Aashnaa (Companion)(Completed✅)

Alfaaz Three: Hijr (Separation)

Aksar humare dil toot jaane ki wajah hum hi hote hai..
Phir bhi insaam har waqt ishq ke sar daalthe hai..
Par patha tho hai hume ki yeh ishq ko..
Sar chadne diya tho humne hi..

Sahir stood at the concert, in between all the people, half-heartedly. He used to love rock concerts before but something had changed in him after his Lucknow visit, after Zoya. Sahir’s friends were jumping up and down with the songs. He felt suffocated. It had been three months since he came back from the competition but still his heart belonged there, his heart belonged with Zoya.

Sahir slowly walked out of the place. He didn’t say anything to his friends. Sahir felt lost in the group. Before the accident, he would be the first one to book tickets for concerts and holidays. He had so much money, loving parents and a lot of friends who were ready for any kind of adventures. He changed his girlfriends every one month and all of them remained his friends even after the break up. But his life completely changed after the mishap.

Sahir was about to get in to his car when he heard a song coming from a distance. It was a ghazal heard from a nearby restaurant. Without his knowledge, his legs took him in to the place. He sat on a chair at the far end of a corner.
‘Dayaar-e-dil ki raat mein charaag saa jalaa gayaa
Milaa nahi to kyaa huaa wo shaql to dikhaa gayaa
Dayaar-e-dil ki raat mein charaag saa jalaa gaya

Judaaiyo ke zakhm dard-e-zindagi ne bhar diye
Tujhe bhi neend aa gai mujhe bhi sabr aa gayaa
Milaa nahi to kyaa huaa wo shaql to dikhaa gayaa
Dayaar-e-dil ki raat mein charaag saa jalaa gayaa

Sahir softly closed his eyes and tried to remember Zoya’s smile and her voice. It was as clear as yesterday’s memory in his mind. There was a cool breeze in his heart. Sahir opened his eyes and found Zoya sitting in front of him in all white. He realised that she was not real but still he tried to reach out to her hand in a rush but by then she was gone. Sahir sat in that restaurant till the song ended.

Ye subaho ki safediyaan ye dopahar ki zardiyaan
Ab aaine me dekhataa hun mai kahaan chalaa gayaa
Milaa nahi to kyaa huaa wo shaql to dikhaa gayaa
Dayaar-e-dil ki raat mein charaag saa jalaa gayaa

Wo dosti to khair ab naseeb-e-dushmanaan hui
Wo chhoti chhoti rajisho kaa lutf bhi chalaa gaya
Milaa nahi to kyaa huaa wo shaql to dikhaa gayaa
Dayaar-e-dil ki raat mein charaag saa jalaa gayaa
Ye kis khushi ki ret par gamo ko neend aa gai
Wo lahar kis taraf gai ye mai kahaan chalaa gayaa
Milaa nahi to kyaa huaa wo shaql to dikhaa gayaa
Dayaar-e-dil ki raat mein charaag saa jalaa gayaa.

Sahir walked out of the restaurant as though in a dream. He was not in his senses when he got in to the car or reached his house. His mind was in the place where Zoya Siddiqui resided.

*******

Zoya: Haider, please check if I am writing it all correctly. I am going to put it in the envelope. Tomorrow is the last date to apply for ICS coaching. Are you even listening, Haider Ali Khan?
Haider snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Zoya with expressionless eyes.
Zoya: What happened, Haider?
Haider: Where is your Abbu? Why isn’t he back yet?
Zoya: It’s not time for lunch yet, Haider. He will come. Why are you so tensed? Please check the application.
Suddenly, Zoya heard her Abbu’s voice.
Wassim: Zoya.
Zoya ran towards the veranda. Wassim was sitting there with a bandage on his head. He was hurt. Zoya was scared and her eyes teared up.
Zoya: Ammi, come here. Fast.
Roshanaq came running to the veranda.
Zoya: What happened Abbu? How did you get hurt?
Wassim: Riots are happening in Lucknow, Zoya. People are throwing stones and burning shops and vehicles. They are saying that it’s against the new law by the government. I somehow escaped from the place. Fights are happening everywhere. People might have even died. I don’t know.
Roshanaq: Please come inside and take rest. Ya Khuda, save everyone.
Zoya was tensed to core. She noticed that Haider was surprisingly silent. Student protests were happening everywhere since the last three days. Zoya and her party members had also joined the protests. But she never thought that violent riots would follow. Zoya didn’t feel that the law could harm anyone to riot against it. She was fine with protests due to ideological differences with the right wing ruling party and that it why Zoya joined Haider’s party for the protests. Zoya closed her eyes and took deep breaths and looked at Haider. He looked tensed.
Zoya: Haider, what happened?
Haider snapped out of his thoughts.
Haider: I need to go, Zoya. There is something important that I need to do.
Zoya: Haider, please don’t go. It’s not safe out there.
Haider: I will be fine. Take care, Zoya. I will come back.
Haider held Zoya’s hand and assured her. He walked towards his bike and got on it and rode away. He didn’t know how to explain to Zoya that it was his party people who were the reason behind the riots. He was working with them since the last one month to fight against the government. They were able to create protests in various cities in the country. But when Haider found out that Wassim was hurt, it pained his heart. He didn’t want to do it anymore. His principles shook in front of Zoya’s tears. He rode to the head office of his party.