Raat ke saaray gyarah baj chukay thay. Ghar ke baqi kamron ki battiyan bujh gayi theen, lekin Sana abhi tak drawing room mein baithi thi. Uski umar adtees saal thi, aur guzray do saalon ne uske chehray par woh sanjeedgi rakh di thi jo aksar logon ko umar se pehle mil jaati hai. Uske shohar ke inteqal ke baad ghar mein har cheez apni jagah par thi—sirf uski apni zindagi ko samajh nahi aa raha tha ke ab kis simt jaana hai.
Darwazay par halki si dastak hui. Zayan tha, uske marhoom shohar ka chhota bhai, sattais saal ka, haath mein chai ka cup liye. “Bhabhi, aap ne dinner bhi nahi kiya. Chai bana di hai. Agar aap ka dil ho to saath baith kar pee letay hain.” Uski awaaz mein reham nahi tha; bas ek seedhi si fikr thi. Sana ko shayad isi liye uski baat achi lagi.
Zayan aksar madad karta tha, magar kabhi uski tanhai ko apna haq nahi samjha. Sana ke liye yahi baat sab se mushkil thi: ek aisa shakhs jo paas bhi rehta tha aur uski hudood ka ehtram bhi karta tha. Us raat unhon ne mausam, ghar ke bills aur Zayan ke naye kaam ke baare mein baat ki. Lekin jab woh uth kar jaane laga, Sana ke munh se be-ikhtiyar nikla, “Kal bhi chai saath piyogay?” Dono ne is chhotay se sawal ka matlab samajh kar bhi usay naam nahi diya.
Agli dopahar Sana ko almari ke neechay ek purana lifafa mila. Us par uske marhoom shohar ki likhai thi. Khat Zayan ke naam tha, lekin kabhi bheja nahi gaya tha. Sana ne pehle socha ke ise band hi rehne de, phir usay mehsoos hua ke ghar mein bohat se faislay uske baghair kiye gaye thay. Is baar woh sach se nazar nahi churana chahti thi.
Zayan ne khat parha to uska rang badal gaya. Uske bhai ne likha tha ke usay Sana ki khushi ki fikr hai, magar usne kabhi kisi ke liye uski zindagi ka faisla karne ka haq nahi samjha. Aakhri jumla adhoora tha: “Agar kabhi tum dono ko lage ke tanhai ke baad zindagi dobara shuru ho sakti hai, to…” Bas itna hi. Khat mein koi hukm nahi tha, koi ijazat nahi—sirf ek aisi guzarish thi jo ab kisi se poochi nahi ja sakti thi.
Zayan ne lifafa mez par rakh diya. “Bhabhi, main nahi chahta ke aap kisi puranay rishtay, kisi khat ya ghar walon ki umeed ki wajah se koi faisla karein.” Sana ne uski taraf dekha. “Aur agar main apni marzi se sochna shuru karoon?” Zayan ne nazar nahi churayi, magar usne qadam bhi aagay nahi barhaya. “Phir main chahta hoon ke aap ko poora waqt mile.” Pehli baar Sana ko laga ke uski zindagi ka darwaza kisi aur ke haath mein nahi.
Haftay guzray. Ghar walon ne Sana ko doosray shehar mein apni behen ke paas rehne ka mashwara diya, jaise jagah badal dene se dil ke sawal bhi badal jatay hon. Sana ne pehli martaba sab ke saamne kaha ke woh apne ghar, apne kaam aur apni zindagi ke faislay khud karegi. Uski awaaz buland nahi thi, magar us mein larzish bhi nahi thi.
Zayan ne us din usay mubarakbad di aur phir kuch arsay ke liye apne dost ke flat mein shift ho gaya. Usne kaha ke agar Sana ko apni feelings samajhne ke liye fasla chahiye to woh fasla bhi dega. Is doori mein Sana ko uski kami ka ehsaas hua, lekin us se bhi zyada apni azadi ka. Usne jaana ke mohabbat tabhi khoobsurat hoti hai jab woh majboori nahi, ikhtiyar ban kar aaye.
Teen mahine baad, ek shaam, Sana ne usay chai par bulaya. “Mujhe tum se koi wada abhi nahi chahiye,” usne kaha, “bas itna ke hum sach bolain aur kisi ko jaldi na karain.” Zayan muskuraya. “Yahi meri bhi shart hai.” Bahar baarish shuru ho gayi. Is baar khamoshi mein gham ke saath ek nayi umeed bhi thi—aisi umeed jo kisi raaz ke peechay nahi, do baligh insaanon ke saaf faislay par khari thi.
Jab Sana ne apni painting classes dobara shuru keen to ghar mein har kisi ka apna mashwara tha. Kisi ne kaha ke usay ab ghar se bahar kam nikalna chahiye, kisi ne kaha ke Zayan ka uske paas aana logon ko baatein banane ka mauqa deta hai. Sana ne sab ki baat suni, magar is baar apni zindagi ko sirf logon ke andazay se naapnay se inkaar kar diya.
Usne Zayan ko phone kiya aur kaha ke woh kuch arsay tak family gatherings mein faasla rakhein ge, taake koi unki dosti ko ghalat matlab na de. Zayan ne foran haan keh di. “Aapko apni izzat bachane ke liye mujhe koi safai dene ki zaroorat nahi,” usne kaha, “lekin agar aapko sukoon ke liye space chahiye to main samajhta hoon.” Sana ne mehsoos kiya ke uski baat ko bina behas qabool karna bhi ek qisam ki mohabbat ho sakti hai.
Us raat Sana ne apni diary mein likha ke logon ki nazar se bach kar jeena aur apne dil se sach bolna do alag cheezein hain. Woh abhi Zayan ke saath mustaqbil ka faisla nahi kar sakti thi, lekin itna jaanti thi ke apni zindagi dobara shuru karne ke liye usay kisi se maafi nahi maangni.
Do mahine baad Sana ki paintings ki pehli chhoti exhibition ek community hall mein lagi. Zayan ne usay phool bheje, magar khud nahi aaya jab tak Sana ne use khaas taur par invite nahi kiya. Jab woh pohancha to usne sab se pehle tasveeron ko dekha, phir Sana ko kaha, “Aap ne apna rang wapas dhoond liya.” Sana ki aankhon mein nami aa gayi, kyun ke yeh tareef uski soorat ki nahi, uski mehnat ki thi.
Exhibition ke baad dono bahar seedhiyon par baithay. Sana ne kaha ke woh ab apne dil ki baat se inkaar nahi karna chahti, lekin woh apne guzray rishtay ki yaad ko bhi izzat se rakhna chahti hai. Zayan ne jawab diya ke kisi naye rishtay ka matlab puranay pyaar ko mita dena nahi hota. “Hum aahista chal sakte hain,” usne kaha. “Aap jab chahein ruk sakti hain.”
Sana ne uska haath thaam liya. Ab unke darmiyan raaz kam aur saaf baatein zyada theen. Unhein nahi pata tha ke log kya kahenge ya mustaqbil kaisa hoga. Magar unhon ne pehla qadam apni marzi se uthaya tha—aur filhaal itna hi kaafi tha.
Agli kahani bhi parhein?
Agar is kahani ke kirdar aapko yaad rahay, to apni agli Roman Urdu romance ya suspense kahani yahan chunein.
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