"Samrah... aur tez... aur tez bhago, Samrah..."

Yaadon ka ek siyah jungle tha, jahan har taraf andhera tha. Uske paon kisi zameen ko chho hi nahi rahe thay, jaise hawa mein bhag rahi ho, ek be-wazan khauf mein. Aankhon ke aage bas kaali raat thi, aur peeche se aati aawazein.

"Rona band karo, Samrah! Puri jaan laga kar bas bhagna hai!"

Wo apne aap se kehti rahi, lekin aansu the ke rukne ka naam hi nahi le rahe thay. Uske gaal bheeg gaye thay, saans phool gayi thi, phir bhi wo bhag rahi thi. Bachpan ka darr? Ya... ya kuch aur?

"SAMRAH!"

Wo ek jhatke se uthi. Pasina uske chehre pe tha ya aansu, samajh nahi paayi. Seene mein dhadkan aise thokar maar rahi thi jaise abhi qafas tod kar bahar aa jayegi. Subah ke 4 baj rahe thay. Wahi khwab. Wahi wehshat.

Usne apne dil ko samjhaya, khud ko khud hi chup karaya aur uth kar washroom ki taraf chal di. Tahajjud padhne ka waqt tha.

Safed cotton ki ek loose kurti aur safed plazo usne pehni hui thi. Namaz ke liye ek bada sa baby pink dupatta sirf kapra nahi, jaise uska sahara ban gaya tha. Har sajde mein wo lambe, lambe arsay tak girti rahi, jaise sajda hi uska ghar ho, uski panah-gah.

Jab Quran khola to Surah ar-Rahman uske samne aa gayi. Har lafz ke sath uski aankhon se moti tapak rahe thay, jaise shabnam ke qatre Allah ki rehmatein gin rahe hon. Surah abhi puri hui bhi nahi thi ke Fajr ki azaan hone lagi. Wo foran se Quran Sharif band karke Fajr ki namaz ada karne khadi ho gayi.

Phir usne tayyar hone ka faisla kiya. Aaj site visit thi. Wardrobe se usne ek oversized magenta shirt nikali, neeche loose fit light-wash jeans, aur safed hijab ke sath safed sneakers. Ye rang zinda tha, ek defiant rang. Jaise subah ki pehli kiran raat ke andhere ko cheerti hai, ye rang uske andar ki udaasi ke bar-aks tha.

Mobile check kiya. Arham ka email. Uske honton par ek tanz bhari, be-jaan si muskaan aa gayi. Ye to expect kiya hi tha.

Neeche family ke sath nashta hua. Chachi ki taraf se chubhte huye taane bhi mile. Usne bas khamoshi se nashta kiya aur car ki chaabi utha kar nikal gayi. Ye routine tha—do saal purana routine. Ab ise parwah hi nahi rahi thi.

Car start karte hue usne dheere se khud se kaha:
“Chalein phir, Samrah… chalte hain.”

Fajr aur jogging ke baad Arham dining table par tha. Chehre pe wo hi thandak jo subah ki dhoop deti hai.

“Beta, project kaisa jaa raha hai Samrah beti ke sath?” Abbu ka sawal.

“Bas theek jaa raha hai,” Arham ne mukhtasar jawab diya, uski nazrein apne plate par theen.
“Samrah bohot zaheen aur samajhdar hai,” Abbu ne izafa kiya.

Arham chup. Na tasleem na inkari.

Car le kar nikla hi tha ke Muhib bhi khara ho gaya. “Bhai, mujhe university drop kar dena.”

Arham ne uski taraf dekha bhi nahi. Car mein khamoshi thi, phir Muhib ne bomb gira diya:
“Bhai, maafi maang li?”

Arham ne uski taraf ghura. “Tum isliye aaye ho?”

Muhib masoomiyat se muskara kar bola, “Nahi, bas dekhna hai ke mera bhai ek larki se kaise sorry bolega.”

Arham ne usse ignore kiya, steering par dono haath kas ke road par nazar jama li. Lekin dil mein ek hi sawal ghoom raha tha: maafi kaise maangu? kya bolun?

