chapter 20

Kya tumhre walidain maan jayenge?" usne poocha. "Haan, aur agar nahi maane to main unhe mana lunga. Wo kabhi mujhe inkaar nahi karte, usne fakhar ke sath kaha.                         ......♡......"Hello!" Imama ne awaaz sun kar murh kar dekha. Ye Salar tha, kuch feet door, hamesha ki tarah farigh, uski shirt ke button khule huay aur haath jeans ki jebon mein. Taimur bhi uske saath tha. Ek lamha ke liye, Imama samajh nahi pai ke kya kare"Chalo, main tumhe is larki se milwata hoon, Salar ne kaha jab usne Imama ko bookshop mein dekha."Ye chadar pehne hui shakhs?" Taimur ne heran hote huay kaha jab usne use dekha."Ye kaun hai?""Ye Waseem ki behan hai.""Tumhara unse kya lena dena? Waseem aur uski family bohot conservative hain, to tum isse milna kyun chahte ho?""Main pehli baar nahi mil raha... pehle bhi mil chuka hoon, aur waise bhi, isse baat kame mein kya harj hai? Salar ne Taimur ke aitraazat ko nazarandaz kar diya.Imama ki nazar magazine se hut kar Salar aur uske dost par gai. "Kaisi ho?" usne pucha jab usne dekha ke wo unki taraf dekh rahi hai."Teek hoon," usne jawab diya.Salar ne Taimur ka taaruf karaya, keh raha tha ke wo bhi Waseem ka dost hai."Waseem wahan bahar hai." Usne shopping center ki taraf ishara kiya."Magar hum yahan usse milne nahi aaye," Salar ne kaha. Usne sanjeedgi se Salar ko dekha"Ham tumse baat karne aaye hain.""Mujhe tum log ache se nahi pata, to baat karne ke liye kya hai?" usne thanday lehje mein jawab diya. Usko Salar ki aankhon ka dekhna pasand nahi aya usne socha ke wo kabhi logo se aankhen jhuka kar baat nahi karta, khaaskar larkiyon se. Usne magazine ko phir se palatna shuru kar diya."Tu mujhe nahi janti?" usne thaka hua lehja mein kaha. "Main tumhare ghar ke bilkul sath rehta hoon.""Bilkul rehte ho, magar main tumhe 'personal' taur par nahi janti," usne wazeh kiya, nazar ab bhi magazine par thi,"Kuch mahine pehle tumne meri jaan bachai thi," usne phir se uska mazaq udaya."Ek medical student ke tor par, ye mera farz tha. Main kisi ke liye bhi yahi karti jo mere samne mar raha hota. Ab, agar tum mujhe maaf karo, to main busy hoon." Salar ne hilan nahi kiya, halan ke Taimur ne uski asteen kheenchne ki koshish ki; usne Waseem ki wajah se Imama ka kuch lihaz kiya. Salar ne apna haath chhudaya."Main us raat ke liye tumhara shukriya ada karna chahta tha, halan ke tumhara rawaiya mere saath mukammal tor par professional nahi tha, Salar ne sanjeedgi se kaha aur Imama ne uski taraf dekha."Agar tum mere thappad ki baat kar rahe ho, to wo ghair professional tha aur mujhe maafi chahiye (halan ke mujhe yaqeen hai ke tum isse zyada deserve karte thay)," usne adhe adhoore alfaz ko niglte huay kaha."Us se mujhe koi masla nahi tha. Mera matlab kuch aur tha," usne beparwai se jawab diya. "Tumne meri kalai bohot be dhangay se bandhi thi aur tum mera blood pressure theek se check bhi nahi kar saki thi," usne kaha, ek chewing gum ka stick munh mein dalte hue. Imama ne mehsoos kiya ke uske kaan surkh ho gaye hain. Usne bina palke jhapkaye uski taraf dekha. Wo uska mazaq urata raha. "Yeh kitni sharm ki baat hai ke tum wo bhi nahi kar sakti jo koi ghair-trained shaks se bhi ki umeed ki ja