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.
Pakistan aane ke baad Islamabad apni posting ke dauraan wo Sikandar Usman ke ghar par hi rehta raha. Lahore aane ke baad bhi kisi posh ilaaqey mein koi bada ghar rehaaish ke liye muntakhab karne ki bajaye usne Furqan ki building mein ek flat kiraye par lene ko tarjeeh di.
Furqan ke paas flat lemne ki ek wajah agar ye thi ke wo Lahore mein apni adam maujoodgi ke dauran flat ke barey mein adam tahaffuz ka shikaar nahin hota tha to dusri wajah ye bhi thi ke flat ki bajaye koi ghar lene par use 2-4 mulaazim mustaqil taur par rakhne padte jab ke uska bahot kam waqt flat par guzarta tha. Furqan ke sath aahista aahista Lahore mein uska social circle bahot wasee hone laga tha. Furqan bahot social aadmi tha aur uska halqa-e-ahbaab bhi khaasa lamba chauda tha. Wo Salar ke mood aur temprament ko samajhne ke bawajood use waqtan fawaqtan apne saath mukhtalif jaghon par kheenchta rehta.
Wo us raat Furqan ke sath uske kisi doctor dost ki ek party aur mehfil ghazal mein shirkat ke liye gaya tha. Wo ek farm par hone wali party thi. Usne Salar ko mad’oo kar liya aur mehfil-e-ghazal ka sun kar wo inkaar nahin kar saka.
Farm par shaher ki elite class ka ijtemaa tha. Wo un mein se aksariyat ko jaanta tha. Wo apne shanaasa kuch logon ke sath baatein karne laga. Dinner chal raha tha aur in hi baaton ke dauraan usne Furqan ki talash mein nazar daudaai thi jo kahin nazar nahin aa raha tha. Salar ek baar phir khane mein masroof ho gaya. Khane ke baad use chand logon ke sath Furqan khada nazar aa gaya. Wo bhi us taraf badh aaya.
“Aao Salar! Main tumhara ta’aruf karwata hoon.” Furqan ne uske qareeb aane par chand jumlon ke tabaadley ke baad kaha. “Ye Dr Raza hain. Ganga Ram hospital mein kaam karte hain. Child specialist hain.” Salar ne hath milaya.
“Ye Dr Jalaal Ansar hain.” Salar ko us shakhs se ta’aruf ki zarurat nahin thi. Furqan ba kya keh raha tha wo sun nahin paaya. Usne Jalaa Ansar ki taraf hath badha diya. Donon ke darmiyaan bahot rasmi sa musaafha hua. Jalaal ne bhi yaqeenan use pehchaan liya tha.
Salar wahan ek achi shaam guzaarney aaya tha magar us waqt use mehsoos hua ke wo ek aur buri raat guzarney aaya tha. Yaadon ka ek sailaab tha jo ek baar phir har band tod kar us par chadhayi kar raha tha. Wo sab us taraf jaa rahe the jahan baithney ka intezaam kiya gaya tha. Uske sath ab Furqan tha. Jalaal Ansar ab usse kuch aagey dusrey doctors ke sath tha. Salar ne sutey hue chehrey ke sath uski pusht ko dekha.
Dasht-e-tanhaai mein aye jaan-e-jahaan
Larzaan hain
Teri aawaz ke saaye
Tere honton ke saraab
Iqbal Bano gaana shuru kar chuki thin.
Dasht-e-tanhaai mein
Doori ke
Khas-o-khaashaak taley
Khil rahe hain
Tere pehlu ke suman aur gulaab
Uske ird gird baithey log apna sar dhun rahe the. Salar chand tables ke faasley par baithey hue us shakhs ko dekh raha tha jo apne sath baithe hue logon ke sath khush gappiyon mein masroof tha. Use zindagi mein kabhi kisi shakhs ko dekh kar rashka nahin aaya tha, us din pehli baar aa raha tha.
Aadha ghanta guzar jaaney ke baad usne Furqan se kaha.
“Chalein?” Furqan ne chaunk kar use dekha.
“kahan………?
“Ghar………..”
