Disclaimer
This book is transliteration of Umera Ahmed’s masterpiece Peer-e-Kaamil WITHOUT HER PERMISSION.
This is only for those readers who understand Urdu but can’t read it. On Goodreads, some people asked meabout Roman transliteration of Peer-e-Kamil. I couldn’t find it, so I made a mental note to try and make it available to others for free when I get time. Then I forgot about it because I never get time.
And this morning, I got this book. Some kind soul had enough time to transliterate, print, and spiral bind and bring it home.
Anyone interested in reading the roman version can borrow from me.
And those online can read it here.
P.S. This is NOT English translation. If you want that, it’s available on Amazon.
Agle chand maah jo usne America mein guzaare the wo uski zindagi ke mushkil tareen din the. Wo usse pehle bhi kayi baar sair-o-tafreeh ke liye apni family ke sath aur uke baghair America aur Europe jaata raha tha magar is baar jis tariqey se Sikandar ne use America bhijwaya tha usne jahaan ek taraf use mushtail kiya tha to dusri taraf uske liye bahot se dusre problems bhi paida kar diye the. Uske jo dost A level ke baad America aa gaye the. Wo America ki mukhtalif universities mein padh rahe the. Wo kisi ek state mein nahin the. Kuch yahi haal rishte daaron aur cousins ka tha. Khud uske apne bahen bhai bhi ek jagah par nahin the. Wo apni family se itna attach nahin tha ke unki kami mehsoos karta ya home sickness ka shikaar hota. Ye sirf is tarah achanak wahan bhijwaye jaane ka natija tha ke wo is tarah izteraab ka shikaar ho raha tha.
Kamran sara din university mein hota aur agar wo ghar aata bhi to apni studies mein masroof ho jata. Uske exams qareeb the jab ke Salar saara din ya to apartment mein baitha filmein dekhta rehta ya phir channels ghumaane mein masroof rehta aur jab wo un dono kaamon se bezaar ho jata to awaara gardi ke liye nikal jaata. Usne wahan apne qayaam ke dauraan Newyork mein us ilaaqey ka chappa chappa chhaan mara tha jahan Kamran reh raha tha. Wahan ka koi night club, disco, ub, bar, theater, cinema ya museum aur art gallery aisi nahin thi jahan wo na gaya ho.
Uska academic record aisa tha ke jin teen Ivy league ki universities mein usne apply kiya tha un teenon mein result aane se pehle hi uski admission ki darkhwaastein qubool ki jaa chuki thin. Wo teenon universities aisi thin jin mein uske door ya qareeb ka k rishtey daar nahin tha aur ye usne jaan boojh kar kiya tha. Wo jaanta tha ke Sikandar Usman apni puri koshish karenge ke use kisi aisi universities mein admit karwayein jahan uske bahen bhaiyon mein se nahin to kam az kam uske rishtey daaron mein se koi zaroor maujood hota ke wo uske barey mein maalumaat haasil karte rahein. Salar ki jagah unka koi dusra beta Ivy league ki kisi university mein admission haasil karne mein kaamyaab hota ot Sikandar Usman fakhr mein mubtala hote aur is cheez ko apne aur apni puri familyke liye aizaaz samajhte magar yahan wo is khauf mein mubtala ho gaye the ke wo Salar par nazar kaise rakh sakenge. Salar ne un universities ein se Yale ko chuna tha aur uski wajah ye thi ke na sirf Yale main unka koi shanaasa aur waaqif kaar nahin tha, balke New Haven mein bhi Sikandar Usman ka koi rishtedaar aur dost nahin tha.
Result aane ke baad use university se merit scholarship bhi mil gaya tha. Apne baaqi bhaiyon ke bar-aks usne zid kar ke hostel mein rehne ki bajaye ek apartment kiraye par le liya tha. Sikandar Usman use apartment mein rakhne ke liye tayyar nahin the, magar scholarship milne ki wajah se uske paas itni raqm aa gayi thike wo khud hi koi apartment le leta kyun ke university ke akhraajaat ke liye Sikandar uske account mein pehle hi ek lambi chaudi raqm jama karwa chuke the haalaan ke unka sab se chota beta bhi scholarship le raha tha magar Salar Sikandar ko Allah ta’ala ne khaas aur par unse har wo “kaam” aur “Mutaalba” Karne ke liye banaya tha jo usse pehle kisi ne na kiya ho. Wo zameen par khaas taur par unhein tang karne ke liye bheja gaya tha jis cheez ko unke dusre bachche mashriq kehte wo use maghrib kehta. Jise dusre zameen qaraar dete wo uske aasmaan hone pa dalaail dena shuru kar deta. Wo uski baaton, harkaton aur zid par zyada se zyada apna blood pressure aur cholesterol level high kar sakte the aur kuch nahin.