Site pe pohonche. Dhool, mitti, shor. Workers ke chilane ki awaaz. Subah ke 9 baj rahe thay. Thandi dhoop thi.

Aur phir Arham ne use dekha.

Samrah.

Oversized magenta shirt mein, safed hijab ke neeche se kuch zulfein nikli hui, jo dhoop mein chamak rahi thi. Uski aankhon ka rang… jaise shahad ka dariya. Uske gaal dhoop se aur bhi gulabi lag rahe thay.

Arham, jo site visit ke hisab se ek khubsurat, light brown rang ka collared sweater aur kaali pant pehne hue tha, usne ek haath se apne baal set kiye aur dusra haath pocket mein daal liya. Usne chashma lagaya hua tha. Ab wo Samrah ki taraf barha. Uski nazar bas us par thi.

Samrah ne usse door se hi dekh liya tha. Magar wo door hi rahi. Har dafa jab wo paas aata, wo dusri side chal deti. Jaise wo duniya mein exist hi nahi karta.

Dopahar ka waqt tha. Workers lunch kar rahe thay. Students groups bana kar baith gaye. Lekin Arham ka chaand kahin nahi dikh raha tha. Usey bechaini hui.

Muhib uske paas aa kar bola, "Bhai, aap bhi aa jao! Kuch kha zarur lena! Aur zaroori kaam, mera wala bhi yaad rakhna!" usne haste hue kaha.
Arham ne usey ignore kiya aur Samrah ko dhoondne nikal gaya. Wo building ke paas hi khadi, mobile pe shayad kisi ko call karne jaa rahi thi.

Arham ne salam kiya. Samrah ne uski taraf bina dekhe salam ka jawab de kar munh mor liya.
“Miss Samrah, ek minute please,” Arham ne kaha.
Wo mudi aur idhar udhar dekhte hue boli, "Bolein, ab kya bolna hai?"
“Aap kuch khane ke liye laayin hain ya nahi?”
Samrah ne sawaliya eyebrow uthayi aur tanz se pucha, "Aap ko koi pareshani hai isse bhi?"
“Nahi, bas puch raha tha. Actually, yahin thori door par ek dhaba hai. To agar aap bura na maanein, to mujhe apologise karne ka ek mauqa to aap de hi sakti hain,” wo ab Samrah ko bari umeed wali nazron se dekh raha tha.

Samrah ne usey ghur kar dekha. Ab uski aankhon pe dhoop nahi aa rahi thi, kyunke ye akdu jo uske saamne khara tha. Samrah ne uski aankhon mein dekhte hue, haath baandh kar pucha, "Where is your car?"
Arham ne ek bari muskurahat ke sath apni car ki taraf ishara kiya. Samrah car ki taraf chalne lagi, aur Arham apne chaand ke peeche peeche.

Car ka safar be-inteha khamoshi se guzar raha tha. Dhaba aa gaya. Ek khali table par wo dono beth gaye. Ek teenager larke ne aakar order liya.
“Kuch halka hi khana hai, sabzi roti manga lein,” Samrah ne kaha. Arham ne khane ke baad do glass nimbu paani ka bhi order de diya.

Khana shuru hua. Roti garam thi, to Arham Samrah ko roti thandi karke de raha tha, jis par Samrah ne kuch zyada dhyan nahi diya.
“Miss Samrah,” Arham ne bolna shuru kiya. “Wo... mujhe aapse kal ke bare mein kuch bolna tha.”
"Jee, boliye."
“Main jaanta hoon, mujhe wo word use nahi karna chahiye tha, wo bhi meeting mein sab ke saamne. Main koi wazahat nahi doonga, lekin I am sorry. Aur ye main apni ghalti mehsoos karne ke baad hi bol raha hoon.”

Samrah chup rahi.
"Aap kuch bol nahi rahi hain?" Arham ne pucha.
“Main kaise maan loon ke aap sharminda hain apni ki gayi harkat pe?” usne pucha.
“Aap ki company aur meri company ko lamba safar tay karna hai. Is dauran, aap jo chahein karwa ke dekh lein jisse aap ko tasalli ho jaye ke main sach mein sharminda hoon,” usne masoom aankhon se dekhte hue pucha.
“Agar phir bhi mujhe bharosa nahi hua to...?”
Arham thora muskuraya. “Main aap ko mujhpe bharosa na karne ka mauqa hi nahi doonga.”

