Uzair aur Basement ka Box

Malik Ka Chehra

`Rafiq...` chowkidar ab b nokri pe ta usko Kuch awaze ati ti

Awaaz factory ke andar se aati thi. Bilkul saaf. Bilkul Malik ki tarah.

Par Rafiq ko yaad tha. Police ne kaha tha. Malik ki laash kabhi nahi mili. Wo 6 mahine pehle usi basement me ghaayab ho gaya tha.

To ye Malik kaise bol sakta tha?

Rafiq ka jism pathar ho gaya. Paon zameen se chipak gaye. Aage barhne ki himmat nahi hui. Peeche bhagne ki bhi nahi.

Andar se phir awaaz aayi. Is baar dheemi. Jaise koi ro raha ho.

`Rafiq... darwaza kholo... thand lag rahi hai...`

Board zameen pe para tha. Lohe ka board. 4 bolts se laga tha. Par ab uske 2 bolts toot kar gir gaye the. Jaise andar se kisi ne zor se dhakka mara ho.

Rafiq ne torch jalayi. Kaanp rahe haathon se. Roshni gate ke andar gayi.

Gate khula tha. Sirf 1 inch. Kala andhera. Jaise munh khola hua ho kisi azeem bhoot ka.

Aur phir usne dekha.

Factory ke andar, gate se 10 qadam door, mitti pe pairon ke nishan. Nange pair. Baray. Eediyan ulte theen. Peeche ki taraf.

Nishan gate se andar ki taraf nahi jaa rahe the. Bahar ki taraf aa rahe the. Bilkul Rafiq ke paon tak.

Phir wahan ruk gaye.

Jaisay koi uske saamne khara ho gaya ho.

`Tum ne board girne diya...` awaaz phir aayi. Ab ghusse wali. `tum taala khol do.`

Rafiq ki cheekh nikal gayi. Wo peeche hata. Gir gaya. Ghutne chheel gaye. Par dard mehsoos nahi hua.

Usne daura lagaya. Gali me bhaaga. Peeche mur ke nahi dekha.

Subah tak wo apne ghar me tha. Darwaze band. Khirkiyan band. Qurani aayat full volume pe. Biwi usko dekh rahi thi.

`Kya hua?`

Rafiq bol nahi saka. Sirf haath se ishara kiya. `Factory... khuli hai...`

*Dosra Din:*

Mohalle me baat phail gayi. Haji Imran phir aaye. 4 moulvi aur.

Unhone factory ke bahar kharay ho kar azan di. Zor se. 3 baar.

Kuch nahi hua.

Unhone board utha kar phir se lagaya. Naye bolts ke sath. Aur aayat likh kar chipka di.

Raat 3 baje. `Dhaam`

Board phir gir gaya.

Is baar bolts toote hue nahi mile. Jaise kisi ne unko skru se khola ho. Aaram se.

Aur board ke peeche, deewar pe, khoon se likha tha.

`1 KHUL GAYA. 7 BAQI HAI.`

Haji Imran ka chehra peela par gaya. `Ye... ye dabbe wali cheez hai. Jo Malik ne band kiya tha.`

`Kaun si cheez?` kisi ne poocha.

`Wo jiska naam nahi lete.` Haji Imran ka gala ruk gaya. `8 taalon me band tha. Malik pagal ho gaya tha. Usne 1 khol diya tha. 7tale.. kisi insaan se nahi khul sakte`

`To phir khula kaise?`

Haji Imran ne factory ki taraf dekha. `Kisi ne bulaya hoga usko. Naam le kar.`

Sab chup ho gaye.

*Teesra Din:*

Police aayi. SSP khud. Video dekhi Asim aur Danish ki.

SSP ne kaha: `Basement seal karo. Cement daal do.`

Mazdoor aaye. Basement ke munh pe 3 foot mota cement dala. Lohe ki sariain bhi.

Shaam tak kaam ho gaya.

Raat 3 baje.

Poore mohalle ki zameen hili. `Dhurrrrrrrr`

Jaise zameen ke neeche koi bhaari cheez ne angrai li ho.

Cement phat gaya. Beech me se. Gol suraakh. 2 foot chaura.

Aur us suraakh se kaala dhuaan nikla. Bohat saara. Jaise dharra ho.

Dhuaan seedha upar gaya. Aasmaan tak. Aur phir phail gaya. Poore Karachi pe.

