Kuch din ghar farigh raha. Jab ab ek taweel arsay tak roz ghanton kaam karnay kay aadi hon to ghar baithna bahut ajeeb lagta hay. Ab sochnay laga kay agay kia karnay hay is say pehlay kay qarz daar paison ka taqaza karnay lag parain. Abhi koi 3-4 din hi guzray hongay kay Faisal ka phone aaya kehnay laga kay us ko Saskatchewan (jo kay canada ka ek province hay) kay ek chotay say shehr Battleford say ek masjid ki imamat ki job offer aai hay. Faisal bhi chah raha tha kay Mariam kay parents kay ghar say niklay aur apnay pairon per khara ho. Is wajah say us nay yeh job accept kar li thi. Faisal nay bataya hay jis banday say us ki Battleford may baat hui thi woh ek Pakistani tha aur us ki wahan Taxi company hay aur woh pooch raha thay kay koi aitmaad walay driver dhoond raha hay. Faisal may zehn may tha kay agar may kuch arsa us kay paas kaam karna chahoon to kam say kam yeh qarzdaaron say to chutkara hasil ho. Mujhay us ka idea acha laga. Achi baat yeh thi kay wahan may Faisal kay paas reh sakta hoon, overtime kam kar kay jaldi say payments karoon aur phir aagay ka sochoon.
May nay kulthum say baat ki. Us ko bataya kay abhi itni jaldi may agar yeh job mil jaati hay to may jaldi say in qarzon say jaan chura loonga. Mera target 3,4 maheenay ka tha. Phir yeh kay nai jaga ka experience bhi ho ga… ho sakta hay woh jaga Saint John say ziyada behtar ho.. Bachon kay liye ziyada muwaqay hon. Ek cheez jo kulthum aur may aksar discuss kia kartay thay woh bachon ki home schooling thi. Hum dono yeh samajhtay thay kay hum bachon ko ghar may education ziyada achi day saktay hain. Kiyounkay canada may sirf public education ka system hay to kuch provinces home schooling bhi allow kartay hain. New Brunswick allow nahi karta per Saskatchewan allow karta tha. Mainay kulthum say kaha chalo isi bahanay us ki bhi information lay loonga kay yeh home schooling ka system kaisay kaam karta hay. Kulthum nay koi ziyada opinion na diya lekin oppose bhi nahi kiya. Aisay moqon per jaisay apnay koi fikr angaiz jumlay boltay hain kay khanay ka kia karogay waghaira waghaira.. Aisa waisa bhi kuch nahi bola. Dil kay ek konay may khwashish thi keh kehti nahi akalay nahi jaanay doongi.. Per aisa waisa kuch na hua.
Woh akhri do din Kulthum aur meray darmiyan bahut qareeb guzray.. Intimately bhi. Mujhay ho raha tha kay yeh aglay 3,4 maheenay us ko dekhay baghair kaisay guzraingay.. Bachon kay bahghair kaisay guzraingay.. Dimagh my plan ban rahay thay.. Roz whatsapp per baat karoonga… sab ko high spirits may rakhoonga to yeh waqt kat hi jayega. Phir jab qarz utar jayega to achay din hi aaingay sab kay liye.
Akhri raat kulthum aur may bistar may ikathay baitha rahay.. May us ko bas takta jaata tha.. Woh baar baar poochti kia hay..aisa kiyoun dekhtay ho. Mainay kaha aankhon may tumhay basa raha hoon… ab bahut din tumhain dekh nahi paaonga. Kehnay lagi.. Tum to bahut excited ho gay, travel per jo ja rahay ho. Mushkil din to meray hongay jo bachon ko sambhalna ho ga. Mainay kaha… ab larai shroo na kar dena… kal jaana hay. Woh khamosh apnay phone per kuch kati rahi. Subah may tayyar ho kar ready hua. Bachon kay saath kuch dair khelta raha. Phir jaanay ka waqt hua to mera ek employee Talat us ko bulaya. Talat hindko speaking hay aur us nay meray liye 5 saal kaam kia tha. Woh mujhay apni gari may lenay aa gaya. May gaari may baitha to kulthum peechay say aai kay apna passport bhool gaey ho. Haan woh may table per bhool gaya tha. Talat nay mujhay airport per chora aur may Saskatchewan chala gaya.
