Maham, sattais saal ki, apni pasandeeda kitaab ki dukaan se nikal rahi thi jab achanak tez baarish shuru ho gayi. Usne bag sar par rakha aur chhat ke neeche bhaagi, lekin uske haath se do kitaabein phisal kar geeli zameen par gir gayin. Ek ajnabi ne foran jhuk kar kitaabein utha lein. “Lagta hai inhein bhi baarish mein chalna pasand hai,” usne muskurate hue kaha.
Rayan, untees saal ka, ne kitaabon ke safhay check kiye. “Yeh wali geeli nahi hui. Doosri ka kona thora sa…” Maham ne kitaab lete hue kaha, “Koi baat nahi. Kahaniyan thori si baarish seh sakti hain.” Rayan ne us jumlay ko dohraya, jaise use yaad rakhna chahta ho. Phir dono ko ehsaas hua ke unhon ne abhi tak naam bhi nahi bataya.
Chhat ke neeche jagah kam thi aur baarish ka rukne ka naam nahi tha. Rayan ne saamne ke café ki taraf ishara kiya. “Agar aap comfortable hon to wahan ruk sakte hain. Main chai ya coffee ka wada nahi kar raha—bas ek dry kursi ka.” Maham hansi. “Dry kursi filhaal kaafi hai.”
Café mein khirki ke paas wali mez par dono baith gaye. Maham ne chai mangwayi, Rayan ne black coffee. Pehla sawal mausam ka tha, doosra kitaabon ka, aur teesra seedha zindagi par aa gaya: “Aap ko kis cheez ka intezar hai?” Rayan ne cup mez par rakh diya. Usay kisi ajnabi se itna seedha sawal sunne ki aadat nahi thi.
Maham ne kaha ke woh apni job ke saath illustration ka course karna chahti hai, magar ghar walay kehte hain ke ab stable rehna chahiye. Rayan ne apni kahani batayi: usne engineering ki thi, phir apni marzi se chhota sa design studio shuru kiya. “Log risk ko bahar se dekh kar mashwara dete hain. Andar se kaisa lagta hai, woh sirf aap jaantay hain,” usne kaha.
Unke darmiyan kashish ka pehla ishara koi dramatic nazar nahi thi. Woh yeh tha ke dono ek doosray ki baat beech mein kaatay baghair sun rahay thay. Jab baarish halki hui, Maham ne phone nikala. “Agar aap chahein to main aapko us kitaab ka naam bhej sakti hoon jo aapko pasand aa sakti hai.” Rayan ne number share kiya, magar kisi ne is mulaqat ko waada nahi banaya.
Agli subah Rayan ko message mila: kitaab ka naam, saath ek chhota sa note—“Iska aakhri chapter thora udaas hai, magar worth it.” Usne jawab diya ke woh review dena chahega. Maham ne hans kar likha, “Review ke liye chai bhi zaroori hai.” Is baar baat dono taraf se aayi thi.
Do haftay baad woh usi café mein dobara milay. Maham apne illustration portfolio ki pehli draft le kar aayi thi; Rayan ne usay dekha aur sirf tareef nahi ki, balkay do sawal bhi poochay jo usay apne kaam ko behtar samajhne mein madad dein. Maham ko uski honesty achi lagi. Rayan ko uska apne khwab ke liye wapas kharay hona.
Jab woh café se niklay to baarish nahi ho rahi thi. Maham ne kaha, “Aaj to kitaabein nahi girin.” Rayan muskuraya. “Koi baat nahi. Agli mulaqat ke liye koi aur bahana dhoond lenge.” Maham ne pehli baar uska haath pakra—sirf ek pal ke liye, magar apni marzi se. Kuch kahaniyan pehli nazar se nahi, pehli sachchi guftagu se shuru hoti hain.
Maham ke course portfolio ka jawab aaya to uska dil do pal ke liye doob gaya. Usay shortlist nahi kiya gaya tha. Usne Rayan ko message likha, phir mita diya. Woh nahi chahti thi ke har mushkil par kisi naye dost ka sahara le. Magar Rayan ka pehle se bheja hua paighaam screen par tha: “Agar kabhi feedback chahiye ho, main sun sakta hoon. Agar sirf chai chahiye ho, woh bhi.” Maham ne aakhir call kar li.
Rayan ne uski baat suni aur foran “sab theek ho jayega” nahi kaha. Usne poocha ke portfolio mein woh kis cheez par sab se zyada fakhr karti hai aur kis cheez ko behtar karna chahti hai. Maham ne apne kaam ko dobara dekha. Usay samajh aaya ke rejection uski salahiyat ka aakhri faisla nahi, ek feedback point tha. Agli baar woh apne illustrations ko zyada confidence se present karegi.
Chai khatam hotay waqt Maham ne kaha, “Tumhari ek baat achi lagti hai. Tum mujhe fix karne ki koshish nahi kartay.” Rayan ne jawab diya, “Tum koi masla nahi ho.” Us jumlay ne Maham ke dil mein ek narm si jagah bana di, jahan attraction se pehle respect maujood thi.
Teen mahine baad Maham ka portfolio ek chhoti local exhibition mein select hua. Rayan sab se pehle nahi aaya; usne poocha ke Maham chahti hai woh aaye ya usay apni team ke saath yeh lamha enjoy karna hai. Maham ne usay bulaya. Usay acha laga ke usne uske liye faisla nahi kiya, balkay poocha.
Exhibition ke baad dono usi café mein gaye jahan unki pehli mulaqat hui thi. Is baar khirki ke bahar dhoop thi, kitaabein geeli nahi theen aur kisi ko chhat ke neeche bhaagna nahi pada. Maham ne kaha, “Mujhe lagta hai main tumhein sirf dost se zyada pasand karne lagi hoon.” Rayan ne muskurakar kaha ke usay bhi yahi mehsoos hota hai, magar woh chahta hai ke dono apni dosti ko bhi sambhal kar rakhein.
Unhon ne ek doosray ko dobara milne ka wada kiya—kisi dramatic qasam ke baghair, bas ek sachay iraday ke saath. Pehli mulaqat mein kitaabein gir gayi theen; is baar unhon ne apne darr mez par rakh diye. Aur dono ne jaana ke achi kahani ka aaghaz perfect moment nahi, balkay woh lamha hota hai jab do log apni asli baat kehne ki himmat karte hain.
Agli kahani bhi parhein?
Agar is kahani ke kirdar aapko yaad rahay, to apni agli Roman Urdu romance ya suspense kahani yahan chunein.
Explore all stories ↗