"Tum aakhir kyun mukammal taur par ghaayb naheen ho jaatay meri zindagi say?! Kyun baar baar tumhaari yaad meray zehn kay weeraan aangan kay chakar lagati rehti hai?! Kyun tumhaari kaali aankhen baar baar meray dil ki dehleez par tassawwur ki aankh main kaheen ruk si jaati hain, aur kyun tum apni tamaam tar khubyon aur khaamiyon samait meray saamnay baar baar apnay daraaz qad wijood kay saath aa kharay hotay ho? Kyun meray tasawwur ki aankhen sirf tumhaara dil aur us main maujood achhayi hi dekhti hain? Kyun tumhaaray liyay dua'en karna yay dil chhor naheen deta? Kyun tumhaari fikr dil ki aag ko barhati hi rehti hai, aur kyun yay aag kabhi bujhti hi naheen? Tum aakhir kyun is dil say nikaltay naheen ho? Batao na, Ahmed? Aakhir kyun?" Boltay boltay achanak us ki awaaz qadray buland ho gayi thi, aur rundhi huwi awaaz main boltay huway wo is baar phoot phoot kar ro di, yay ehsaas honay par kay Ahmed to kaheen tha hi naheen. Kam'az'kam us ki awaaz ki pohnch say tau boht door tha wo. Boht, boht door.
"Akhir yay sab meray liyay itna mushkil kyun hai? Yay to naheen socha tha main nay? Kay main bhi kabhi mohabbat karungi? Aur yay to bilkul bhi naheen kay wo bhi adhoori reh jaaye gi... Kya mujhay yay maaloom tha kay is taraah ki mohabbat bhi koyi wajood rakhti hai? Kay is taraah bhi kisi ko mohabbat ho sakti hai... Kya yay sab kuchh sirf aik khwaab naheen ho sakta, kay main aankhen kholun to wo meray dil say kaheen door rihaaysh ikhtyaar kar chuka ho, aur yoon jesay wo kabhi meray dil main rihaaysh pazeer tha hi naheen? Kya aisa naheen ho sakta? Ya phir yay kay main abhi khwaab say jaagun to wo yaheen ho, meri aankhon kay saamnay... Meray itnay qareeb kay main haath uthaaun to us kay chehray kay khad-o khaal ko chhu kar hifz kar sakun?"
Wo ab ro naheen rahi thi, lekin Ahmed bhi aisa gaya tha kay us kay liyay bhi mamnuu tha us say raabta karna, aur wo ab naheen jaanti thi kay kis taraah is kaifiyat say jaan chhuraye, kay jahaan aik taraf pachhtawa tha to dusri taraf laa'haasil ki tishnigi.
Pachhtawa kay apnay rab kay huzoor bhi jab wo du'a kay liyay haath uthaati to usay hi maangti, us ki khairiyaat maangti. Wo usay yaad kar kay aik laa'haasil ki aisi jang main mubtila ho jaati kay jahaan dil kehta kay usay kabhi na bhoolna, yay mohabbat main khayaanat hogi, aur dimaagh usay yay khayaal day kar takleef deta kay wo laa'haasil hai, wo us ka naheen hoga.
Isi kashmakash ki kayfiyat main wo kabhi kabhi hazyaani si kayfiyat tak pohnch jaati, aur tab wo Ahmed ko apnay tasawwur main mehsus kartay huway us say wo sab poochhti jo wo khud say poochhnay say darti thi. Aur us din bhi achaanak wo rotay rotay usi kayfiyat tak pohnch gayi thi.
"Batao na, Ahmed! Aisa kyun hai kay mera dil tumhen bhoolta hi naheen hai? Aisa kyun hai kay tum mujhay baar baar nazar aatay ho? Aur kabhi jawaab bhi naheen detay? Kyun meray haath barhaatay hi tum kaheen hawaa main tahleel ho jaatay ho? Kyun, Ahmed? Kyun?"
"Shh. Chup, meri jaan." Wo usay aksar 'meri jaan' keh kar pukaara yaa tassalli diya karta tha. "Itna mat ro, mujhay takleef hoti hai. Dekho na kya haal bana liya hai tum nay apna..." Us ki awaaz main fikr pinhaan thi. Aur bayhad pyaar.
Wo hairan thi. Ahmed? Kya waqayi yay wahi tha?
"Ahmed? Yay tum ho? Kya waqayi yay aik khaab naheen hai?" Us nay kuchh bharrayi aur kuchh pur'umeed awaaz main usay mukhaatib kiya. Umeed kay ab kay wo usay chhoonay kay liyay haath bharhayay gi to us kay chehray kay nuqoosh ko parh paaye gi.
"Haan, meri jaan. Yay main hi hun. Tumhara Ahmed." Usay yaqeen naheen aa raha tha kay itnay main Ahmed nay haath bharha kar us kay kaanptay, bay-yaqeeni main us ki taraf barhtay, haathon ko apnay donon haathon main thaam liya tha. Maryam nay apnay andar tak aik sukoon kay ahsaas ko utartay paaya. "Mujhay naheen pata, meri jaan, kay tum meri kis naiki ka silaa ho aur kis naiki kay badlay main tum mujhay Khuda ki taraf say ataa huwin, lekin qismat ko kuchh aur manzoor tha. Shaayad tumhara aur mera saath aasmaan par tay huwa hi naheen tha, aur tabhi ham zameen par kabhi saath naheen chal paaye. Main naheen jaanta tum kyun mujh say is qadar mohabbat karti ho, lekin main is qaabil naheen hun. Na hi kabhi tha. Tum meri zindagi main aik rehmat ban kar aayeen aur us kay liyay main ab bhi Khuda ka shukrguzaar hun. Mujhay bhool jaao, meri jaan. Yehi tumhaaray istikhaara ka jawaab aur hamaray khuda ki marzi hai. Mujhay tum say muhabbat..." Wo aakhri jumlaa mukammal naheen kar paaya.
Aur phir us ki aankh khul gayi. Usay naheen pata chala kab rotay rotay us ki aankh lag gayi thi. Khwaab aur haqeeqat aapas main gad'mad ho rahay thay, aur wo andaaza naheen kar paayi kay khwaab ko haqeeqat say aur haqeeqat ko khwaab say alag kaisay karay.
Jo bhi tha, aaj usay us kay saaray sawaalon kay jawaab mil gaye thay.
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My One Shots
Short StoryI believe every writer weaves their stories with the thread of at least one of these two things: parts of themselves, or things they wish for. This collection of short stories is crafted with both of those. More than anything, i wish at least one of...
