Episode 5: Karachi ka long route or N-5 highway ka imtihan

Episode 5: Karachi Ka "Long Route" Aur N-5 Highway Ka Imtihan

Agli subah jab Farash Town adday par suraj ki pehli dhoop pohnchi, to Shamim pehle se hi munshi ke purane counter par khari thin. Unki ankhon mein raat wali thakan ka koi nishan nahi tha, balki wahan ek nayi zidd ne dera dal diya tha. 2 lakh rupay agle 30 dinon mein jama karna koi aam baat nahi thi; iske liye unhein local pheray chor kar Pakistan ke sab se lambe aur thaka dene wale "Long Route" par nikalna tha—yani Rawalpindi se seedha Karachi, N-5 National Highway ke zariye.

"Baaji, aap hosh to mein hain?" Adday ka sab se purana thaikedar, Malik Sher Khan, apni ainak ke oopar se dekhte hue bola. "Pindi se Karachi takreeban 1,500 kilometers ka phera hai. Marde-mujahid driver teesre din jwab de jate hain, aur aap kehti hain aap akele Usman ko le kar jyen gi?"

Shamim ne counter par hath rakha aur unki awaz mein ek aisi garaj thi jo badhay thaikedaron ko khamosh kar deti thi. "Malik sahab, gari meri apni hai, license HTV hai, aur chalan ka ek nishan nahi hai dastaweez par. Mujhe agle mahine apni beti ki doli uthani hai. Mujhe gari ka bojh nahi, apne kalejay ka bojh uthana hai. Aap bas maal batayein, baqi sarak dekh legi."

Malik Sher Khan ne aik gehri saans li aur register par apna qalam chalaya. "Theek hai Baaji. Port Qasim (Karachi) ke liye 12 ton ka industrial iron scrap (lohay ka kachra) load ho raha hai. Agar waqt par pohnchaya, to ek lakh bees hazar (1,20000) rupay milen ge, aadha advance abhi le lo."

Advance ke note jab Shamim ke hathon mein aaye, to unhein laga jaise unki beti ke jahez ka aadha kapra khareed liya gaya ho.

Safar shuru hue do din guzar chuke thay. Jhelum, Kharian, aur Lahore ko peeche chorde hue Bedford truck ab Punjab ke garam maidaanon se guzar kar Sindh ki hadd mein daakhil ho raha تھا. Sadiqabad ke qareeb pohnchte pohnchte sarak par garmi 45°C se oopar ja chuki thi.

Gari ke cabin mein AC ka koi wajood nahi tha, sirf ek chota sa plastic ka pankha tha jo garm hawa ke thaperay munh par marta tha. Engine seat ke bilkul neeche hota hai, jiski wajah se seat itni garm thi jaise tandoor ho.

"Baaji, aapka pichla kapra paseene se poora bheeg gaya hai. Thori der gari rokh lein, dhabe par chai pee lete hain," Usman ne haanpate hue kaha, uska apna bura haal tha.

"Nahi Usman, agar abhi gari roki to pichla pressure kam ho jaye ga, aur Sindh mein raat ko gari chalana dakuon ki wajah se theek nahi hai. Hamein din ke ujale mein Moro par karna hai," Shamim ne dheet lehjay mein kaha, unka paon musalsal accelerator par jama hua tha.

Lekin sarak par sirf dakuon ka darr nahi tha. Asli imtihan tab shuru hua jab Daharki ke qareeb National Highway par ek lamba traffic jam lag gaya. Hazaron trucks, trollers aur buses dhoop mein khari cheekh rahi thin. Black smoke (kala dhuwan) itna zyaada tha ke saans lena mushkil ho raha tha.

Bedford truck ka temperature gauge achanak 'H' (Hot) ki taraf barhne laga.

"Baaji! Gari heat-up ho rahi hai! Radiator phat jaye ga!" Usman ne cheekh kar kaha.

Real life Bedford trucks ka yeh sab se bara masla hai; jab heavy load ke sath gari traffic mein khari ho, to unka cooling system jawab de jata hai.

"Usman! Cabin se bahar niklo, jaldi se bonnet kholo aur gari par paani phenko, lekin radiator ka dhakkan mat kholna!" Shamim ne tezi se gari ko neutral kiya aur handbrake kheecha.

Garmi itni zyaada thi ke steering se unke hathon ki jild (skin) jal rahi thi. Unho ne gari se neeche utar kar dekha. Suraj bilkul sar par tha. Unki chadar mitti se siah ho chuki thi. Log truckon se utar kar unhein hairat se dekh rahe thay—ek aurat, is tapte hue sehra jaise highway par, 12 ton lohay se lada truck sambhale khari thi.

Ek doosra driver, jo shakal se bohot ghussa-war lag raha tha, sath wale truck se utra aur chilaya, "Oye! Aurat ko kis ne gari de di itne lambe route par?! Tum logon ki wajah se hamesha traffic phans jata hai!"

Usman gusse mein agay barhne laga, "Oye bad-tameez! Zaban sambhal, hamari Baaji—"

"Usman! Peeche hato!" Shamim ki awaz ne dono ko rok diya. Wo us driver ke samne ja kar khari gaeen. Unki ankhon mein darr ka ek qatrah bhi nahi tha.

"Bhai sahab," Shamim ne us driver ki ankhon mein dekhte hue bilkul thanday par wazeh lehjay mein kaha. "Mera truck kharab nahi hua, aage jam hai isliye ruka hai. Aur agar aurat sarak par aayi hai na, to shooq se nahi aayi. Meri jagah tumhari maa ya behen hoti aur ghar chalane wala koi na hota, to wo bhi yahan khari hoti. Mujhe rasta do aur apna kaam karo."

Wo driver Shamim ka rob aur unki ankhon ka sach dekh kar pal bhar mein thanda ho gaya. Usne chup-chap apna sar jhukaya aur wapas apne truck mein baith gaya. Sarak par khare baqi drivers ne jab yeh dekha, to unke dilon mein is khatoon ke liye izzat mazeed barh gayi. Kuch mardon ne agay barh kar Usman ki madad ki aur radiator par paani dalne mein hath bataya.

Raat ke do baje, truck aakhir-kar Sindh ke shehar Sukkur ke bypass par pohncha. Shamim ne gari ek bade dhabe ke paas roki. Do din se wo sahi se soyi nahi thin.

Unho ne cabin se neeche utar kar ek purani charpai par baithne ki koshish ki, to unki pith mein ek ajeeb se jhatkay ka dard hua. Unse seedha khara bhi nahi hua ja raha tha.

Usman ne chai ka piyala unki taraf barhaya. "Baaji... aapka zakham phir se khul gaya hai."

Chaudhary Aslam wale hadsay ka wo chota sa zakham peshani par garmi aur paseene ki wajah se dobara risne laga تھا. Shamim ne ungli se khoon saaf kiya aur chai ki chuski li.

"Kuch nahi hota Usman. Yeh khoon to sarak par beh raha hai na... meri beti ki doli izzat se uth jaye, to yeh saara dard khatam ho jaye ga." Unho ne jeb se wo advance ke paise nikale aur unhein choom kar apni qameez ki andaruni jeb mein dil ke paas rakh liya. Karachi abhi bhi 500 kilometers door tha, aur rasta mazeed sunehra aur mushkil hone wala tha.

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