Subah se sardi bohot barh gayi thi. December khatam hone ko tha aur hawa thartara dene wali ban chuki thi. Aise mein woh campus mein scholarship coordinator ke office ke bahar darwaze par lagi list ko dekh rahi thi. "Erasmus Mundus exchange program ke tehat students mein se sirf do ladkiyan Sabanci University ja rahi thi.
Haya Suleman aur Khadija Rana.
"Yeh Khadija Rana hai kaun bhala?" Woh sochte hue apne yakh hote haath aapas mein ragar rahi thi. Sardi se uski naak surkh pad rahi thi. Long shirt aur trouser par stylish sa long sweater pehne woh darwaze ke samne khadi thi. Dafatan aqab se kisi ne pukara.
"Excuse me!"
Woh chonk kar palti. Peechhe ek ladki khadi thi. Kandhe par bag, haath mein diary aur pen aur aankhon par bada sa chashma. Woh usko naam se nahi pehchanti thi magar usko kai dafa university mein dekha zaroor tha. Woh ladki usay khwamakhwa hi bohot buri lagti thi.
"Yeh Haya Suleman kaun hai bhala?" Woh chashme ke peeche se aankhein sikode sochti hui keh rahi thi.
Haya ne ek tanziya nigah mein uska sar se pair tak jaiza liya, phir zara ruke andaaz mein boli. "Main hoon!"
"Oh!" Usne jaise mushkil se apni nagawari chhupai.
"Main aap ke saath Turkey ja rahi hoon, Haya! Main Khadija hoon, mere friends mujhe 'DJ' kehti hain, lekin aap meri friend nahi hain, so Khadija hi kahiye ga."
"Mujhe bhi Haya sirf mere friends kehte hain. Aap mujhe Miss Suleman keh sakti hain." Woh keh kar palat gayi.
Ajeeb bad-dimaag ladki thi woh Khadija Rana. Usay pehle bhi khwa-ma-khwa hi bohot buri lagti thi aur ab andaza ho gaya tha ke uske bhi Haya ke baare mein khayalat kuch aise hi the.
Woh jaise hi ghar aayi, Zafar samne se aa gaya. Bhagta hua, hanpta hua.
"Haya Bibi. Hello!"
"Bol bhi chuko ab!" Woh gaadi lock karti khauf zada hui.
"Aapko... Eram Bibi bula rahi hain."
"Khairiyat?"
"Khairiyat nahi lagti ji. Woh bohot ro rahi hain." Zafar ne raazdaari se bataya toh woh chonki.
"Acha... main aati hoon, tum yeh mera bag andar rakh do." Woh seedha Eram ke ghar khulne wale darmiyani darwaze ki jaanib badh gayi...
Lounge mein Saima Tai aur Sonia baithi thi. Samne koi kamdar dupatta phaila rakha tha aur dono us ke saath uljhi thi. Aahat pe sar uthaya, use dekh kar dono hi muskuradi.
"Haya! Kaisi ho?"
"Bilkul theek. Eram kidhar hai Tai Amma? Mujhe bula rahi thi."
"Andar kamre mein hongi."
"Okay, main dekh leti hoon." Woh muskura kar rahdari ki taraf badi gayi.
Aram ke kamre ka darwaza band tha. Usne door lock ghumakar dhakela. Darwaza khulta chala gaya, bed par Eram akdum baithi thi.
Samne laptop khula pada tha. Chamakti screen ki roshni Eram ke chehre ko chamka rahi thi, jis par aansu lariyon ki soorat beh rahe thay.
"Eram kya hua?" Woh qadre fikarmandi se eram ke samne aa baithi.
Eram ne surk motorm aankhein utha kar Haya ko dekha. Uski aankhon mein kuch tha jo use thhatka gaya.
"Haya! Ek baat batao?" Uska rehnda hua lehja ajeeb sa tha.
"Bolo!"
"Hum shareef ladkiyan hain kya?"
"Apne baare mein to yakeen hai magar tumhara mamla zara mashkook hai," usne mahaul ka bojhal pan door karne ko kaha magar Eram muskurayi tak nahi.
