Woh aik barish bhari shaam thi, Lahore ka Mall Road pani se chamak raha tha. Neha apni dost ke sath Liberty Market se nikal kar coffee shop ki taraf ja rahi thi. Chhatri uske haath mein thi lekin barish itni tez thi ke woh hanste hanste bheeg rahi thi. Baalon se pani tapak raha tha, safed kurta shalwar par chhote chhote dhabbe ban gaye the. Woh darwaze ki taraf bhagi to achanak kisi se takraai.
"Oh sorry!"
"Aray koi baat nahi..."
Aur phir woh nazar utha kar dekha.
Samne khada larka lamba tha, siyah sherwani pehne, halka sa daarhi wala, aankhen aisi jaise koi samundar halki si lehron wala. Barish ka aik qatra uski palkon par ruk gaya tha. Woh muskuraya to Neha ko laga jaise koi bijli si kond gayi ho dil mein.
Waqt thehar sa gaya.
Barish ki awaaz door ho gayi.
Logon ki bhaag daud ghaib.
Bas woh aur woh larka.
"Aap theek hain?" usne poocha, awaaz gehri, garam.
Neha ne sir hilaya, baat karne ki himmat nahi ho rahi thi. Woh larka apni chhatri uski taraf kar ke khada ho gaya.
"Chalien, andar chalte hain, aap puri bheeg gayi hain."
Coffee shop ke andar woh dono aamne saamne baith gaye. Woh khud ko rok na saki, baar baar uski taraf dekhti. Woh larka coffee manga raha tha, muskara raha tha, baat kar raha tha. Naam poocha.
"Neha..." usne halki si awaaz mein kaha.
"Hamza..." usne jawab diya.
Bas yahi.
Na number liya, na Insta ID, na kuch.
Aadha ghanta, aik coffee, do teen jumle, aur woh chala gaya.
Lekin Neha ko laga jaise uski zindagi ka sabse khoobsurat lamha chheen gaya ho.
Raat bhar woh so na saki. Aankhen band karti to wohi aankhen, wohi muskurahat, wohi qatra palkon par. Woh paagal ho gayi. Doston se poochti phiri, Mall Road ki dukaanon par, coffee shop ke waiter se. Koi nahi jaanta tha kaun tha woh larka.
Hafte guzar gaye.
Woh roz usi coffee shop jati, wohi table, wohi kona. Barish ho ya dhoop, woh baithi rehti. Aane jaane walon ko dekhti. Dil mein aik ajeeb si umeed ke shayad aaj aa jaye.
Aik mahina guzar gaya.
Neha ki tabiyat kharab rehne lagi. Maa pareshaan.
"Beta kya hua hai tujhe?"
"Kuch nahi Ammi..."
Lekin kuch to tha.
Woh pehli nazar ka nasha tha jo charh chuka tha. Itna gehra ke ab utaarna namumkin lagta tha.
Phir aik din, difaai marhala ki library mein woh baithi kitaabein dekh rahi thi ke kisi ne peeche se awaaz di.
"Neha?"
Woh muri to wohi Hamza khada tha. Safed shirt, haath mein kitaabein, wohi muskurahat.
Neha ki aankhen bhar aayin. Woh kuch bol na saki.
Hamza hans pada.
" Tum theek ho? Main tumhein dhoond raha tha... us din tumhara purse coffee shop mein reh gaya tha. Main ne waiter se tumhara naam poocha, phir tumhari doston se... aaj library mein tum mil gayi ho."
Neha ke haath kanp rahe thay.
" Tum... tum mujhe dhoond rahe thay?"
"Haan. Kyunke mujhe bhi tum bhool nahi paa raha tha."
Us din ke baad dono milte rahe.
Hamza army officer tha, Kashmir mein posting thi, chhutti par aya tha. Woh shaista, sanjeeda, lekin andar se bohat shararti. Neha uske samne bachay ki tarah ho jati.
Raaton ko WhatsApp par baatein, subah soairay Good Morning, shaam ko ghanton phone.
Hamza kehta,
"Neha, mujhe yaqeen nahi aata ke aik nazar mein aisa ho sakta hai."
Neha muskurati,
"Mujhe to pehli nazar mein hi pata chal gaya tha ke tum meri aakhri nazar ho."
Phir Hamza ki chhutti khatam hui. Wapas Kashmir jana pada.
Airport par alag hotay waqt Neha ro pari.
"Darr lagta hai Hamza... kahin yeh sab khwab na ho."
Hamza ne uske sar par haath rakha.
"Yeh khwab nahi Neha, yeh haqeeqat hai. Bas thoda sabr kar lo. Main wapas aaoonga, tum se shadi karoon ga."
Chhay mahine guzar gaye.
Faaslay, khat, calls, videos.
Nasha aur bhi gehra ho gaya.
Phir aik din Hamza ka phone aya.
"Neha... main aa raha hoon. Mustaqil Lahore transfer ho gayi. Ab koi alag nahi kar sakta hum dono ko."
Shaadi hui. Saada si, khoobsurat si.
Pehli raat Hamza ne Neha ke kaan mein sargoshi ki,
" Batao, woh pehli nazar ka nasha abhi tak hai?"
Neha ne uske gale lag kar kaha,
"Nahi... ab to yeh nasha zindagi ban gaya hai."
Kai saal guzar gaye.
Do bachay, aik ghar, hansi, khushi.
Lekin jab bhi barish hoti hai, Neha Hamza ka haath pakad kar kehti hai,
"Chalo, wohi coffee shop chalen... jahan pehli nazar mili thi."
Aur Hamza muskara kar chal parhta hai.
Kyunke woh dono jaante hain ke kuch nashe...
Zindagi bhar nahi utarte.
Woh pehli nazar ka nasha tha,
Jo aaj bhi charha hua hai. ❤️
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