Jakarta say safar shroo hua aur sab bahut energy may thay. Mujh say Pakistan kay baaray may bahut sawal kiye. Culture, Food, Education, Politics koi topic na chora. May bhi enjoy kar raha tha. Rastay may har tarah ka snack aur fruit khaya. Aisa aisa fruit jis ka kabhi naam bhi na suna tha. Kuch fruits bahut achay lagay, kuch nahayat buray.. Haha. Un may say ek fruit Durian hay. Yeh Indonesia may bahot pasand kia jaata hay.. Nahayat badbudaar aur taseer may garam. Yeh mujhay bilkul pasand nahi aaya.. Aur woh sab mujh per hanstay thay. Dry fruit bhi tarah tarah kay thay… phir kaiyon ka to may nay naam bhi na suna tha. Chaat kisam ki cheezain bhi khaiyin. Pehli dafa zindagi may Peelay rang ka tarbooz bhi khaya.. Kaylon ki itni iqsaam, aam bhi har qisam kay aur aik cheez jahan jahan bhi jao bandar aap kay peechay peechay. Boring to kaheen say bhi nahi tha. Meray liye to sab interesting tha. Koi 14 ghantay kay safar kay baad hum Sumatera pohunch gaye. Sumatera ponchtay hi sab uth kar baith gaye aur unhon nay sukoon ka saans liya jaisay banda ghar aa jaata hay. Sab ko bhook lag gayee to kaha keh kia Sumatera ka khana khao gay. May nay kaha kiyoun nahi. Bus stop per ruki to waheen ek restaurant may gaey (jo hamaray kisi dhabay style ka keh saktay hain). Unhon nay ek bari table hamain laga kar di. Ab aagay jo hua woh bilkul hi kamal tha.. Yeh duniya may mainay kabhi nahi dekha. Taqreeban 30 min baad unhon nay khana lana shroo kia. Taqreeban 40 dishes. Mainay kaha itna khana kiyoun mangwa liya.. Kon khatam karay ga…. To bataya gaya kay Sumatera kay tradition may jab aap restaurant jaatay hain to menu may say choose kar kay nahi batatay kay kia khana hay, woh menu ka her item la kar saja detay hain aur aap ko jo jo chahye hota hay woh aap lay letay hain… dur waiter aap ki table check karta rehta hay.. Jaisay hi aap nay kisi dongay ko touch kia, woh donga bill may count ho gaya… may nay kaha yeh ajeeb mantaq hay...meray liye bahut naya tha sab kuch.. Canada dekhnay kay baad agar koi yeh kahay kay mainay duniya dekhi hay to woh yaqeenan ghalat hay. Khanay ka menu mashallah… mujhay to koi cheez khanay ki himmat nahi ho rahi thi… roast murghi to thi hi per gaye ki dum ka soup, octopus curry, squid curry, crabs, prawns, shrimps, fried rice, tempeh (fermented soybean), rice, and kirpuk (jo hamaray papar ki tarah tha). Aur bhi bahut kuch tha jo may bhool gaya hoon. Kitni qismon ki chatniyan… soya sauce to thi hi, per sambal sauce, mong phali ki chatni, podeenay ki, coconut ki.. Kuch aur bhi theen jin ko try karnay ki himmat nahi hui.
Khana khanay kay baad Bus phir chal pari aur phir hum Padang ja kar hi utray. Wahan hamain Kulthum ki sab say bari behn apni family kay saath mili aur phir hum ek aur bus may sawar huay. Aagay ka rasta taqreeban ek aadh ghanta hi ho ga. Raat ko taqreeban 11 bajay hum Kulthum kay Abu Ammi kay ghar pahunch gaey.
