Shaam ghar aayi.
Har jaanib mehmanon ki bohtaat si thi. Jis sabza-zaar per subha wo dono jogging karne aaye the, use hi saja kar baraat ka behtareen intezaam kiya gaya tha. Sardar ab dakhili darwaze per aistadah, rabiyah ke walid ke saath mehmanon ka qaire maqdam kar rahe the. Selena bhi rabiyah ko tayyar karke wapas aa chuki thi. Kuch pal baad wo bahar nikli toh tayyar thi. Usne sunehre chudidaar pajame ke sath, gehre sabz rang ki sunehre kaam se mazeen kameez zebtan kar rakhi thi. Saath dupatta bhi tha. Sabz rang ka kaamdaar dupatta. Dono haathon mein sunehri aur sabz chudiyan pehne, ek kaan mein baali pehenti wo kamre se bahar nikal rahi thi. Baal usne khol kar ek jaanib daal rakhe the.
"Asad, degein (large pots) pohonch gayin? Kahan hain?" Wo phone per jaane dusri jaanib kisse baat kar raha tha lekin selena use dekh kar theher si gayi thi. Usne kabhi use kameez shalwar mein nahi dekha tha. Safed kurte mein malboos kandhe par bhuri shawl daale. Uski nigaahein thien ya kya. Wo muda tha. Mahol mein jaise sunehri si afshaan bikhar gayi thi. Sab kuch itna sunehra tha ke selena ko apni aankhein chundhyati mehsoos huin. Wo bhi use dekh kar ruk sa gaya tha.
"Okay. Mein wait kar raha hun." Usse nazrein hataye bagair keh kar usne phone wala haath neeche kar liya tha. Agle hi pal khankhaar kar nazrein pher lin. Agli koi bhi baat kiye bagair bahar ki jaanib badh gaya. Kuch tha fiza mein aisa ke selena use awaaz nahi de saki thi. Na use awaaz de kar rok saki thi. na uski jaanib badh saki thi. Kya use mohabbat ho rahi thi? Agle hi pal usne ghabra kar sar jhatka tha. Phir bahar ki jaanib badh gayi. Sardar ab use apne jaane walon se mutaruf karwa rahe the. Kuch pal baad wo dur jaa khadi hui thi. Agle hi pal Yasir bhi uske saath hi aa khada hua. Haath baandh kar dur bane stage per nazrein jamaye raha. Usi pal koi khatoon un dono ki jaanib badhin aur besaakhta un dono ki balayein le lin.
"Allah jodi salamat rakhe puttar." Un dono ne ek dusre ki jaanib chonk kar dekha tha. Khatoon ki galat fehmi dur karne se pehle hi wo aage badh gayi thien. Kuch tha ke wo dono hans diye the.
"Kya mein novel ki heroine hun aur tum uske hero?" Jhuk kar sargoshi ki thi usne. Yasir ne sar hilaya.
"Hargiz nahi. Mein bodyguard hun aur tum actress."
"Khubsurat actress." Usne sahi karna zaruri samjha tha. Yasir ne uski jaanib ek nazar dekha. Uski baaliyan, libaas, aankhein, chudiyan. Sab bohot khubsurat tha. Lekin wo uski khubsurti ka aitraaf kar leta aisa toh mumkin nahi tha.
"Itni bhi koi khubsurat nahi ho tum." Selena ne uske jawab per gehra saans liya tha.
Agle hi pal uska phone bajne laga toh wo rush se zara dur ja khadi hui. Usne yunhi nazrein pher kar use dekha tha. Kayi lamhaat baad wo uski jaanib phir se badh rahi thi. Uske chehre par beyakeen si Khushi jagmaga rahi thi. Chaal mein masarrat (happiness) ke baais halki si larzish bhi thi.
"Yasir. Yuwal ka phone aaya tha. Sultana productions se mujhe ek short drame ki offer aayi hai!" Usne hairan hone ki koshish ki thi.
"Really. Wow."
"Ye kaise ho sakta hai? Mein toh itne crisis mein hun. Mujhe toh koi bhi apne saath kaam per nahi rakhna chahta tha." Lamhe bhar ko theher kar uski jaanib dekha. Muskurahat se saji aankhon mein shak sa tha. " Kahin tum ne kisi ko maara Peeta toh nahi hai iske liye?" Usne use beniyaz si surmayi aankhon se dekha tha.
"Meri shakal gaur se dekho. Kya mein tumhein itna faarigh lagta hun?" Aur wo uski shakal gaur se dekh rahi thi. Phir muskura kar sar jhatka. Yasir kyun uske liye kisi ko raazi karega bhala? Usne har shak jhatak diya tha.
"Mujhe yakeen nahi aa raha uff. Kya mein wapas kaam kar sakti hun! Waise tumhein kya lagta hai? Unhone mujhe kaam kyun diya?" Usne kandhe uchkaye the.
"Ho sakta hai unhein tum per tars aa gaya ho."
