Chapter 1 Ajnabi sa
Har mulaqat pehli nahi hoti... kuch log bas ek din dobara saamne aa jaate hain."
Naye sheher ki ek ajeeb baat hoti hai…
Yahan har chehra ajnabi hota hai.
Aur phir bhi…
Kabhi kabhi lagta hai jaise koi tumhara intezaar kar raha ho.
Main, Meher…
Aaj hi is sheher mein aayi thi.
Naya ghar.
Nayi jagah.
Naye log.
Dil ko khush hona chahiye tha…
Lekin pata nahi kyun, ek bechaini si thi jo mera peecha hi nahi chhod rahi thi.
Maine khidki kholi.
Thandi hawa ka jhonka kamre mein daakhil hua.
Meri nazar saamne wali chhat par gayi.
Khula aasman…
Aur uske neeche sheher ki hazaaron roshniyan.
Mere honton par halki si muskurahat aa gayi.
"Chhat..."
Jaane kyun…
Mujhe hamesha se chhatein pasand thi.
Shaam kab raat mein badal gayi…
Pata hi nahi chala.
Main dheere dheere seedhiyan chadhkar chhat par aa gayi.
Darwaza khola…
Aur qadam wahi ruk gaye.
Wahan koi tha.
Kaale kapdon mein ek ladka.
Dono haath deewar par tikaye…
Jaise sheher ko nahi…
Kisi aur cheez ko dekh raha ho.
Meri aahat hui.
Usne palat kar nahi dekha.
Main thodi si hichkichayi.
Phir dheere se boli,
"Excuse me..."
Is baar woh muda.
Bas ek pal ke liye.
Uski nazar meri aankhon se mili…
Aur uske honton par ek bahut hi halki si muskurahat ubhar kar gayab ho gayi.
Jaise woh kisi purani baat ko yaad kar baitha ho.
"Ji?"
Uski awaaz utni hi shaant thi.
"Maine socha... agar tumhe problem na ho to main bhi yahan thodi der ruk jaun."
Usne aas-paas dekha.
Phir meri taraf.
Aur muskurakar bola,
"Yeh chhat meri hoti... tab shayad sochta."
Mere chehre par bhi muskurahat aa gayi.
"Matlab ijazat hai?"
"Mana karta..."
Woh ek pal ke liye ruk gaya.
"...to maan leti?"
Maine bhawein utha di.
"Pata nahi."
"Achha hai."
"Maine kya achha kaha?"
"Tum har baat ka seedha jawab nahi deti."
Main hans padi.
"Aur tum?"
"Maine kab kaha ki deta hoon?"
Maine pehli baar usse dhyan se dekha.
Uski aankhon mein ek ajeeb sa sukoon tha…
Aur us sukoon ke peeche…
Jaise koi purani kahani chhupi ho.
"Tumhara naam?"
Usne poocha.
"Meher."
Ek pal…
Bas ek pal ke liye woh khamosh ho gaya.
Phir usne dheere se mera naam dohraya.
"Meher..."
Jaise woh is naam ko pehli baar nahi sun raha ho.
Usne halki si muskurahat ke saath kaha,
"Naam tum par suit karta hai."
Main hans di.
"Bas naam hi?"
"Pehli mulaqat mein itna kaafi hota hai."
"Mujhe laga tum kam bolte hoge."
"Main kam bolta hoon."
"Abhi to kaafi bol rahe ho."
Usne aasman ki taraf dekhte hue kaha,
"Har roz nahi bolta."
Pata nahi kyun…
Uski yeh baat sunkar mujhe laga…
Jaise meri aamad uske liye aam baat nahi thi.
Lekin shayad main hi zyada soch rahi thi.
Hum dono deewar ke sahare khade sheher ko dekhte rahe.
Beech beech mein hawa chalti…
Aur khamoshi hum dono ke darmiyan baith jaati.
Magar woh khamoshi ajeeb nahi lag rahi thi.
Jaise uski bhi apni zubaan ho.
Thodi der baad main neeche jaane lagi.
Seedhiyon ke paas pahunchkar maine mudkar poocha,
"Waise... tumhara naam?"
Woh muskuraaya.
Jaise usse yakeen tha ke main yeh sawaal zaroor poochungi.
"Zubair."
"Achha naam hai."
"Maloom hai."
Main hans padi.
"Tum khud ki tareef bhi kar lete ho?"
Usne kandhe uchka diye.
"Kabhi kabhi."
Main sir hila kar neeche chali gayi.
Aur pata nahi kyun…
Seedhiyan utarte waqt ek hi khayal baar baar aa raha tha.
Ajnabi log itne apne kyun lagne lagte hain?
Us raat…
Na Meher ko neend jaldi aayi.
Aur na hi…
Zubair ne aasman dekhna band kiya.
Usne bas dheere se muskurakar khud se kaha,
"Intezaar... aakhir khatam hua."
Aur hawa uske aakhri lafz apne saath uda le gayi.