Us kay Abu jo meray abu say umar may kaafi baray thay, bahar receive karnay aai, galay lagaya aur haath pakar kar ander lay gaye. Ghar may khoob hungama macha hua tha. Kulthum ki behnon kay bachay idhar udher bhaag rahay thay. Us ki behnon nay khoob shor machaya hua tha.. Lagta tha kafi arsay baad ek doosray say sab ikathay milay thay. Sab behnain us ki ammi kay aas paas baithay thay aur woh sab ko baari baari duain day rahi thi. May Kulthum kay abu aur brother in laws kay saath baitha tha. Woh sab apni apni tooti phooti angrezi may kuch poochtay… may samajhnay ki koshish karta.. Phir jo samajh aata… us kay hisab say jawab day deta. Phir sab logon nay Ammi ka poocha aur sab ghar walon nay fatiha parhi. Phir ek udham mach gaya kay khana lagao… haha.. Ghar may full gehma gehmi aur qahqay…bachay baar baar aa kar mujh per apni angrezi try kartay. Khair khana lag gaya… mera to bilkul mood nahi tha.. Abhi pichla hi hazm nahi hua tha per phir bhi thora sa kha liya taakay bura na lagay. Kulthum kay abu, jin ka naam Nyoto tha, nay poocha kay abhi kia karna hay… mainay kaha nahana hay … sab zor daar qahqa laganay lagay… mainay kaha kuch ghalat keh diya… kulthum boli… nikah kay baaray may pooch rahay hain….may nay kaha karna kia hay nikah karna hay…. Sab phir hansay… you can never win when there are a bunch of women in the room. Phir Kulthum ki ammi nay kaha kay is ko fresh honay do.. Yeh baatain baad may bhi ho sakti hain.
May naha dho kar kapray change kar kay ek kamray may gaya jahan unhon mera intezam kia hua tha. Mera sath koi 4,5 bachay bhi usi kamray may thay jo sonay ka naam na letay thay.. Un ki excitement hi khatm nahi hoti thi.. Khair Bistar per girtay hi mujhay to neend aa gayee. Shayad us raat koi khwab bhi nahi aaya, itna thak gaya tha.
Subah sawaray fajr ki azaan hui to ek dam aankh khul gaee, aisa lagta tha kay jaisay masjid bilkul qareeb hi hay. Ankh khuli, jaisay hi palat kar dekha to kulthum khari di haath may pani ka glass liye...may darr gaya.. Mainay kaha yeh kia tareeqa hay… lol… kehnay lagi pani ka glass rakhnay aai thi per tum uth gaey to mainay kaha haath may hi dekar jaati hoon. May nay kahan bed tea ka to suna tha yeh bed water pehli dafa dekh raha hoon..Khair pani piya wuzu kia aur namaz parhi. Kaha masjid qareeb hay, to may waheen chala jata hoon, per Kulthum ki ammi nay mana kar diya keh akalay nahi jaanay doongi. Namaz kay baad phir layt gia… sab kay sab so rahay thay. Taqreeban 9 bajay, saaray ghar may phir gehma gehmi shroo ho gaee. Kitchen may naashtay ban rahay thay, bachay sab tv kay samnay lagay huay thay. Jaisa mainay pehlay bataya tha kay Kulthum ki ammi ki kitab rent karnay ki dukan thi.. Woh ghar may hi khol rakhi thi.. Muhallay kay bachay bhi aai huay thay… woh shelf kay aagay kharay kitaabon ko select karnay may lagay huay thay. Phir unhon nay kitabain choose keen aur Kulthum ki ammi ko paisay diye aur lay gaye. Yeh kitabain woh ek haftay kay liye rent kartay thay. Kulthum ki ek behn bahut sari nayee kitbain Jakarta say lay aai thi aur woh baithi un per cover charha rahi thi taakay woh shelf may add kar sakay. Ek behn kitchen may naashta bana rahi thi. Brother in Laws bahir dhoop sekh rahay thay. Kulthum kay abu akhbar parhnay may masroof thay. Har 5-10 min baad koi muhallay ka banda aata aur Kulthum ki ammi ko hazri deta. Kuch cheezain discuss hoteen (jo mujhay nahi pata tha kis baaray may theen) aur phir woh banday chalay jaatay. Mujhay yeh sab bahut acha lag raha tha… bilkul purani indian filmon jaisa.
Nashta lag gaya… sab baray log table per baithay.. Sab bachay zameen per dastarkhwan laga baithay. Kulthum ki ammi hamaray saath na baitheen. Kulthum nay bataya kay woh subah saweray naashta kar leti hain un ko late nashta karna acha nahi lagta. Nashtay per ek hi topic tha. Kulthum aur mera Nikah.
