As soon as Asim drove the car off the paved road onto the dirt path, it began to get covered in dust rising from the ground. The journey was quite long, and there was no sign of any settlement nearby. Asim’s servant, Sarfraz, was also in the car. Both were almost the same age. Asim was an affluent, well-educated, and handsome young man, and Sarfraz, his educated servant, managed Asim and his father’s business affairs.
Sarfraz noticed some nomadic girls walking in the distance along the dusty road, looking parched. He got out of the car and said to Asim, “Sir, wait here for a while. I’ll arrange some water and return.” Sarfraz approached the girls and asked if they could give him some water, offering to pay for it. One of the girls responded curtly, “No water is available here easily. You’ll have to fetch it from a mile away.” However, another girl standing among them spoke to Sarfraz, saying, “Sir, I’ll give you water, and I don’t need any payment.”
By then, Asim had also driven up to them and overheard the conversation. He told the girl that they would pay for the water because it must have been hard to get. After receiving the water, Asim handed three hundred rupee notes to the girls and thanked them. Sarfraz poured water into the car’s radiator and noticed that the tires had deflated, making it impossible to continue their journey. The girls were still standing nearby. The same girl who offered water asked what the problem was. Asim pointed to the tires and explained that the air had leaked, making it difficult to move forward.
The girl assured him, “Sir, don’t worry. Our hut is nearby. Come with us; my brother will get the tires inflated from the city.” Sarfraz stayed with the car while Asim walked with the girls. The girl, Bhooli, stayed close to Asim, while the others walked ahead. Bhooli brought Asim into her hut and seated him on a cot. Just as Asim bent to take off his shoes, he saw an old man beating a girl in a nearby hut. The girl was screaming loudly. Unable to tolerate the sight, Asim was about to intervene when Bhooli stopped him. She explained, “Sir, this happens here every day. Wash your face.”
Asim was surprised to see Bhooli holding an expensive soap. She also brought him a new towel, which surprised him further. Bhooli, noticing his surprise, said, “Sir, don’t be astonished. We are also inhabitants of this world.” Asim asked why the old man was beating the girl. Bhooli revealed that the man was the girl’s husband, who had bought her for a hefty sum. She earned money daily, but if she brought back less than fifteen hundred rupees, she would be beaten.
As they spoke, Bhooli’s brother, Hameed, arrived with a cart, carrying five or six young women. As the cart stopped in front of the huts, the women jumped off and were met by their husbands, who collected the money from them. After seeing this, Asim asked Bhooli who Bijli was. Bhooli explained that Bijli was her brother’s wife, and they often argued. Bijli sometimes disappeared for a day or two.
When Hameed inquired about the stranger, Bhooli explained that their car had two flat tires and needed help. Hameed agreed to help on the condition that Asim would take him to find Bijli after fixing the car. Asim promised to fulfill his request. Bhooli explained that in their community, marriage involved paying a large sum as girls were their primary source of income. Hameed had also paid a hefty sum to marry Bijli.
Curious, Asim asked Bhooli if she earned money as well. Bhooli replied, “Sir, as soon as the first call for prayer is heard, we head out for work. If we reach on time, earning one to two thousand rupees is not difficult because men often share their feelings with us. When we return home in the evening, we hand over all our earnings to the men.” This was their daily routine.
Bhooli asked Asim about his life. He shared that he was a doctor in the city and his father was a prominent businessman. They were on their way to Dunia Pur, where his father’s childhood friend lived, intending to marry his daughter. However, the car broke down, and now he was here, perhaps where he was meant to be.
Meanwhile, Hameed informed them that the car was ready. Asim, Sarfraz, and Hameed set off for the city. At a crossroads, they saw a crowd and learned that a girl’s body had been dumped there, her face mutilated, and currency notes scattered around. Hameed feared the body might be Bijli’s, but the police quickly covered it and took it away, preventing them from seeing the face.
Upon returning to the hut, Hameed was relieved to find Bijli safe, nursing their child. Overjoyed, he embraced her. Bijli shared her thoughts on educating their daughter to serve the nation, just as city folks did. Everyone was amazed at Bijli’s determination.
Asim, deeply moved by the events, decided to marry Bhooli, regardless of the cost, and intended for Sarfraz to marry the Chaudhary’s daughter. Thus, Asim’s decision brought hope for a brighter future in the community.
Before the Break of Dawn صبح ہونے تک
Sarfraz ne dekha ke kuch khana badosh ladkiyan dhool bhari sarrak par chal rahi hain, aur pyasi lag rahi hain. Woh gari se utar kar Asim se bola, “Sir, thodi der yahan rukiye. Main pani ka intezam karke aata hoon.” Sarfraz ne ladkiyon se poocha kya wo pani de sakti hain, aur iske badle paise dene ki bhi baat ki. Ek ladki ne tanz karte hue kaha, “Pani yahan asani se nahi milta. Ek mail door se lana padta hai.” Magar ek aur ladki ne kaha, “Sir, main aapko pani pila doongi, mujhe koi paisa nahi chahiye.”