New Haven jaane se pehle Sikandar aur Tayyaba uske liye khaas taur par Pakistan se America aaye the. Wo kayi din use samjhate rahe, jinhein wo itmenaan se ek kaan se sun kar dusre kaan se nikaalta raha tha. Wo kayi saalon se naseehatein sunne ka aadi tha aur amli taur par wo naseehatein ab us par qata’an koi asar nahin karti thin. Dusri taraf Sikandar aur Tayyaba wapas Pakistan jaate hue be had fikr mand balke kisi had tak khauf zada bhi the.
Wo Yale se finance mein MBA karne aaya tha aur usne waha aane ke chand hafton ke andar hi apni ghair maamuli salaahiyaton ko zaahir karna shuru kar diya tha.
Pakistan mein jin adaaron mein wo padhta raha tha agarche wo bhi bahot ache the magar waha taleem uske liye cake walk thi. Yale mein muqaabla bahot mushkil tha, wahan be had qaabil log aur zaheen students maujood the. Iske bawajood wo bahot jald nazron mein aane laga tha.
Is mein agar ek taraf uski ghair maamuli salaahiyaton ka dakhal tha to dusri taraf uske rawaiyye ka bhi. Asian students wali riwayati milansaari aur khush akhlaaqi us mein mafqood thi. Us mein lehaaz-o-murawwat bhi nahin thi aur na hi ehsaas-e-kamtari aur mar’oobiyat thi jo Asian students America aur Europe ki universities mein fitri taur par le kar aate hain. Wo bachpan hi se behtareen adaaron mein padha tha. Aise adaarey jahan padhane wale zyada tar ghair mulki the aur wo achi tarah jaanta tha ke wo bhi koi ilm ke behtey hue sar chashmey nahin hote. Wo ye bhi jaanta tha Yale ne scholarship de kar us par koi ehsaan nahin kiya wo gar baaqi dono universities mein se kisi ka intekhaab karta to scholarship use waha se bhi mil jati aur agar aisa na bhi hota to tab bhi use ye maalum tha ke uske maan baap ke paas itna paisa tha ke wo jahaan chahta admission le sakta tha. Agar apne family background, status aur qaabliyat ka zom na hota tab bhi Salar Sikandar is qadar talkh-mizaaj aur alag thalag nature rakhta tha ke wo kisi ko apni khush akhlaaqi ke jhoote muzaaherey se muta’assir nahin kar sakta tha. Rahi sahi kasaruske IQ level ne puri kar di thi.
Shuru ke chand hafton mein hi usne apne professors aur class fellows ki tawajjoh apni taraf mabzool kar li thi aur ye bhi pehli baar nahin hua tha. Wo bachpan se taalimi adaaron mein isi qism ki tawajjoh haasil karta raha tha. Wo aisa student nahin tha jo fizool baaton par bahes-baraaye-bahes karta. Uske sawaal hi is tarah ke hote the ke uske aksar professors ko fauri taur par unka jawaab dene mein dushwaari hoti. Jawaab ghair tasalli bakhsh bhi hota, tab bhi wo jataata nahin tha sirf khamoosh ho jata tha, magar wo ye ta’assur bhi nahin deta tha ke wo mutmayin ho gaya tha. Wo bahes sirf un professors se karta tha, jin ke barey mein use yaqeen hota ke wo unse waqai kuch na kuch sikhega ya jin ke paas riwaayati ya kitaabi ilm nahin tha.
Padhai wahan bhi uske liye bahot mushkil nahin thi, na hi uska saara waqt padhai mein guzarta tha. Pehle ki nisbat use kuch zyada waqt dena padta tha magar uske bawajood wo apne liye aur apni sargarmiyon ke liye waqt nikaal liya karta tha.
