Maktoob

Kamre mein do kursiyan aamne-saamne rakhi thin. Ek kursi par Dr. Asif aur doosri par Ashir baitha tha. Darmiyan mein ek chhoti si mez thi.

Ashir apni ungliyon ki poron se jeans par be-maqsad lakeerein bana raha tha.

Dr. Asif use gaur se dekh rahe the.

Phir woh kuch peeche hue.

"Woh kehta hai... maine Asiya se kabhi mohabbat nahi ki."

Ashir ne sargoshi ki.

Dr. Asif use dekhte rahe.

"Tumne kya kaha?"

Ashir ki ungliyan tham gayin.

"Main... saket ho gaya tha. Jaise kisi ne meri bolne ki salahiyat hi khatam kar di ho."

Woh ab bhi nazrein jhukaye baitha tha.

Dr. Asif ne asbaab mein sar hilaya.

Ek waqfa.

"Use main yeh kaise samjhaun ke main Asiya se bepanah mohabbat karta tha..."

Uska lehja minnat bhara tha.

Woh ruk gaya.

Phir achanak uski aankhein phail gayin.

Jaise kisi sach par achanak inkishaaf hua ho.

"Haan... woh karta tha."

Ashir ne dheere se kaha.

"Ab nahi karta."

Usne gehri saans li.

"Us rishte ko nibhane ke liye maine shayad mohabbat ko kahin daba diya tha. Lekin ab..."

Woh ruk gaya.

"Ab woh mere dil ki makeen hai hi nahi."

"Aap ruk kyun gaye?"

Dr. Asif ne poocha.

Ashir ne nazrein uthaye baghair kaha,

"Main usse mohabbat karta tha..."

Ek lamhe ki khamoshi.

"Mohabbat karta hoon nahi."

Usne aakhri jumla itni aahistagi se kaha jaise khud ko samjha raha ho.

Dr. Asif aage ki taraf jhuke. Woh Ashir ki badalti kaifiyat ka mutala'a kar rahe the.

"Tumhe Aliyar ko yaqeen kyun dilana hai?"

Ashir ne zehan daudaya.

Koi jawaab nahi.

Woh chup raha.

Use kyun apni sabse mohabbat ka yaqeen Aliyar ko dilana tha?

Usne socha.

Phir sar nafi mein hila diya.

"Yahi toh masla hai, Ashir."

Dr. Asif muskuraye.

"Hum apni zindagi mein kya kar rahe hain, isse dusron ko mutmaeen karne ki koshish karte rehte hain. Jabke asal marhala yeh hai ke hum khud mutmaeen hon... aur hamara Rab humse raazi ho."

Ashir ne nazrein uthayin.

Uski baat samajh aa gayi thi.

Labon par halki si udaasi thehar gayi.

"Noor-ul-Ain ke saath zindagi kaisi hai?"

Dr. Asif ne poocha.

Ashir ke chehre ke tasuraat narm pad gaye.

Aankhon mein ek alag si chamak utar aayi.

Lab muskurahat mein dhal gaye.

"Pur-sukoon."

Sirf do lafz.

Dr. Asif ne use dekha.

"Sirf pur-sukoon?"

Ashir ke labon par muskurahat gehri ho gayi.

"Sukoon hi toh ab-e-hayat hai, Ashir..."

Phir woh khud hi apni baat sudharte hue dheere se bola,

"Sukoon hi toh ab-e-hayat hai."

Woh kuch pal khamosh raha.

"Woh meri zindagi mein kisi phool ki tarah khilti ja rahi hai... jiski khushboo har kone-kone ko mehka rahi hai."

Uski aankhon mein Noor ka aks tha.

"Woh..."

Woh ruk gaya.

"Jaise koi chhaon jo bhari dopahar mein mil jaaye."

Uski muskurahat mein ab ek ajeeb sa itminan tha.

"Koi baarish jo lamha-lamha bhigoti rahe."

Ek pal ko uski nazrein kahin door tik gayin.

"Ya kisi dard mein chalti woh garam hawa... jo dheere-dheere dil ko pighla de."

Ashir muskura raha tha.

Dr. Asif ne use gaur se dekha.

"Mohabbat ho gayi hai tumhe usse?"

Ashir ne aitraaz nahi kiya.

Woh bas kuch pal khamosh raha.

"Pata nahi..."

Uske labon par halki si muskurahat thi.

"Main abhi samajhna nahi chahta."

Phir usne dheere se kaha,

"Par haseen hai yeh marhala."

"Darr nahi lag raha? Dusri dafa mohabbat karne mein?"

Dr. Asif ne use tatola.

Ashir ne kandhe uchka diye.

"Darrna kaisa ?"

Phir woh kuch pal khamosh raha.

" Unhone mujhse kaha Main tanha nahi hoon."

*******

Woh OPD mein tha jab ek patient andar aaya.

Ashir ne use baithne ka ishara kiya aur uski file dekhne laga.

"Saad, right?"

Saad ne sar hilaya.

"Saad, aapki reports dekhne ke baad mujhe lagta hai humein surgery mein der nahi karni chahiye."

Ashir ne professional lehje mein kaha.

Saad ne khamoshi se sar hila diya.

