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.
Gehri neend ke aalam mein Salar ne khatke ki aawaz suni thi phir wo aawaz dastak mein tabdeel ho gayi thi. Ruk ruk kar………… magar musalsal ki jaane wali dastak……. wo aundhe munh pet ke bal so raha tha. Dastak ki us aawaz ne uski neend tod di thi.
Wo uth kar baith gaya aur bed par baithe baithe usne taareeki mein apne chaaron taraf dekhne ki koshish ki. Khauf ki ek laher uske andar saraayat kar gayi. Wo aawaz khidkiyon ki taraf se aa rahi thi. Yun jaise koi un khidkiyon ko baja raha tha magar bahot aahista aahista……… ya phir shayad koi un khidkiyon ko tatoltey hue kholne ki koshish kar raha tha. Salar ke zahen mein pehla khayaal kisi chor ka aaya tha, wo sliding windows thin aur bad qismati se wahan koi grill nahin thi. Uski zaroorat isliye mehsoos nahin ki gayi thi kyun ke wo imported glass ki bani hui thin jinhein aasani se toda ya kaata nahin ja sakta tha aur unhein sirf andar se khola ja sakta tha. Ghar ke chaaron taraf maujood lawn mein waise bhi raat ko kutte khule hote the aur unke sath 3 guards bhi hote the……… Magar in tamaam hifaazati aqdaamaat ke bawajood is waqt us khidki ke dusri taraf maujood chote se bar-aamdey mein koin maujood tha jo us khidki ko kholne ki koshish mein masroof tha.
Apne bed se dabey qadmon uth kar wo taareeki mein hi khidki ki taraf aaya jis taraf se aawaz aa rahi thi. Wo uske bilkul mukhaalif simt gaya aur bahot ehteyaat ke saath usne pardey ke ek sirey ko thoda sa uthaate hue khidki se bahar jhaanka. Lawn mein lagi raushniyon mein usne khidki ke saamne jise dekha tha, usne use hakka bakka kar diya tha.
“Ye pagal hai!” be-ikhteyaar uske munh se nikla. Is waqt agar lawn mein phirte 4 ghair mulki nasl ke kutte use dekh lete to Salar ya kisi bhi dusre ke pahonchnese pehle wo use cheer phaad chuke hote aur agar kahin guards mein se kisi ne use wahan dekha hota to bhi wo tafteesh ya tehqeeq par waqt zaaya karne se pehle use shoot kar chuke hote magar wo is waqt bilkul mehfooz wahan khadi thi aur yaqeenan apne ghar ki diwaar phalaang kar yahan aayi thi.
Hont bheenchte hue usne kamrey ki light on ki. Light on hote hi dastak ki aawaz ruk gayi. Kutte ke bhonkne ki aawaz aa rahi thi. Pardey kheenchte hi usne sliding window ko hata diya.
“Andar aao jaldi.” Salar ne tezi se Imama se kaha. Wo kuch nervous ho kar khidki se andar aa gayi. Uske hath mein ek bag bhi thi.
Pardey barabar karte hi Salar ne mud kar usse kaha.
“For God’s sake Imama! Tum pagal ho?”Imama ne jawaab mein kuch nahin kaha. Wo apna bag apne pairon mein rakh rahi thi.
“Tum diwaar cross kar ke aayi ho?”
“haan?”
“Tumhein guards ya kutton mein se koi dekh leta to……….. Is waqt bahar tumhari laash padi hoti.”
“Main ne tumhein bahot dafa ring kiya tha, tumhara mobile off tha, koi dusra raasta nahin tha mere paas.”
Salar ne pehli baar uska chehra ghaur se dekha. Uski aankhein sooji hui aur chehra sata hua tha. Wo badi si safed chaadar lapetey hue thi magar us chaadar aur uske kapdon par jagah jagah mitti ke daagh the.
