chapter 4

Awazein aur qehqahon se hall bhar gaya jab log naye saal ka shumar kar rahe the, aur yeh shor barh gaya jab ghadi ne bara bajaya aur hall dobara roshan ho gaya. Nojawan ab parking lot mein thay, un ki car ke horns shore macha rahe the. Beer ka can haath mein liye, woh nojawan jo dance floor par tha, ek car ki chhat par chadh gaya. Us ne apni jacket se dusra beer can nikala aur ek park ki hui car ke windscreen par phenk diya, jo ke zor dar dhamake se toot gaya jab poora can us se takraya. Woh car ki chhat par khara tha, aram se apne haath mein liye beer ka can pee raha tha..................................................................Pichle aadhe ghante se Salar dekh raha tha ke Kamran video game khelne ki koshish kar raha tha: score wahi ka wahi tha, shayad isliye ke Kamran mushkil track par control karne ki koshish kar raha tha. Salar bhi lounge mein tha, notes likhne mein masroof. Kabhi kabhi woh TV screen par nazar dalta jab Kamran zyada points hasil kame ki koshish karta. Aadha ghanta guzarta, Salar ne apna notebook band kiya,jamai rokte hue, apne paon table par failaye aur haath sir ke pichhe rakh kar TV screen par dekha jab Kamran ne naya game shuru kiya, pichla round haar chuka tha.'Kya masla hai, Kamran?"'Kuch nahi...yeh naya game laya hoon, lekin score karna mushkil hai, Kamran ne thake hue lehje mein kaha.Mujhe dekhne do. Salar sofa se utha aur remote control le liya.Kamran chup chaap dekhta raha: pehle hi seconds mein Salar us speed par race kar raha tha jo Kamran kabhi nahi pohanch saka. Jo track Kamran ke liye mushkil tha, woh Salar ke liye bacho ka khel tha-Kamran ke liye mushkil tha car ko dekhna jo itni tez speed se race kar rahi thi, magar Salar ko us par poora control tha. Teen minute baad, Kamran ne dekha car swerve hui, track se bahar chali gayi aur tukde tukde hokar phat gayi. Kamran ne muskurate hue Salar ki taraf dekha-usse samajh aa gaya tha ke car kyun destroy hui thi: Remote control table par rakhtay hue, Salar ne apna notebook uthaya."Yeh bohot boring game hai,' usne kaha aur Kamran ke paon se uchal kar bahar chala gaya.Kamran ne apne daant bhinch liye jab usne screen par seven digit score dekha. Usne darwaze ki taraf dekha jab Salar nikal gaya....................................................................Wo dono phir se khamosh ho gaye. Asjad ko fikar hone lagi thi: Imama hamesha se itni khamosh nahi thi jitni ab thi. Pichle aadhe ghante mein usne jitni baat ki thi woh gin sakta tha. Usne use bachpan se jaana tha, woh ek zinda dil larki thi. Unki mangni ke pehle saal mein, Asjad ko uski sohbat mein khushi mehsoos hoti thi-woh kitni tez aur hoshiyaar thi. Magar pichle kuch saalon mein, woh badal gayi thi, aur yeh tabdili tab se zyada wazeh hui thi jab se usne medical school join kiya tha. Asjad ko mehsoos hota tha ke uske zehan mein kuch chal raha hai. Kabhi kabhi woh fikarmand lagti aur kabhi kabhi woh itni thandi aur door door si hoti jaise woh milna khatam kama chahti ho aur jald se jald nikalna chahti ho. Is martaba bhi usko yahi mehsoos ho raha tha."Main aksar sochta hoon ke yeh sirf main hoon jo hamari mulaqat par zor deta hoon-shayad tumhe farq nahi padta ke hum milte hain ya nahi," usne udaasi se kaha. Woh bagh ki kursi par uske samne baithi thi, boundary wall par charhayi hui belon ko dekh rahi thi. Asjad ke kehne par, usne apni nazar us par jama di. Usne ek tafteeshi nazar dali, magar woh khamosh rahi, to usne apni baat ko dohraya. "Mera yahan ana tumhe farq nahi dalta. Imama... kya main sahi hoon?""Main Kya keh sakti hoon?""Kam az kam tum keh sakti ho 'Nahi, tum ghalat ho', "Nahi, tum ghalat ho," Imama ne uski baat kaat di. Uska lehja utna hi thanda tha aur uska izhaar utna hi beparwa tha jitna pehle tha. Asjad ne mayoosi se saans li."Han, main chahta hoon aur dua karta hoon ke aisa ho, ke main waqai ghalat hoon. Magar tumse baat karke mujhe lagta hai ke tumhe koi parwa nahi."Tumhe aisa kyun lagta hai?" Asjad ne uske lehje mein narazgi ka ehsas kiya."Bohat si cheezon ki wajah se-ek to tum kabhi theek se jawab nahi deti jo main kehta hoon.""Main har koshish karti hoon ke jo tum kehte ho uska theek se jawab doon. Agar tumhe pasand nahi aata jo main kehti hoon to main kya kar sakti hoon?"Asjad ko laga ke woh zyada naraz ho gayi hai."Mera matlab yeh nahi tha ke mujhe pasand nahi jo tum kehti ho yeh ke tum sirf 'han' ya 'na' mein jawab deti ho, Kabhi kabhi, mujhe lagta hai jaise main apne aap se baat kar raha hoon.""Jab tum mujhse poochte ho ke main theek hoon, to main 'han' ya 'na' mein jawab deti hoon-aur kya keh sakti