Train Ka Safar Aur Woh Ajnabi

Karachi Express raat ke das baje Lahore station se nikli to platform ki roshniyan peechhe chhoot gayin aur khirki ke sheeshe par sirf Zara Naqvi ka apna aks reh gaya. Unatees saal ki Zara ek architecture firm mein senior designer thi aur kal subah Karachi mein uski zindagi ki sab se badi presentation thi. Laptop bag god mein tha, chai ka cup haath mein, aur dil mein woh bechaini jo har bade din se pehle aati hai.

Business class ke us chhote se cabin mein samne wali seat abhi khaali thi. Zara ne socha shayad poora safar akele kat jaye ga. Lekin Raiwind guzarte hi darwaza khula aur ek lamba sa aadmi, bheegi jacket aur thaki hui muskurahat ke saath, andar aaya. "Maaf kijiye, aakhri lamhe par ticket mili hai," usne kaha aur samne baith gaya.

Uska naam Arsalan tha, ikattees saal ka, ek doctor jo Karachi ke ek hospital mein emergency department chalata tha. Yeh baat Zara ko baad mein pata chali. Pehle ghante mein to dono ne sirf ek doosre ko nazarandaz karne ki koshish ki. Zara apni slides dekhti rahi, Arsalan khirki se bahar andheron ko ghoorta raha. Magar train ke dibbe mein khamoshi zyada der tak nahi rehti.

"Aap bohat zor se type kar rahi hain," Arsalan ne aakhir kaha. "Laptop se naraz hain ya kisi insaan se?"

Zara ne nazar uthayi. "Dono se. Kal ek client ko ek building bechni hai jo abhi sirf mere dimagh mein hai."

"Phir to aap ka kaam mujh se mushkil hai," woh hansa. "Main sirf un logon ko bachata hoon jo pehle se maujood hain."

Is jumle par Zara pehli dafa muskurayi. Aur wahin se guftagu ne raasta pakar liya. Chai ke doosre cup par Arsalan ne bataya ke woh apni walida se mil kar wapas ja raha hai, jo Lahore mein akeli rehti hain. Zara ne bataya ke usne apni shaadi ka rishta do saal pehle khud tor diya tha, kyun ke larka chahta tha ke woh naukri chhor de. "Log kehte hain main ziddi hoon," usne kandhe uchkaye. "Main kehti hoon main apne aap ko pehchanti hoon."

Arsalan ne kuch der usay dekha. Uski nazar mein taareef thi, magar koi bebaaki nahi. "Ziddi log hi buildings khari karte hain," usne aahista se kaha.

Raat gehri hoti gayi. Sahiwal par train rukki to Arsalan neeche utar kar do garam samosay aur ek kambal le aaya. Kambal usne bina kuch kahe Zara ki taraf barha diya. AC ki thandak mein Zara ki ungliyan sach mein jam rahi thin. Kambal lete hue uski ungliyan ek lamhe ke liye Arsalan ki ungliyon se chhoo gayin, aur dono ne jaldi se haath peechhe kar liye, jaise kisi ne bijli ka taar chhoo liya ho.

Phir woh khamoshi aayi jo pehli wali khamoshi se bilkul mukhtalif thi. Ab yeh khamoshi bhari hui thi, sawalon se, nigahon se, us ajeeb si garmi se jo cabin ki thandak ke bawajood dono ke darmiyan phail rahi thi. Zara ne khud ko laptop mein masroof dikhane ki koshish ki, magar screen par likhe alfaz dhundle pad gaye the.

"Apni presentation mujhe suna dein," Arsalan ne kaha. "Main bilkul anjaan client banta hoon. Mujhe kuch samajh nahi aaye ga, is liye aap ko sab se aasaan zubaan mein samjhana paray ga."

Aur Zara ne sunaya. Pehle jhijhak kar, phir josh se. Woh building ke baare mein batati rahi jismein roshni khud chal kar andar aaye, jahan bachon ke liye bagh ho aur buzurgon ke liye bench. Arsalan ne sawal kiye, mushkil sawal, kabhi mazaq mein aur kabhi sanjeedgi se. Do baje tak Zara ki presentation pehle se behtar ho chuki thi, aur uske dil ki dhadkan pehle se tez.

Khanewal ke qareeb train ne achanak jhatka khaya aur ruk gayi. Batiyan tim timayin aur bujh gayin. Cabin mein sirf khirki se aati chaand ki halki roshni reh gayi. Bahar se awazein aayin ke engine mein kharabi hai, aik ghanta lag sakta hai.

Andhere mein Zara ko apni saans ki awaz bhi sunayi de rahi thi. "Mujhe andhere se thora dar lagta hai," usne bina soche keh diya, aur phir sharminda ho gayi.

Arsalan apni seat se utha aur us ke saath wali khaali jagah par baith gaya, itna faasla rakh kar ke kandhe na chhooein. "Main yahin hoon," usne kaha. "Agar aap chahein to baatein karte rahein. Agar chahein to main wapas chala jata hoon."

"Yahin rahiye," Zara ne aahista se kaha.

