Agle kuch din…
Project meetings regular hone lagi thi.
Haya har baar koshish karti ke woh normal rahe… sirf ek group member ki tarah.
Lekin Sameer ke saath har mulaqat uske dil ko aur uljha deti.
Aaj bhi woh library mein baithi thi.
Sameer uske saamne tha… aur Sana thodi door, apne laptop ke saath.
Aliza aaj nahi aayi thi.
Room mein ek ajeeb si khamoshi thi.
Sameer ne dheere se kaha,
"Aap thak gayi hain?"
Haya ne hairani se uski taraf dekha,
"Nahi… main theek hoon."
Sameer ne halki si nazar uske haathon par dali,
"Aap kaafi der se likh rahi hain."
Haya ne apna haath rok liya.
Usse ajeeb sa sukoon bhi mila… aur ghabrahat bhi.
Tabhi Sana ne tez awaaz mein kaha,
"Sameer, yeh part aap check kar lo."
Sameer turant uski taraf mud gaya.
Haya ne chup chaap apni nazar kitab par jama li.
Uska dil halka sa bojhal ho gaya.
Kuch der baad…
Sameer wapas Haya ke paas aaya.
"Yeh notes… main dekh sakta hoon?"
Haya ne notebook aage badhayi.
Sameer ne pages palte… phir dheere se kaha,
"Aap bohot achha likhti hain."
Haya ne halki si muskurahat rokne ki koshish ki,
"Bas… theek hi hai."
Sameer ne seedha uski taraf dekha,
"Nahi… sach mein."
Uski awaaz mein sachai thi.
Haya ke dil mein ek narm si roshni phail gayi.
Lekin yeh lamha zyada der nahi tik saka.
Sana ne apna laptop band kiya aur seedha unke paas aayi.
"Sameer, mujhe tumse baat karni hai."
Uska tone serious tha.
Sameer ne ek pal ke liye Haya ki taraf dekha… phir Sana ke saath bahar chala gaya.
Haya wahan akeli reh gayi.
Usne khidki ke bahar dekhna shuru kiya.
Dil mein ajeeb si khalish thi.
Woh samajh nahi pa rahi thi ke yeh kya hai…
Lekin itna zaroor tha —
Sameer ka jaana use achha nahi laga.
Library ke bahar…
Sana ruk gayi.
"Sameer, what's going on?"
Sameer ne seedha poocha,
"Kya matlab?"
Sana ne thoda irritate hoke kaha,
"Matlab yeh ke tum us Haya ke saath itna involve kyun ho?"
Sameer ka expression thoda sakht ho gaya,
"Woh mere group ka hissa hai."
Sana ne hans kar kaha,
"Sirf group ka? Ya kuch aur?"
Sameer ne seedha jawab nahi diya.
Bas itna kaha,
"Tum zyada soch rahi ho."
Sana ne dheere se kaha,
"Main tumhe bachpan se jaanti hoon Sameer… tum badal rahe ho."
Andar…
Haya apni diary nikaal kar kuch likhne lagi.
"Kisi ka hona itna mehsoos kyun hota hai… jab woh paas ho toh sukoon, aur jab door ho toh bechaini?"
Uski aankhon mein halki si nami aa gayi.
Tabhi…
Sameer wapas aaya.
Usne Haya ko dekha… aur uski aankhon ki nami notice ki.
"Aap theek hain?"
Haya ne foran diary band ki,
"Ji… main theek hoon."
Sameer ne kuch seconds usse dekha…
Jaise woh samajh gaya ho ke woh jhoot bol rahi hai.
Phir usne softly kaha,
"Agar aap thak gayi hain… toh hum aaj ke liye yahin stop kar dete hain."
Haya ne hairani se uski taraf dekha,
"Lekin kaam—"
"Kaam kal bhi ho sakta hai."
Uski awaaz mein ek care thi… jo lafzon se zyada mehsoos ho rahi thi.
Haya ne dheere se "theek hai" kaha.
Us pal usse yeh ehsaas hua…
Ke Sameer sirf ek ajnabi nahi raha.
Door khadi Sana yeh sab dekh rahi thi.
Uski aankhon mein ab sirf shak nahi…
balke ek faisla bhi tha.
Raat ko…
Sameer apne kamre mein tha.
Usne phone uthaya… aur kuch likhne laga.
Phir ruk gaya.
Delete kar diya.
Aur bas ek baat uske zehan mein ghoom rahi thi:
"Kya main waqai badal raha hoon…?"
Aur Haya…
Usne diary band karte hue dheere se kaha:
"Agar yeh mohabbat hai… toh yeh itni khamosh kyun hai?"
Ab kahani ek naye mod par aa rahi thi…
Jahan dil ki baatein zubaan tak aane se dar rahi thi.
To Be Continued…