“Tum mujhe Lahore chod kar aa sakte ho?” wo kamrey ke wast mein khadi usse pooch rahi thi.
“Is waqt?” usne hairaani se pucha.
“Haan, abhi isi waqt. Mere paas zyada waqt nahin hai.”
Salar ne tajjub ke aalam mein wall clock par ek nazar daali. “Wakeel ne tumhare ghar phone kiya tha, tumhara mas’ala hal nahin hua?”
Imama ne nafi mein sar hila diya. “Nahin, wo log mujhe subah kahin bhijwa rahe hain. Main tumhein isi liye saara din phone karti rahi magar tum ne mobile on nahin kiya. Main chahti thi tum wakeel se kaho ke wo bailiff ke saath aa kar mujhe waha se aazad karaye magar tum se contact nahin hua aur kal agar tum se contact hota bhi to kuch nahin ho sakta tha kyun ke wo log usse pehle hi mujhe shift kar dete aur ye zaroori to nahin mujhe ye pata hota ke wo mujhe kahan shift kar rahe hain.”
Salar ne jamaahi li. Use neend aa rahi thi. “Tum baith jao.” Usne Imama se kaha. Wo abhi tak khadi thi.
“Tum mujhe agar Lahore nahin pahoncha sakte to kam az kam bus stand tak pahoncha do, main waha se khud Lahore chali jaungi.”
Usne Salar ko neend mein dekh kar kaha. “Mera andaza hai ke is waqt to koi gaadi Lahore nahin ja rahi hogi. Main tumhein subah………”
Imama ne uski baat kaat di. “Nahin, subah nahin. Main subah tak yahan se nikal jana chahti hoon. Agar Lahore ki gaadi nahin mili to main kisi aur shaher ki gaadi mein baith jaungi phir waha se Lahore chali jaungi.”
“Tum baitho to sahi.” Salar ne usse ek baar phir kaha. Wo ek lamhe ke liye hichkichaayi phir sofe par ja kar baith gayi. Salar apne bed ki payenti par baith gaya.
“Lahore tum kahan jaogi?”
“Jalaal ke paas”
“Magar wo to tum se shadi se inkaar kar chuka hai.”
“Main phir bhi uske paas jaungi, use mujh se mohabbat hai. Wo mujh ko is tarah be-yaar-o-madadgaar nahin chod sakta. main usse aur uske ghar walon se request karungi. Main jaanti hoon wo meri baat maan lenge, wo meri surat-e-haal ko samajh lenge.”
“Paper marriage hai wo…….. Main ne tumhein bataya tha ke main majbooran nikaah kar rahi hoon, shadi to nahin hai ye.”
Wo palkein jhapkaye baghair use badi gehri nazron se dekhta raha. “Tum jaanti ho, main aaj Lahore gaya tha Jalaal ke paas.”
Imama ke chahre par ek rang aa kar guzar gaya. “Tum ne use meri pareshani aur surat-e-haal ke barey mein bataya?”
“Nahin.” Salar ne nafi mein sar hil diya.
“Kyun?”
“Jalaal ne shadi kar li hai.” Salar ne laparwahi se kaandhe jhatakte hue kaha. Wo saans lena bhool gayi. Palkein jhapkaye baghair wo kisi but ki tarah use dekhne lagi.
“3 din ho gaye hain uski shadi ko, kal parson tak wo sair-o-tafreeh ke liye nothern areas ki taraf ja raha hai. Usne meri koi baat sunne se pehle hi mujhe ye sab kuch batana shuru kar diya tha. Shayad wo chahta tha ke main ab tumhare barey mein baat na karun. Uski biwi bhi doctor hai.” Salar baat karte karte ruk gaya. “ Mera khayaal hai ke uske ghar walon ne tumhare mas’aley ki wajah se hi uski shadi is tarah achanak ki hai.” Wo yake-baad-deegrey jhoot par jhoot bolta ja raha tha.
