Maktoob

Apartment mein shift hue dono ko ek hafta ho gaya tha. Aur yeh ek hafta jaise kaise beeta, un dono ko pata hi nahi chala.

Noor ko raat mein bhook lagi thi. Woh uthi aur kitchen ki simt jaane lagi. Use yaad aaya ki khana bacha hi nahi hai.

Aur noodles bhi ghar mein hoti nahi thi.

Usne muh bisora.

Par bhook tez lagi thi.

Woh kitchen mein aayi aur cabinet kholne lagi. Upma ya poha hi bana le.

Jaise hi usne doosra cabinet khola, uski aankhein hairat se fail gayin.

Saamne noodles ka bada packet rakha hua tha.

Usne packet nikala. Use yaad nahi tha ki usne kab khareeda tha. Woh zehan par zor daal rahi thi.

Tabhi uski nazar cabinet ke darwaze ke andar ki taraf lage sticky note par padi.

Usne use padha.

“Mujhe pata hai bhook lagi hogi aapko abhi aur dhoondh rahi hongi aap. Isliye aapki favourite noodles.

Well, you are welcome.

— Aashir”

“Maine thank you kab bola?” Usne ‘welcome’ ke jawab mein ek aur sticky note chipka diya.

Uske labon par tabassum musalsal bikhra hua tha.

Subah Aashir jab utha, usne wahi cabinet khola. Use yakeen tha Noor ko bhook zaroor lagi hogi.

Noor ka note padh kar woh hans diya.

Tabhi Noor kitchen mein aayi.

“Well, it's bad manners, Mohtarma, to not say thank you.”

Aashir ne mazaakiya lehje mein kaha.

Noor uski taraf mudhi.

Usne uski aankhon mein dekha.

Phir bhawein uchkaayin.

“Ab main aapse thank you kahun?”

Sawaal tha ya aaina, woh samajh nahi saka.

Jis maan se usne kaha tha, uske dil ne aiteraaf kiya—woh in Mohtarma se thank you nahi bulwa sakta.

Usne sir nafi mein hila diya.

“Phir?”

Noor ne kandhe uchkaye.

“Kuch nahi.”

Usne sir nafi mein hila diya.

Noor apne kaam mein masroof ho gayi.

Woh use dekh raha tha.

Yun uske saamne itni bebaak hona Aashir ko achha lagta tha. Woh khul rahi thi.

Dono naashte ki table par the jab Noor ne use mukhatib kiya.

“Aajkal aap bahut jaldi uth jaate hain.”

“Haan, jogging, phir gym. Toh isliye.”

Usne sarsari sa jawaab diya.

“Oh, jogging? Aap toh pehle sirf gym karte the.”

Noor ne sawaal kiya.

Aashir ne ek nazar Noor par daali. Use toh lagta tha ki usko pehle ki uski aadatein nahi maloom, par yahan toh sab pata tha.

Use achha laga.

Pehle main saans le raha tha, ab jee raha hoon.

Heal kar raha hoon.

Usne bahut halke-phulke lehje mein kaha.

Noor ka seb kaatta hua haath ruk gaya.

Phir usne asbaab mein sir hila diya.

Aise hi ek din woh dono dinner kar rahe the.

Noor ne korma aur pulaav banaya tha. Uske saath rumali roti bhi thi.

Aashir ki nazar jaise hi khaane par padi, woh chehka.

“Wahh... aapne toh dil khush kar diya.”

Noor ne muskurati hui ek nazar us par daali.

Pehla niwala lete hi korma aur roti Aashir ke muh mein ghul gayi.

“Uff, kya lazeez khaana hai!”

Beikhtiyaar nikla.

“Banane wale ke haath chum lene chahiye.”

Woh rawani mein bol gaya.

Noor ki taraf dekh kar woh thehar gaya.

Woh nazrein nahi mila rahi thi.

Gaalon par halki si surkhi thi.

Woh kya bol gaya?

Use ab ehsaas hua.

Apni baat samajh kar aur Noor ka reaction dekh kar use ek ajnabi sa ehsaas hua.

Aaj Aashir waqt se pehle ghar aa gaya tha.

Noor use dekh kar hairaan hui.

Woh case study kar rahi thi.

Aashir bikhre kaagaz dekh kar samajh gaya.

Woh use utha kar padhne wali thi, tabhi Aashir ne haath ke ishaare se roka.

