Jab meri nani mar gayi to maa apne akele chhote bhai ko apne ghar le aayi. Mere nana pehle wafat pa chuke thay, maa ki shadi se bhi bohot pehle. Yehi wajah thi ke maa use ghar le aayi. Kehte hain mera mamoon khushalat aur aadat o aitbaar mein misaali aadmi tha, bay had neik aur bay zarar, itna bay zarar ke soye hue aadmi ko jagana bhi us ke nazdeek maiyub tha. Jaisa ke sunte aaye hain ke neik aadmiyon ki zindagi mukhtasir hoti hai. Mere mamoon ke saath bhi yehi hua. Do din bukhar hua aur teesre din chal basa. Maa ro ro kar behaal ho gayi. Dusre din bhai ki qabar par gayi to shiddat gham se behosh ho kar gir gayi. Hamari doosri rishtedaar auratein yeh surat hal dekh kar ghabra gayi aur unhone cheekh aur pukaar shuru kar di. Khud mein bhi in dino chhoti si thi, chunanche dahaade maar kar rone lagi. Qabristan ke chowkidar Shouzil kaka ne shor suna to daura aaya. Us ke haath mein thande paani ka katora tha. Hamari ek rishtedaar aurat ne poora katora maa par uthila diya. Maa ke kapre bheeg gaye. Woh ghabra kar uth baithi. Safed burqa jise woh adha ulta chuki thi, bikhar para tha. Laash ki tarah zard rang aur chehre par hawayen ud rahi thi. Mujhe achhi tarah yaad hai, maa ki yeh halat dekh kar main deewano ki tarah idhar udhar daudne aur cheekh cheekh kar rone lagi. Mujhe aisa laga tha ke maa bhi mamoon ki tarah mar chuki hai aur safed kafan mein lapeti hui hai. Aaj bhi un lamhon ki yaad aaye, to rongte khade ho jaate hain aur meri rooh kanp jaati hai. Do teen roz baad jab maa dobara mamoon ki qabar par gayi to mere aur hamari nokrani Daulajan bibi ke ilawa koi saath nahin tha. Achank maa ki halat phir bigar gayi aur woh behosh ho gayi. Qabristan ka chowkidar Shouzil kaka dobara hamari madad ko pahuncha aur Daulajan bibi se kehne laga, "Ghar walon ko keh do, Begum Sahiba ko qabristan na aane dein. Khwah mukhwah rog lag jaaye ga. Agar bohot hi majboori hai, sabr na aaye, to chand roz naghah karne ke baad aaye. Aahista aahista gham halka ho jaayega." Maa hosh mein aayi to Daulajan bibi ne Shouzil kaka ki baat dohrayi. Maa rone lagi, boli: "Akele bhai ka gham bhi kabhi kam hoga? Aisi jawan mardgi ki maut, kaleja kat kat jaata hai. Bay chaara dulhan ke chehre ka ghunghat bhi nah utha saka. Haye maut ko bhi tars na aaya!" Maa phir rone lagi. "Baap ka khoon aur maa ki aakhri nishani. Maut ke baad bhi maa ke kya kya armaan thay, pakhta qabar banane ki aarzoo aur us par surkh sabz jhanday lehraane ki hasrat, lekin Khuda jaane aisa kyun nahin!" Ab koi din aisa nah jaata ke maa qabristan na jaati. Bhai ki qabar par haath rakh kar zaar o qataar roti. Main hairan hoti ke aansuon ka yeh rawan dawaan kaarwan khatam kyun nahin hota? Yeh dheron paani kahan se aata hai. Woh phir Quran Majeed kholti, padhti aur hichkiyaan le kar tilawat karti. Aansu the ke phir bhi na thamte. Lekin ihtiyaat karti ke behte aansu Quran ke safaahat ke bajaye daayin baayin giren. Woh phir panj surah le kar jaane lagi. Ab main aur maa hi qabristan jaati thi. Phir aahista aahista qabar par jaana kam hone laga. Jumeraat ke jumeraat aur phir batadrij mahine do mahine mein ek baar, yun ek saal guzar gaya. Ab Shab-e-Qadr ya Eid aati to maa mamoon ki qabar par chali jaati. Phir ek waqt aaya main us se kehti, "Maa, mamoon ki qabar par nahin jaana? Ab to do saal beet gaye hain." Tab maa chonkti, thandi aah bharti aur kehti, "Haan beti! Is jawan maut ko mere 2 saal ho gaye hain. Zindagi bhi kya hai, 2 saal aankh jhapakte guzar gaye jaise."kal hi woh hamari aankhon se oojhal hua tha.''maa ki aankhein dabdaba jati thi. Tab mujhe woh waqt yaad aata jab maa qabar par dhaaren maarte huay be hosh ho jati thi. Kitna farq tha tab mein aur ab mein! Phir woh waqt bhi aagaya ke maa ne qabristan jana bilkul hi tark kar diya. Use yaad hi na rehta, fursat bhi na milti. Agar mein chhoti thi magar mujhe ab tak yaad hai ke is saal bohot baarish hui thi. Shozel kaka ne yeh khabar pohanchayi ke mamoon ki qabr zameen mein dhanis gayi aur takhte toot gaye hain. Mujhe is khabar se yoon fikar hui ke kahin maa ko phir doura na par jaye. Magar kuch bhi na hua. Maa par is khabar ne koi asar na kia. Mere bhai ne kaha ''maan tum kaho, to kisi ko saath loon aur mamoon ki qabr