Chhe ya saat mahine pehle ki baat hai mein bohot deer se garage mein chhupaye hue apne purane joote talash kar raha tha. Hua yun ke Asad ka phone aya ke hamare ek dost Azhar bhai raat inteqal kar gaye. Subah unki tadfeen hona thi aur mujhe is mein shareek hona tha. Raat se barish bhi musalsal ho rahi thi. Pichle saal jab Hashmi sahab ka inteqal hua tha tab bhi bilkul aisa hi mosam tha. Mein office hi se qabristan chala gaya tha. Qabristan ki ghaas aur kichar mein mere naye joote tabah hogaye the. Ek sau pandrah dollar ka joota jo ek nami brand store se khareeda gaya tha, yun kichar mein lat pat hokar bekaar hojaye to mujh jaise middle class aadmi ke liye pareshani ka sabab to hota hai. Tab hi mein ne yeh tay karlia tha ke qabristan ke liye ek alag joota hona chahiye. Mere paas ek bohot hi purana joota hai jo shayad mein ne panch saat saal pehle ek grand sale ke moqe par khareeda tha. Joota boseeda hojane ke sabab qabil e istemal nahi raha tha. Meri biwi ko bhi sabhi biwiyon ki tarah purani cheezon se bair hai. Is se nazar bachakar mein ne yeh joota ek brown dabbe mein chhupa kar kahin rakh dia tha. Subah qabristan jana tha aur ab yeh joota mujhe mil nahi raha tha. Farzeen se... meri biwi ka naam Farzeen hai... pooch nahi sakta tha kyunke yeh karwai us se chhup kar ki gayi thi. Thak haar kar mein ne talash tark kar di aur bachon ke saath khane ke kamre mein aagaya. Tab hi bilkul achanak mujhe yaad aya ke woh brown dabba mein ne khud kitaabon ki almari ke peechay chhupaya tha. Khane se farigh hokar mein tehelta hua garage mein gaya aur kitaabon ki almari se woh dabba baramad karlia. Joote nikal kar dabba phir se wahi chhupa dia. Is jootay ki aediyan ek side se poori tarah ghis chuki hain. Apne tain hum sari umr sirat-e mustaqeem par chalte hain lekin purane jooton ki ek taraf se ghsi hui aediyan ko dekh kar yeh inkishaaf hota hai ke sari umr teedhe hi chalte rahe. Office mein pehnne ke qabil yeh joota tha nahi aur marammat ka sawal hi paida nahi hota. America mein gali koochon mein moochon ke adde nahi hote. Yahan shoe repair shops hoti hain. Hamare mohalla ki shopping mall mein ek aisi hi dukaan hai jiska naam shoe doctor hai. Shoe doctor sahib se nayi aediyan lagwane mein pachis se lekar tees dollar tak ki khateer raqam kharch ho sakti thi. Marammat to chhodiye, un se to aap jootay polish bhi nahi karwa sakte. Yahan joota polish karne ka bada ahtiyaam hota hai. Ek bohot oonche sofe par aap tashreef farma hokar taaza akhbaar ka mutaalea farmate hain. Neeche ek stool par beth kar shoe doctor sahib aap ke jootay chamakate hain. Haq-e khidmat aath dollar hai aur teen se char dollar ki bakhshish darkar hoti hai. Kal tajwez das se barah dollar ka banta hai, jise sau se zarb dein to hazar bara sau ke qareeb Pakistani rupaye ka hisaab banta hai. Itni raqam se shoe shine karwana mere nazdeek ummat-e marhooma par zulm hai aur be jaa israaf ke zimme mein aata hai. Lachar kisi dollar store se made in China sasti si polish ki dabbiya khareed kar ghar hi mein apne jootay chamkata hoon. Bilkul usi tarah jaise pathar dil maghribi muashray mein khud ko ek taraf se ghis ghis kar aur sasti dye se baal rang rang kar hum log is aas mein zindagi guzardete hain ke ek roz muqaddar ka sitara