Chaand ki roshni mein Arsalan ka chehra aadha chhupa hua tha. Dono ne woh baatein kin jo log din ki roshni mein kabhi nahi karte. Zara ne bataya ke usay kabhi kabhi lagta hai woh sab ko khush rakhne mein khud ko bhool gayi hai. Arsalan ne bataya ke emergency mein har raat kisi na kisi ko kho dene ke baad woh ghar ja kar ghanton chhat ko ghoorta rehta hai, aur koi poochne wala nahi hota ke woh kaisa hai.

"Aap kaise hain, Arsalan?" Zara ne poocha.

Woh chup ho gaya. Phir uski awaz bhaari ho gayi. "Pata nahi. Bohat arse baad kisi ne poocha hai."

Zara ne apna haath uske haath ke qareeb rakh diya, chhooa nahi, bas qareeb. Faisla usne Arsalan par chhor diya. Kuch lamhon baad Arsalan ki ungliyan dheere se uski ungliyon mein utar gayin. Koi lafz nahi bola gaya. Bahar jheengur bol rahe the, door kahin ek kutta bhonka, aur cabin mein do dil ek hi taal par dhadak rahe the.

Woh lamha bohat lamba tha. Zara ko mehsoos hua ke Arsalan uski taraf jhuk raha hai, aur usne bhi nazar nahi hatayi. Unke chehron ke darmiyan bas ek saans ka faasla reh gaya tha jab achanak batiyan jal uthin aur train ne seeti di.

Dono hans pade, ek ajeeb si sharmindagi aur raahat ke saath. Arsalan apni seat par wapas chala gaya, magar is baar uski nazar Zara se hat nahi rahi thi. "Shayad yeh achha hi hua," usne kaha. "Main nahi chahta ke aap kal subah sochein ke yeh sirf andhere ki wajah se tha."

Zara ne usay ghaur se dekha. Is aadmi mein kuch tha jo usay mehfooz mehsoos karwa raha tha. Aisa mard jo moqa milne par bhi ruk jata hai, jo izzat ko khwahish se pehle rakhta hai.

Subah ki pehli roshni Hyderabad ke paas khirki se andar aayi. Zara ne apne baal theek kiye, chehre par paani ke chheente maare aur presentation ki aakhri slide dobara dekhi. Arsalan ne uske liye chai mangwayi, bilkul waisi jaisi usne raat ko bataya tha, kam cheeni, zyada patti.

"Aap ko yaad raha?" Zara hairan hui.

"Mujhe sab yaad hai," usne kaha, aur yeh jumla Zara ke dil mein kahin gehra utar gaya.

Karachi Cantt station par train rukki to platform par shor tha, qulli, rishtedaar, chai wale. Dono darwaze par khare the aur kisi ko samajh nahi aa raha tha ke alvida kaise kahen. Ajnabiyon ki tarah haath milayein? Doston ki tarah number badlein? Ya kuch aur?

"Aap ki presentation gyarah baje hai," Arsalan ne kaha. "Meri shift do baje khatam hoti hai. Agar aap jeet jayein to jashn manana zaroori hai. Agar haar jayein to chai aur bhi zaroori hai."

Zara ne apna phone nikala aur uski taraf barha diya. "Apna number likhiye, Doctor sahab. Lekin yaad rakhiye, main ziddi hoon. Agar aap ne phone nahi uthaya to main hospital aa jaoon gi."

"Main isi baat se darta bhi hoon aur isi ka intezar bhi karoon ga," woh muskuraya.

Gyarah baje Zara ne boardroom mein woh building pesh ki jo raat bhar ek train ke dibbe mein dobara bani thi. Client ne aakhir mein sirf ek sawal poocha: "Aap ne itna saaf andaz kahan se seekha?" Zara muskura di. Usne jawab nahi diya, magar uske zehan mein ek emergency doctor ka chehra tha jo kehta tha ke usay kuch samajh nahi aaye ga.

Do baj kar paanch minute par uska phone baja. Screen par naam tha: "Train Wala Doctor."

"Jeet gayi?" Arsalan ne poocha.

"Jeet gayi," Zara ne kaha, aur uski awaz mein woh khushi thi jo bohat arse se kisi ke saath baanti nahi gayi thi.

Us shaam Clifton ke samandar kinare dono ne garam bhutta khaya aur nange paaon geeli ret par chale. Lehrein unke qadmon ko chhoo kar wapas jaati rahin. Arsalan ne is baar poocha, "Kya main aap ka haath pakar sakta hoon, ya raat wala lamha sirf train ki amaanat tha?"

Zara ne jawab mein khud uska haath thaam liya. "Train ne sirf raasta dikhaya tha, Arsalan. Chalna to hum ne khud hai."

Doobte suraj ki laal roshni mein do baligh insaan, jo apni apni tanhaiyon se thak chuke the, ek nayi kahani ke pehle panne par khare the. Koi jaldi nahi thi, koi wada nahi tha, bas ek imandaar shuruaat thi. Aur kabhi kabhi mohabbat ko isi se zyada kuch nahi chahiye hota.