meri betiyon ki izzat ka qila hai."

Usman ne apna sar neeche kar liya. Uske paas is maa ke hosle ka koi jawab nahi tha. Wo bas itna bol saka, "Aap bohot azeem hain, Baaji."

"Azeem kuch nahi hota beta, bas halat insan ko loha bana dete hain. Chalo, gari start karo. Hamein Kashmir pohnchna hai," Shamim ne kaha aur wapas driver seat par sawar ho gaeen.

Do ghante ke mazeed safar ke baad, jahan har morr par Shamim ka zakhmi jism unhein dard ka ehsaas dila raha tha, truck aakhir-kar Azad Kashmir ke us chote se gaaon mein daakhil hua jahan sarak ban rahi thi.

Wahan ka thaikedar (contractor), Chaudhary Aslam, haath mein aik purana register liye, pareshani mein idhar udhar ghum raha tha. Gariyon ki late delivery ki wajah se uska kaam ruka hua tha.

"Oye khote de puttar! Itni der kar di?!" Chaudhary door se hi chikhata hua truck ki taraf barha. "Puri dunya ka kharcha mera barh raha hai yahan! Tum drivers ko maut aati hai waqt par aate hue?!"

Truck ruka. Shamim ne handbrake kheecha. Engine ki awaz band hui to har taraf ajeeb sa sannaata cha gaya.

Chaudhary gusse mein bad-tameezi karta hua driver side ka darwaza kholne ke liye agay barha. "Neeche utar oye! Aaj tere paise katon ga main—"

Jaise hi darwaza khula, Chaudhary ke lafz uske halaq mein hi phans gaye.

Gari ke unchay cabin se koi 25 saal ka hatha-katha mard nahi, balki ek 54 saal ki khatoon neeche utar rahi thin. Unki peshani par jmna hua khoon ka nishan tha, salwar qameez par mitti lagi hui thi, par unki peeth bilkul seedhi thi aur ankhon mein ek ajeeb sa rob tha.

Chaudhary do qadam peeche hat gaya. Usne kabhi khwab mein bhi nahi socha tha ke Rawalpindi se 7,000 eenton ka bhari truck pahari raston se guzar kar ek aurat le kar aaye gi.

"Salam Alaikum, Chaudhary sahab," Shamim ne mardana aur thasay wale lehjay mein kaha. "Eentein poori hain. Raste mein Kohala ke qareeb clutch wire ttoot gaya tha, is liye do ghante dair hui. Aap malba check karwa lein aur mazdooron ko bolein loading shuru karein."

Chaudhary Aslam jo abhi tak gusse mein pagal ho raha تھا, uski zaban jaise gung ho gayi. Usne Shamim ke zakhmi chehre ko dekha, phir unke hathon ko dekha jo steering pakad pakad kar sakht ho chuke thay. Uska gussa pal bhar mein sharamindagi mein badal gaya.

"A-Aap... aap chala kar laayi hain yeh gari?" Chaudhary ne haklate hue pucha.

Usman jo truck ki doosri taraf se utra tha, wo agay aya aur bola, "Chaudhary sahab! Kohala ke pahar par gari ka clutch ttoota tha. Agar hamari Baaji na hotin, to aaj na yeh truck bachta aur na hum. Inho ne apni jaan par khel kar aapka maal yahan pohnchaya hai."

Gaaon ke kuch aur mazdoor aur local log bhi truck ke gird jama ho gaye thay. Sab log hairat aur behadd izzat se Shamim ko dekh rahe thay. Mardon ke is jahan mein, jahan aurat ko kamzor samjha jata hai, wahan yeh khatoon paharon ka seena cheer kar apna rasta bana kar aayi thi.

Chaudhary ne apna register aik taraf rkha, usne dono haath bandhe aur Shamim ke agay sar jhuka diya.

"Mujhe maaf kar dena, Baaji," Chaudhary ki awaz mein ab sachha ihteram tha. "Main aapki takleef ko nahi samajh saka. Aap jaisi maaein agar is mulk mein hain, to yeh mulk kabhi haar nahi sakta."

Usne apne munshee ko awaz di, "Oye Shabaan! Foran Baaji ke liye chai aur nashta le kar ao, aur unhein andar mere daftar mein bitao. Jab tak gari khaali nahi hoti, Baaji araam karein gi."

Shamim ne aik gehri saans li. Unho ne asmaan ki taraf dekha, jahan Kashmir ke haseen pahar dhoop mein chamak rahe thay. Unke chehre par ek thaki hui, par haseen muskurahat aa gayi. Unho ne dil mein kaha, 'Shukar hai Ya Allah... aaj ka choola jal jaye ga.'

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