“Main le lunga. Aap kaam par dhyaan dein.”

Aashir ne usse kaha aur kitchen ki taraf chala gaya.

Noor ko Aashir ka uske kaam ko ahmiyat dena achha laga.

Woh dobara apne kaam mein magan ho gayi.

Kuch der baad uske saamne ek bhaap udhta hua cup rakha gaya.

Usne nazrein uthayin.

Aashir ek cup haath mein liye uske bagal wale sofe par baith raha tha.

“Thoda sa break lein. Coffee pee lijiye.”

Aashir ne usse kaha.

Usne asbaab mein sir hila diya.

“Aapko apna kaam bahut pasand hai na?”

Aashir ne sarsari sa kaha.

Noor ne uski taraf dekha.

Phir asbaab mein sir hila diya.

“Par aapko kaise pata?”

Noor ne sawaal kiya.

Aashir ne cup table par rakha.

“Aapki aankhon mein chamak, kaam karte hue labon par muskaan aur chehre ki damak se koi bhi samajh jayega ki aapko kitna pasand hai jo aap kar rahi hain.”

Usne sarsari sa kaha.

Noor dam-saadh use dekhti rahi.

Woh use itne gaur se dekhta hai.

Usne nichla lab kaata.

“Aapne Phupha ko dekh kar lawyer banne ka faisla liya?”

Aashir ne sawaal kiya.

Zaviyar Sahab ke zikr se Noor ke dil mein ek halki si tees ubhri, jo usne muskurahat tale daba li.

“Ji. Abbu jab court jaate the, coat pehente the. Mujhe achha lagta tha. Mere dil mein tha, Abbu ke jaisa coat main bhi pehnungi.”

“Main apna school blazer pehen kar lawyer-lawyer khelti thi.”

Noor ek maree nukte ko dekhte hue bol rahi thi, jaise un lamhon ko wapas jee rahi ho.

Aashir use gaur se dekh raha tha.

“Aur aapko pata hai, Ammi kehti thi, ‘Main doctor kyun nahi banna chahti? Ammi bhi toh coat pehenti hain.’”

“Main hans deti thi. Aur Ammi se kehti thi, ‘Abbu ke coat mein charm hai.’”

Ammi muskura deti thi.

“Mere Abbu ka khwaab tha ki main M&S form ko bahut aage badhaun.”

Woh rawani mein bole ja rahi thi, jaise sab kuch wapas jee rahi ho.

Aashir ab sanjeeda sa use dekh raha tha.

“M&S Dadi-Dada ke initials hain.”

Woh chup hui.

Aankhon mein nami umad aayi.

Usne haath se unhe mitaana chaha.

Par ek aansu nikla, phir doosra.

Woh pochna chahti thi. Usne haath uthaye.

Aashir ne uske haath thaam liye.

Usne Aashir ki taraf dekha.

Usne nafi mein sir hilaya.

“Ro lijiye.”

Bas itna hi kehna tha.

Aansu palkon ki baat phalang kar behne lage.

Usne apne dono haath muh par rakh liye.

Aashir ke dil ko kuch hua use aisa dekh kar.

Woh dheere se uski taraf hua.

Usne uska bazu apne hisaar mein liya aur ek taraf se use baahon mein bhar liya.

Woh uski shirt pakde roti rahi.

Usne use rone diya.

Uska har aansu Aashir ko takleef de raha tha.

Us par inkishaaf hua—woh is ladki ko rota nahi dekh sakta tha.

Kuch lamhon mein woh sambhali.

Usse alag hui.

“Aap form ko bahut aage badhayengi.”

Usne muskurate hue kaha.

Woh use dekhti rahi.

Phir aage badh kar use gale laga liya.

Aashir ke liye yeh ghair-mutawaqqa tha.

Phir usne bhi apni baahen uske gird phaila di.

“Bahut yaad aati hai na?”

Aashir ne sawaal kiy

a.

“Maa-baap bhoolte hain kabhi?”

Noor ne saadgi se kaha.

“Aap toh nahi chhod denge na mujhe tanha?”

Noor ki awaaz bhari-bhari thi.

Aashir ka dil kisi ne mutthi mein le liya.

Kitna dard hai iske andar.

“Main aapko tanha nahi chhodunga.”

Usne use ehsaas dilaya.