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.
“Kahan chale gaye the tum?” Saad use dekhte hi chillaya. Wo kuch kahe baghair andar chala aaya.
“Main tum se kuch pooch raha hoon.” Saad ne darwaza band kar ke uske peeche aa gaya. Salar apni jacket utaar raha tha.
“Kahin nahin gaya tha.” Usne jacket latkaatey hue kaha.
“Tumhein pata hai ke main ne tumhein kitna talaash kiya hai, kahan kahan phone kiye hain aur ab to main itna pareshaan ho chuka tha ke police ko phone karne wala tha………. tum aakhir is tarah namaaz chod kar gaye kahan the?”
Salar kuch kahe baghair apne joggers utaarney laga.
“Main ne tumhein bataya hai, kahin nahin.”
“To phir ab tak kahan the?” Saad uske saamne aa kar khada ho gaya.
“Wahin tha, masjid ke pichey hisse mein footpath par.” Usne itmenaan se kaha.
“What! Itne ghantey tum wahan footpath par barf mein baithe rahe ho?” Saad dam bakhud reh gaya.
“Haan!”
“Koi tum banti hai is harkat ki?” wo jhallaya.
“Nahin, koi tuk nahin banti.” Salar ne bed par seedha let’tey hue kaha.
“Kuch khaya hai?”
“Nahin.”
“To khana kha lo.”
“Nahin, bhook nahin hai.” Wo ab chhat par nazrein jamaaye hue tha. Saad uske qareeb bed par baith gaya.
“Tumhare sath aakhir mas’ala kya hai? Bata sakte ho mujhe.” Salar ne gardan ko halki si harkat de kar use dekha.
“Koi mas’ala nahin hai.” Be ta’assur lehje mein kaha gaya.
“Main samjha, tum apne apartment chale gaye ho, magar waha baar baar ring karne par bhi tum nahin mile.” Saad badbada raha tha. Salar ki nazrein chhat par hi thin.
“Usse behtar tha ke main tumhein apne sath namaaz padhne le kar hi na jaata. Aayinda mere sath mat jaana tum.” Saad ne naraazi se kaha. Wo ab uske bed se uth gaya tha. Kuch der tak wo apne kaam nibtaata raha phir wo night bulb on kar ke apne bed par let gaya. Usne abhi aankhein band ki thin, jab usne Salar ki aawaz suni.
“Saad!”
“Haan?” usne aankhein khol din.
“Ye siraat-e-mustaqeem kya hota hai?”
Saada lehje mein puche gaye sawaal ne Saad ko hairaan kar diya. Usne gardan mod kar bayen jaanib bed par seedha let’tey hue Salar ko dekha.
“Sirat-e-mustaqeem……… Seedhe raaste ko kehte hain.”
“Jaanta hoon magar seedha raasta kya hota hai?” Agla sawaal aaya.
Saad ne uski taraf karwat le li. “Seedha raasta…….. matlab neki ka raasta……….”
“Neki kya hoti hai?” lehja ab bhi be ta’assur tha.
“Ache kaam ko neki kehte hain.”
“Acha kaam………… koi aisa kaam jo kisi dusre ke liye kiya gaya ho. Kisi ki madad ki gayi ho. Kisi ki madad ki gayi ho, kisi par maherbaani ki gayi ho, wo acha kaam hota hai aur har acha kaam neki hoti hai.”
“Abhi kuch ghantey pehle main ne footpath par ek hooker ko 50 dollar diye, jab ke wo sirf 30 dollar maang rahi thi. Iska matlab hai ye neki hui?”
Saad ka dil chaha wo ek ghoonsa uske munh par kheench maare, wo ajeeb aadmi tha.
“Bakwas band karo aur so jao, mujhe bhi sone do” Usne kambal lapet liya.
Salar ko hairat hui, wo kis baat par hairaan hua tha. “To ye neki nahin hui?”
“Main ne tum se kaha hai, apna munh band karo aur so jao.” Saad ek baar phir dahaada.
“Itna naraaz hone ki zaroorat to nahin hai, main ne tum se ek bahot maamuli sa sawaal kiya hai.” Salar ne bade tahammul se kaha.
Saad ek dam mushtail hote hue uth kar bed par baith gaya. Usne lamp on kar diya.
“Tumhare jaise aadmi ko main kya siraat-e-mustaqeem samjhaun. Kya tum pagal ho ya jaahil ho………. Ya ghair muslim ho………. Kya ho……… kuch bhi nahin ho tumhein khud pata hona chahiye ke siraat-e-mustaqeem kya hota hai magar tum jaisa aadmi jo masjid mein namaaz padhte hue namaaz darmiyaan mein chod kar chala aata hai, wo kaise jaan sakta hai ye.”
“Main namaaz isliye chod kar chala aaya kyun ke tum kehte ho us mein sukoon milega, mujhe sukoon nahin mila, main chod aaya.” Uske pur sukoon andaaz mein kahe hue jumley ne Saad ko mazeed mushtail kar diya.
“Tumhein namaaz mein isliye sukoon nahin mila kyun ke masjid tumhari jagah nahin hai, tumhare liye sukoon ki jaghein cinema, theater, bar aur club hain. Masjid tumhare liye nahin hai. Tumhein namaaz mein sukoon kaha se mil jaata……… aur tum chahte ho main tumhein bataun siraat-e-mustaqeem kya hota hai.”
Wo bed par seedha leta palkein jhapkaaye baghair Saad ko dekhta raha.
“Tumhare jaisa shakhs jo namaaz se bhaag jaata hai, sharaab peeta hai aur zina karta hai. Wo siraat-e-mustaqeem ke matlab ko samajh sakta hai na us par aa sakta hai.”
“Tumhara matlab hai jo sharaab peete hain aur zina karte hain magar namaaz se bhaagte nahin, namaaz bhi padh lete hain, wo siraat-e-mustaqeem ka matlab samajhte hain aur siraat-e-mustaqeem par hain?”
Saad kuch na bol saka. Maddham aawaz aur be ta’assur lehje mein kiye gaye ek hi sawaal ne use khamoosh kar diya tha. Salar ab bhi usi tarah use dekh raha tha.
“Tum in cheezon ko nahin samajh sakte Salar!” usne kuch der khamoosh rehne ke baad kaha. Salar ke kaanon mein ek jhamaakey ke sath ek dusri aawaz goonj uthi thi.
“Haan, main waqai nahin samajh sakta. Light off kar do, mujhe neend aa rahi hai.” Usne mazeed kuch kahe baghair aankhein band kar lein.
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Shabana Mukhtar