Raat ka waqt tha…
Mirza house hamesha ki tarah roshan tha, lekin aaj mahaul thoda serious tha.
Dining table par sab baithe the —
Ahaan, uske Abbu Rashid Mirza, Ammi Shagufta Begum, aur bada bhai Arman apni wife ke saath.
Shagufta Begum ne baat shuru ki,
"Ahaan, hume tumse zaroori baat karni hai."
Ahaan ne calmly paani ka glass rakha,
"Ji Ammi, boliye."
Arman ki wife ne muskurate hue kaha,
"Hamari family mein ek rishta hai… meri chhoti behen, Maliha."
Ahaan ne seedha uski taraf dekha.
Woh chup raha.
Shagufta Begum ne pyaar se kaha,
"Ladki bohot achi hai, shareef hai… aur sab se important, hamari jaan pehchaan ki hai."
Kuch seconds ke liye khamoshi chha gayi.
Sab Ahaan ka jawab wait kar rahe the.
Ahaan ne dheere se kursi se peeche hote hue kaha,
"Ammi… main yeh shaadi nahi kar sakta."
Room ek dum se chup ho gaya.
Shagufta Begum ka chehra change ho gaya,
"Kya matlab nahi kar sakte?"
Ahaan ne seedha jawab diya,
"Kyuki main kisi aur ko pasand karta hoon."
Sab shock ho gaye.
Arman ne thoda strict tone mein kaha,
"Ahaan, yeh koi mazaak nahi hai."
Ahaan ne uski aankhon mein dekhte hue kaha,
"Main mazaak nahi kar raha bhai."
Shagufta Begum ki awaaz thodi tez ho gayi,
"Kaun hai woh ladki?"
Ahaan ne bina hesitation ke kaha:
"Haya."
Room mein phir se khamoshi chha gayi.
"Kaun Haya?" Arman ne poocha.
Ahaan ne calmly jawab diya,
"Woh meri university mein hai… simple hai, lekin bohot achi hai."
Shagufta Begum ne foran mana kar diya,
"Mujhe yeh rishta manzoor nahi."
Ahaan ne pehli baar thoda serious hoke poocha,
"Kyun Ammi?"
"Is liye kyunki hume uske bare mein kuch nahi pata!" unhone kaha,
"Na uski family, na background… aur tum bas keh rahe ho ke tumhe pasand hai?"
Ahaan ne dheere lekin strong tone mein kaha,
"Main usse jaanta hoon."
"Do din mein?" Arman ne taana mara.
Ahaan chup raha…
Phir usne seedha kaha,
"Time se farq nahi padta… feel se padta hai."
Yeh sun kar Arman irritate ho gaya,
"Tum filmy baatein kar rahe ho."
Ahaan ne uski taraf dekha,
"Nahi bhai… main sach bol raha hoon."
Shagufta Begum ne thoda emotional hoke kaha,
"Hum tumhare liye bura thodi chahte hain…"
Ahaan ki awaaz halki si soft ho gayi,
"Mujhe pata hai Ammi…"
Phir usne dheere se add kiya,
"Lekin main jhoot bol ke kisi aur ki zindagi kharab nahi kar sakta."
Room mein phir se silence…
Arman ki wife ne softly kaha,
"Lekin Maliha…?"
Ahaan ne seedha jawab diya,
"Main usse kabhi woh nahi de paunga jo uska haq hai."
Shagufta Begum ki aankhon mein narazgi thi,
"Matlab tumne faisla kar liya?"
Ahaan ne seedha kaha,
"Ji."
"Main Haya se shaadi karna chahta hoon."
Yeh line seedha hawa mein goonj gayi.
Shagufta Begum ne thandi awaaz mein kaha,
"Main is rishtay ke liye haan nahi karungi."
Ahaan ne unki taraf dekha…
Uski aankhon mein pehli baar thodi si takleef thi.
"Phir mujhe manaana padega," usne dheere se kaha.
Aur woh wahan se uth kar chala gaya.
Us raat…
Ahaan apne kamre mein akela tha.
Usne phone uthaya…
Haya ka naam screen par tha.
Woh kuch seconds tak dekhta raha…
Phir dheere se bola:
"Main peeche nahi hatunga."
Dusri taraf…
Haya apne kamre mein thi.
Usse bilkul pata nahi tha ke…
Koi uske naam par apne ghar walon se lad raha hai.
Usne diary mein likha:
"Kya kisi ka itna yaqeen bhi hota hai… jabke main khud apne dil ko nahi samajh pa rahi?"
Aur Sameer…
Abhi bhi anjaan tha.
Ab kahani ek naye level par aa chuki thi…
Yahan sirf feelings nahi…
faisle hone wale the.
To Be Continued…