Naram shaam ki roshni, aur mera naam Sara tha.
Bas ek naram shaam ki roshni mere kamre mein bikheri hui thi — jaise kisi farishte ne aasman se sonay ke dhaage bichha diye hon. Mera naam Sara tha. Unnis saal ki ladki, jiske khwaab kitaabon ke darmiyan udaan bhar rahe thay, jiski duniya college ki chahal-pahal, coffee ki khushboo, aur apne khaandaan ke chaar chehron ke gird ghoomti thi.
Hamara ghar chhota tha, magar iski har deewar mohabbat se saji hui thi. Ammi, jinki muskuraahat mein sabr ki gehrai thi. Mera chhota bhai, jiski maasoomiyat abhi bachpan ke pankhon par sawar thi. Aur phir woh — Imran Mamoo.
Abbu ke jaane ke baad, jab hamari duniya dugmugayi, toh Ammi ne apne chhote bhai ko hamare saath bitha diya. Aur woh sirf ek rishtedaar nahi banay — woh hamara satoon ban gaye. Jawan, khoobsurat, aur aise pur-sukoon ke lagta tha jaise waqt unke saath chalna bhool gaya ho. Pachchees saal ki umar mein bhi unhon ne shaadi nahi ki. Ammi rishte dhoondti rehti, magar har ladki ke ghar walay kehte: “Aap ke ghar mein toh do jawan ladkiyan hain… hamein aitraaz hai.”
Shayad woh hamari jawani se darte thay.
Shayad woh Ammi ki khoobsurati se darte thay.
Shayad woh meri bebaak nazron se darte thay.
Magar hamare liye, Imran… Abbu ka doosra roop thay. Woh har khwaish poori karte, har gham ko hans kar bhaga dete, har khamoshi ko baaton se bhar dete. Main unhain aasman par bithati, unki har baat ko Quran ki aayat samajhti.
Ek shaam — woh shaam jisne meri zindagi ka rukh mod diya.
Imran mujhe padh rahe thay. Main ne zid ki: “Main ice cream khaungi!”
Woh hans pade. Unki aankhon mein woh chamak aa gayi — woh chamak jo sirf mohabbat karte hain.
Main baalon mein lapti hui thi — jaise hamesha hoti thi jab meetha khati.
Imran qareeb aaye.
Unka haath mere baalon se phisal kar mere gaal tak aaya.
Ek jhar… jhuri si daud gayi — magar yeh dard nahi tha. Yeh khushi ka ehsaas tha. Hairat angez taur par khushgawar.
Ghar wapsi par, ghar so chuka tha.
Sirf hamari saansen thi — ek doosre ke qareeb, ek doosre ko talaash karti hui.
Jab woh apne kamre ki taraf mud gaye, main ne unka haath pakad liya.
“Imran… thahar jao. Baith kar baat karte hain.”
Mere kamre ki roshni madham thi — jaise chaandni ne hamare liye chadar bichha di ho.
Main ne chhedha: “Kya aap ki koi girl friend nahi?”
Unhon ne gehri saans li.
“Nahi, Sara… koi ladki mera saath nahi aana chahti.”
Mera dil zor-zor se dhadak raha tha — jaise woh mere seenay se bahar nikal kar unke haathon mein jaana chahta ho.
Main ne himmat jamaayi.
“Imran… agar main aap ke saath woh sab kuch karun jo ek girl friend karti hai… toh kya aap Ammi ko nahi batayenge?”
Unki aankhen chamak uthi — jaise koi sitara toot kar unki palakon par aa gaya ho.
Woh qareeb aaye.
Unki ungli ne meri thodi uthayi.
“Sara… beta… agar tum mera saath do, toh main tumhein woh sab kuch doonga jiska tumne khwaab bhi na dekha hoga. Tumhari har khwaish… meri hukm hogi.”
Main ne sar hilaya — bas ek haan.
Aur phir… woh qareeb aaye.
Unke haath meri kamar par thay — naram magar mazboot, hifazat karne wale magar maalik banne wale.
Unke honth mere kaan ke qareeb aaye… phir meri gardan par ek chhua — jisne mere jism mein aag lagaa di.
Yeh mera pehla tajurba tha… magar Imran maahir thay.
Woh jaante thay ke kis tarah mere jism ke har taar ko bajaya jaaye.
Har chhua naram tha, har harkat mein bharosa tha, har lamha ek shayari tha.
Jab woh mujh mein daakhil huwe —
Ek dard tha… magar yeh dard meetha tha.
Yeh dard manga hua tha.
Yeh dard… intezaar kia hua tha.
Unhon ne meri peshani chum li, meri aankhon mein dekha, aur apni raftaar ko meri dhadkan ke saath jod liya.
Yeh mahaz jismani amal nahi tha…
Yeh ek raqs tha.
Ek geet tha — jiske bol sirf hum jaante thay.
Hamari saansen ek doosre mein ghar-mandh ho rahi thi.
Hamare jism… jaise hamesha se ek doosre ke liye banay hon.
Us raat ke baad, har “padhai ka session”…
Sirf ek bahana ban gaya.
Kitaaben ek taraf pari rehti.
Aur hum… apni mohabbat ki duniya mein kho jaate.
Har chhua ek waada tha.
Har bosa ek iqraar tha.
Main waqai unki deewani ho chuki thi.
Aur lagta tha… woh bhi mere hi ho kar reh gaye thay.
Nazreen!
Agar yeh kahani aap ke dil ko chhu gayi, agar aap ne har lafz mehsoos kiya, toh isse like zaroor karein.
Kyunki mohabbat ki kahaniyan… sirf dil hi samajhta hai.
Shukriya ❤️