Wo wahan kisi home sickness ka shikaar nahin tha ke 24 ghante Pakistan ko yaad karta rehta ye Pakistan ke sath is tarah ke ishq mein mubtala tha ke har waqt uske culture ki zaroorat aur ahmiyat ko mehsoos karta na hi America uske liye koi nayi aur ajnabi jagah thi isliye usne wahan maujood Pakistaniyon ko talaash karne aur unke sath rawabit badhane ki daanista taur par koi koshish nahin ki magar waqt guzarne ke sath sath khud ba khud waha maujood Pakistaniyon se uski shanasaayi ho gayi.
University ki dusri bahot si societies, associations aur clubs mein uski dilchaspi thi aur uske paas unki membership bhi thi.
Padhai se faarigh hone ke baad wo apna zyada tar waqt bekaar phirne mein zaaya karta tha. Khaas taur par weekends………. Cinema, clubs, discos, theaters………. Uski zindagi in hi chaaron ke darmiyaan taqseem shudah thi. Har nayi film, har naya stage play, har naya concert aur koi bhi nayi instrumental performance wo nahin chodta tha ya phir har naya, chota bada restaurant, mahenge se mahenga aur sastey se sasta……… Use har ek ke barey mein mukammal maalumaat thin.
Aur in sab ke darmiyaan wo adventure uske zahen mein ab tak tha jis ki wajah se wo America mein maujood tha. Sikandar ko uske nikaah ka kab pata chala tha, kaise chala tha, Salar ne jaanne ki koshish nahin ki magar wo andaza kar sakta tha ke Sikandar Usman ko uske barey mein kaise pata chala hoga. Ye Hasan ya Naasera nahin the jinhon ne Sikandar Usman ko Salar aur Imama ke barey mein bataya hoga. Wo unki taraf se mutmayin tha. Ye khud Imama hi hogi, jis ne usse phone par baat karne ke baad socha hoga ke uske bajaye Sikandar Usman se saari baat ki jaaye aur usne yaqeenan aisa hi kiya hoga, isi liye usne dobara Salar se raabta nahin kiya. Sikandar ne usse raabta karne ke baad hi uske kamrey ki talaashi le kar wo nikaah naama bar-aamad kar liya tha.
Magar ye sab kab hua tha……….? Ye wo sawaal tha, jis ka jawaab wo nahin dhoond paa raha tha.
Jo bhi tha, Imama ke liye uski na pasandeedgi mein Pakistan se America aate hue kuch aur azaafa ho gaya tha, Yake-baad-deegrey wo uske hathon zik uthane par majboor hua tha aur ab wo pachtaata tha ke usne is tamaam maamle mein Imama ki madad kaise ki. Baaz dafa use hairaani hoti thi ke aakhir wo Imama jaisi ladki se madad karne par tayyar kaise ho gaya tha aur is had tak madad ke………………
Wo ab in tamaam waqe’aat ke barey mein sochte hue bhi koft mehsoos karta tha. Aakhir main ne uski madad kyun ki jab ke mujhe ye karna chahiye tha ke uske raabta karne par main Waseem ko, uske waldain ko ya khud apne waldain ko is saare maamle ke barey mein bata deta ya phir Jalaal ke barey mein unhein bata deta ya phir uske kehne par uske sath sirey se nikaah karta hi na ya use ghar se faraar hone mein to kabhi is tarah madad na karta.
Baaz dafa use lagta ke jaise wo kisi chote bachche ki tarah uske haathon istemaal hua tha. Itni farmaan-bardaari, itni taabey-daari aakhir kyun………? Jab ke wo uske sath koi talluq ya waasta nahin rakhti thi aur wo kisi tarah se bhi uski madad karne par majboor nahin tha.
Ab use wo sab kuch ek adventure se zyada himaaqat lagta tha. Wo kisi psychologist ki tarah Imama ke barey mein apne rawaiyye ka tajziya karta aur mutmayin ho jata.
“Joon joon waqt guzarta jayega wo mukammal taur par mere zahen se nikal jayegi na bhi nikli tab bhi mujhe kya farq padega.” Wo sochta.
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Shabana Mukhtar