“Abhi to program shuru hua hai. Tumhein bataya to tha, raat der tak ye mehfil chalegi.”
“Haan, magar main jaana chahta hoon. Kisi ke sath bhijwa do. Tum baad mein aa jaana.”
Furqan ne uske chehrey ko ghaur se dekha.
“Tum kyun jaana chahte ho?”
“Mujhe ek zaruri kaam yaad aa gaya hai.” Usne muskuraney ki koshish ki.
“Iqbal Bano ko sunte hue bhi koi dusra kaam yaad aa gaya hai?” Furqan ne qadrey malaamati andaz mein kaha.
“Tum baitho main chala jaata hoon.” Salar ne jawaab mein kuch kehne ki bajaye khadey hote hue kaha.
“Ajeeb baatein karte ho. Yahan se kaise jaogey. Farm itna dur hai. Chalo agar itni hi jaldi hai to chalte hain.” Furqan bhi uth kar khada ho gaya.
Mezbaan se ijaazat lete hue wo donon Furqan ki gaadi mein aa baithey.
“Ab bataon. Yun achanak kya hua hai?” Gaadi ko farm se bahar laate hue Furqan ne kaha.
“Mera wahan thaherney ko dil nahin chah raha tha.”
“Kyun………?” Salar ne jawaab nahin diya. Wo bahar sadak ko dekhta raha.
“Wahan se uth aane ki wajah Jalaal hai?”
Salar ne bey ikhteyaar gardan mod kar Furqan ko dekha. Furqan ne ek gehra saans liya.
“Yaani mera andaza theek hai. Tum Jalaal Ansar ki wajah se hi function se bhaag aaye ho.”
“Tumhein kaise pata chala?” Salar ne hathiyaar daalney wale andaz mein kaha.
“Tum donon badey ajeeb andaz mein aapas mein miley the. Jalaal Ansar ne khilaf-e-maamul tumhein koi ahmiyat nahi di jab ke tumhare jaisi shohrat wale banker ke saamne to us jaise aadmi ko khul uthna chahiye tha. Wo talluqaat banane ka koi mauqa zaaye nahin karta, khud tum bhi musalsal use dekh rahe the.” Furqan bahot aaram se keh raha tha.
“Tum Jalaal Ansar ko jaante ho?”
Salar ne gardan sidhi kar li. Wo ek baar phir sadak ko dekh raha tha.
“Imama usi shakhs se shadi karna chahti thi.” Bahot der baad usne maddham awaz mein kaha. Furqan kuch bol nahin saka. Use tawaqqo nahin thi Jalaal aur Salar ke darmiyaan is tarah ki shanasaai hogi, warna wo shayad ye sawaal kabhi na karta.
Gaadi mein bahot der khamushi rahi phir Furqan ne hi us khamushi ko toda.
“Mujhe ye jaan kar maayusi hui hai ke wo Jalaal jaise aadmi ke sath shadi karna chahti thi. Ye to bada khurraant aadmi hai. Ham log usko “Qasaai” kehte hain. Uski waahid dilchaspi paisa hai. Mareez kaise laa kar dega, kahan se laa kar dega, use dilchaspi nahin hoti. Tum dekha 8 saal mein ye isi raftaar se paisa kaamtey hue Lahore ka sab se ameer doctor hoga.”
Furqan ab Jalaal Ansar ke barey mein tabsara kar raha tha. Salar khamushi se sun raha tha. Ab Furqan ne apni baat khatm kar li to us ne kaha.
“Is ko qismat kehte hain.”
“Tumhein us par rashk aa raha hai?” Furqan ne hairaani se kaha.
“Hasad to main kar nahin sakta.” Salar ajeeb andaz mein muskuraya. “Ye jo kuch tum mujhe uske barey mein bata rahe ho, ye sab kuch mujhe bahot saal pehle pata tha. Tab hi jab main Imama ke silsiley mein usse mila tha. Ye kaisa doctor banne wala tha mujhe andaza tha magar aaj function mein use dekh kar mujhe us par bey tahaasha rashk aaya. Kuch bhi nahin hai uske paas. Maamuli shakl-o-surat hai, khaandaan bhi khaas nahin hai, is jaise hazaaron doctors hote hain. Laalchi, maadda parast, magar qismat dekho ke Imama Hashim jaisi ladki uske ishq mein mubtala hui. Uske peechey khwaar hoti phiri. Main aur tum use qasaai keh lein, kuch bhi keh lein, sirf hamari baaton se to uski qismat nahin badal jayegi na uski na meri.”
