Chapter:5 **Qabool Ha**

**Surkh Libas aur Siyah Sazish**

Shah Haveli ke dhasu aur aalishan kamre mein thandak is qadar thi ke insaan ka khoon jam jaye. Subah ka sooraj nikal chuka tha, magar barish ki wajah se aasmaan par abhi bhi kale badal chaye hue the. Zoya kamre ke kone mein lage baray se aaine ke samne khari thi. Uske jism par is waqt ek behad qeemti, surkh (red) rang ka shadi ka jora tha, jis par sone ke taron se dhasu karhai ki gayi thi.

Yeh jora subah-subah Zain ne Sajida Bi ke hathon bhijwaya tha. Zoya ne jab is joray ko dekha tha, toh uska dil chah raha tha ke wo isay aag laga de, magar Zain ki wo dhamki—ke agar usne nakhre kiye toh uski dadi ki khair nahi—uske zehen mein hathore ki tarah baj rahi thi.

Sajida Bi ne aahista se Zoya ke sar par surkh dupatta darust kiya. Unki aankhon mein Zoya ke liye taras tha. "Bibi ji... aap bohot haseen lag rahi hain. Allah naseeb ache kare."

Zoya ne aaine mein apne aks ko dekha. Uska chehra sfaid par chuka tha, magar uski aankhon mein rona nahi, balkay ek ajeeb sa thahrao aur nafrat ki aag thi. "Sajida Bi, naseeb toh tab ache hote hain jab insaan kisi insaan se shadi kare... main toh ek darinday ke pinjray mein qaid hone ja rahi hoon."

Sajida Bi ne dar kar apna munh band kar liya aur tezi se kamre se bahar nikal gayin.

Wahi dusri taraf, haveli ke nichay wale aalishan hall mein maulvi sahab baith chuke the. Hall ko bohot hi haseen sfaid phoolon se sajaya gaya tha, magar wahan ka mahool kisi shadi jaisa nahi, balkay kisi qatal-gah jaisa lag raha tha. Begum Shah (Dadi) ek taraf baith kar apni tasbeeh ghumaye ja rahi thin, aur unke barabar mein Nuzhat Begum aur unka beta Zubair khare the.

Zubair ki nazrein lagatar ooper wale portion ki seedhiyon par thin. Uske chehre par ek makkarana muskurahat thi. "Amma... Zain ne larki ko sajaya toh bohot dhasu hai, magar dekhte hain ke yeh shadi kitne din chalti hai."

Nuzhat ne aahista se kaha, "Chup kar Zubair! Begum Shah ka gussa abhi thanda nahi hua. Hamein bas sahi waqt ka intezar karna hai."

Tabhi seediyon par qadmon ki aawaz aayi. Zoya aahista-aahista seediyan utar rahi thi. Uska surkh dupatta uske chehre ko aadha chupaye hue tha, magar uski qadmon ki sakhti bata rahi thi ke wo haari nahi hai. Begum Shah ne use nafrat se dekha, jab ke Zubair ki aankhon mein tharak chamak uthi thi

**Zain Shah ka Tashan**

Zoya jaise hi hall ke beech mein pahuche, samne wale baray darwaze se Zain Shah dakhil hua. Usne siyah rang ki dhasu sherwani pehni hui thi, jiske collar par Shah khandan ka sunehri monogram bana hua tha. Uske baal hamesha ki tarah darust the aur uski aankhon mein wahi garoor aur junoon tha jo uski shakhsiyat ka khasa tha.

Zain ne ek nazar Zoya par daali. Surkh libas mein wo kisi pari jaisi lag rahi thi, magar uski jhuki hui gardan aur sakht muthiyan Zain se chupi nahi thin. Zain ke labon par ek dhiimi si smile aagayi. Wo chalte hue seedha Zoya ke barabar mein aakar baith gaya.

Maulvi sahab ne darte darte dono ki taraf dekha. Shah khandan ke samne bolte hue unki aawaz kaanp rahi thi. "Zain Shah sahab... agar ijazat ho toh nikah shuru karein?"

"Ji, shuru kijiye," Zain ne rudaabdar aawaz mein kaha.

Maulvi sahab ne pehle Zain ki taraf rukh kiya. "Zain Shah walid... kya aapko Zoya bint-e-Asif, apne nikah mein... qabool hain?"

Zain ne bina ek pal zaya kiye, Zoya ki taraf dekhte hue bohot hi saaf aur wazeh aawaz mein kaha, **"Qabool hai."**

Hall mein khamoshi chha gayi. Ab maulvi sahab Zoya ki taraf mure. "Zoya bint-e-Asif... kya aapko Zain Shah... apne nikah mein... qabool hain?"

