sark.kinare.mohabat

📖 Sarak Kinare Mohabbat Episode 2: Ayesha ka dil itni tezi se dhadak raha tha ke use lag raha tha jaise us ki saansen ruk jayengi. Purani haveli ke andheron mein khari woh seedhiyon ki taraf dekh rahi thi jahan se qadmon ki awaaz aa rahi thi. Thak... Thak... Thak... Har qadam ke saath hawa aur zyada sard hoti ja rahi thi. Sameer foran us ke samne aa kar khara ho gaya. "Ayesha, mere peeche raho." "Lekin yeh kaun hai?" Ayesha ki awaaz laraz rahi thi. Sameer ne jawab nahin diya. Achanak seedhiyon ke andhere se ek safed saaya ubhar kar saamne aaya. Lambe siyah baal us ke chehre par bikhre hue thay. Safed libaas hawa mein lehra raha tha. Us ki aankhen surkh angaron ki tarah chamak rahi thin. Ayesha ke honton se be-ikhtiyar cheekh nikal gayi. Woh rooh hawa mein tairti hui neeche aayi aur kuch faslay par ruk gayi. Us ke honton par ajeeb si muskurahat thi. "Sameer..." Us ki awaaz poori haveli mein goonj gayi. "Tum ne phir kisi ko yahan la diya." Sameer ki mutthiyan bhinch gayin. "Use chhor do, Meher." Rooh ki hansi goonj uthi. "Aur tumhein kyun chhor doon?" Achanak deewaron par lage purane frame toot kar zameen par gir gaye. Khidkiyan zor zor se hilne lagin. Ayesha khauf se Sameer ke aur qareeb ho gayi. Sameer ne us ka haath pakad liya. Us ek lamhe mein Ayesha ko ajeeb sa sukoon mehsoos hua. Khauf ke darmiyan bhi us ka dil Sameer ki taraf kheenchta chala ja raha tha. Meher ne yeh manzar dekha to us ki aankhon mein nafrat bhar gayi. "Toh tum is se mohabbat karne lage ho..." Sameer ne koi jawab nahin diya. Lekin us ki khamoshi hi jawab thi. Meher ne ghusse mein cheekh maari. Poora kamra laraz utha. Achanak woh hawa mein ghul kar gayab ho gayi. Khamoshi chha gayi. Sirf Ayesha ki tez saansen sunai de rahi thin. "Kya tha yeh sab?" us ne mushkil se poocha. Sameer ne gehri saans li. "Ab waqt aa gaya hai ke tum sab kuch jaan lo." Dono haveli ke ek purane kamre mein aa baithe. Baarish ki boondein tooti hui khidki se andar aa rahi thin. Sameer kuch der tak khamosh raha. Jaise guzre hue saalon ki yaadon mein kho gaya ho. Phir us ne dheere se bolna shuru kiya. "Pachaas saal pehle main isi ilaqe mein rehta tha." Ayesha ghaur se sunne lagi. "Us waqt yeh sarak nai bani thi. Yahan sirf jungle aur kheth hua karte thay." "Phir?" "Phir meri mulaqat Meher se hui." Sameer ki aankhon mein udaasi utar aayi. "Main us se bohat mohabbat karta tha." "Meher bhi?" "Haan." Ayesha ne us ki aankhon mein sachchai dekhi. "Hum shaadi karna chahte thay lekin us ke ghar walay is rishte ke khilaaf thay." Sameer ki awaaz bharayi hui lag rahi thi. "Ek raat hum ne bhaag kar nikah karne ka faisla kiya." Ayesha khamoshi se sunti rahi. "Magar hum apni manzil tak nahin pohanch sake." "Kyun?" Sameer ne aankhen band kar lein. "Humari gaari ka accident ho gaya." "Kya woh accident tha?" Sameer ne sar jhuka liya. "Nahin." Ayesha hairan reh gayi. "Matlab?" "Kisi ne humari gaari ko jaan boojh kar ghaati mein giraya tha." Ayesha ka dil dhak se reh gaya. "Kaun?" "Yahi raaz main aaj tak nahin jaan saka." Kamre mein phir khamoshi chha gayi. Baarish aur tez ho gayi thi. Ayesha ko mehsoos hua ke Sameer ke dil mein