sakti hai.""Main doctor nahi hoon, sirf ek medical student hoon. Aur jahan tak ghair professional hone ki baat hai, agle dafa ke liye tayyar raho kyunki tumhe to aisi koshish kame ki adat hai. Main tum par practice kar kar ke apne aap ko perfect kar loongi." Magar Salar bilkul farigh tha. Usne huste hue kaha, "Agar tum mujhe sharminda kame ki koshish kar rahi ho...""To main nakam ho jaoongi kyunki tum sharminda nahi ho rahe," usne uski baat mukammal ki. "Mujhe pata hai kyunki sharmindagi to insaano ki khasiyat hoti hai.""Aur tumhare nazar mein main kya hoon?" Salar ne isi lehje mein poocha."Ek vet (doctor) is sawal ka behtar jawab de sakta hai," usne tewar se jawab diya. Salar zor zor se hans pada.Har dictionary do pairon wale jaanwar ko insaan kehte hain. Main do pairon par chalta hoon.""Ek bhalu se le kar ek kutta tak, jaanwar do pairon par chal sakte hain agar unhe zaroorat ho ya unki marzi ho.""Magar mere paas sirf do pair hain aur main hamesha un par chalta hoon.""Khair, tum lucky ho ke tumhare char pair nahi hain; isi liye tumhe vet ke pas jana chahiye wo behtar samjha sakega." Imama ka lehja thanda tha. Wo bezaar thi magar Salar ko haar maan na thi."Tumhe jaanwaron ke bare mein itna ilm hai ke tum ek zabardast vet ban sakti thi.Main tumhare ilm se bohot mutasir hoon." Imama ka chehra aur bhi surkh ho gaya."Agar tum meri vet ban jao, to main tumhare pas ilaaj ke liye aaoonga aur shayad tum mere upar research bhi kar sako. Tum kya fees lo gi?" Usne sanjeedgi se kaha aur Imama ne kuch samajh nahi payi. Uske saath baat karna musibat ko dawat dene jaisa tha"Waseem tumhe bata dega." usne usay taalne ki koshish ki. Salar ne uski awaz mein dhamki ko samajh kar bhi uska mazaq banaya. Taimur ne phir uski asteen kheenchne ki koshish ki. "Chalo, Salar! Mujhe kaam hai.""Theek hai, yaar-mat kheench mujhe!" Phir wo Imama ki taraf mudha. "Main bas mazaq kar raha tha main sach mein tumhara shukriya ada karna chahta tha. Tum aur Waseem bohot madadgar thay. Allah Hafiz!" Imama ne unke jaane par sukoon ka saans liya. Ye banda waqai pagal tha: usay hairani thi ke Waseem jaisa shaks uska dost kaise ho sakta hai."Salar tum se milne aya tha?" Ye Waseem tha. Usne door se Taimur aur Salar ko dekh liya tha. "Usne kya kaha?" Waseem ne shauq se poocha."Mujhe hairat hai ke tumhare aise dost kaise ho sakte hain-mujhe abhi tak uske jaisa badtameez aur ghussa dilane wala insaan nahi mila, Imama bohot chich gayi thi. "Woh mujhe shukriya ada karne aya tha aur sath hi mujhe yeh batane ke liye ke main na to theek se patti bandh sakti hoon aur na hi blood pressure check kar sakti hoon.""Bhool jao," Waseem muskuraya. "Woh pagal hai."Mera dil chaha uske chehre par kuch aur thappad laga doon...sirf apne dost ke sath aaya tha jo kuch kam nahi tha. Waise, usne kaha ke woh tumhara bhi dost hai," usne yaad dilaaya."Bilkul nahi-bas ek jaan-pehchaan hai.""Tum aise ladkon ke sath kaise reh sakte ho? Unka dressing dekhon, unka appearance, unka baat karne ka tareeqa! Tumhe unse koi lena dena nahi hona chahiye." Imama chalne lagi aur Waseem uske peeche chala."Mujhe hairani hoti hal ke usne kaise note kiya ke patti sahi nahi bandhi thi ya mujhe uska blood