theek kar doon?'' Maa ne kisi jazbay ke baghair sard lehje mein kaha ''kheer aur pani mein kya apne aap ko doob karoge. Shozel kaka se keh do, mazdoor laga kar theek kar le.'' Phir achanak abba ka tabadla hogaya. Hum sab azizon, rishtedaron aur doston se galay mile, dawatein hui. Lekin kisi ko yaad na raha ke mamoon ki qabr par do phool hi daal aaye. Yoon tabadlay hotay rahe, waqt guzarta raha. Din mahinon mein aur mahinay barson mein badalte gaye. Abba ko penshan mil gayi aur hum gaon wapas aagaye. Mera khayal tha, watan wapas hotay hi maa foran mamoon ki qabr par jayegi. Mein intezar mein thi. Hafta guzargaya, 2 haftay guzargaye, mahina guzargaya, 2 mahine guzargaye. Lekin kisi ko khayal na aya. Mein ne drate drate maa se kaha ''maan qabristan nahi jaogi?'' Maa ne mujhe is tarah dekha jaise zehan par zor dal kar kuch yaad kar rahi ho. Phir boli ''haan chale jayenge na! Lekin abhi apne parayon ki dawatein khatam nahi hui. Saman bhi idhar udhar bikra pada hai. Zara saans lein phir jayenge.'' Lekin mein ne insaaf kiya ''nahi maan, aaj jayenge mamoon ki qabr par.'' Maa chand lamhe ghair iradi tor par mujhe dekhti rahi aur phir aakhir chal pari. Hum ne herat se phelay qabristan ko dekha. Aisa maloom hota tha ke ab mazeed ek qabr ki gunjaish nahi. Rakh ke darakht bhi taqreeban khatam hogaye. Woh chhota sa maidan bhi nazar nahi araha tha jis mein janaze ki namaz parhi jati thi. Mamoon ki qabr ke qareeb ek chhota sa darakht tha, woh bhi nazar nahi aya. Talash ke bawajood mamoon ki qabr shanaakht na ho saki. Maa ne apna safed burqa peechay ki taraf daal liya tha jis ke zameen ko chhoote kinaron se qabristan ki sookhi ghaas aur kaantay ulj gaye. Maa ne burqa utaar kar ek taraf rakh diya aur boli ''ab to becharay ki qabr ki dheeri bhi nahi milti. Naam kya mita, nishan bhi mit gaya. Aao wapas chalein.'' Maa wapas honay lagi. Us ka yeh rawiya mujhe ajeeb hi nahi bara bhi laga. Meri bachpan ki yaadein taza hogayi. Woh sab kuch yaad aagaya ke mamoon ki maut par maa ki kya halat hui thi. Mein ne herat se socha ''ya Allah, yeh wohi aurat hai jo chand saal pehlay bhai ki maut par khoon ke aansu roti rahi thi aur kayi baar be hosh hui. Ab us ka dil pathar ka hogaya hai.'' Mein ne us se kaha ''maan, tum to''Hoti thi, mamoon ki qabr pakee banaungi gi!’’ ‘‘Haan beti! Lekin is se kya farq parta? Main sone ki qabr bhi bana deti magar mere baad kaun tha ke use yaad rakhta aur phir hamein bhi ek din mitti hojana hai. Nishaan tak baqi nahi rehta.’’ Maa wapsi ka irada kar rahi thi, magar mera dil nahi mana. Maa ko wahan chhod kar main chowkidar ki kothri ki taraf chal pari. Soch rahi thi, Shauzil Baba zinda bhi honge ya nahi? Issi lamhe ek safed baarish aadmi ko dekha jo haddiyon ka chhota sa mutaharrik dhaancha tha. Foran khayal aya ke yehi Shauzil Baba hoga? Qareeb pahunchi aur ghor se dekha to wahi tha. Poocha! ‘‘Baba! Agar yaad ho, bohot arsa hua ek nojawan is qabristan mein dafan hoa tha. Subah us ki behan qabr par aati aur rote rote behosh ho jati. Mujhe yaad hai, aap ne use aane se mana kiya tha ke khawah khawah rog lag jaega. Magar ab us nojawan ki qabr nahi milti?’’ Iss ke baad maine Shauzil Baba ko apne bap ka naam bataya aur yeh bhi ke woh mere mamoon ki qabr thi. Shauzil Baba ne upar se neeche dek kar mera jaiza liya, phir itminan se bola: ‘‘Beti! Yahan bohot si maaein aur behnein bhaiyon aur betiyon ki qabron par behosh hoti rahi hain. Yeh sab qabrain aur mitti ki dheeriyan jo aap ko nazar aati hain, un mein dafan pyaron ke zakhmi dilon ka dard ansoonon ki shakal mein bahta raha hai. Phir dheere dheere waqt ke dhagon ne in gehre zakhmon ko rafu kar diya. Ashkon ki jagah aahon ne le li. Phir yeh aahen bhi waqt ki aandhi ura kar le gayi. Woh logon ke dilon se apne pyaron ki yaadein bhi samet kar le gayi. Waqt ki yehi aandhi in qabron par bhi guzri jis ne unhe mitti ki dheeriyon mein tabdeel kar diya. Phir ek waqt aaye ga yeh dheeriyan bhi na paid ho jayengi aur phir log pyaron ki qabron par hal chala denge.’’ .Khuda janay Shauzil Baba aur kya kuch kehta raha, main sun na saki kyunke maa buland awaaz se mujhe bula rahi thi ‘‘Ao beti, bohot der ho gayi hai.’’ Main ne besi se maa ki taraf dekha aur chal pari.