Us raat Karachi me bijli chali gayi. 3 bajay. Poore shehar ki.

Aur har ghar me, har bachy ne, neend me 1 hi baat kahi:

`Rafiq...`

*Chautha Din:*

Rafiq ghaayab tha.

Uska ghar khula tha. Khana bana hua tha. Chai thandi pari thi. Chappal bahar pari thi. Par Rafiq nahi tha.

Uske kamre ki deewar pe naye nishan the. 7 ungliyon ke. Upar se neeche tak.

Jaise kisi ne deewar ko nakhun se khuroch kar nikla ho. Andar se bahar.

Police ne CCTV check kiya. Raat 2:59 pe. Rafiq ka ghar.

Camera me nazar aaya. Darwaza khud khula. Andhera andar aaya. Kaala dhuaan.

Dhuaan ke 2 haath bane. Rafiq ko bed se uthaya. Ghaseeta.

Rafiq ne mazahmat nahi ki. Uske munh pe halki si muskaan thi.

Jaise wo jaanta ho ke kya hone wala hai.

Camera band ho gaya. 3:00 baje.

*Panchwan Din:*

Karachi ke log dar gaye. Bazar band. School band.

Factory ke aas paas 500 meter ka area police ne seal kar diya.

Par raat 3 baje, jo bhi us area me hota, ghaayab ho jata.

Security guard. Kutta. Billi. Sab.

Sirf 1 cheez bachti. Board.

Board ab zameen pe nahi tha. Wo hawa me latak raha tha. Factory ke gate ke saamne.

Aur uspe khoon se naya jumla likha tha.

`MALIK WAPIS AA GAYA HAI.`

`MAI MALIK HUN AB.`

*Chhata Din = Aaj:*

Haji Imran ne sabko jama kiya. Masjid me.

`Bhaiyo, ye Malik nahi hai. Ye wo cheez hai jo dabbe me thi. Malik ki rooh kha kar, Malik ban gaya hai.`

`phela taala... wo taala nahi tha. Wo muqafal tha. Ek muqafal. Ek qaid.`

`Jis din 2sra tala khulega... wo azad ho jayega. Aur azad hoke... wo Malik ki shakl le lega.`

`Ab wo hamare beech hai.`

Masjid me sannata cha gaya.

Bahir se awaaz aayi. 3 baj gaye the.

`Tak... tak... tak...`

Jooton ki awaaz. Aahista. Masjid ke darwaze ki taraf.

Darwaza khud khul gaya.

Andar 1 aadmi dakhil hua. Lambay qadd ka. Sar jhuka hua. Kandhon pe kaala dhuaan.

Usne sar uthaya.

Chehra Malik ka tha. Bilkul waisa hi. Par aankhein... aankhein insaan ki nahi theen.

Kali. Gehri. Be-teh.

Usne muskuraya. Aur bola:

`Assalamualaikum. Me Malik hun.`

`Aur ab... me bhuka hun.`

Sab neeche jhuk gaye. Sajday me nahi. Dar se.

Sirf Haji Imran kharay rahe. Unhone Qurani aayat parhni shuru ki.

Malik hansa.

`Der ho chuki hai Haji sahab. 7wa taala khul chuka hai. Ab koi band nahi kar sakta.`

Usne haath uthaya. Dhuaan ke haath.

Aur Masjid ki sab battian bujh gayin.

Andhera.

Sirf Malik ki awaaz goonj rahi thi

Hawa ruk gayi. Gali me sannata ho gaya. Sirf factory ke andar se halki si sarsaraahat aayi. Jaise koi zang aalood zanjeerein ghaseet raha ho pathar pe.

`Khirrrr... khirrrr...`

Rafiq ne torch ka button daba kar roshni tez ki. Uska haath kaanp raha tha. Roshni gate ke us paar pari.

Gate sirf 1 inch khula tha. Andhera itna ghana tha ke lagta tha jaise koi kaali deewar khari ho.

Aur phir mitti pe nishan nazar aaye. Nange pairon ke. Baray. Ajeeb. Eediyan ulte theen. Jaise koi peeche ki taraf chal raha ho. Par nishan factory ke andar se bahar ki taraf aa rahe the. Bilkul Rafiq ke jooton tak.

Wahan ruk gaye.

Jaisay koi uske saamne khara ho kar saans le raha ho.

