Nadia untaalis saal ki thi aur kuch mahine pehle apni marzi se alag ghar mein rehna shuru kiya tha. Log uske faislay ko mukhtalif naam dete thay; usne apne liye sirf ek lafz chuna tha—sukoon. Har shaam woh chhat par chai peeti aur paudon ko paani deti. Saamne wale ghar ki chhat par Hamza, sattais saal ka, aksar apna laptop le kar baithta tha.
Unki pehli baat ek hawa mein urr kar aaye hue kapray se shuru hui. Hamza ne kapra pakar kar awaaz di, Nadia ne shukriya kaha, phir dono hans diye jab usne bataya ke kapra uski purani tablecloth thi, koi qeemti cheez nahi. Agli shaam usne ek extra cup chai bhej diya. Hamza ne cup wapas karte waqt kaha, “Aapki chai mein elaichi ka balance bohat acha hai.”
Nadia ko uski tareef achi lagi, lekin usne dosti ko foran koi aur naam nahi diya. Uski zindagi mein pehle hi bohat log uski khamoshi ka matlab apni marzi se nikaal chukay thay. Hamza bhi samajhdar tha. Woh baat karta, hansata, phir apne ghar chala jata. Unke darmiyan sab se pehli khoobsurat cheez yahi thi ke kisi ne doosray se zyada haq nahi maanga.
Ek din Nadia ke pauday ki mitti khatam ho gayi. Hamza bazaar ja raha tha; usne poocha to woh uske liye bhi mitti le aaya. Kaam karte karte usne Nadia ki paintings dekheen jo chhat ke ek kone mein rakhi theen. “Aap yeh dobara kyun nahi banatin?” usne poocha. Nadia ne kandhay uchkaye. “Kuch cheezein hum is liye chhor dete hain ke doosray unhein pasand nahi karte.”
Hamza ne kaha ke pasand ka faisla kisi aur ko nahi dena chahiye. Nadia ne uski taraf dekha. “Tumhari umar mein yeh baat kehna asaan hai.” Hamza ne jawab diya, “Aur aapki zindagi ke baare mein faisla karna mere liye asaan nahi hona chahiye.” Uski baat mein na challenge tha na flirt ka dabao—sirf ek boundary thi jo usne khud samjhi thi.
Us shaam Nadia ne ek purana canvas nikaala. Hamza ne usay paint karte dekha, magar beech mein mashwara nahi diya. Jab woh jaane laga to Nadia ne poocha, “Kal bhi aaogay?” Hamza ne muskurakar kaha, “Agar aap chahein. Aur agar kabhi aapko apna waqt chahiye ho, to woh bhi bilkul theek.” Nadia ko mehsoos hua ke uska dil dobara kisi par bharosa karne se nahi, apni marzi ko pehchanne se ghabra raha tha.
Mahina bhar guzar gaya. Nadia ne apni paintings ka chhota sa online page banaya aur pehli tasveer post ki. Hamza ne link share kiya, magar uski ijazat ke baghair uska kaam kisi aur ko nahi bheja. Nadia ke liye yeh chhoti baat nahi thi. Usay pehli baar laga ke koi uski madad karte hue uski agency nahi cheen raha.
Ek shaam dono ne saaf baat ki. Hamza ne kaha ke usay Nadia pasand hai, lekin woh usay kisi jawab ke liye majboor nahi karega. Nadia ne sach kaha: usay bhi uski company achi lagti thi, magar woh apni nayi azadi ko jaldi mein kisi naye rishtay mein badalna nahi chahti. Hamza ne sar hila kar kaha, “Phir hum dosti se aagay ka koi faisla tabhi karenge jab aap dil se ready hon.”
Chhat par chai phir se rakhi thi. Nadia ne uske paas baith kar apna haath mez par rakha. Hamza ne usay dekha, phir uski aankhon se poocha. Nadia ne khud uska haath thaam liya. Yeh koi chhupa hua waada nahi tha; yeh do baligh logon ki khuli guftagu ke baad aaya hua ek chhota sa qadam tha. Aur Nadia ke liye, sab se pehle, yeh uski apni marzi ka qadam tha.
Jab Nadia ki paintings ka page mashhoor hona shuru hua to mohalla bhi uske kaam se zyada uski zindagi par baat karne laga. Kisi ne Hamza ko uske ghar ke bahar dekh kar kahani bana li. Nadia ko purani bechaini wapas mehsoos hui, magar is baar usne chup rehne ke bajaye seedha Hamza se baat ki. “Main nahi chahti ke tum meri wajah se kisi gossip ka hissa bano.”
Hamza ne kaha ke woh kisi ko jawab dene ke liye Nadia ko majboor nahi karega. Usne apni taraf se bhi boundaries rakheen: woh bina bataye uske ghar nahi aayega, aur unki dosti ko mohalla ke saamne prove karne ki koshish nahi karega. Nadia ko ehsaas hua ke uski fikr ka matlab uski zindagi ko control karna nahi hai. Woh usay support kar sakta hai, lekin uski awaaz ki jagah nahi le sakta.
Nadia ne apni behen ko sab sach bataya. Pehli baar usne apne faislay ko defend karne ke bajaye sirf share kiya. Behen ne kaha ke use Nadia ki khushi ki fikr hai, magar sab se zyada yeh ke Nadia khud ko na kho de. Nadia ne jawab diya, “Is baar main apne aap ko pehle se zyada jaanti hoon.”
Chand hafton baad Nadia ki pehli paid commission aayi. Usne Hamza ko chhat par chai ke liye bulaya aur apni khushi uske saath share ki. Hamza ne usay mubarakbad di, phir poocha ke kya woh uske saath ek art fair dekhne chalna chahegi. Nadia ne calendar dekha aur haan keh di—bina is darr ke ke kisi ko kya lagega.
Art fair mein dono ne ghanton paintings dekheen. Hamza ne Nadia ke kaam ko ek chhoti gallery ke organiser ko dikhane ka mashwara diya, magar contact share karne se pehle us se ijazat li. Nadia ne khud email bheji. Usay pata tha ke madad lena kamzori nahi, aur apni marzi se madad qabool karna uski azadi ka hissa hai.
Wapas aatay hue Nadia ne uska haath thaam liya. “Main abhi kisi bade waaday ke liye tayyar nahi,” usne kaha. Hamza ne jawab diya, “Mujhe waada nahi, aapki sachai chahiye.” Nadia muskura di. Unka rishta abhi bhi naya tha, magar uski bunyaad chhupane ya jaldi karne par nahi thi. Chhat par aglay din bhi chai honi thi—aur dono ko yeh baat achi lagti thi.
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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