pressure check kane mein problem ho rahi thi. Woh itna hil raha tha-kaise usne yeh sab observe kiya?" Imama sochne par majboor hui."Woh theek keh raha tha," Waseem muskurate hue kaha. "Tumhe waqai problem thi.""Mujhe pata hai, main bohot nervous thi," usne maan liya. "Mainne pehle kabhi aisa case nahi dekha tha, aur woh khoon behne ka manzar ne mujhe daradiya tha. Aur uska rawaiya, sab kuch milakar...mainne aaj tak kisi suicide case ko aise behave karte nahi dekha.""Aur tum doctor banna chahti ho, ek maahir aur mashhoor doctor-yeh yaqeen kama mushkil hai!" usne kaha."Mainne yeh sab tumhe mere mazaq urane ke liye nahi bataya," usne etiraz kiya jab woh parking lot ki taraf chal rahe thay.                         .......♡.......Imama ne kuch dinon se Zainab aur Jalal ke rawaiye mein tabdeeli mehsoos ki thi Unka lehja badal gaya tha; unke aur uske darmiyan ek tanav tha. Usne do teen baar Jalal ko hospital mein phone kane ki koshish ki, magar hamesha ek hi jawab milta: wo masroof hai. Jab wo Zainab ko college se lene aata, to pehle ki tarah usse milne nahi rukta. Aur agar wo Imama se takrata bhi, to bas ek mukhtasir salam kar ke chal deta. Pehle to usne socha ke yeh sirf uska weham hai, magar jab yeh rawaiya zyada wazeh hogaya, to usne faisla kiya ke wo Jalal se baat karegi aur hospital chali gayi.Jalal ka rawaiya thanda aur beparwa tha usse milte waqt uske chehre par ek muskurahat bhi nahi thi. "Kafi din ho gaye hain hum mile nahi-socha ke main aa jaoon," usne apne dar ko door karne ki koshish karte hue kaha"Mujhe jana hoga, meri shift shuru hone wali hai." Imama hairan reh gayi."Zainab ne mujhe bataya ke tumhari shift is waqt khatam hoti hai, isi liye main ab aayi hoon."Jalal kuch lamhon ke liye khamosh raha, phir jawab diya, "Haan, yeh theek hai, magar aaj mujhe kuch aur kaam hai." Imama uske chehre ko padne ki koshish kar rahi thi. "Jalal, kya tum mujhse kisi baat par naraaz ho?" "Nahi. Main kisi se naraaz nahi hoon, usne sakhti se jawab diya."Kya tum dus minute ke liye bahar aa kar meri baat sun sakte ho?" Jalal ne uski taraf dekha aur apni coat bazu par daal kar bina kuch kahe bahar aagaya. Usne apni ghadi dekhi jaise usay ishara dena chahta ho. "Tum mere sath aise bartao kyun kar rahe ho?" usne seedha sawal kiya."Kya main tumhare sath bura salook kar raha hoon?" usne ulta jawab diya."Tum mujhe pichle kuch dinon se nazarandaz kar rahe ho." "Haan, main kar raha hoon." Imama uske itne sidhe jawab se heran reh gayi yeh umeed nahi thi. "Kyuki main tumse milna nahi chahta," usne apni baat mukammal ki."Kyoon?" Wo hiran reh gayi. "Zaroor koi wajah hogi ke tumhara rawalya itna achanak badal gaya.""Haan, hai," usne jhat se kaha, "magar yeh zaroori nahi ke tumhe bataya jaye jaise ke tumhare liye kuch cheezein mujhe batana zaroori nahi tha.""Main? Maine tumse kya chhupaya?" "Ke tum Muslim nahi ho," usne karwaahat se kaha. Imama ka saans atak gaya. "Kya tumne yeh mujhse nahi chhupaya?""Jalal, main tumhe batana chahti thi. Uski awaz haar maan rahi thi."Chahti thi.. magar nahi bataya. Tumne mujhe dhoka dene ki koshish ki.""Maine tumhe dhoka dene ki koshish nahi ki! Main aisa kyun karti?" usne ehtiraz kiya.   Continue ✍️✍️✍️