`Tum ne mujhe bulaya tha Rafiq...` awaaz phir aayi. Ab bilkul qareeb. Jaise gate ke us paar munh laga ho. `Board gir gaya... 1 taale toot gaya... ab sirf 7 baqi hai... 2sra

Rafiq ki cheekh gala me phans gayi. Usne peeche daur lagana chaha. Par tangain ruk hi gayin. Zameen jaisay paon pakar rahi ho.

`Khol do...` dhuaan jaisi sarsaraahat aayi. 2sra taala khol do Rafiq... warna me khud khol lunga...`

`Dhummm`

Gate hil gaya. 1 inch se 2 inch ho gaya. Andar se thandi hawa ka jhonka aaya. Saree hui mitti aur khoon ki bu aayi.

Rafiq ne aankhain band kar lin. `Allah... Allah...` parhne laga.

Jab aankh kholi to gate phir 1 inch ka tha. Par mitti pe nishan ab uske jooton ke ooper the. Jaise koi uske paon pe paon rakh kar khara ho.

Wo chilla kar gira. Ghutne pathar se takraye. Khoon nikal aaya. Par dard ka ehsaas nahi hua.

Usne himmat jama ki. Utha. Aur daur gaya. Peeche muray baghair. Saans roki hui. Dil seena phaar raha tha.

Ghar pohcha to darwaza 3 taale laga kar band kiya. Khirkiyan. Ventilation. Sab. Biwi dar kar uth gayi.

`Kya hua? Khoon?`

Rafiq ne sirf haath se ishara kiya chup rehne ka. Aur Qurani aayat chala di full volume pe.

Poori raat soya nahi. 3 bajay phir awaaz aayi. Baahir se. Gali se.

`Rafiq... Rafiq...`

Bilkul Malik ki awaaz me. Par hasi ke sath.

Subah jab roshni hui to usne darwaza khola. Bahir zameen pe geelay paon ke nishan the. Uske darwaze tak. Phir wapas factory ki taraf.

*Agla Din*

Mohalle me khabar phail gayi. Haji Imran 4 moulviyon ke sath aaye. Unhone factory ke gate pe azan di. 3 baar. Zor se.

Board phir gir gaya. `Dhaam` ki awaaz se.

Is baar bolts toote hue nahi the. Jaise kisi ne skru driver se khole hon. Aaram se. Ek ek karke.

Board ke peeche deewar pe khoon se likha tha: `1 KHUL GAYa. 7 BAQI HAI.`

Haji Imran ka chehra safed par gaya. `Ye dabba hai... Malik ne 8 taalon me band kiya tha. 1 khul chuka he baqi insaan nahi khol sakta.`

`To khula kaise?` kisi ne poocha.

`Kisi ne naam liya hoga.` Haji Imran ne Rafiq ko dekha. `Kisi dar gaye hue ne.`

Rafiq ne nazar jhuka li.

*Teesra Din*

Police aayi. Basement pe 3 foot mota cement dala gaya. Lohe ki sariain bhi.

SSP ne kaha: `Ab band ho gaya.`

Raat 3 baje zameen hili. `Dhurrr`

Cement beech se phat gaya. Gol suraakh ban gaya. Usme se kaala dhuaan nikla. Aasmaan tak gaya.

Us raat Karachi ki bijli chali gayi. 3 bajay. Poore shehar ki.

Aur har ghar me bacho neend me 1 hi naam liya: `Rafiq`

*Chautha Din*

Rafiq ghaayab. Ghar khula. Chai thandi. Chappal bahir. Par wo nahi tha.

Kamre ki deewar pe 7 ungliyon ke nishan. Upar se neeche. Jaise kisi ne nakhun se deewar cheeri ho andar se.

CCTV me sirf itna aaya: Raat 2:59. Darwaza khula. Kaala dhuaan andar aaya. 2 haath bane. Rafiq ko bed se uthaya. Wo muskuraya. Phir andhera.

*Aaj*

Factory ke gate pe board hawa me latak raha hai. Bina keel ke. Uspe likha hai: `MALIK WAPIS AA GAYA HAI.`

Aur raat 3 bajay, agar koi qareeb jaye, to gate ke andar se awaaz aati hai.

`Me aa gaya hun Rafiq... shukriya... ab me bhuka hun...`

Haji Imran kehte hain: `7wa taala khul chuka hai. Ab ye Malik ki shakl me hai. Aur ab... ye rokay ga nahi.`