Ab Samrah ne usey sirf dekha. Uske muh mein roti ka niwala tha. Uske gaal... wo ghubbara dikh rahi thi. Nahi, shayad choti si bachi. Arham usey dekh kar apni hansi rok nahi paya.
"Kya baat hai? Ab aap aise kyun has rahe hain?" Samrah chonki.
"Jee? Main hasa? Nahi to, bas kuch nahi."

Itne mein hi Sheiza ka call aaya. Samrah ne usey pyaar se samjha kar call kaat di. Bill pay karne ke baad, dono ne nimbu paani piya aur do parcel le kar car mein beth gaye. Arham ne parcel Samrah ke haath mein dete hue bola, "Ye aap ke liye, dhoop bohot hai."
Samrah ne mana kiya, lekin wo nahi maana. "Ek aap le lein, ek main le leti hoon. Equal," usne muskurahat ke sath kaha aur ek pack Arham ki taraf barhaya.

Arham ki to jaise duniya hi tham gayi thi. Itna sab, ek hi din mein? Uska dil ye kaise sahega? Wo kuch bol na saka, bas "Thanks" keh kar car start kar di.

Site pe lunch ke baad students ghoom rahe thay. Sheiza haath dhone gayi. Usne ek safed aur kaali dhariyon wala sweater pehna tha, baalon mein ek chota sa clip laga hua tha. Us waqt ek lamba sa larka, striped shirt aur dheeli kaali jeans mein uske saamne aa khada hua. Muhib.

“Aankhein to mujhe khair sahi dikh rahi hain,” usne tanz se kaha. "Kya sar ke peeche bhi hain?"
Sheiza ne palat kar dekha. “Alhamdulillah, meri to khair se aankhein bohot theek hain. Lekin lagta hai aap ke existence mein hi defect hai.”

Wahan khade do-teen log hansi daba gaye.
“Tumhari zubaan bohot tez hai,” Muhib ne daanton ke beech se bola, “junior hoke itna attitude? Zyada mat uchhlo.”
Sheiza ne apna baal zara theek kiya aur aankhon mein aankhen daal kar boli, “Sirf height zyada hone se banda bara nahi ban jata. Aur waise bhi, uchhalna to main sirf trampoline pe karti hoon. Aapko tension lene ki zarurat nahi.”
Muhib ab laal ho gaya. “Tumhari to—”
“Meri to kya?” Sheiza ne beech mein kaat diya. “Pehle grammar sahi karo, phir dialogue complete karna.”

Jab Arham aur Samrah dhaba se wapas aaye to samne hi hujoom laga tha. Dono bhage. Sheiza aur Muhib beech mein behas kar rahe thay.

Samrah ne Sheiza ko kheench liya. “Kya hua?”
Dusri taraf Arham ne Muhib ko alag le gaya.

Sheiza Arham ke paas aayi. "Bhai, ye jo bhi aap ka rishtedar hai, inko tameez seekhne ki zaroorat hai, khaskar ke ladkio se baat karne ki."
Phir usne Samrah ko samjhaya aur kaha, “Aapi, main bus se jaa rahi hoon. Aap khayal rakhna.”
Samrah ne sirf muskaan di. “Sambhal kar jana, mujhe message kar dena.”

Shaam ke 4:30 par Samrah ghar ke liye rawana ho gayi. Uske magenta shirt ka rang dhoop dhalne mein aur gehra lag raha tha.

Aur Arham… wo bas door tak uske peechay dekhte hue soch raha tha:
Kya main ise deserve karta hoon?

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Ek 'sorry' aur do nimbu paani... Kya barf pighal rahi hai? 😉

Yaad rakhiyega, har kahani mein ek posheeda zakhm hota hai. Abhi to bas pehli jhalak dikhi hai...

Waise, Sheiza aur Muhib ki 'takkar' ke baare mein kya khayal hai? 🔥

Comments mein bataiye! ❤️

- S.J. Noor