zaroor chamke ga. Sitara chamke na chamke qabristan jaane ki bari aahi jaati hai aur mein aap ko qabristan ke jooton hi ke bare mein batla raha tha. Pichli baar Qudai sahab ke janaze mein yehi joota pehn kar gaya tha. Sari rasmon ke pura hote hote aur aakhri fatiha tak mein khaas thaak chukaya.A tha. Ghisi hui aidiyon par tedha khare khare pair dekhnay lagay thay. Lekin mujmua tor par meri tarkib nihayat kamiyab rahi thi. Apni is kamiyabi par mein dil hi dil mein bohat khush hua tha. Ghar waapsi par chhupke se jhaad ponch kar jooton ko usi makhsoos dabbe mein kitabon ki almari ke peechay chhupa bhi diya tha. America ka bawa Adam hi nrala hai. Murde ka ghusl o kafan aap ghar ya masjid mein nahi kar sakte. Is ke liye khateer raqam kharch kar ke kisi murde ghar ki khidmat hasil karna partee hain. Murdon ko dafnane ka tareeqa bhi bilkul mukhtalif hai. Tractor se khodi hui qabar pehle se tayyar hoti hai. Murd hazraat janaze ki maeet mein qabar tak jaate hain. Khawateen chonkeh har shobah hayat mein paish paish hain isliye qabristan mein bhi peechay nahi rehti. Unhein qabristan ki deewar ke saath bane ek chhapper ke neeche panah milti hai. Idhar marne walay ke aaza qabr mein utarte hain, janaza un ke hawale kiya jata hai aur woh usay araam se lita dete hain. Aik aise sahib jinhein community mein koi nahi jaanta aur jin ka marne walay se door paar ka bhi koi rishta nahi hota, hangami tor par sarey intizamat ki zimmedaari sambhal lete hain. Buland awaaz se mukhtalif ahkam jaari karnay lagte hain. Unhi ki taraf se hukm jaari hota hai ke sare log qabar se door hat jayen. Tractor ek baar phir harkat mein aata hai aur concrete se bana ek bhari bhar kam patthar qabar mein utra jata hai jo murde ke aien upar baghli deewaron par tik jata hai. Murd hazraat bahaane bahaane se chhapper tale khari khawateen ko kin aankhon se dekhte aur zair-e lab kalma shahadat parhte rehte hain. Ghurbiyon ka janaza ho to tamam aza o aqraba ruksat ho jaate hain. Unhein yaqeen hota hai qabristan ke karkun qabar ki bhraai mukammal kar denge aur Allah miyan hisaab kitaab se ghaafil nahi rahe ga. Hindustani ya Pakistani ka janaza ho to abhi bohat se kaam baqi rehte hain. Asal mein hum bohat maze ke log hain. Shadi byah ho ya janaza, jab tak hum thook bajakar apni rasmain poori na kar len humari tasalli nahi hoti. Tractor ke hattay hi khud banaya leader sahib awaaz lagate hain ke qul ki mitti de dijiye. Tamam murd hazraat ek line se aage barhte hain aur bari bari teen muthi mitti qabar par daalte jaate hain. Is ke baad phir tractor ki madad se qabar mitti se bhar di jati hai. Janaza kisi ameer kabeer aadmi ka ya us ke ahl-e khana ka ho to hisab e haisiyat do, teen ya chaar maulvi hazraat janaze ki musha'iyat farmate aur sath hi sath mukhtalif hidayat jaari karte rehte hain ke murde ko koi takleef na ho aur us ke ajr o sawab mein kahin kuch kami na waqea ho jaye. Pichle dino jab community ke ek khasay matmooal fard, Doctor Termizi sahib ki begum ka intiqaal hua to tamam adbi o saqafati tanzeemon ke ilawa qisam qisam ke maulvi hazraat bhi janaze mein shareek thay. Maulana Qasimi sahib ne nihayat janfishani se ek taweel fatiha marhooma ke liye parhi, un ka bas nahi chalta tha ke begum Termizi ki ungli pakar