Zoya ka saans ruk gaya. Uske zehen mein apni dadi ka chehra aaya, phir Zain ka wo be-reham roop aaya jab usne uska hath pakra tha. Usne apni muthiyan is qadar sakht band kiyin ke uske nakhun uski hatheli mein dhas gaye. Sab ki nazrein Zoya par thin. Zubair dil hi dil mein dua kar raha tha ke Zoya "Na" keh de.

"Zoya bint-e-Asif... kya aapko..." Maulvi sahab ne dobara pucha.

Zoya ne apni aankhein band kiyin, ek aakhri aanso uski palkon ko geela kar ke neeche gira. Usne apni aawaz ko jamaya aur nafrat se bhari aawaz mein kaha, **"Qabool hai."**

Maulvi sahab ne teesri dafa pucha aur Zoya ne phir se wahi alfaaz dohraye. Kagazat par sign hue, aur is tarah Zoya hamesha ke liye Zain Shah ke "Hisaar" mein qaid ho gayi.

** Dadi ka Pehla Waar**

Nikah khatam hote hi, maulvi sahab aur gawah chale gaye. Ab hall mein sirf Shah khandan aur Zoya khari thi. Zain utha aur usne Zoya ka hath pakar kar use khara kiya. Zoya ne jhatke se apna hath chhudane ki koshish ki, magar Zain ne uski pakar mazeed sakht kar di.

"Mubarak ho, Begum Zain Shah," Zain ne uske kaan mein dheere se kaha, jis se Zoya ke jism mein ek sansani daur gayi.

Begum Shah (Dadi) apni jagah se uthin aur dono ke qareeb aayin. Unka chehra sakht tha. "Nikah toh ho gaya Zain, magar yaad rakhna, is larki ne abhi tak is ghar ke qanoon nahi seekhe. Agar yeh is ghar ki bahu bani hai, toh isay Shah Haveli ki riwayat ke mutabiq chalna hoga."

Dadi ne Zoya ki taraf dekha. "Larki! Aaj se tumhare aaraam ke din khatam. Shah Haveli mein jo bhi nayi bahu aati hai, wo pehle din poore khandan ke liye apne hathon se khana banati hai. Aur yaad rahe, mujhe tumhare hath ka khana pasand aana chahiye, warna tumhare liye is ghar mein rehna mushkil ho jayega."

Zoya ne dadi ki taraf dekha. Wo samajh gayi thi ke dadi use neeche dikhana chahti hain. Magar Zoya ab rone wali larki nahi thi. Usne apna sar uthaya aur dadi ki aankhon mein aankhein daal kar kaha, "Begum Sahiba... khana toh main bana loongi. Magar yaad rakhiyega, jo khana zabardasti banwaya jaye, us mein zaiqa kam aur zeher zyada hota hai."

"Zoya!" Nuzhat Begum chillayin. "Tumhari himmat kaise hui Amma jaan se is tarah baat karne ki?!"

Zain ne achanak beech mein aakar Zoya ke samne apna hath rakh diya. Uska chehra sapaat tha, magar uski aawaz mein ek dhasu dabdaba tha. "Chachi... meri biwi se baat karte hue apni aawaz dhiimi rakhein. Aur dadi jaan... Zoya khana zaroor banayegi, kyunki yeh is ghar ki malka hai, koi naukrani nahi. Isliye is se baat karte hue sab apni hadein yaad rakhein."

Zain ka yeh dhasu stand dekh kar dadi ka gussa mazeed barh gaya, jab ke Zoya hairat se Zain ko dekhne lagi. Wo samajh nahi paa rahi thi ke Zain ek taraf us par zulm kar raha hai aur dusri taraf sab ke samne uski izzat bacha raha hai. Yeh mard aakhir chahta kya tha?

**Kitchen ka Toofan aur Zubair ki Chalaki**

Dadi ke hukum ke mutabiq, Zoya ko haveli ke bohot bade kitchen mein bhej diya gaya. Haveli ke baqi naukar door khare tamasha dekh rahe the, kyunki dadi ne unhein Zoya ki madad karne se sakht mana kiya tha. Zoya akele itne bade bartan aur khane ka samaan dekh kar thoda pareshan hui, magar usne haar nahi maani.

Usne apne surkh joray ke baazu ooper charhaye aur khana banana shuru kiya. Garmi aur chulhay ki aag ki wajah se uske chehre par paseena aa chuka tha, aur uska surkh rang mazeed laal ho raha tha.

