Car mein bethe hue, main khirki se bahar dekh rahi thi. Bohot kuch tha mere zehen mein. Bohot si pareshaniyan, bohot si baatein, aur phir... uski awaaz.

"To aap ka college kaun sa tha?" Arham ne pucha.
"Jee?" Main apne khayalon se bahar aayi.
"Maine pucha, aap ne apni degree kahan se ki?" usne dohrana.
"Wo main samjhi, lekin achanak kyun?"
"Bas aise hi. Mujhe aaj ehsaas hua ke main aap ke bare mein basic cheezein bhi nahi jaanta hoon. Jabke hamari family ki bohot purani dosti hai."

Family? Maine ek pal ke liye uski taraf dekha. "Family? Mere khayal se maine sirf aap ke abbu ko hamare ghar aate dekha hai. Yaani, agar seedhe alfaazon mein kahun, to sirf hum dono ke abbu dost hain. Sirf. Am I right, Mr. Arham?"

"Theek hai," usne meri taraf dekhte hue kaha, "Abse main bhi aa jaya karunga aap ke ghar."
"Jee?" Mere alfaaz be-ikhtiyaar phisle.
"Main 'permission granted' wala 'jee' maanu, ya sawaal wala?"
"Sawaal wala," maine bina koi der kiye, phir se khirki ki taraf munh mor liya.

To Arham bola, "Aap ka dost hoon, aa hi sakta hoon. Jaise mere abbu aap ke abbu ke dost hain." Usne dono eyebrow unchi karke meri taraf dekhte hue kaha. Pata nahi kyun, lekin main is insaan ki aankhon mein kuch second se zyada nahi dekh paati.

"We are here."

Arham ki awaaz se main apne khayalon se bahar aayi. Wo car se utar chuka tha. Mera purse bhi uske haath mein hi tha. Usne aakar car ka darwaza khola. Uske chehre pe ek ajeeb si muskurahat thi. Sukoon wali? Maine dil mein socha, khair, mujhe kya hi karna hai.

"Main khud le leti hoon," maine purse ki taraf ishara kiya.
"Jaanta hoon. Aap har kaam khud kar sakti hain. Lekin zaroori nahi hai ke sab kuch aap karein. Kam se kam, jab main aas paas hoon, tab to bilkul nahi."

Main khud ko rok na saki. Kuch pal, bas usey dekhti reh gayi.
Arham muskuraya. "Shall we?"
Main sirf isbaat mein sar hila paayi.

Ye restaurant Arsalan ka tha. Zariya ke cafe se kuch hi doori par. Hum dono ek side table par bethe. Manager personally aaye thay. Arham yahan daily aata hai kya? maine dil mein socha.

"Meeting, sir?" Manager ne meri taraf dekhte hue pucha.
"Jee nahi. Ye Miss Samrah, meri dost aur partner..." Arham meri taraf dekha, aur mera chehra dekh kar shayad usey hansi aayi, lekin wo muskuraya aur apna jumla pura karte hue bola, "...she is my friend and project partner."

"Pehla semester kareeb hai, abhi to University ke din enjoy karna shuru kiye thay," Saad thakan si awaaz mein bol raha tha. Main abhi filhal sirf khane pe dhyaan dena chahta tha. Subah 7 baje se bhooka tha.

"Tum dono abhi bhi yahin bethe ho?" Emad aakar bola. "Chalo, utho, library! Hamza ne sabko bulaya hai."

Library pahunche to Hamza corridor mein khara tha. "Sem se pehle sab ko ek ek site assign ki gayi hai. Wahan ja kar kuch observe karna hai, report banani hai, aur Saturday ko presentation hai," Hamza ne bohot masoomiyat ke sath apni baat muqammal ki, aur hum teeno ko 'mini heart attack' mil gaya.

"Theek hai, phir chalo," main pata karne ke liye peeche muda. "Ouch!"
"Haye Allah! Saare andhe meri hi zindagi mein de diye hain aap ne!" ek aawaz aayi. Jis se meri takkar hui thi, wo bol rahi thi. Main neeche jhuka, uska samaan uthane mein madad karne. Wo abhi bhi apna sar masal rahi thi.

"Tummmm?"
"Tummmm?"

Hum dono ne ek dusre ka chehra dekhte hi ek sath chilaya. Ye wahi larki thi. Sheiza.

"Tum humesha andhi hi rehna!" maine kaha.
"Tumhari to aankhein ho kar bhi sar pe chari rehti hain!" usne jawab diya.
"Itna masla hai to theek kar do!"
"Main kar sakti to nikal kar hi phenk deti!"
"Kyun? Tumhe meri khubsurat aankhon se jalan hoti hai? Ke tumhare paas aankhein hi nahi hain?"
"Nahi. Mujhe tum par taras aata hai. Aankhein ho kar bhi andhe ho."

Emad, Hamza aur Saad, teeno usey sorry bol rahe thay. Main to haath baandhe khara tha. Wo aage jaate hue, apne heel wale boot se mera pair kuchalte hue gayi. "Pagal larki!" mujhe dekh kar chirate hue library mein chali gayi.

Author's Note

Arham ka 'dost' wala daav... Samrah par kitna asar karega? 😉

Aur dusri taraf, library mein ek nayi jang shuru ho chuki hai. Muhib aur Sheiza, inki 'takkar' aage kya rang laayegi?

Lekin sab se zaroori sawaal... Duha aur Zaydin. Ek nigaah. Ek lamha. Kya ye ek nayi ghazal ka aaghaaz hai?

Aapko kya lagta hai? Comments mein bataiye! ❤️

- S.-J. Noor