Ashir ne surgery ki tareekh de di.

"Ya Allah... is naujawan ko hayat dena."

Dua uske dil se beikhtiyar nikli.

Namaaz ka waqt ho gaya tha.

Ashir break mein namaaz ada karne chala gaya.

---

"Jaldi ghar aaiyega."

Noor ka paigham use mobile par mausool hua.

"Ji, begum."

Usne jawab likha.

Phir woh dobara kaam mein masroof ho gaya.

---

Ashir ne aaj ka kaam kuch jaldi khatam kiya aur ghar ke liye rawana ho gaya.

Doorbell bajate hi Noor ne darwaza khol diya.

Jaise woh usi ke intezaar mein khadi ho.

Haan...

Woh intezaar hi toh kar rahi thi.

Pichhle das minute se woh khidki ke paas khadi bahar dekh rahi thi. Jaise hi uski gaadi nazar aayi, woh foran darwaze ki taraf bhaagi.

Pehli ghanti par hi darwaza khul gaya.

Ashir ko hairani hui.

Phir uski nazar Noor-ul-Ain par padi.

Hairani ek khushgawar hairat mein badal gayi.

Noor uski bheji hui kaali jori mein malboos thi. Jore ki kali par bareek si kadhai thi. Kaanon mein jhumke aur labon par nude lipstick thi.

Ashir ki nazrein kuch pal us par thehar gayin.

"MashaAllah..."

Uske labon se beikhtiyar nikla.

Noor muskurayi.

"Chaliye, andar aaiye."

Usne uska bazu pakda aur use andar le aayi.

Jaise hi Ashir hall mein dakhil hua, uski nazar charon taraf phail gayi.

Hall tareekh ke lihaz se khoobsurati se sajaya gaya tha.

Ek deewar par fairy lights saji hui thin.

Sofe par naye covers the.

Dinner table par mukhtalif lawaazmaat saje hue the.

Aur ek taraf do kursiyan bhi khaas taur par sajayi gayi thin.

Ashir ne hairat se Noor ko dekha.

"Itna sab..."

Woh bas itna hi keh saka.

Noor ne nichla lab kaata.

"Woh... meri taraf se hamare liye ek date."

Usne sargoshi ki.

Ashir ne fauran gardan mod kar use dekha.

"Date?"

Noor ne muskurate hue sar hilaya.

"Aap tayyar hokar aayein."

Ashir ne asbaab mein sar hilaya.

Kamre tak pahunchne ke baad bhi uski hairat kam nahi hui thi.

Uske dil mein ek ajeeb sa ehsaas tha.

Das minute baad woh tayyar hokar bahar aaya.

Black jeans aur black T-shirt mein, jo Noor ne hi uske liye nikali thi.

Jaise hi woh bahar aaya, Noor uski taraf badhi.

Uske haathon mein lilies thin.

Usne phool uski taraf badhaye.

Ashir ne unhein thaam liya.

"Welcome, my date."

Noor ne sargoshi ki.

"Thank you."

Ashir ne bhi usi andaaz mein jawab diya.

Phir dono apni kursiyon par baith gaye.

Ashir dilchaspi se Noor ko dekh raha tha.

Lekin Noor ki nazrein har taraf thin...

Siwaye Ashir ke.

"Date pe bula kar aankhein nahi churate."

Ashir ne shikayat ki.

"Main kahan aankhein chura rahi hoon?"

Noor ne foran difa kiya.

Ashir ke labon par muskurahat aa gayi.

Phir khana shuru hua.

Dastarkhwan par sab kuch Ashir ki pasand ka tha.

Malai kofta, palak paneer, pulao aur rumali roti.

Aur meethe mein rasmalai.

Ashir ki aankhein phail gayin.

"Sab aapne banaya hai?"

Noor ne asbaab mein sar hila diya.

Ashir ki aankhon mein nami thehar gayi.

Woh madhham sa muskuraya.

Khane ke dauran dono zyada baat nahi kar rahe the.

Khamoshi mein hi jaise bahut kuch kaha ja raha tha.

Khana khatam hua toh Ashir ne Noor ki taraf dekha.

Jaise pooch raha ho-ab kya?

Noor ne muskurate hue kaha,

"Ab hum movie dekhenge."

Ashir ne asbaab mein sar hila diya.

Dono sofa par ja baithe.

Movie shuru hui.

Kuch der baad Noor ko apne kandhon ke gird ek hifazati hisaar mehsoos hua.

Ashir ne apne bazu uske gird phaila rakhe the.

Noor ne beikhtiyar apna sar uske kandhe par rakh diya.

Movie dekhte-dekhte uski aankh lag gayi.

Ashir ko iska ehsaas hua.

Woh kuch der use magan hokar dekhta raha.

Uske chehre

par sukoon tha.

Ashir ne dheere se uske chehre par aaye baal hata diye.

Uski nazrein Noor ke chehre par thehar gayin.

"Shukriya..."

Usne bahut aahistagi se kaha.

"Meri zindagi mein aane ke liye."

Ek pal ko woh khamosh raha.

Phir muskuraya.

"I'm blessed to have you."

Noor gehri neend mein thi.

Lekin Ashir ke liye us lamhe mein uska paas hona hi kaafi tha.