Aath Pehr Ki Mazdoori

"Khuda karay tujhay ishq ho jaey!" baabay ki iss phitkaar par us nay murr kay peechay dekha.

"Ye bad-dua di hai tum nay mujhay?"

"Haan"

Wo muskuraya. "Bechara!" he thought, "Saeen loag hai na, sakht bud-dua nahi day sakta kisi ko.... "

Baba qehqaha laga kar hansa. "kha lay, kha lay... tu bhi tarass kha lay ... "Ye aj teri khoraak hai, kal kisi aur ki ho gi.

"jab iss alaoo main sulgay ga na, tab iss khoraak say taa'ib ho ga.

"Ye jo teray qadmon ki masti hai na, ye jo teri aankhon main khumaar hai, isko aik dhonkni lagni hai ishq ki, aur tera sara wajood rakh ki tarah hawa main bikharay ga.

"Zarra zarra!

"Kuch purza part nahi bachay ga ... Khud kay liay bacha rakh ye tarass!"

"Interesting! Baba seems to have had a jolt".

Perhaps his talking thoughts talked too loud for baba's ears. He seemed to have heard them again!

"Yeah, jolt! Tell me young man, what's the strongest jolt that you've had? Cocaine doesn't count!"

He seemed to jump out of his skin. This was turning into quite an experience! 

His mind asked him to take a good look at his addressee again, but his locked eyes couldn't seem to leave their red stringed captive.

"That's it. Hash, too, at times."

"Hahaha... yani Newtonian physics hi rahi teri, relativity pe nahi gaya!

"Meray bachay! ye jo isqh ki free fall hoti hai na, ye zero Gravity main hoti hai! 

"Zero G samajhta hai?"

Baabay nay aankhain band kar kay jaisay khud hi aalam-e khayal main uss free fall ka maza lia.

The finance guru's eyes never left the baba's face.

"Teri ego, mitti kay maadho ki tarah girti hai towards the object of your desire. 

"Ye hoti hai Free Fall!

"But no matter with what gravity it accelerates towards the object, it always misses the object due to tangential inertias! Yeh hoti hai zero G main free fall.

"Ishq."

Baba stopped short.

"Khuaari. Mitti paleed!"

"Yani hath kuch nahi ata? Loss-Loss?"

Ray-ban clad eyes asked.

"Na yaar!

"Dunya hi tab milti hai!

"Jab apnay cheethray urtay hain na, tab apni confinement khatam hoti hai. Tab dooee ko maut aati hai. You reach the realms of beyond... Beyond!"

"Beyond kia hai?"

"Allah!"

"Faida?" Calculators never stop working, you see.

"Faiday nuqsaan main itni jaldi parr gaya tou bik gaya tera sauda!

"Risk Management nahi parhi tu nay?

"Zaat kay khoal say niklay ga tou Aur kuch nazar aey ga

"Ye jo metamorphosis caterpillar ko butterfly banata hai na, ye tujhay bhi banda bana sakta hai. Aur jis din tu banda ban gaya, us din universe and anti-universe, both would be your domain!

"Iss pyalay ko dekh." Baabay nay raizgaari wala kaasa ulta diya. Footpath par duur tak raizgaari kay sikkay kisi government school say chhutti kay waqt niklay bachoN kay shareer hajoom ki tarah, shor machatay, bikhartay chalay gaey.

His gaze followed the rolling coins. Baabay ki aawaaz hathori ki thoak ki tarah uski sama'at say takraee:

"It's this beggar's bowl that I've the entire cosmos within. Along with the Beloved!

"How about that for "Faida"? "

Baabay nay aankhain phir say band kar leen.

"Enough", he thought and traced his steps back.

"One thing more, son..." Babay nay awaz di.

"Ishq aath pehr ki mazdoori hai...

 "Faida nuqsaan maapnay main khoTi mat karna!"

[Seven years later, part ii of this story has been uploaded as سوں تیری سوہنیاں. Do check it out. :)
If the theme interests you, another story مستاں may also be an enjoyable read. :) ]