Usne baat adhuri chhod di. Furqan ne uske chehrey ko dhuvaan dhuvaan hote dekha.
“Koi na koi to khoobi hogi us mein ke………ke Imama Hashim ko aur kisi se nahin sirf usi se mohabbat hui.” Wo ab apni aankhon ko masal raha tha.
“Mujhe agar pata hota ke tumhari mulaqaat yahan Jalaal Ansar se hogi to main tumhein kabhi apne sath na laata.” Furqan ne gaadi drive karte hue kaha.
“Mujhe bhi agar ye pata hota ke main yahan uska saamna karunga to main bhi kisi qeemat par yahan na aata.” Salar ne wind screen se nazar aane wali taarik sadak ko dekhte hue afsurdagi se socha.
Kuch aur safar bey had khamushi se tay hua phir Furqan ne ek baar phir use mukhaatib kiya.
“Tum ne use kabhi dhundney ki koshish nahin ki?”
“Imama ko………? ye mumkin nahin hai.”
“Kyun?”
“Main use kaise dhund sakta hoon. Kai saal pehle ek baar main ne koshish ki thi koi fayda nahin hua aur ab………. Ab to ye aur bhi mushkil hai.”
“Tum news paper ki madad le sakte ho.”
“Ishtehaar doon uske barey mein?” Salar ne qadrey khafgi se kaha.“Wo to pata nahin miley ya na miley laikin uske ghar wale mujh tak zarur pahonch jayenge. Shak to unko mujh par pehle bhi tha aur farz karo main aisa kuch kar bhi loon to news paper mein kya ishtehaar doon, kya kahun?” usne sar jhataktey hue kaha.
“Phir use bhul jao.” Furqan ne badi sahulat se kaha.
“Koi saans lena bhul sakta hai?” usne turki ba turki kaha.
“Salar! Ab bahot saal guzar gaye hain. Tum aakhir kitni der is tarah is laa haasil ishq mein mubtala rahoge? Tumhein apni zindagi ko dobara plan karna chahiye. Tum apni saari zindagi Imama Hashim ke liye to zaaye nahin kar sakte.”
“Main kuch bhi zaaye nahin kar raha hoon. Na zindagi ko, na waqt ko na apne aap ko. Main agar Imama Hashim ko yaad rakhe hue hoon to sirf isliye kyun ke main use bhula nahin sakta. Ye mere bas mein nahin hai. Mujhe uske barey mein sochne se bahot takleef hoti hai laikin main is takleef ka aadi ho chuka hoon. Wo meri puri zindagi ko dominate karti hai. Wo meri zindagi mein na aati to main aaj yahan Pakistan mein tumhare sath na baitha hota. Salar Sikandar kahin aur hota ya shayad hota hi na. mujhe par uska bahot qarz hai. Jis aadmi ke maqrooz hon usko chutki se pakad kar apni zindagi se koi bahar nahin kar sakta. Main bhi nahin kar sakta.” Salar ne do tok andaz mein kaha.
“Farz karo dobara na miley phir………?” Furqan ne uski baat ke jawaab mein kaha. Yak lakht gaadi mein khamushi chha gayi. Bahot der baad Salar ne kaha.
“Mere paas is sawaal ka koi jawaab nahin hai. Kisi aur mauzoo par baat karte hain.” Us ne badi sahulat se baat badal di.
Next episode:
https://theothermeunfolded.com/blog/peer-e-kaamil-roman-urdu-umera-ahmed-episode-137/
Prev episode:
https://theothermeunfolded.com/blog/peer-e-kaamil-roman-urdu-umera-ahmed-episode-135/
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Until next time, happy reading!
~~~
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Shabana Mukhtar