Mere haath paseene se tar ho gaye jab mobile ki screen par 'Arsalan Bhai' ka naam roshan hua. Abhi abhi us larki ke saath hui race ka nasha aadhi sarak par hi utar gaya tha. Muhib ka bacha... Arsalan bhai ne restaurant par bulaaya tha aur yeh yahan apni bachkani harkaton mein masroof tha. Ab daant to mujhe bhi parni thi. Maine ek lamba saans le kar call uthayi.

"Assalamualaikum, jee bhai bolen."

"Tum dono kahan ho? Maine sab ko restaurant bulaaya tha," unki awaaz mein sakhti thi.

"Jee... jee bhai, bas aa gaye. Raste mein hain," maine jhoot bolne ki nakaam koshish ki.

Phone par ek lamhe ki khamoshi chhayi. "Raste mein, ya race mein?"

Yaqeenan, unhone humein dekh liya tha. "Arre nahi bhai, aisi koi baat nahi hai."

"Acha? To shayad meri hi aankhein kharab hain," unka tanz teer ki tarah laga. "Dono nalayaq, seedhe restaurant pahuncho. Samjhe? Warna mujhse bura koi nahi hoga."

"Jee... jee bhai, samajh gaya," keh kar maine foran call band kar di. Maine mobile jeb mein rakha aur Muhib ki taraf ghusse se dekha jo abhi tak us larki ko dekh kar muh bana raha tha. Na jaane yeh kab bara hoga.

"Muhib ke bachay!" meri awaaz sakht thi. "Agar tumhara bachpana khatam ho gaya ho to chalein? Yeh tumhari aakhri race ho sakti hai, kyunke is baar Arsalan bhai ne rehem nahi khana hai."

"Haan, aaya," usne be-dili se kaha aur apni bike par baith gaya. Maine un dono larkiyon ko, jinki wajah se yeh sab shuru hua tha, door se hi 'bye' aur 'sorry' kaha aur apni bike start kar di.

Zariya ka Nuqta-e-Nazar

"Samrah, maine tumhein location bhej di hai, theek hai?"

"Haan, dekhi maine. Bas thori der mein pahunch jaungi," Samrah ki thaki hui awaaz aayi.

"Waise Samrah... sab theek hai na?" maine aahista se pucha.

"Zyada kuch nahi. Bas aaj bahar tum logon ke saath khane ka mann tha."

"Acha, theek hai," maine uske lehje se samajh liya ke woh is par mazeed baat nahi karna chahti. Yeh larki bhi na, saare samandar apne andar samet kar baithi rehti hai. "Main Duha aur Sheiza ko bhi call karti hoon."

"Haan, theek hai."

Call band hui to maine foran Duha ka number milaya. Phone uthte hi uski awaaz ke saath highway ka shor bhi phone se ubhra. "Assalamualaikum, jee Aapi bolen."

"Walekumasalam, Duha. Kahan ho tum?"

"Aapi, main aur Sheiza bas ghar ke liye nikal rahe hain."

"Nahi, ghar mat jao. Maine ek location bheji hai, wahan aa jao. Samrah bhi aa rahi hai, wahin se khana kha kar ghar jayenge."

"To phir ghar par kaun batayega, Aapi?" uski awaaz mein pareshani thi.

"Main abhi Abbu ko call karke bata dungi. Tum pareshan na ho, bas jaldi aa jao."

"Theek hai, Allah Hafiz."

"Allah Hafiz. Sambhal ke aana."

"Jee, Aapi." Call khatam hui aur maine mobile neeche rakh diya, yeh soch kar ke aaj ka din shayad behtar guzar jaaye.

Arsalan ka Nuqta-e-Nazar

Arham ka mizaaj aaj kuch ajeeb tha. Hum dono ke restaurant pahunchne ke baad se, woh kuch badla badla sa lag raha tha. Raat ke saarhe nau baj rahe thay aur restaurant mein kaafi rush tha. Arham ek corner table par akela baitha tha, lekin woh akela nahi lag raha tha. Uske chehre par ek aisi muskurahat thi jo aksar un logon ke chehron par aati hai jo apne khayalon mein kisi bohot azeez shakhs ke saath hon.

Kabhi woh apne mobile ko dekh kar muskurata, to kabhi aankhein band kar ke apne hi khayalon mein ghum ho jaata. Mujhe us par hasi bhi aa rahi thi aur hairat bhi. Khud se to yeh kabhi kuch batayega nahi. Khair, jab bhi bataye, bas khush rahe. Un dono nalayaqon ko aane mein kam se kam aadha ghanta to lagega hi. Tab tak main apne kuch zaroori kaam khatam kar leta hoon.

"Ruhaan, kal time se aa jaana. Main shayad thoda late ho jaungi."

"Theek hai, Samrah ji," usne muskurate hue jawab diya.

"Allah Hafiz."

"Allah Hafiz," kehte hue woh apni gaadi mein baith gaya. Maine apni gaadi start ki aur GPS par location on ki.

"Huh... Aaj ka din... Allah bas. Ab aur kuch nahi sochna hai, Samrah," maine khud ko samjhaya. "Bas sab ke saath masti karte hue khana khana hai aur ghar jaakar so jaana hai."

Main khud se baatein karte hue drive kar rahi thi ke pata hi nahi chala kab main restaurant ki location par pahunch gayi. Gaadi park karke maine Zariya ko call kiya. Waqt ab 9:50 ho chuka tha.

"Haan Samrah, aa gayi tum?"

"Haan, main gate par hi hoon."

"Acha, seedhe andar aa jao. Main first row ki corner table par hoon. Shayad chauthi (4th) table hai."

"Acha, theek hai," keh kar maine call kaat di. Apna hijab theek karte hue main andar jaane lagi. Kuch qadam chalne ke baad mujhe ehsaas hua ke main apna purse to gaadi mein hi bhool aayi. Main wapas parking ki taraf gayi, purse uthaya aur dobara restaurant ke gate se andar dakhil hui.

Andar aate hi mujhe Zariya dikh gayi. Main uski taraf barh hi rahi thi, abhi humare beech kuch hi qadmon ka faasla tha, jab mujhe ek jaani pehchaani, lekin is jagah par bilkul ghair-mutawaqqeh awaaz sunai di.

"Samrah? Aap yahan?"

Hello beautiful souls 🌸
Is chapter mein emotions thode aur gehre ho gaye hain. Kuch rishton ki shuruat awaaz se nahi, ehsaas se hoti hai.

Kya aapko bhi laga ke dono characters kuch kehna chahte thay magar rok liya?
Aap kis side par hain — logic ya feelings?

Apni opinion zaroor share karein ✨
Main har comment padhti hoon. Aap logo ka intezar me instargram ,youtube or snap pe bhi kar rahi hu😊apna khayal rakhiye cuties.

— s.j.noor