Abhi to rastay may tha kay sab ki yaad satanay lagi. Dil ko dharas bandhai kay ab jis mission per nikla hoon woh kar kay hi lotoon ga. Battleford pahuncha to faisal nay already ek kamra meray liye set kia hua tha. Ponchtay hi kulthum ko phone kia kay may pohunch gaya hoon. Us nay kum baat ki aur phone haleema ko pakra diya.. Bus saari baat haleema say hi hui. Kulthum ko mainay phir call ki keh jo paisay may chor kar aaya hoon woh dhayan say kharch karna. Jab mera kaam shroo ho jayega phir masla nahi hay lekin abhi zara careful rehna. Kulthum boli.. Ab zuroorat ki cheezain to leni parengi na..maynay kaha may kab keh raha hoon na lo… lekin dhiyan to rakh sakti ho na kay paisay ek dam khatm na hon. Baghair kuch kahay phone kaat diya. Kahan woh mujh say baat karnay kay liye saara saara din cafe per baithi rehti thi aur kahan ab phone per bhi bardasht nahi hota tha us say.
May aglay din boss say mila to us nay kaha kay kuch documents tayyar karnay paraingay. Sub documents tayyar honay may 2 haftay lag gaye. Abhi tak may kaam shroo nahi kar paya tha kiyoun kay license waghaira may hi itna time lag gaya tha. Jab sab tayyar ho gaya to boss nay kaha kay aap nay pooray shehr ka naqsha to yaad hi nahi kiya… phir us nay mujhay ek naqsha diya jis ko memorize kartay kartay mujhay ek deyrh hafta lag gaya… finally us nay mujhay gari denay ka faisala kia. Mainay kulthum ko batanay kay liye phone kia kay kal say main gaari chalana shroo kar doonga. Kehnay lagi mujhay paisay bhaij do kiyounkh mujhay kuch cheezain leni hain. Mainay kaha abhi to tumharay paas paisay honay chahyain. Kehnay lagi kay Linda kay liye koi gift item lay liya tha. Mujhay ek dum bahut ghussa aaya. May nay kaha tumhay kaha bhi tha kay khayal say kharch karo phir wohi harkat karti ho. Maynay kaha kaam to may kal shroo kar raha hoon to phir paisay bhaijta hoon.
Udher kulthum ki taraf bhi kuch chal raha tha in dinon may. Mainay jab shop band ki thi to us ka kaafi saara samaan tha.. Shelves waghaira, counters, tables chairs.. Etc. May nay woh cheezain ek storage may rakhwa deen theen jo hamaray ghar kay paas hi thi. Woh samaan may nay Kijiji (jo yahan ka OLX hay) per advertise karta jaata aur har kuch dinon baad kuch na kuch bik jaata. Kulthum ko may batata rehta hay koi call karega… aur us ko falaan falaan cheez dekar paisay lay laina. Usi samaan may ek cheez Refrigerated Prep Table thi. Bara item tha is liye ziyada log us may interested nahi thay. Phir ek banday nay mujhay call ki kay woh khareedna chahta hay. May nay time set kar liya. Kulthum ko call ki aur bataya kay banda aaiga. Us say paisay lay lay aur table day day. Mainay yeh bhi kaha kay agar akalay wahan jaanay may comfortable na ho to Uncle Saeed ko call kar lena woh bhi aa jayega kiyounkeh time raat kay 8 bajay ka tha. Donon shehron kay darmiyan time difference bhi 3 ghantay ka tha.
