Woh porch mein khari ho kar use gaari ke andar "samaan" ka ek aur box zabardasti thoonste hue dekh rahi thi. Us ne apni si poori koshish ki ke woh apne aansuon ko rok sake aur apne saamne ek bilkul tayyar khare jawan ko khushi se jaata hua dekh paaye, lekin woh to jab bhi use dekhti, us ka zehan mitti se atte hue, jeans pehne, honton par doodh ki lakeer sajaye, aur sirf ek aur "chocolate" maangne wale ek chhote se bachche ki yaadon se bhar jaata. Woh soch mein doob gayi ke woh wahan kaise rahe ga. Woh ek bari university mein parhne ke liye yahan se hazaar meel door ja raha tha. Woh dono wahan ek saath gaye thay aur tamaam zaroori intezamaat kar diye gaye thay, lekin is baar woh akela ja raha tha. Woh khud bhi yahi chahta tha, is liye woh baad mein us ke peechhe aane par raazi ho gayi thi. Haan, woh yeh zaroor soch rahi thi ke woh tan-e-tanha sab kuch kaise sambhaale ga, lekin woh achhi tarah jaanti thi ke woh khud abhi is judai ke liye bilkul tayyar nahin thi. Woh is saare daur ko ek baar phir naye sire se jeena chahti thi. Woh ise ab ki baar kahin zyada behtar andaaz mein karna chahti thi. Woh apne bete ko baanhon mein bhar kar un saare lamhon ki maafi maangna chahti thi jab use us ke paas hona chahiye tha, lekin woh nahin pahunch saki thi. Woh un tamaam auqaat ke liye shadeed pasheemani ka izhar karna chahti thi jab us ne bete ki taraf se madad ki ek aur darkhwast par intehai bezaari ka rad-e-amal dikhaya tha. Woh ghusse mein kahe gaye apne tamaam alfaaz wapas lena chahti thi. Woh science ke us project ko ek aur mauqa dene ki tamanna kar rahi thi jo intehai nakaam raha tha aur jis ke sabab un dono ke darmiyan kitni talkhi paida ho gayi thi. Woh Little League (Baseball) ke un tamaam matches ke daur mein wapas jana chahti thi jo us waqt itne ghair aham dikhai dete thay, aur ab ki baar woh un tamaam matches mein wahan maujood rehna chahti thi. Kaash woh Khudawand ke kaamon ke baare mein baatein karne mein kahin zyada wafadar rahi hoti. Kaash us ne use naseehaton se bhare bhaashan kam diye hote aur us ke saath mil kar duayen zyada ki hotin. Woh maazi mein wapas ja kar us ke doston ka kahin zyada kushada dili se istiqbal karna chahti thi. Kaash woh us ke kamre mein zyada baar gayi hoti, mahaz us se is baat ka poochhne ke liye ke us ka din kaisa guzra, sirf apni muhabbat ka izhar karne ka ek aur bahana talaash karne ke liye. Us ke dil mein ek aisa andekha khauf chhupa hua tha ke kahin us ka beta bhi college ja kar Masihi khandanon ke doosre bohat se bachon ki tarah imaan ki raah se yaksar "bhatak" na jaye. Woh wahin khari dua kar rahi thi, aur use is baat ka ehsaas tak na hua ke samaan ki packing ka sara amal mukammal ho chuka hai aur woh bacha ab apne walid ke saath porch mein khud usi ke paas aa kar khara ho jaata hai. Us ke zehan mein tezi se chalne wale khayalaat aur in khamosh duaaon ke silsile ko bete ki awaaz ne bil-aakhir tor diya. "Mummy, mera sara samaan pack ho chuka hai aur ab mujhe nikalna chahiye. Main aap ko bayan nahin kar sakta ke main un tamaam cheezon ke liye aap ka aur Papa ka kitna shukar guzar hoon jo aap dono ne mere liye ki hain. Meri bilkul fikr na karein, aap logon ne intehai shandaar kaam kiya hai. Main achhe aur bure ki tameez achhi tarah jaanta hoon. Main bilkul theek rahunga." In aakhri alfaaz ke saath hi unhon ne ek doosre ko gale se laga liya. Aansoo us ke chehre par beh nikle. Us ne to na dekha, lekin woh bacha bhi ro para tha. Walid ne kaha, "Aao, tumhare jaane se pehle hum sab mil kar dua karein." Aur is aakhri dua aur ek aakhri baar gale milne ke baad, woh porch se neeche utra aur gaari mein ja baitha. Gaari ke nazron se ojhal ho jaane ke bohat der baad tak woh apne shohar ki baanhon mein porch mein hi khari rahi. Woh khud bhi is baat se poori tarah ba-khabar nahin thi ke woh wahan kyun khari hai aur kis cheez ko tak-taki baandhe dekh rahi hai. Yeh to bas apne bete ko thori der aur apne qareeb rakhne ka ek posheeda tareeqa mehsoos ho raha tha. Phir us ke shohar ne us ke aansuon se bhare khayalaat ke silsile ko tortay hue kaha: "Jaan-e-man, yahi to woh kaam hai jis ke liye hum in tamaam barson se sakht mehnat kar rahe thay. Woh ek achha bacha hai aur woh ab bilkul tayyar hai. Woh Khudawand ko zaati tor par jaanta hai. Woh bilkul theek rahe ga. Is ke ilawa, woh sirf chand mahinon mein hi Christmas ki chhuttiyon par wapas aa jaye ga." Jab woh ghar ke andar daakhil hue to unhon ne kaha: "Main jaanta hoon ke hamein us ki bohat yaad aaye gi, lekin hamein to haqeeqat mein khush hona chahiye. Hum apni tamaam koshishon ka phal saaf dekh sakte hain. Hamari mehnat ka sila mil gaya hai. Hamare paas shukar guzar hone ke liye bohat kuch hai." Us ne koi jawab na diya. Us ke liye khud ko apne bete ke saath gaari mein baithe hue tasawwur na karna intehai kathin ho raha tha, jahan woh use aakhri lamhe ki chand aur naseehatein faraham kar sake. Aur us ke zehan ke liye is an-ginat "agar aisa ho gaya to kya hoga" ke waswason ki taraf daurne se rukna intehai mushkil tha. Woh jaanti thi ke us ka shohar bilkul theek keh raha hai. Parwarish ka asal hadaf hi yeh hai ke aap khud ko is qabil bana lein ke ab aap ke is kaam ki koi zaroorat baqi na rahe. Parwarish ka aala maqsad hi yeh hai ke aise naujawano ko tayyar kar ke is duniya mein bheja jaye jo Khuda ke farzandon ke tor par aur is barbaad aur giraawat-zadah duniya mein namak aur roshni ki maanind jeene ke liye har tarah se tayyar hon. Woh is sachchai se poori tarah waqif thi ke us ka beta us ki zaati milkiyat nahin tha, woh to sirf Khuda ki amanat tha, aur woh aur us ka shohar to Khuda ke ilahi haathon mein mahaz ek waseela thay. Woh jaanti thi ke yeh ek intehai mubarak lamha hai, ek graduation hai, ek azaadi hai, lekin is mor par khush hona aur use chand aur dinon ki parwarish ke liye apne paas wapas rakhne ki chah se door rehna intehai kathin tha. Taubhi woh achhi tarah samajhti thi ke bete ki zindagi mein us ke kaam ka yeh marhala ab khatam ho chuka hai aur ab use apne bachche ko ek kahin zyada behtar aur aala Baap ke shafeeq haathon mein saunp dena chahiye.