"Main walk ke liye ja raha hoon. Chalo gi mere saath?" Woh shaam ke waqt hamesha ki tarah walk ke liye nikal raha tha jab usne lawn ke ek kone mein Aliza ko Kristy ke saath dekha. Chand lamhay woh khara use dekhta raha phir uski taraf barh aya. Qadmon ki chaap par Aliza ne sar utha kar dekha aur Umar ko dekh kar usne sar jhuka liya. Woh uske chehre ko dekh kar andaza laga chuka tha ke woh saari dopehar roti rahi hogi. Use be ikhtiyar taras aaya.
"Kya ho raha hai, Aliza?" Usne bade dosti ke andaaz mein use mukhatib kiya.
Aliza ne koi jawab nahi diya. Sar jhukaaye woh usi tarah ghaas par baithi hui Kristy ke baalon mein ungliyan phirati rahi. "Mujh se kya narazgi hai yaar?" Woh be takallufi se kehta hua khud bhi uske paas ghaas par baith gaya. Woh ab bhi usi tarah khamosh aur uski taraf dekhne se guraizan thi.
"Main walk ke liye ja raha hoon. Chalo gi mere saath?"
Ek baar phir usne bade dosti ke andaaz mein kaha. Aliza ne kuch hairan ho kar sar uthaya. Usne pehle kabhi use saath chalne ki offer nahi ki thi. Phir aaj kyun?
"Nahi." Uske yak lafzi jawab ne Umar ko mayoos nahi kiya.
"Magar Granny keh rahi thi ke main tumhe saath le jaoon."
"Kyun?" Woh hairan hui.
"Yeh toh pata nahi magar andar se nikalte hue unhone mujh se kaha ke Aliza bahar lawn mein baithi hai, use saath le jao. Ek dedh ghanta walk karegi toh theek ho jayegi."
"Yeh unhone kaha?" Usne be yaqini se poocha.
"Haan, unhone hi kaha magar ab tum jana nahi chahti toh main unse jaa kar keh deta hoon." Woh uth kar khara ho gaya.
"Nahi, theek hai. Main chalti hoon."
Woh be ikhtiyar muskuraya. "That's great!" Woh ek lamhe ki hichkichahat ke baad yak dam uth kar khadi ho gayi. Saath chalte chalte donon gate se bahar aa gaye. Footpath par aate hi usne Aliza ko mukhatib kiya.
"Tum roti rahi ho?" Woh bhi usse Umar se aise kisi sawal ki tawakku nahi thi.
"Nahi." Chand lamhon baad usne kaha.
Umar ne ek nazar khamoshi se use dekha. Woh samne sadak par dekh rahi thi. Usne Aliza ke jawab par koi tabsira nahi kiya.
Chand lamhe usi tarah khamoshi se chalte rehne ke baad usne Aliza se poocha, "Kabhi walk ke liye aati ho?"
"Nahi."
"Kyun?"
"Mujhe acha nahi lagta."
"Tum pehli larki ho jiske munh se main yeh sun raha hoon." Usne khaasi be takallufi se kaha. Is baar Aliza khamosh rahi.
"Thodi bohat exercise toh zaroori hoti hai. Banda fit rehta hai."
Usne ek baar phir baat ka silsila jorne ki koshish ki. Woh ek baar phir khamosh rahi.
"Exercise toh kisi ko buri nahi lagti." Umar ne himmat nahi haari. Uski khamoshi hanuuz qaim thi.
"Mujhe toh acha lagta hai jogging karna, walk ke liye jana, haftay mein do teen dafa gym jana."
Aliza ne is baat par bhi koi tabsira nahi kiya. Woh kuch der uske jawab ka muntazir raha phir jaise tang aa gaya.
"Kya sirf main hi bolta rahoon ga, tum kuch nahi kaho gi?"
Aliza ne sirf gardan mor kar use dekha.
"Aap khud baatein kar rahe hain. Maine toh nahi kaha." Usne kuch khafgi se Umar ko jawab diya.
"Main is liye baatein kar raha hoon kyun ke yaar mera dil chaah raha tha aap se baatein karne ko."
"Main is liye baatein nahi kar rahi kyun ke mera dil nahi chaah raha aap se baatein karne ko." Umar uske jawab par be ikhtiyar hans pada.
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Amarbail
Romancea love story of Umar Jehangir and Aleezay Sikandar, set-up in the backdrop of Pakistani bureaucratic culture. It is a story of imbalanced relationships, broken families, lust for power, complexes, insecurities and amidst all problems of love, its in...