Tabhi kitchen ke darwaze par ek saaya namoodar hua. Wo Zubair tha. Usne idhar idhar dekha, kitchen mein is waqt Zoya ke ilawa koi nahi tha. Wo aahista se chalkar Zoya ke bilkul qareeb aa gaya.

"Wah... Zain Shah ki bhaari qismat hai. Itni haseen biwi kitchen mein khana bana rahi hai," Zubair ne gandi muskurahat ke sath kaha.

Zoya jhatke se piche hati aur usne apne hath mein pakra hua chamcha (spoon) Zubair ki taraf kiya. "Tum kaun ho? Aur tumhari himmat kaise hui kitchen mein andar aane ki? Bahar niklo yahan se!"

Zubair ne dono hath ooper uthaye, jaise wo bohot shareef ho. "Arey bhabhi ji... darye mat. Main toh aapki madad karne aaya hoon. Yeh Zain Shah bohot be-reham hai. Dekhein na, pehle hi din aapko kitchen mein khara kar diya. Agar aap kahen... toh main aapko is jail se nikalne mein madad kar sakta hoon."

Zubair ek qadam aur aage barha aur usne Zoya ke surkh dupattay ke kone ko chhune ki koshish ki. "Zain se acha toh main aapko rakh sakta hoon..."

"Apna hath piche karo, Zubair!" Achanak kitchen ke darwaze se ek aisi aawaz aayi jaise sher ne dhaar lagayi ho.

Zubair ka khoon khushk ho gaya. Darwaze par Zain Shah khara tha. Uske chehre par is waqt jo gussa tha, wo kisi ko bhi zinda dafan karne ke liye kafi tha. Uske hath ki muthiyan bheenchi hui thin aur aankhein laal ho chuki thin.

** Zain ka Khaufnaak Roop**

Zain cheetay ki raftar se aage barha aur usne Zubair ka collar pakar kar use deewar ke sath de maara. Kitchen ke bartan jhatke se zameen par gire aur poore kitchen mein dhamake ki aawaz hui.

"Zain! Chhoro mujhe! Main toh bas bhabhi ki madad..." Zubair ka gala dabne laga tha, uski aawaz nikalna band ho gayi.

"Zubair Shah!" Zain ne uske kaan ke paas dhaarte hue kaha, uski aawaz mein aisi thandak thi jo haddiyon ko tor de. "Agar aaj ke baad tumhari gandi nazar meri biwi par pari... ya tumne uske saaye ko bhi chhune ki koshish ki... toh main bhool jaonga ke tum mere chacha ke bete ho. Main tumhari aankhein nikal kar kutton ko daal doongi. Sun liya tumne?!"

Zain ne use ek jhatke se piche dakaala. Zubair farsh par gira aur khaanste hue kitchen se bhaag khara hua.

Zoya deewar se lagi kaanp rahi thi. Usne Zain ka yeh khaufnaak roop pehli dafa dekha tha. Zain ne apni sherwani ke button khole, thodi gehri saans li aur phir Zoya ki taraf mure. Uska gussa abhi bhi kam nahi hua tha.

Wo Zoya ke qareeb aaya aur uske dono shano ko sakht pakar se dabocha. "Maine tumse kaha tha na Zoya... tum sirf meri ho! Is haveli mein koi dusra mard tumhari taraf aankh utha kar bhi nahi dekh sakta. Aur tum... tumne use apne qareeb aane kyun diya? Tumne chillaya kyun nahi?!"

Zoya ne gusse aur darr ke mile-jule jazbaat se Zain ki aankhon mein dekha. "Main tumse darti nahi hoon, Zain Shah! Aur jahan tak chillane ki baat hai... mere liye tum mein aur is Zubair mein koi farq nahi hai! Wo bhi ek darinda hai aur tum bhi!"

Zain ne Zoya ko dekha, uski aankhon mein junoon ki aag mazeed bhark uthi. Usne Zoya ko chhora aur thande lahje mein kaha, "Farq hai, Zoya... aur wo farq tumhein bohot jald pata chal jayega. Khana tayar karo, main ooper kamre mein tumhara intezar kar raha hoon."

Zain chala gaya, aur Zoya kitchen ke farsh par baith gayi. Uska jism kaanp raha tha, magar uske zehen mein ab ek naya plan ban raha tha. Wo samajh gayi thi ke Zain aur Zubair ki dushmani ka faida utha kar wo is haveli se bhaag sakti hai.

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