Yaani jab meri shift 5 bajay khatam hoti, to us waqt Saint John may 8 bajtay. Jaisay hi mainay Kulthum ko phone kia ring baj rahi thi aur phone kisi nay na uthaya. Maynay kaha customer kay saath busy hogi thori dayr may karta hoon. 15 min baad dobara phone kia to phone phir na uthaya. Mujhay thori preshani ho rahi thi. Us ko text bhaija lekin koi jawab na tha. Phir to may panick kar gaya. Pata nahi kia hua tha woh khairiat say to hay? Kaheen us banday nay koi harkat na kar di ho? Bachon ki bhi saath lay kar gaee thi? Tarah tarah kay khayalaat dil may aa rahay thay… phir may nay kaha oh shayad ubaidullah ko nehla rahi ho gi. Text kiya…. Banda samaan lenay aaya tha? Koi response nahi. Uncle Saeed ko phone kia,... kulthum nay call ki thi… bola nahi… kaha khairiat hay may kuch kar sakta hoon… mainay kaha main phone wapas karta hoon. Mujh say ab sabr bilkul nahi ho raha tha… Saint John Police ko call ki… un ko batai saari baat… unhon nay kaha hum ek officer ghar bhaijtay hain check karnay kay liye… us nay apna record check kar kay bataya hamain tumhari biwi kay naam per koi emergency waghaira ki call bhi nahi aai hay. May nay phone rakha.. Phir Uncle Saeed ko call ki… kaha forun meray ghar jaye aur check karay kia ho raha hay. Woh forun ghar poncha… kehnay laga kay Mohammad yahan to lagta hay koi nahi hay… kehnay laga sab lights bhi band hain… main darwaza khatkhataon… mainay kaha nahi… shayad ubaidullah ko sul rahi ho gi. Woh uth gaya to nahi soye ga. Uncle Saeed ko wapas karwa diya… may saath saath kulthum ko text bhi kar raha tha lekin koi jawab nahi aa raha tha. Thori dayr baad police officer ka phone aaya kay ghar ki ghantiyan kai dafa bajai hain per koi response nahi hay. Poocha kay is there anyway else we can help? May nay keh diya nahi… shayad kisi friend kay paas na gaee ho.
May ab buri tarah preshan tha… kahan gaee kulthum…. Jawab kiyoun nahi deti. Shayad phone ki battery khatam ho gayee ho… itni irresponsible to pehlay kabhi nahi hui. Saari raat us ko message or phone kartay guzar gayee koi jawab na aaya.
Gul bhi preshan, Faisal aur Abu bhi preshan. Kuch samajh nahi aa raha tha kia karoon. May forun wapas to ja bhi nahi sakta tha. Kuch samajh nahi aa raha tha.. Subah job ka doosra din tha… jaon na jaoon … ghar jaon.. Kia karoon.
Forun utha.. Namaz haajat parhi...Allah say manga kay sab khairiat ho… phir tayyar ho kar kaam per gaya. Abhi bhi har kuch minton baad us ko message karta phone karta per koi nahi utha raha tha.. Ya Rabb yeh kaisi azmaish hay… kahan chali gayee hay yeh… may nay kaha call karnay do isay aaj is ko theek karoonga… phir kaha… nahi pehlay us ki baat poori tarah sun lena.. Ho sakta hay koi masla ho gaya ho… ek dum ghussay na ho jana…. Per yeh jawab kiyoun nahi day rahi thi.
Subah kay ab taqreeban 6 baj chukay thay…. Achanak meray phone ki ghanti baji. Usi ki taraf say tha…. Phone uthaya… kulthum.. Kahan ho tum… kal raat say dhoond raha hoon? Jawab kiyoun nahi diya? Bachay kaisay hain? Aagay say boli… may nay jaan kar jawab nahi diya tha.. May nay kaha yeh kia badtameezi hay…. Mujhay sata kar kia milta hay tumhay… meri sab say baat karao… kehnay lagi woh abhi baat nahi kar saktay… mainay kaha kiyoun nahi kar saktay… kehnay lagi doosray kamray may hain. May nay kaha bulao haleema ko. Kehnay lagi… nahi mujhay baat karni hay… may nay kaha… pehlay batao meray phone ka jawab kiyoun nahi diya? Sharm nahi aati hay tumhain itna preshan kia… police ko call karta raha hospital… uncle saeed tak dekhnay aaya.. Woh keh raha tha kay ghar band hay aur lights off hain….kia kar rahi thi tum? Boli… May nay tumhara ghar chor diya hay..is liye wahan koi nahi tha… chor diya? Chor diya matlab? Kaisay chor diya? Yeh kia bakwas kar rahi ho? Kahan ho tum abhi? Boli… abhi women shelter may hoon… mainay kaha yeh kia drama machaya hua hay tum nay. Bachon ko lo aur wapis jao ghar isi waqt. Boli… nahi ab may wapas nahi jaongi.. Keh kar call kaat di…
