Mulazim-E-Al-Wadood

Chapter- 3

"Kahan ho Muskan? Paper shuru hone wala hai!" Aaliya ne phone par pareshani bhari awaz mein puchha.
"Haan, haan, bas pohonchne hi wali hoon," Muskan ne jaldi se jawab diya. Ek haath se cycle ka handle pakde hue aur doosre haath se phone pakda tha, uske lehje mein ghabrahat saaf thi.

"Jaldi karo!" Aaliya ne thoda gusse mein kaha aur call kat diya.

Muskan ne phone apne kaan se hataya, aur jaldi se screen par waqt dekha. 8 bajne me ab sirf 15 minute bache the. Uska dil tez dhadak raha tha. Bechaini ke saath usne apni cycle aur tez chalayee, lekin mann mein ek ajeeb si ghabrahat thi.

Achaanak, ek tez horn ki awaz ne use hila kar rakh diya. Uski nazrein phone ki screen se hat kar jaldi se sadak ki taraf ghoomi. Samne se ek gaadi seedha usi ki taraf aa rahi thi. Gaadi ke engine ki ghoomti awaaz ne ek pal ke liye uski saanson ko rok diya.

Usne ghbrahat mein cycle ka handle modne ki koshish ki, lekin uske haath kaap rahe the.

Ek teekha awaaz, ek jhatka, aur agle hi lamhe mein woh sadak par gir chuki thi.

Muskan ko sadak ke kinare par ek bheed nazar aai. Usne dheere dheere apni aankhein kholi, sar mein tez dard ho raha tha. Uski cycle kuch door giri hui tha, aur uske haath par ek chhoti si chot ka nishan thi. Nazar barabar karte hi usne dekha ke ek ajnabi uske paas jhuka hua tha, pareshani ke saath uski halat dekh raha tha.

"Beta, tum theek ho?" Us aadmi ne pyaar bhari awaz mein poocha.

"Haan… main theek hoon," Muskan ne dheere se kaha, apni kamar ko sahara dete hue uthne ki koshish ki. Usne apne haath par lagi chot dekhi, jo zyada gehri nahi thi, magar dard de rahi thi.

Uski dhundhli nazar ke beech ek shakhs ka saya utra. Gaadi ke darwaze se ek mard nikal raha tha—uska shana chaura tha.

Bheer mein se kuch chehre uski taraf dekh kar ruk gaye. Siah rang ka suit uske lambi qadr aur shaandar shakhsiat ka izhaar kar raha tha. Har kadam ke saath, nazar uski taraf uth rahi thi. Uska chehra gusse se bhara tha— aur jab woh kareeb aaya, uska chehra saaf nazar aaya.

Kale baal hawa mein lehrate hue uske chehre ki shaandar rangat ko aur bhi khoobsurat bana rahe the. Gehri bhuri aankhein jo har kisi ko apne andar kheench sakti thi. Uska naak, khubsurti ko aur bhi pur-kashish bana raha tha.

Woh bina kisi shak ke beinteha haseen tha.

“Kya tum andhi ho? Gaadi nahi dekhti aate hue?” Uski tez, garajti awaaz ne Muskan ke andar ka gussa ubhaar diya.

“Tameez se baat karo! Andhi main nahi, andhe tum ho,” woh uski taraf ungli uthate hue chillaayi.

“Ungli mujhe mat dikhao,” woh ek kadam aage badh kar bola. “Mujhe maloom hai tum jaison ka kya maksad hota hai. Tum jaan bujh kar raste mein aati ho, phir paise ka bahana banati ho.”

“Tum jaise ghamandi log sirf paisa dekhte hain! Main paisa lene nahi aayi hoon. Main khud apna khayal rakh sakti hoon. Samjhe tum?”

“Main tumhari bakwas sun’ne nahi aaya hoon,” usne kaha. “Mujhe apne kaam se kaam hai. Tum apni cycle uthaao aur yahan se nikal jao.”

“Yeh sadak tumhari hai kya? Main yahan se kyun jaoon? Tum mujhe order nahi de sakte. Main tumhari mulazima nahi hoon!”

“Jo tumhe theek lage kar lo,” woh thanda sa jawab dekar bola. “Chaho toh yahan ghar bana lo ya apni dukaan shuru kar lo. Lekin mujhe apna waqt barbad nahi karna tum jaison ke saath.” Woh wapas apni gaadi ki taraf badhne laga.

“Driving toh aati nahi, lekin attitude dekh lo iska!” Muskan ne apni cycle uthate hue neeche se bol diya.

Zayn ke kadam ruk gaye. Woh thodi der ke liye chup raha, phir dheere se bola, “Kya kaha tumne?”

Muskan ne apni aankhon mein shararat aur chehre par muskurahat ke saath jawab diya, “Sun’ne mein bhi mahir hai, kaan waqai behtareen hain.”

“Kya kaha tha tumne ?" Woh wapas uske samne aaya, aur thodi der ke liye dono ki aankhon mein wo taqraav tha.

Tabhi ek aurat ne cheekh kar kaha, “Zayn! Wapas aa jao. Yeh tumhari bhi galti thi.”

Zayn ne apni maa ki taraf dekha, jo uski sharafat aur nazakat se bhari nazar aa rahi thi. Muskan ki aankhon mein ab ek ajeeb si muskurahat thi, lekin Zayn ko isne thodi der ke liye hairat mein daal diya.

Woh apni cycle ki taraf wapas jaane se pehle, Zayn ki maa ki taraf dekh kar muskurai. Lekin uska dil yeh soch raha tha—kya yeh sach mein do alag shakhsiyat waqai ek hi khandan ke ho sakte hain?

College ke darwaze par pahunche hi Aaliyah uski taraf bhaagte hue aai. "Allah ka shukar hai tum aa gayi! Kitni der laga di tumne!"

Muskan ke chehre par ek nazar dalte hi Aaliyah ki aankhein chauk gayi. "Tumhare haath se khoon kyun beh raha hai? Kya hua tha tumhe?"

"Bas ek chhota sa accident ho gaya," Muskan ne muskara kar baat taalne ki koshish ki.

"Accident? Aur tum yahan exam dene aayi ho? Tumhe hospital jaana chahiye tha!" Aaliyah ne zidd karte hue kaha.

"Zyada serious nahi hai, Aaliyah. Pehle paper dena zaroori hai," Muskan ne uske kandhe par haath rakha aur tasalli di.

"Par Muskan…"

"Kuch nahi hoga, Allah pe bharosa hai. Chalo, late ho raha hai," Muskan ne uska haath pakda aur dono exam hall ki taraf chal padi.

Muskan ke dimaag mein abhi bhi us accident ki awaaz ghoonj rahi thi, magar usne apne khayal ko jhatak diya. Exams abhi zyada zaroori the.

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