kitna dard chhupa hua hai. Us ne dheere se us ka haath thaam liya. "Tum akelay nahin ho." Sameer ne us ki taraf dekha. Kai saalon baad shayad kisi ne us se yeh alfaaz kahe thay. Us ki aankhon mein halka sa noor ubhar aaya. "Ayesha..." "Hmm?" "Tum meri zindagi mein bohat der se aayi ho." Ayesha muskura di. "Der se sahi... aayi to hoon." Dono halki si muskurahat mein kho gaye. Lekin qismat ko shayad un ki khushi manzoor nahin thi. Achanak haveli ke bahar kisi aurat ki cheekh gunji. Ayesha ka dil uchhal gaya. "Kya tum ne suna?" Sameer foran khara ho gaya. "Haan." Dono bahar ki taraf daure. Haveli ke bahar andhera aur gehra ho chuka tha. Jungle ke darmiyan ek safed saaya nazar aaya. Woh Meher thi. Magar is baar woh akeli nahin thi. Us ke aas paas kai aur siyah saaye ghoom rahe thay. Ayesha ne khauf se Sameer ka bazu pakad liya. "Yeh kya hain?" Sameer ka chehra peela pad gaya. "Yeh buri roohen hain." "Roohen?" "Haan. Meher unhein apne qaboo mein kar rahi hai." Ayesha ka gala khushk ho gaya. "Kyun?" Sameer ne door dekhte hue kaha: "Kyunkay woh badla chahti hai." "Hum se?" "Sab se." Achanak Meher ki nazar Ayesha par padi. Us ke honton par sard muskurahat aayi. "Aakhir tum aa hi gayi." Ayesha ek qadam peeche hat gayi. "Main ne tumhara kya bigara hai?" Meher ki aankhon mein aansu chamak uthe. "Tum ne kuch nahin." "Phir?" "Magar tum us se mohabbat karti ho." Sameer foran bola: "Bas karo Meher!" Lekin Meher ne us ki baat nazar andaz kar di. Woh Ayesha ke bilkul qareeb aa gayi. "Tum sach jaanna chahti ho?" Ayesha ne himmat kar ke sar hila diya. Meher dheere se muskurayi. "Toh phir us se poochho ke accident wali raat gaari ka steering wheel kis ke haath mein tha." Ayesha ka rang udd gaya. Us ne foran Sameer ki taraf dekha. Sameer khamosh tha. Us ki khamoshi ne Ayesha ke dil mein shak paida kar diya. "Sameer..." Sameer ne nazrein jhuka lein. "Ayesha, meri baat suno." "Lekin jawab do." Kuch lamhon tak woh khamosh raha. Phir us ne dheere se kaha: "Gaari main chala raha tha." Ayesha ka dil toot sa gaya. Meher ki hansi goonj uthi. "Dekha?" "Lekin maine jaan boojh kar kuch nahin kiya!" Sameer cheekha. Meher ki aankhon mein aag si bhar gayi. "Tumhari ek ghalti ne meri zindagi cheen li!" Achanak aasmaan par bijli chamki. Aur us roshni mein Meher ka chehra pehle se bhi zyada khaufnaak lagne laga. Ayesha ki samajh mein nahin aa raha tha ke sach kya hai. Ek taraf Sameer ki mohabbat thi. Doosri taraf Meher ka dard. Aur dono ke darmiyan chhupa hua tha ek aisa raaz jo abhi tak saamne nahin aaya tha. Isi dauran jungle ke andhere se ek aur shakhs ubhar kar saamne aaya. Lamba qad. Siyah coat. Aur chehre par naqaaab. Sameer use dekhte hi sakt reh gaya. "Nahin..." Ayesha ne hairani se poocha: "Yeh kaun hai?" Sameer ki awaaz laraz gayi. "Yeh mumkin nahin..." Naqaab posh shakhs dheere dheere muskuraya. Aur bola: "Pachaas saal pehle jo kaam adhoora reh gaya tha... use mukammal karne ka waqt aa gaya hai." Ayesha aur Sameer dono sakt reh gaye. Kyunkay woh awaaz kisi ajnabi ki nahin thi... Balke us aadmi ki thi jis ke baare mein Sameer samajhta tha ke woh pachaas saal pehle mar chuka hai. To Be Continued...