Paasbaan

5. دوست

"Assalamu alaikum bhai"

"Walaikum assalaam! Bhool gayi na mujhe churail!"

"Pehli baat to yeh ke main churail nahi hoon aur dusri yeh ke apne bhai ko kese bhool sakti hoon?!"

"Acha to ab tak nahi bataya kesi rahi shadi aur sab se mulkaat?"

"Sab acha raha sab se kaafi der baad mili hun to thora sa adjust hone me waqt laga magar acha raha. Khala aur mamu ko bohat miss kiya maine aur Saif to shadi ke liye itna excited tha ke aap dekhte to has parte."

Woh khushi se batati gayi aur Arib uski baat sunta raha.

"Aur tumhara dusra cousin kaisa he? Kya naam tha uska...Kabir!"

"Um..theek hai woh bhi"

"Yeh theek hai kuch ziyada achey wala theek kyun nahi lag raha mujhe?"

Usne uski baat pe sar jhukaya aur has pari. Arib ki ek baat use humesha heran karti thi aur yeh uski awaaz lehja aur tassuraat ko bohat achey se pehchan ne wali selahiyat thi. Woh use aksar kaha karti thi ke use apni job chor ke therapist ya psychiatrist banna chahiye.

"Nahi sach me theek hai bas pehle jesi dosti nahi rahi thi aur waqt lag raha he sab sort out karne me."

Usne kaafi had tak sach bola jis pe Arib bhi kaafi had tak mutmaeen ho gaya.

"Miraal mujhe baba ne kisi proposal ka bataya he"

Woh khamosh rahi thi us zikar pe.

"Tumhari kya raaye he?"

"Mujhe nahi pata bhai..aap bataen aap ko kya sahi lagta hai?"

Woh use apne sage bhaiyon se bhar ke maanti thi aur woh un ek do logon me se tha jinke faislon pe use andha bharosa tha.

"Dekho Miraal main Hamza se nahi mila magar baba ke kehne pe maine uske baare me thori puch taach kar wayi he aur jahan tak mujhe lagta hai he is a decent guy with a bright future. Achi salary achi shakal surat hai aur jahan tak suna hai ek acha insaan bhi lag raha hai. Tumhare bhai ke tor pe maine apni tasalli kar ke hi yeh baat tum tak ponchne di hai. Ab tum kya chahti ho yeh tum hi bata sakti ho haina bachey?"

Woh bola to woh gehri soch me par gayi.

"Bhai...mujhe lag raha hai main..."

"Koi jaldi nahi hai socho tum Miraal. Bas yaad rakho tumse koi zabardasti karne ka soch bhi nahi sakta tumhare bhai ke hote hue samjhi? Nahi dil maanta to nahi ho ga. Jab tak tum taiyar nahi ho jaati aisi koi baat bhi nahi ho gi."

"Thank you bhai"

"Chalo apna khayal rakho"

Call rakhne ke baad woh wahin chat pe bethi asmaan ko takti rahi jab ushe chat ka darwaza khulta mehsoos hua aur usne mur ke dekha. Woh chalta hua uske paas aaya aur zameen pe uske saath beth gaya. Haath me pakre bag ko uski taraf kiya to usne bhawen uchka ke sawaaliya nazro se use dekha.

"Kya? Khol ke dekho koi bomb nahi hai"

Usne kaha to usne andar dekha aur honto pe muskurahat ubhri.
Andar se shawarma nikaala aur ice cream. Uski ankho ki chamak dekh ke Kabir bhi use dekhta hua muskura diya.

"Yeh tumhari purani khush fehmi hai"

"Kesi khush fehmi?"

"Ke main shawarma aur ice cream se maan jaun gi"

Woh shawarma kholti hui boli to baalo me haath pherta hua woh bola.

"But it always works"

Uski maanikhez muskurahat dekh ke woh use ghoorti rahi phir sar jhatak diya aur hasi na rouk paayi.
Uska qehqa hawaa me goonja aur Use dekh ke muskuraata Kabir bas use dekhta reh gaya.