Woh Jungle Jahan Rasta Khatam Nahi Hota

Mera naam Kashif Mehmood hai, aur main Lahore mein rehta hoon. Zindagi mein kabhi kisi cheez se dar nahi laga, lekin ab jab main raat ko akela hota hoon, to ek jungle meri aankhon ke samne zinda ho uthta hai. Woh jungle jahan maine apna sab kuch kho diya. Main ek chhoti si real estate agency chalaata hoon, har mahine ka guzara bas theek-thaak ho jaata hai. Meri zindagi ka maksad meri family hai — meri biwi Shehla, meri beti Zara, mera beta Daniyal, aur mere walid sahab, Haji Ghulam. Zara ab 18 saal ki hai, college jaati hai, bohot hoshiyar hai. Daniyal 14 ka hai, thoda ziddi hai magar dil ka saaf hai. Dadaji bohot shareef aur seedhay insaan hain, saari zindagi namaz, roza, aur imaandari mein guzaari. Yeh kahani us din ki hai jab hum Murree ja rahe thay. Zara ka rishta tay karne ke liye hum ne Akram bhai ke ghar jaana tha jo wahaan ke mashhoor logon mein se hain. Main ne plan banaya tha ke subha jaldi niklenge taake pehle pohanch jayein. Har cheez theek thi, sab excited thay, meri biwi ne tiffin bana liya tha, Daniyal ne apna favorite game pack kiya, Zara ne naya dress pehna tha jo us ne specially is din ke liye rakha tha. Dadaji tasbeeh lekar peechay baith gaye, jese hamesha karte thay. Highway pe traffic tha, kaafi jam tha. Main ne Google Map khola aur ek alternate route dhoondha jo shortcut dikha raha tha. Ek jungle se ho kar jaata tha, lekin map ke mutabiq yeh sirf 25 minute ka raasta tha. Main ne socha ke chalo waqt bacha lete hain. Jab hum ne us raaste par mod liya to sab kuch pehle normal laga. Road kachhi thi lekin car nikal rahi thi. Pedh dono taraf thay, pattay hawa se hil rahe thay, aur hawa mein ek thandi si khamoshi thi. Pehle to sab ko yeh route pasand aaya. Daniyal ne kaha, "Papa, yeh to adventure lag raha hai!" Zara hans ke boli, "Bas thoda spooky hai, warna maze ka hai." Thodi dair baad mujhe feel hua ke road kaafi narrow ho gaya hai, aur peechay se ek bhi gaadi nahi aa rahi. Signal gayab ho chuka tha. Mobile ka network dead. Dadaji ne pehli baar peechay se kuch kaha, "Yeh raasta theek nahi hai Kashif beta, yeh jagah ajeeb si lagti hai." Main ne hans ke kaha, "Abbu jungle hi to hai, thoda dark to hoga hi." Shehla ne meri baat mein saath diya, lekin Zara ne kuch ajeeb si baat ki. Us ne kaha, "Papa, woh patthar pehla bhi dekha hai na?" Daniyal ne kaha, "Haan, aur woh bench bhi. Lagta hai hum ghoom ke wapas yahin aa gaye." Main ne car aage badhaai, aur thoda confused sa tha. Waqai sab kuch pehle jesa lag raha tha. Magar GPS map wahi point pe atka hua tha. Time 5:47 tha. Daniyal ne kaha, "Papa time kyun nahi barh raha?" Maine phone dekha. Har clock freeze thi. Zara ne window ke bahar dekha aur bola, "Yeh pedh jese hil rahe hain... yeh to bas hila nahi, dekh bhi raha hai." Main ne peeche dekha to Dadaji ne aankhon mein dar lekar kaha, "Yeh wahi jungle hai... jahan Fareed kho gaya tha." Main ne kaha, "Kya? Kon Fareed?" Dadaji ne bola, "Mera college ka dost... 1964 mein ek shortcut lene nikla tha... is jungle se guzra... kabhi wapis nahi aaya." Us waqt sab ka rang urh gaya. Shehla ne mujhe aankhon se ishaara diya, jese keh rahi ho "Wapas chalo." Main ne car mod di. Magar dus minute baad hum usi jaga thay. Wahi patthar, wahi peela jhanda jesa kapda jo ek pedh se latka tha, wahi tooti hui bench. Daniyal achanak se chillaya, "Papa hum phir se yahan aa gaye!" Zara ne ro dene wali awaz mein kaha, "Please... is raaste se nikal chalo!" Main ne bar bar car ko mod ke alag direction mein chalaya. Magar har baar hum usi jaga wapas aate. Ek dafa to Daniyal ne kaha, "Papa mujhe lagta hai koi humein ghoomata hai. Jaise koi maze mein ho." Phir hawa ka rukh badla. Achanak hawa mein ek sardi si ghul gayi. Shehla ne Zara ko galay laga liya. Dadaji ne tasbeeh zor se parhna shuru kardi. Phir ek ajeeb si cheekh sunai di, lekin chiriya ki nahi thi... woh cheekh seedha kaanon mein baj rahi thi. Zara ne window ki taraf dekha aur cheekhi. Main ne dekha to ek aurat safed kapron mein khadi thi, lekin uska chehra tha hi nahi. Sirf ek khaali hissa jese kisi ne uska face mita diya ho. Main ne car ko tezi se start kiya aur aage bhagaya. Lekin 7 minute ke baad... hum usi jaga wapas thay. Daniyal ne phone ka time dikhaya: 5:47. Zara ne roti aankhon se kaha, "Yeh sab sach nahi lag raha. Yeh koi real nahi hai." Dadaji ne kaha, "Yeh real hai... yeh rasta insaan se kuch maangta hai." Main ne poocha, "Kya chahiye isse?" Unhon ne kaha, "Qurbani... har generation mein koi aik is jungle mein chhod diya jaata hai." Daniyal cheekh ke bola, "Papa, mujhe darr lag raha hai!" Shehla ne apne haath Zara ke haath pe rakhe, dono kaanp rahe thay. Phir Dadaji ne car ka darwaza khola aur bahar nikal gaye. Main chillaya, "Abbu andar aajayein!" Unhon ne kaha, "Mera waqt aagaya hai. Fareed ki jagah main gaya hota to shayad tum sab safe hote. Ab mujhe jaane do." Main ne car se utar ke unko rokna chaha lekin unhon ne mujhe zor se dhakka de kar kaha, "Agar mujhe rokoge to tum sab yahin rah jaoge." Aur us waqt unhon ne tasbeeh chhodi, aur jungle ke andar chal diye. Hawa band ho gayi. Cheekhen khatam ho gayi. Clock chali gayi: 6:18 PM. Car ke aage ek board tha: Murree – 4 km. Zara cheekh ke boli, "Hum nikal gaye?" Daniyal dar ke maare apni maa se chipak gaya. Main ne piche dekha... Dadaji nahi thay. Sirf unki tasbeeh seat pe thi. Main ne car chalayi, lekin meri aankhon se aansu ruk nahi rahe thay. Murree pohanch kar rishta ki baat chhod di. Shehla ne kaha, "Ab kabhi shortcut nahi lena." Aaj 3 saal ho gaye hain. Main jab bhi raat ko aankhein band karta hoon to woh safed chehra yaad aata hai, woh peela jhanda, aur woh waqt... 5:47. Dadaji ne apni jaan di... taake hum wahan se nikal saken. Kabhi kabhi lagta hai... kahin woh ab bhi us jungle mein ghoom rahe hain... tasbeeh parhte huye... kisi aur shortcut lene wale ka intezaar karte huye...