kar unhein jannat ke darwazay tak chhor aayein. Dauraan-e-fatiha kayi baar un ka gala raqat ke maare rind gya. Logon ke nazdeek bara ruhani aur mere nazdeek bara rooh fara manzar tha. Janaza kisi ghareeb ya middle class aadmi ka ho to maulvi sahaban zehmat nahi farmate. Aise janazon par hazreen hi mein se koi kuch duaain parh deta hai jise marhoom ki maghfirat ke liye kafi samjha jata hai. Ab Azhar bhai ki tadfeen ke liye jana tha. Barish rukne ka naam nahi le rahi thi. Bachpan mein ammaan se suna tha ke nek logon ke janaze par Allah ki rahmat barasti hai. Azhar bhai bhi shayad nek rahe honge. Albatta ek baat tay shuda thi. Janaze mein kisi maulvi ki aamad ka koi khatra nahi tha. Kyunke Azhar bhai bhi hum sab doston ki tarah safed posh aadmi thay. Mein ne subah nashte ke baad garage se jootay nikalay, upar upar se unhein polish se chamakane ki koshish ki takay kisi milne wale koR mera raaz faash na ho jaaye, bhala koi apne musalman bhai ke janaze mein koi makhsoos joota bhi pehn kar jaata hai?? Baarish shadeed thi aur jootay keechad mein lut gae the. Ghar waapsi par backyard ke nalke se baqaida unhein dhona pada. Khub achhi tarah dho kar maine unhein garage ki deewar ke saath sukhnay ke liye rakh diya. Bahar dhoop mein sukhaate to kisi maghroor ki gardan ki tarah akar jate. Garage mein do chaar din sukhnay mein lag bhi jaayein to kya harj hai. Kaun si roz roz zarurat padti hai. Community ke log roz thora hi marte hain. Dusre teesre roz jaise hi jootay khushk hue un par thora sa tel mil kar maine isi dabbe mein unhein mehfooz karke kitaabon ki almari ke peechay chhupa diya. Farzeen, meri biwi, meri is harkat se na waqif hai. Use agar pata chal jaaye to mujhe kanchos, ghatiya aur jaane kya kya kehengi. Halankeh yeh to aeen samajhdari ki baat hai. Bhala kya tak hai ke aap apne qeemti jootay pehn kar qabristan jaayein aur unka satya nas karlein. Aur phir janaze mein shirkat to khair khwahi ke jazbay ke tehut hoti hai aur sara daroo madaar achi niyat aur duaayein par hota hai. Kisne kaisa joota pehn rakha hai us se janaze ki haramt ka kya talluq? Aaj phir barish ho rahi hai. Farzeen ko dekh kar main thaka hara ghar aaya hoon. Uski halat musalsal bigadti ja rahi hai. Mera bada beta hospital mein apni maa ke paas hi thera hai. Subah se kuch khaya bhi nahi hai, bhook mehsoos ho rahi hai lekin kuch khane ko dil hi nahi kar raha. Achank mere cell ki ghanti bajti hai. Phone kamre ke andhere mein chamak uthata hai. Beta se meri guftagu hoti hai, meri duniya tareek ho jati hai aur sab kuch ek andhere mein doob jata hai. Do din ki bhag dord ke baad county se death certificate mila hai. Barish hai ke musalsal jaari hai, mujhe nahi pata ke main kab tak apne kamre mein baitha raha hoon. Beta mere kamre mein aaya hai aur mujhe jaldi karne ko keh raha hai. Aisa na ho hamein der hojaye. Pehle murda khane ja kar janaza hasil karna hai phir qabristan pahunchna hai. Main garage ke andar maboot khara hoon. Beta ki awaaz phir se aati hai, woh hairan hai ke main itni der kyun kar raha hoon. Main aage badhta hoon apne bahut khoobsurat se naye jootay pehnta hoon aur gadi mein baithne se pehle kitaabon ki shelf ke peechay chhupay ek brown dabba ko utha kar trash can mein pheink deta hoon. ***