Mirza house…
Raat ka waqt tha.
Ghar ke sab log apne rooms mein the, lekin Ahaan ke dimagh mein bohot si baatein chal rahi thi —
Ammi ki mana, family ka pressure… aur Haya.
Woh bina kisi direction ke ghar ke andar chal raha tha…
Tabhi uski nazar ek purane corridor par padi.
Yeh ghar ka woh hissa tha jahan bachpan se jaana mana tha.
Ek darwaza…
Jo hamesha band rehta tha.
Ahaan ruk gaya.
Usne dheere se darwaze ko dekha.
"Yeh hamesha band kyun rehta hai…?" usne khud se kaha.
Usne handle pakda…
Aur halki si push di.
Darwaza khul gaya.
Ahaan thoda surprise hua.
"Andar koi nahi hai…" usne dheere se kaha.
Room mein andhera tha.
Usne switch on kiya.
Light jali…
Aur saamne ek purani si room nazar aayi.
Sab kuch saaf tha… lekin use nahi kiya ja raha tha.
Jaise kisi ne jaan bujh kar ise band rakha ho.
Ahaan dheere dheere andar gaya…
Uski nazar room ki walls par ghoom rahi thi.
Aur phir…
Woh ruk gaya.
Wall par ek badi si tasveer lagi thi.
Ek ladki ki.
Ahaan us tasveer ke paas gaya.
Usne dhyan se dekha…
Ladki simple thi… zyada makeup nahi… aankhon mein sukoon…
aur ek ajeeb si masoomiyat.
Ahaan ke honton par halki si muskurahat aa gayi.
"Strange…" usne dheere se kaha,
"itni simple… lekin itni khoobsurat."
Woh aur kareeb gaya.
Usne tasveer ko dhyan se dekha…
Jaise woh us ladki ko samajhne ki koshish kar raha ho.
"Tumhari aankhon mein kuch toh hai…" Ahaan ne halki awaaz mein kaha,
"jaise tum bohot kuch kehna chahti ho… lekin chup ho."
Usne ek second ke liye aankhein band ki…
Aur uske zehan mein Haya ka chehra aaya.
Ahaan halka sa hansa,
"Tum dono thodi si similar ho…"
Room mein ek ajeeb si feeling thi.
Na darr… na sukoon…
Bas ek raaz.
Tabhi peeche se awaaz aayi:
"Ahaan!"
Ahaan foran mudha.
Darwaze par uski Ammi khadi thi — Shagufta Begum.
Unka chehra gusse se bhara hua tha.
"Tum yahan kya kar rahe ho?!" unhone tez awaaz mein poocha.
Ahaan thoda confuse hua,
"Ammi… bas darwaza khula tha toh—"
"Tumhe pata hai na yeh room band hai!" unhone beech mein toka.
Ahaan ne calmly kaha,
"Lekin kyun? Aur yeh tasveer… yeh ladki kaun hai?"
Shagufta Begum ek pal ke liye chup ho gayi.
Unki aankhon mein kuch badla…
Jaise koi purani yaad zinda ho gayi ho.
"Tumhe is se koi matlab nahi," unhone thandi awaaz mein kaha.
Ahaan ne phir bhi kaha,
"Ammi, itni saalon se band room… aur yeh tasveer… koi toh baat hai."
Shagufta Begum ne uski taraf dekha,
"Har baat jaan lena zaroori nahi hota."
Phir unhone dheere se kaha,
"Abhi ke baad tum yahan nahi aaoge."
Ahaan ne last time tasveer ki taraf dekha…
Uski aankhon mein curiosity aur bhi badh gayi thi.
"Lekin ek baat hai…" usne dheere se kaha,
"Yeh ladki… bohot khoobsurat hai."
Shagufta Begum ka expression ek pal ke liye freeze ho gaya.
"Chalo yahan se," unhone seedha kaha.
Ahaan wahan se nikal gaya…
Lekin uska dimagh ab sirf do cheezon mein uljha tha:
👉 Haya
👉 Aur woh tasveer wali ladki
Raat ko…
Usne phone uthaya…
Haya ka naam dekha…
Aur dheere se bola:
"Tum bhi itni hi simple ho… ya tumhare peeche bhi koi raaz hai?"
Dusri taraf…
Haya apne kamre mein thi…
Use bilkul pata nahi tha…
Ke kahani ab sirf mohabbat nahi rahi…
Ab isme ek purana raaz bhi shamil ho chuka hai.
To Be Continued…