Raat ke khane ke baad, Samrah apne kamre ki taraf jaa hi rahi thi ke Sheiza ne peeche se aakar awaaz lagayi. Uski aankhon mein wahi purani shararat thi. Terrace ki taraf ishara karte hue boli, "Aapi, chalo na! Sab aa chuke hain, chai piyeinge aur bhi bohot kuch hai," usne masoomiyat se kaha.
Samrah ne usey ek thaki hui muskurahat di. "Nahi, main aaj bohot thak gayi hoon."
Sheiza ne thora sa munh phulaya to Samrah ka dil pighal gaya. "Theek hai, lekin bas thori der."

Sheiza khushi se uska haath pakad kar upar le gayi. Terrace par halki roshniyan jhilmila rahi theen. Ek gol lakri ki table aur kuch chairs rakhi theen. Khula aasman tha, taare chamak rahe thay, aur chaand apne uruj par tha. Duha aur Zariya, ek ek chai ka mug liye, pehle se hi bethi theen, sab apne apne night suits mein.

"Jee, Samrah aapi, batayein, kaisi thi site visit aaj ki?" Duha ne baat shuru ki.
Samrah thora hichkichai. Wo bol paati, isse pehle hi Sheiza bol uthi, "Kaisi kya rehti! Arham bhai ke sath khoob lunch ho rahe thay! Huh! Batao batao, aur apni choti masoom behen ko chhor ke!"
Duha aur Zariya to Samrah ka munh hi dekhti reh gayin.
"Dekho, main explain kar sakti hoon," Samrah ne safai deni shuru ki. "Meri baat to suno! Tum logon ko mujhpe bharosa nahi hai kya?"
Ab Samrah ne saari baat batayi.

Zariya ne aakhir mein kaha, "Chalo, ab baat rafa-dafa karo aur kaam pe dhaan do. Aur khush rehne pe."
Duha ne sapnon mein doobi awaaz mein kaha, "Dekhna Samrah aapi, Arham bhai aapko dil hi dil mein pasand karne lage hain."

Jab Sheiza khamosh rahi to sab ne uski taraf dekha. Usne phir apne aap-beeti, pure ghusse mein sunayi, aur aakhir mein boli, "Agli baar bas wo murga mil jaye... basss!"
Is par sab hansne lageen. Kuch der aur baatein karne ke baad, Samrah apne kamre mein aa gayi.

Wo balcony mein ja kar khari ho gayi. Kuch der aasman ko hi dekhti rahi. Kitni der tak, usey yaad nahi raha. Saamne hi kuch duri par masjid thi aur ek hara-bhara garden. Wo ab andar aa gayi. Waqt dekha to khud par hi chirte hue jaldi se wazu karke namaz padhne lagi. Namaz ke baad, wo laptop le kar bethi to Arham ka email dekha.

Kya baat hai, Miss Samrah. Lagta hai aap ko neend nahi aa rahi hai.

Samrah chonki. Uski aankhon ki neend udh chuki thi.
Jee? Kya matlab? usne jhatpat type karke pucha.

Samrah bhagti hui apni khirki par gayi. Arham wahin, road par saamne khara tha. Baal bikhre hue, ek shirt aur track mein. Wo Samrah ko dekh kar muskuraya. Samrah ne kuch hairat se, kuch ajnabiyat se, ek choti si muskurahat di. Tum yahan kaise?

Ab Samrah ne email likha. Arham ne reply kiya: Aap neeche aa sakti hain? Ek walk? Aur kuch baat bhi karni thi.

Samrah ne usey isbaat mein sar hila kar jawab diya aur do minute ka ishara karke, jaldi se apna brown scarf baandh kar dheeme qadmon se neeche utarne lagi.

Wo formal white shirt mein tha aur loose black track mein. Uske baal bikhre hue, maathe pe aaye thay.
"Assalamualaikum," Arham ne kaha.
Samrah ne jawab de kar uske saamne aa khadi hui. Arham ne walk ke liye haath se ishara kiya. Samrah aage aage chalne lagi, aur Arham apne haath peeche kiye, uske peeche peeche.

Khamoshi ki lari Samrah ne todi. "Aap ko kuch baat karni thi?"

Ab Arham araam araam se uske sath chal raha tha. Is sawal ka jawab to wo bhool hi gaya tha uss pal, jab Samrah gate se uski taraf aa rahi thi.
"Baat to main do saal se akele mein kar raha tha. Aaj sirf sunne aaya hoon." Ye jumla be-sakhta nikal gaya tha.

Samrah usey ek pal ko dekhti reh gayi. Arham uski taraf nahi dekh raha tha. Uski nazrein to road par hi theen.
"Aap apni professional boundaries cross kar rahe hain, Mr. Arham Shaikh. Mere sath casual hone ki koshish na karein," Samrah ne haath baandhe, road ki taraf dekhte hue kaha.
"Professional boundaries to tabhi toot gayin, jab aap walk ke liye maan gayin," Arham ne ek halki muskurahat ke sath usey dekha. Uske haath jaib mein thay aur sar kuch halka sa Samrah ki taraf jhuka hua tha.

Wo dono ruk chuke thay. Samrah usey be-ikhtiyaar dekhti reh gayi. Wo shock thi. Uska chehra surkh ho gaya tha. Wo chirh rahi thi? Ya ghussa tha? Wo khud nahi samajh paa rahi thi. Lekin Arham itna to samajh chuka tha ke wo shock hai, aur ye soch kar uski hansi chhoot gayi.

