Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Yeh kiya? Tum abhi tak aesay hee bethi ho?" Ifza ne hairaan hokay Inara ko dekha tha jo sofay par eik hand rest ke upar se paer latkaye aur dosre hand rest par sarr tikaye leti hui thi. "Larki larki! Kiya hoga tumhara?"
"Subha subha? Oh, bibi hosh mein toh ho? Sooraj sarr par aachuka hai, dupehar ke dou bajne walay hain. Sab akhri tayari round ke liye market gaye hain, aur tum yahein parri ho!"
"Hain?" Inara ki hairat se bharri aankhein uskay kamray mein lagi gharri par parrein. Waqqai mein nau bajne mein koi bees minute rehgaye thay. "Abhi toh nau hee bajay thay." Woh poori raat soyi hee kahan thi.
"Pata nahi kis duniya mein ghum ho tum. Waqt ka ahsaas hee nahi hai." Ifza bilakhir apna samaan uthakay uski taraf murri thi, aur chehray par maujood chirr uski halat ko dekh kar dhalli thi. Inara ki sunehri aankhoun ke gird halkay parray thay, aur aankhein khud surkh hui thein. "Tum soyi nahi ho raat bhar?"
Inara ne nadamat bharray andaaz mein sarr hilaya. Woh kesay sou sakti thi? Dil ki dharkan kal raat ke waqqai ko yaad karkay aesay raftaar se dharakhta tha ke neend urr jaati. You've become my sunshine in the dark, Princess.
Inara ne apnay dil ki dharkanoun ko eik baar phir tez hotay paya, aur gaal ko behadd garam. Yeh kesa naya ahsaas tha usse samjh hee nahi aaraha tha. Kioun woh aese mehsoos karrne lagi thi.
Woh ussay apnay bachpan ki najaanay konsi kahani sunna rahi thi ke Zaviyaar ne uskay kandhay par apna sarr rakha tha. Lamhay bhar ko Inara chaunk gayi, aur saath hee khamosh hogayi thi. Zaviyaar ko apnay paas youn itna kareeb mehsoos karna uskay liye eik ajeeb sa ahsaas tha. Lekin jitna hee dimagh ko ajeeb lagraha tha, dil utna hee iss lamhay ko zabt karna chahta tha.
"Thak gaye aj?" Inara ne madham awaaz mein poocha tha.
"Bohat." Zaviyaar ne ussi madham awaaz mein jawab diya tha. Uskay andaaz se hee uski thakkan ka andaaza horaha tha.
"Sou jao jakar. Kal se wesay hee busy days ki shuruaat hojayegi."
"Kamray mein jaounga, toh neend urr jayegi."
"Kioun? Neend kioun urr jayegi?"
"Pata nahi. Bas yahan acha lagraha hai." Zaviyaar ne apni aankhein band karke halki awaaz mein kaha tha. "Tum apni kahani sunao na."
"Aj tak lagi ho kabhi?" Ankhein band thein, lekin chehray par ubharti muskurahat hee uski shararat zahir karne ke liye kaafi thein. Inara ne aankhein eik baar phir ghoomayein. "Kahani sunao, mein sunn raha houn."
