Fariya

"Tum kitne kutte ho na" !

Jub woh mujh se ye jumla kehti thi to us ke laboN main dabi dabi muskurahat bari piyari lagti thi aur mujeh bhi hasi aa jati thi. Fariya se meri mulaqat pehli baar 'MD Anderson' main hui thi. Main Residency ka elective kerne Chicago se Houston gaya tha. Fariya wahan ke coffee shop main kaam kerti thi. Woh India se aai thi. Main 2 mahine wahan raha. Fariya se roz mulaqat hoti. Roz main use chehrne ke liye kehta - 'Aaj bhi coffee main taste nahi hai' aur woh mujh se kehti: "tum kitne kutte ho na"! Aur hum dono has dete..

Fariya ki kahani bari mukhtasar thi. Use America aane ka shoq tha. India se aik din bhag ke yahan aa gai. Ghar walo ne rishta tor liya. Yahan rishtedaroN ne mun mor liya. Ab akeli thi. Womens' hostel main rehti thi aur akele akele job kerti thi. Kehti thi paise jama ker rahi hun. Kuch paise ho jaain to college jaun gi. Magar mujeh us ki kahani main koi interest na tha. Aesi kahanian un dinoN roz hi America main sunne milti thi. Mujeh to us ki bus muskurahat bari piyari lagti thi. Jis chahat se coffee banati aur jis piyar se woh logoN ko 'serve' kerti - cancer ke dardnak marz main mubtla mareezoN ko jese nai zindagi de deti.

2 mahine baad main Chicago aa gaya. Us zamane main cell phone to hote nahi the. Chicago se nikalte huwe apni land line main ne disconnect kerwa di thi. Main ne Fariya ko apne hospital ka pager # de diya tha. Is baat ko koi saal guzar gaya aur phir 'from nowhere' Fariya ne mujeh page kiya. Fariya ki awaz bari kamzor thi. Fariya ko renal cell carcinoma ho gaya tha aur usi MD Anderson main ilaj kerwa rahi thi. Kehne lagi: 'Agar zinda na rahun to meri aik amanat kisi ko paunchani hai'. Pehli baar usne apne womens' hostel ka room # mujeh bataya. Meri ICU ki rotation chal rahi thi. Mujeh Houston jaane main mahina lag giya.

Main womens' hostel pauncha to pata chala Fariya hospital main admit hai. Us ne mazeed ilaj kerwane se inkar ker diya tha aur hospice main admit thi. Sir ke baal utar chuke the. Gaalon ki hadiyan bahir nikal aayi thi. Jub main ne use pehli baar dekha to mera dimag sun ho gaya. Ye woh Fariya nahi thi jise main chor ke gaya tha. Saath kursi pe betha to usne apni bag se aik khat nikala. Kehne lagi: "ye khat meri maut ke baad mere parents ko mail ker dena. Andar kuch nahi, muaafi ke do lafz hain". Us ne mujh se poocha: "Main har sunday tumhe phone karungi. Jis sunday mera phone na aaye, samjh lena main ab nahi rahi. Mera ye kaam karoge na?" Main ne kaha: "Nahi". Kehne lagi: "Tum kitne kutte ho na"!

Main ne chalte huwe use bataye bagair nursing station pe apna contact chor diya. Mere Chicago aane ke aik mahine baad Fariya is jahane Fani se kuch ker gai. Main family emergency ka bahana ker ke Houston aaya. Hospice walon ne khud hi funeral ka bandobast ker liya. Paise 'pay' huwe ya nahi maalum nahi - magar Fariya ke funeral main main wahid aadmi tha. Usne kisi rishtedar ya dost ka koi contact nahi chora tha. Shayed woh to sirf muskurahat bantna janti thi dukh nahi. Jub Fariya ko qabar main utar rahe the to mujeh laga uski muskurahat wapas aa gai ho aur mujh se keh rahi ho: "Tum kitne kutte hona. Yahan bhi aa gaye"!

Main ne Fariya ka khat aik choti si tehreer ke saath India mail ker diya. Aaj Fariya ki 15th death anniversary hai. Fariya ki kahani kahin nahi likhi jaaye gi magar jo muskurahat woh logoN ko baantti thi uski khusbu hamesah logoN ke diloN ko mehkati rahe gi.

Yes Fariya I miss you sometimes and yes I do miss your coffee!