Tab tak Asim bhi gari chala kar wahan pahunch gaya tha aur usne baat sun li. Usne ladki se kaha ke pani ke liye paisa zaroor denge kyun ke pani lana asan nahi hoga. Pani lene ke baad Asim ne ladkiyon ko teen sau rupay ke note diye aur shukriya ada kiya. Sarfraz ne gari ke radiator mein pani dala aur dekha ke dono tyre puncture ho gaye hain, aur ab aage jana mushkil tha. Ladkiyan ab bhi wahan khadi thi. Jo ladki pani laayi thi, usne poocha kya masla hai. Asim ne tyres ki taraf ishaara karte hue kaha ke hawa nikal gayi hai, aur ab aage jana mushkil hai.
Ladki ne kaha, “Sir, fikr na kariye. Hamari jhonpri yahan se paas hai. Wahan chaliye, mera bhai shehar se hawa bharwa laayega.” Sarfraz gari ke paas hi ruk gaya aur Asim ladkiyon ke saath chal diya. Ladki, jis ka naam Bhooli tha, Asim ke saath rahi jab ke baaki ladkiyan aage chal rahi thi. Bhooli ne Asim ko apni jhonpri mein laakar ek charpai par bitha diya. Jab Asim ne apna joota utaarne ko jhuka, toh usne dekha ek budha aadmi ek ladki ko maar raha hai, jo zor zor se cheekh rahi thi. Asim se ye sab dekha na gaya aur woh ladki ko bachane ke liye uth kar jaane laga, magar Bhooli ne usse rok diya. Bhooli ne bataya, “Sir, yeh yahan roz ka mamool hai. Aap munh haath dholo.”
Asim Bhooli ke haath mein mehnga sabun dekh kar hairan reh gaya. Bhooli ne ek naya towel bhi la kar diya, jo usse aur hairan kar gaya. Bhooli ne kaha, “Sir, hairan mat ho. Hum bhi isi duniya ke bashi hain.” Asim ne poocha ke budha aadmi us ladki ko kyun maar raha tha? Bhooli ne bataya ke woh uska shohar hai, jo usse lakhon mein khareed kar laaya tha. Agar woh pandrah sau se kam paisa laati hai, toh us din maar khati hai.
Jab woh baatein kar rahe the, tab Bhooli ka bhai Hameed aaya, apni gadi ke saath, jisme paanch ya chhe jawan auratein bethi thi. Jab gadi jhonpriyon ke paas ruki, toh woh auratein neechay utarne lagi. Unke shohron ne unse paise liye. Asim ne Bhooli se poocha Bijli kaun hai. Bhooli ne bataya ke Bijli uske bhai ki biwi hai aur unka aksar jhagra hota hai. Kabhi kabhi Bijli ek do din ke liye gaayab ho jaati hai.
Hameed ne Bhooli se ajnabi ke baare mein poocha, toh usne kaha ke inki gari ke tyre puncture ho gaye hain. Hameed ne madad karne ki shart rakhi ke Asim usse Bijli ko dhoondhne le jaayega. Asim ne waada kiya. Bhooli ne bataya ke unki community mein shaadi ke liye ladki ki qeemat ada karni padti hai, kyun ke ladkiyan kamaayi ka zariya hoti hain. Hameed ne bhi lakhon dekar Bijli se shaadi ki thi.
Asim ne poocha ke kya Bhooli bhi kamaati hai. Bhooli ne jawab diya, “Sir, azaan ki pehli awaaz sunte hi hum sab ladkiyan kaam par nikal jaati hain. Agar waqt par hum apne addo par pahunch jaayein toh ek hazar se do hazar kamaana mushkil nahi hota, kyun ke mard paise dene ke saath apne dil ka haal bhi sunate hain. Shaam ko jab ghar wapas aate hain, toh saari kamaayi mardon ke hawale karni padti hai.” Yeh unka roz ka mamool tha.
Bhooli ne Asim se uski zindagi ke baare mein poocha. Asim ne bataya ke woh shehar mein doctor hai aur uske walid ek bade business man hain. Woh Dunia Pur jaa rahe the, apne walid ke dost ki beti se shaadi karne. Magar ab gari kharab ho gayi aur woh yahan hai, shayad wahi uski manzil hai.
Is beech Hameed ne aakar bataya ke gari tayar hai. Asim, Sarfraz aur Hameed shehar ke liye nikal gaye. Ek chowrahe par unhone dekha ke logon ka hujoom hai aur pata chala ke ek ladki ki lash phenki gayi hai, jis ka chehra kuchla hua hai aur currency notes chhite huye hain. Hameed ko darr tha ke yeh lash Bijli ki na ho. Police ne jaldi se lash ko dhak diya aur le gayi, isliye unhe chehra dekhne ka moka nahi mila.
Wapas laut kar, Hameed ne dekha ke Bijli ghar par hai, apne bache ko doodh pila rahi hai. Khushi se uske muh se cheekh nikal gayi. Bijli ne socha ke woh apni beti ko parhaaye gi, taki woh mulk ki khidmat kare. Sab uske jazbaat sun kar hairan the.
Asim ne tay kiya ke woh Bhooli se shaadi karega, chahe jitna paisa lage, aur Sarfraz ki shaadi Chaudhary ki beti se karwaayega. Is tarah Asim ke faisle se samaj mein naye ujaale ki umeed nazar aa rahi thi.