“Mujhe yaqeen nahin aa raha.” Jaise kisi khalaa se uski aawaz aayi.
“Haan mujhe bhi yaqeen nahin aa raha tha aur mujhe tawaqqo thi ke tumhein bhi yaqeen nahin aayega magar ye sach hai. Tum phone kar ke usse baat kar sakti ho is barey mein.” Salar ne kandhe jhatakte hue laparwahi se kaha.
Imama ko laga wo pehli baar saheeh maanon mein ghup andhere mein aa khadi hui hai. Raushni ki wo kiran jis ke ta’aqub mein wo itna arsaa chalti aayi hai, ek dam gul ho gayi hai. Raasta to ek taraf, wo apne wajood ko bhi nahin dekh paa rahi thi.
“Ab tum khud soch lo ke Lahore ja kar tum kya karogi. Wo to ab tum se shadi kar sakta hai, na uske ghar wale tumhein panaah de sakte hain. Behtar hai tum wapas chali jao, abhi tumhare ghar walon ko pata nahin chala hoga.”
Imama ne kahin bahot door se Salar ki aawaz aati suni. Wo kuch na samajhne wale andaaz mein uska chehra dekhti rahi.
“Mujhe lahore chod aao.” Wo badbadayi.
“Jalaal ke paas jaogi?”
“Nahin, uske paas nahin jaungi magar main apne ghar nahin reh sakti.”
Wo ek dam sofe se uth khadi hui. Salar ne ek saans le kar uljhan bhari nazron se use dekha.
“Ya phir mujhe gate tak chod aao, main khud chali jati hoon. Tum chaukidaar se kaho wo mujhe bahar jane de.” Usne bag utha liya.
“Tumhein andaaza hai ke yahan se bus stand kitni door hai. Itni dhund aur sardi mein tum paidal waha tak ja sakogi?”
“Jab aur kuch nahin raha mere paas to dhund aur sardi se mujhe kya hoga.” Salar ne use geeli aankhon ke sath muskurate hue dekha tha. Wo apne hath ki pusht se apni aankhon ko ragad rahi thi. Salar uske sath kahin jane ka irada nahin rakhta tha. Lahore to bahot door ki baat thi, use neend bhi aa rahi thi aur wo saamne khadi ladki ko na pasand bhi karta tha.
“Thehro, main chalta hoon tumhare sath.” Wo nahin jaanta uski zabaan se wo jumla kyun aur kaise nikla.
Imama ne use dressing room ki taraf jaate dekha. Wo kuch der baad nikla to shab khwaabi ke libaas ki bajaye ek jeans aur sweater mein malboos tha. Apne bed ki side table se usne key chain aur ghadi ke sath sath apna wallet bhi uthaya. Imama ke qareeb aa kar usne bag lene ke liye hath badhaya.
“Nahin, main khud utha lungi”
“Utha leta hoon.” Usne bag le kar kaandhe par daal diya. Wo dono aage piche chalte hue porch mein aa gaye. Salar ne uske liye front seat ka darwaza khola tha aur bag ko pichli seat par rakh diya.
Gaadi gate ki taraf aate dekh kar chaukidaar ne khud hi gate khol diya tha magar uske qareeb se guzarte hue Salar ne uski aankhon mein us hairat ko dekh liya tha jo uski nazron mein raat ke is waqt front seat par baithi hui Imama ko dekh kar aayi thi. Yaqeenan wo hairaan hua hoga ke wo ladki is waqt is ghar mein kahan se aayi thi.
“Tum mujhe bus stand par chodoge?” Main road par aaye hi Imama ne usse pucha. Salar ne ek nazar gardan mod kar use dekha.
“Nahin, main tumhein Lahore le ja raha hoon.” Uski nazrein sadak par markooz thin.
Next episode:
https://theothermeunfolded.com/blog/peer-e-kaamil-roman-urdu-umera-ahmed-episode-73/
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Shabana Mukhtar