"Aapi, aap theek hain?" "Aapi! Appiii!"

Maine cheekh kar awaaz di, ye soch kar ke shayad gaadiyon ke shor mein unhein sunai na de raha ho. Lekin nahi, maamla kuch aur hi tha. Maine side mirror mein aapi ko dekha. Wo alag hi duniya mein ghum theen. Unka chehra surkh ho rakha tha, jaise unke gaalon par kisi ne gulaab ghol diye hon.

Signal par bike rok kar main peeche mudi. "Aapi, aap theek hain? Appiii!" "Kya? Haan haan! Theek hoon main. Kyun, kya hua?" "Shukar hai, aap haqeeqat ki duniya mein wapas aa gayin," maine tanz kiya. "Kya matlab?" "Matlab ye, aapi, ke main pichle 20 minute se yahan cheekh rahi thi, pareshan ho rahi thi aap ke liye." "Pareshan kyun?" Signal khatam ho gaya tha, to maine bike chalana shuru ki. "Aapi, jab main cafe pahunchi thi, tab wo larka aap ko girne se bachaya. To main puch rahi hoon, kahin lagi to nahi hai na aap ko?" "Nahi nahi, main theek hoon." "Pakka? Aap ka chehra surkh ho rakha hai." "Haan baba, pakka!" Duha aapi chirh kar boleen, ya shayad sharma kar. "Waise aapi, kahin aap ka koi kitaabon ka shehzada to nahi mil gaya na?" maine chera. "Nahi, aisa kuch nahi hai. Aur tum apni baatein band karo aur batao, Samrah aapi aur Zariya aapi kahan hain?"

Maine bike ki speed barha li. Hum log ab Islamabad ke highway par thay. Main bhi nahi jaan payi, kab yahan tak aa gaye, baatein karte hue. "Aapi, tight pakariye!" "Sheizaaaa! Kiii bachiiii! Speed barhane ke baad nahi bolna hota hai!"

Main bohot thori hi aapi ki baat sun payi, zyada to unki cheekh sunai di. Lekin mujhe bas humesha aise hi acha lagta hai. Azad parinde jaise. Kisi ki baatein nahi sun'ni, kisi ko jawab nahi dena.

Main apne khayalon mein hi thi ke achanak meri nazar mere dono taraf ki bikes par gayi. Chaar larke thay. Mere daayein taraf jo larka bike chala raha tha, usne black T-shirt aur leather black jacket pehni thi, gale mein ek silver chain. Uska chehra helmet se dhaka hua tha. Usne meri taraf dekha, aur phir apna haath road ki taraf ishara kiya.

Haan! Ab maza aayega.

Duha aapi apni aankhein band kiye bethi hain, to unko nahi pata chalega. Maine apne sar ko halka sa kham diya. Challenge accepted.

Maine apna accelerator ghumaaya. Meri bike ka engine mujhse baat karne laga. Ab ek jhatka, aur main do gaadiyon ko takeover kar chuki thi. Agar maine helmet na pehna hota, to ye thandi hawaon ke thappar se mujhe sardi ho jaati. Mujhe ab flyover ki ending dikh rahi thi. Aage dusre shehron ki shuruwat thi. Meri bike gurrayi, Duha aapi ko thora jhatka laga, aur phir main chal pari—apni khushi ki taraf.

Wo ab flyover ke bohot kareeb thi. Usne apni bike ki speed aur barha kar, zig-zag karte hue, ek perfect final angle le kar, aakhri stretch pe ruk gayi.

Wo apni bike se utri aur hamari taraf dekh rahi thi. Usne apna helmet utaara. Uske chote, bikhre hue baal hawa mein lehraaye. Aur phir wo chilayi, uski aawaz poori highway par goonj gayi.

"LOOOSERRRSSS!"

Aur hasne lagi.

Maine apne baayein taraf Zaydin bhai ko dekha aur bas aage chala gaya. Maine ek half-curve banate hue bike roki. Main uske thora aage aakar ruka tha. Wo abhi tak has rahi thi. Uske kaale heel boots uske koodne pe awaaz kar rahe thay.

Ek minute. Boots?

Nahi nahi. Maine apne khayal ko jhatka. Isse pehle wo jaati, maine apna helmet utaara aur uski taraf barha. Zaydin bhai bhi aa gaye thay. Main uske peeche tha. Sky blue suit mein jo larki thi, wo Zaydin bhai ko dekh kar chonk gayi, jaise wo dono ek dusre ko jaante hon.

Main ab bike wali ke peeche pahuncha. Isse pehle main kuch bol paata, usne apne heel boots mere joote pe rakh diye. Haan. Ab mujhe koi shaq nahi tha. Ye koi aur nahi ho sakti. Ye wo churail, Sheiza ke ilawa aur koi nahi ho sakti.

Main dard mein cheekha. To wo mudi.

"Tummm? Phir seee?" wo chilayi. "Haaaaan! Main hiiii! Muhib Salim Chaudhary! Jiska har baar ek andhi bakri se paala parh jaata hai!" "Andhi? Aur main? Huh! Usi andhi bakri se tum abhi haar gaye, LOOSER!" usne apne chote baalon ko hawa mein urate hue kaha.

"Tum jaante ho inhein?" Zaydin bhai ne mujhse pucha. "Churailon ko jaana nahi jaata, bhai!" maine chilla kar bola. Wo, jo sky blue suit wali larki se baat kar rahi thi, meri taraf ghusse mein mudi aur boli, "Tum bhi kisi alien se kam nahi ho!"

"Tum dono bas karo ab!" Zaydin bhai aur blue suit wali ne ek sath chilaye.

Bhai aur mere dono dost taxi le kar jaa chuke thay. Zaydin bhai ka mobile baja. Maine screen pe dekha. 'Arsalan Bhai Calling'.

Gaye ab.

Assalamualaikum meri pyari readers 🤍✨
Yeh chapter likhte waqt mujhe khud bhi samajh nahi aa raha tha ke emotions zyada heavy thay ya khamoshi. Kabhi kabhi kahani loud nahi hoti… sirf mehsoos hoti hai.

Aapko kya laga — Arham ki khamoshi zyada boli ya alfaaz?
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— s.j.noor