Woh raat Valentine ki raat thi. DJ common room mein mun'aqib all girls party mein ja chuki thi, jo ladkiyon ne mil kar di thi, jabke Haya aaine ke samne khadi apna kajal durust kar rahi thi. Uski tayari mukammal thi, lekin jab tak woh apni aankhon ke katoray kajal se bhar na leti, use tasalli nahi hoti thi. Abhi woh kajal ki silai ki nok aankh ke kinare se ragad hi rahi thi ke darwaza baja.
Dheemi si dastak aur phir khamoshi.
Usne kajal ki silai neeche ki aur palat kar dekha.
Yeh andaaz DJ ka to nahi tha. Woh yun hi kajal pakray aage barhi aur knob ghuma kar darwaza khola. Bahar balcony mein roshni thi. Jaise hi usne darwaza khola, balcony tareek ho gayi. Ghaleeban seedhiyon ke upar laga bulb bujh gaya tha. Kya koi aakar wapas palat gaya tha?
Kaun? Usne gardan aage kar ke raahdari mein dono simt dekha. Har su khamoshi thi. Balcony veeran thi.
Wahan sardi thi aur andar kamra garam tha.
Woh chand saney khadi rahi, phir dheere se shaanay uchka kar palatne hi lagi thi ke...
Oh nahi! Uske labon se ek uktaai hui kraah nikli.
Chokhat pe uske qadmon ke sath safed gulabon ka bouquet aur ek band lifaafah rakha tha. Woh jhuki, dono cheezein uthayi aur jarrhane andaz mein lifaafay ka munh phara. Andar rakha choukour kaaghaz nikala aur chehre ke samne kiya.
"Happy Valentine’s Day... From your Valentine."
Usne lab bheench kar tanaffur se woh tehreer padhi aur phir be had gusse se kaaghaz madodkar guldaste ke sath poori quwwat se raahdari mein de maara.
Aouch! Oh wapas mudne hi lagi thi, jab kisi ki bokhlayi hui aawaaz suni. Usne chonk kar peechay dekha.
Guldasta aur kaaghaz seedhe haath wale kamre se nikalte Mu'tasim ko ja lage the aur usse takra agar ab uske qadmon mein pade the.
Yeh kya hai? Woh hakka bakka khada tha.
"I'm sorry Mu'tasim!" Woh shadeed be zaari se mushkil se zabt kar ke boli. Mu'tasim ko wazahat dene ka soch kar hi use kofat hone lagi thi.
"Yeh maine tumhe nahi diye, balkay kisi fazool insaan ne mujhe bheje hain. Tum bura mat maan na aur inko dustbin mein phenk dena." Woh ek haath darwaze par rakhe, doosre mein kajal pakde zara rakhaayi se boli. Mu'tasim ne jhuk kar woh kaaghaz uthaya aur seedhe hote hue uski shikne durust kar ke chehre ke samne kiya. Haya ko koft hone lagi.
"Main keh rahi hoon na, sorry." Woh jo qadre bhanwen sikiye kaaghaz ko dekh raha tha, chonk kar use dekhne laga.
"Nahi, it's okay. Magar yeh... tumhein koi Sabanci mein tang kar raha hai?"
Woh tehreer pe nigahein doraate, tashweesh se pooch raha tha.
"Yeh baat nahi hai. Yeh bohot pehle se mere peeche pada hua hai. Lambi kahani hai, jaane do. Isko kooday mein phenk dena. Good night."
Woh mazeed murawat ka muzahira kiye baghair darwaza band karne lagi thi jab woh holay se bola.
"Yeh geela kyun hai? Tum royi ho??"
Kuch tha uski aawaz mein ke darwaza band karti Haya thitak kar ruki phir pait neem wa kiya aur balcony mein qadam rakha.
"Main kyun roungi?" Woh kaaghaz ko dekhte huye boli.
Mu'tasim kaaghaz ke nichle daayein taraf ke kinare par ungli phair raha tha.
"Phir yeh geela kyun hai? Shayad phoolon mein paani tha?"
Haya ne mechanical andaaz mein nafi mein gardan hilaayi.
"Nahi, yeh to motay lifaafe mein mohar band tha."