hoon? Agar tumhe ek seedha sawal ke jawab mein ek lambi kahani sunni hai to mujhe batao ke tum kya sunna chahte ho aur main woh kahungi."Woh sanjeeda thi"Tum us 'han' ya 'na' mein kuch aur bhi keh sakti ho. Agar aur kuch nahi, to mujhse pooch lo ke main kaisa hoon.""Tumse pooch lo ke tum kaise ho? Tum yahan mere samne baithay ho, mujhse baat kar rahe ho-zahiri tor par tum theek ho. Warna, tum ghar mein hotay, bistar mein, beemar."Imama, yeh rawaj hain...""Aur tum achi tarah se jaante ho ke main rawaj mein yakeen nahi rakhti. Tumhe mujhse poochne ki zaroorat nahi ke main kaisi hoon, mujhe bilkul bura nahi lagega." Asjad bol na saka."Theek hai. Rawaj ko choro, aur bhi baatein hoti hain, kuch discuss kar sakte hain. Apni dilchaspiyon par baat kar sakte hain, jo humein masroof rakhta hai.""Asjad, main tumse kya discuss karoon? Tum ek businessman ho, main ek medical student hoon, tumse kya poochon? Stock market ke baare mein? Trend bullish tha ya bearish? Index kitne points se barh gaya? Ya tum agle shipment kahan bhej rahe ho? Hukumat ne tumhe is martaba kitna rebate diya?"Woh thandi rahi."Ya main tumse anatomy discuss karoon? Kya liver ke function ko mutasir karta hai? Is saal bypass surgery ke liye kaunse naye techniques istemal hui hain? Heart fail hone par electric shocks ka voltage kitna hona chahiye? Yeh hamari fields hain, to inke points of discussion se hum kaise mohabbat aur apnapan hasil kar sakte hain? Main samajhne se qasir hoon."Asjad ke chehre ka rang ghul gaya. Woh man hi man us lamhe ko kos raha tha jab usne Imama se shikayat ki thi."Insaan ki zindagi mein aur bhi dilchaspiyaan hoti hain," usne kamzori se kaha."Nahi, mere parhai ke ilawa meri zindagi mein koi aur dilchaspi nahi," Imama ne qatai lehje mein kaha, apna sar hilate hue."Aakhir humari pehle bhi kuch dilchaspiyaan thi.""Pehle jo kuch hua usse bhool jao," Imama ne beech mein hi bola. "Ab main waqt zaya nahi kar sakti. Mujhe hairat hoti hai ke ek businessman hote hue bhi tum itne bachkana aur jazbati ho; tumhe zyada practical hona chahiye."Asjad khamosh raha."Hum apne rishton ko jaante hain. Agar tum samajhte ho ke meri practical approach se humare rishte mein interest ya lagan ka kami hai to main kuch nahi kar sakti. Main yahan tumhare saath hoon, iska matlab hai ke main is rishte ko ahmiyat deti hoon, warna main yahan chai peene ke liye kisi ajnabi ke saath nahi baithi hoti.Woh ek lamha ruki, phir kaha, "Aur yeh ke tumhara yahan ana mujhe koi farq dalta hai ya nahi, jawab yeh hai ke hum dono bohat masroof log hain. Hum modern zamanay ke log hain. Main koi Heer nahi hoon jo tumhare liye swad banaye baithti hoon jab tum bansuri bajate ho, aur tum koi Ranjha nahi ho jo mujhe ghanton indulge kare. Haqiqat yeh hai ke yeh waqai koi farq nahi dalta ke hum milte hain ya nahi, Humara rishte, jaisa aaj hai, waisa hi rahega. Ya tum samajhte ho ke yeh badlega?"Agar Asjad ke mathe par paseena nahi aya, to sirf isliye ke yeh December ka mahina tha. Unke darmiyan aath saal ka farq tha, magar pehli martaba Asjad ko laga ke yeh aath nahi balki athara saal ka farq hai-aur woh us se badi thi. Sirf do haftay pehle, usne unnis saal complete kiye the, magar usko laga ke woh ek raat mein teenage se middle age mein pohanch gayi hai aur woh apne pre-teens mein wapas chala gaya hai! Woh uske samne baithi thi, tangain cross kiye aur aankhein uske chehre par jamayi hui thi, beparwa intezar karte hue uske jawab ka. Asjad ne uski ungli mein pehnayi hui mangni ki anguthi ko dekha aur gala saaf kiya."Tum theek keh rahi ho...main sirf yeh sochta tha ke humein zyada baat karni chahiye kyunke yeh humein kuch samajhne mein madad degi.""Asjad, main tumhe bohat achi tarah se jaanti hoon aur samajhti hoon. Mujhe afsos hai yeh jaan kar ke tumhe lagta hai ke humein ab bhi samajhne ki zaroorat hai. Main samajhti thi ke humare darmiyan pehle hi bohat samajh hai."Asjad ko qabool karna pada ke aaj uska din nahi tha ."Aur agar tumhe lagta hai ke business aur anatomy ke baare mein baat karna haalaat ko behtar karega, to theek hai-hum aisa hi karenge."Imama ke lehje mein beilchus ka element tha."Tum mere kehne par khush nahi ho?""Main kyun khush nahi hongi?"Is se uska aur bhi zyada sharminda hua. "Shayad maine ghalat baat keh di...shayad nahi, zaroor maine ghalat baat keh di." Usne is jumle ko zordar andaz mein dohraya. "Tum jaanti ho yeh rishte mere liye kitna ahem hai. Mere paas bohat se sapne hain mustaqbil ke liye." Usne gehri saans li. Woh bagair kisi izhaar ke, deewar par charhayi hui bel ko dekhti rahi ...........Next part coming soon.....