Is par Samrah ki aankhein bari huin. Ab wo pakka wali chirh chuki thi. Wo haath baandh kar ab aage aage chalne lagi.
"Samrah, ruko to!" Arham hasta hua uske peeche peeche bhaga. "Mera hasne ka koi irada nahi tha! Dekhein, aap naraz na hon!"
Samrah ghar ki taraf chalti rahi, badbadate hue, "Main kya joker dikh rahi hoon? Ya pagal samjha hua hai mujhe?"
Arham wapas uske peeche bhaga. "Acha, I am sorry! Sunein to, Samrah jee!" wo apni hansi dabaye, sorry bolte hue uske peeche bhag raha tha.

Samrah thora ruki, peeche mud kar usey dekha, aur haath baandhe khari ho gayi.
"Yahan paas mein hi ek ice cream parlour hai. Agar aap...?" Arham ne pucha.
Samrah ne usey kuch pal ke liye ghur kar dekhne ke baad kaha, "Nahi."
Arham ke chehre ki muskurahat udh chuki thi. "Samrah jee, wo sach mein mazak tha. Maaf kar dijiye na," usne bachon jesi aankhon ke sath kaha.

Ab Samrah apni muskurahat ko rokte hue puchi, "Kaunsi taraf hai? Chalein. Lekin main do ice cream khaaungi!" usne bachon ki tarah khush ho kar kaha.
Ab Arham muskuraya, uske chehre par aisi khushi dekh kar, jo uski wajah se aayi thi.

Ice cream parlour mein, dono ne cookie and cream aur coffee almond fudge ka order diya. Khamoshi se ice cream khane ke baad, wo dono wapas Samrah ke ghar ki taraf chal rahe thay.

"Thanks," Arham ne khamoshi todi. Samrah ne sawaliya nazron se dekha. "Aap walk ke liye aayin, isliye thanks."
Samrah kuch der chup rahi, phir pucha, "Waise, aap yahan is time kya kar rahe thay? Aur kaise pata tha ke main soyi nahi hoon?"
"Wo main namaz ke baad wahan..." wo ruk gaya.
"Haan? Wahan kya?"
"Achaaa, to aap jaag hi rahi theen? Maine to bas aise hi bol diya tha," usne baat badli.
"Acha theek hai, koi baat nahi. Aap bol rahe ho to maan leti hoon."

Arham ne gehri saans li. Usey kya bolta? Ke wo roz usko dekhne ke liye wahan rukta hai? Ke do saal se tum meri zindagi ka hissa ban chuki ho? Naah baba na, ye larki qatal kar sakti hai mera.

Ek safed billi ka bacha dekh kar usne Samrah ko ishara kiya. "Wo dekhein, wo bacha kitna pyara hai."
"Haan, hai to," Samrah neeche beth kar uske sar par haath sehlate hue boli. "Lekin ye mujhe bhooka bhi lag raha hai."
Arham paas hi ek store se doodh, cat food aur disposable katori le aaya aur uske saamne rakh diya.

Kuch hi door par Samrah ka ghar tha. Usne Arham ko gate ke bahar hi Allah Hafiz kaha aur andar jaane lagi. Peeche mud kar dekha to Arham abhi bhi wahin khara tha. Usey khara dekh kar, Samrah ne usey jaane ka ishara kiya.
"Pehle aap," Arham ne kaha.
Samrah be-ikhtiyaar muskurai aur andar chali gayi. Kamre mein aakar, wo khirki pe parda daalne gayi to Arham wahin tha. Samrah haste hue usey sawaliya nazron se dekhi to Arham ne haath upar karke 'bye' kaha aur chalne laga. Aur wo tab tak peeche mud mud kar dekhta raha, jab tak Samrah ki khirki uski nazron se ojhal nahi ho gayi.

Subah ke theek 8 baje, wo apne office mein betha tha. Wo sky blue formal shirt aur off-white pant pehne hue tha. Laptop par site visit ki tasveerein review kar raha tha. Ek tasweer mein usey Samrah dikhi. Wo kisi worker se muskurate hue baat kar rahi thi. Arham usey hi dekhta raha.

"Haan theek hai, lekin main do ice cream khaaungi." Ye jumla uske bolne ka andaaz... labon ki muskurahat mein izafa ho gaya. Uske baal, gulabi gaal, hijab, uski aankhein... Arham ko wo puri ki puri hi pasand thi.

Darwaze pe knock hua. Uska secretary, Ali Asaf, andar aaya. "Good morning, sir."
"Aaj zyada hi good morning ho chuki hai," Arham ne muskurahat ke sath kaha. Asaf aaj chonka tha apne boss ke is ravaiye par.
"Meeting ke documents ready hain?"
"Jee, sir," Asaf ne jawab diya.
Arham utha. Har meeting se pehle, usey office se kahin bahar akele mein ja kar bethna pasand tha. Ya yeh kahein, apni ghutan kam karne. Paas hi ek sofe pe beth kar usne aankhein band kar keen.
Har kisi ko thori na main Samrah ki muskurahat dekhne doonga, wo dil hi dil mein soch raha tha.

"Mr. Arham?" uske khayalon mein ek awaaz aayi.

_______________________________________________________

Raat ki walk aur din ki takraar... Arham ke do chehre. Konsa asli hai? 🤔

Ek baat to pakki hai, Arham ka control ab dheere dheere uske haath se jaa raha hai. Aur ye to bas shuruaat hai...

Waise, next chapter mein ek naya 'player' enter hone wala hai jo Arham ko bilkul pasand nahi aayega. Any guesses? 😉

Let me know your theories!

- S.J. Noor