Love At First Sight

Muzaffargarh ki dopahar aag ugal rahi thi. Bazaar ki chhaton se tapti hawa uth rahi thi aur gali ke nalle mein se garm hawa ka jhonka aa raha tha. Dopahar ke 2 baj rahe the, dhoop itni tez ke saaya bhi sharma kar pairon ke neeche chup gaya tha. Umar warehouse ke saamne wali purani bench pe baitha tha. Black kurta, baazu thode fold kiye hue, chehre pe wo sakhti jo sheher ke bachay bhi pehchan lete the. Umar ka naam. Gangsteron ka sardar. 10 saal se is ilaqe ka darr aur izzat dono usi ke naam the. Lekin aaj uske haath mein bandook nahi thi. Haath mein ek choti si plastic ki bottle thi, thandi paani ki, jo usne 3 baar kholi aur band kar di. Peene ka dil nahi kar raha tha. Uske saamne road ke us paar "ByteWave Solutions" ka board latak raha tha. Upar wali floor. AC ki awaaz tak nahi aa rahi thi dopahar mein, light gayi hui thi. Umar ko pata tha Aliya ki shift dopahar 2 baje shuru hoti hai. Zain ne timing nikal kar di thi. "Bhai, wo roz dopahar 1:55 pe aati hai. Bag kandhe pe, aankhon pe chashma, aur chehre pe wo confident wali smile." Umar hansa nahi. Sirf bottle ko zor se pakad liya. Kal raat wali nazar uske zehen se nahi ja rahi thi. Wo 10 second. Aliya ka bheeg kar aana, darr ke bawajood seedha uski aankhon mein dekh kar "Excuse me" bolna. Duniya jahan Umar se nazar chura leti thi, wo ladki bina dare sawaal kar rahi thi. "Pagal ho gaya hun kya?" Umar ne dheere se khud se kaha. Gangster ko pyaar? Filmi lagta tha. Lekin dil ki dhadkan jhoot nahi bolti thi. Dopahar ki dhoop mein bhi uske seene mein thandak si utar rahi thi. Theek 1:55 pe gate khula. Aliya nikli. Safed kurti, jeans, kandhe pe laptop bag, baal ponytail mein bandhe hue. Dhoop uske chehre pe pad rahi thi aur wo bina chashme ke, bina chhate ke chal rahi thi. Confident. Jaise poora sheher uska ho. Umar ki saans ruk gayi. Wo uthna chaahta tha, paani ki bottle dena chaahta tha, "dhoop tez hai" kehna chaahta tha. Lekin pair zameen mein gad gaye. Umar. Jis se sheher kaanpta tha, aaj ek ladki ko dekh kar lafz bhool gaya. Aliya ne usko dekha. Pehchan gayi. Kal raat wala warehouse wala. Uske chehre pe na darr aaya, na muskurahat. Sirf ek neutral si nazar. Jaise keh rahi ho "Phir tum?" Wo Umar ke saamne se guzri. Khushbu aayi... halki si, office wali perfume ki. Umar ne aankh band kar li ek second ke liye. Dil bola "Rok lo". Dimag bola "Izzat se rehne do". Aliya 4 kadam aage gayi to Umar ki awaaz nikli, dheemi, sakht nahi: "Dopahar ki dhoop tez hai." Aliya ruki nahi. Palat kar bhi nahi dekha. Sirf kandha thoda sa hilaya, jaise keh rahi ho "Main sambhal lungi." Umar bench pe phir baith gaya. Haar gaya tha. Pehli baar zindagi mein bina lade haar gaya tha. Bottle ab bhi haath mein thi. Usne dhakkan khola aur aadhi bottle ek saans mein pee gayi. Dil ki aag nahi bujhi. Shaam tak Umar wahin baitha raha. Log aate jaate, salaam karte, wo sirf sir hila deta. Zehen mein sirf ek scene: Aliya ka dopahar ki dhoop mein chalna. Bina dare, bina ruke. Raat ko warehouse mein meeting thi. Maal ka hisaab, ladai ka plan. Sab baat kar rahe the, Umar khamosh. Zain ne aakhir tang aa kar kaha: "Bhai, kya hua? Dopahar se aap khamosh ho." Umar ne aankh utha kar dekha. "Kuch nahi." Zain: "Ladki ka chakkar hai na? Wo upar wali?" Umar ne ghoor kar dekha. Zain chup. Umar andar se toot raha tha. 27 saal ki zindagi mein pehli baar kisi ko chahne ka matlab samajh aa raha tha. Ye pyaar nahi tha jo filmon mein dikhate hain. Ye pyaar tha jo khamosh rehta hai. Jo door khada ho kar bhi protect karta hai. Jo bandook uthane wale haath ko sirf isliye rok deta hai ke saamne wali ladki ko shor pasand nahi. Agle din phir dopahar hui. Phir 1:55. Umar phir bench pe. Is baar haath mein chhata nahi tha, ek chota sa dabba tha. Ghar se nimbu paani. Ammi ne subah poocha tha "Beta aaj kuch udas ho?" Umar ne kaha tha "Nahi". Lekin nimbu paani banwa liya tha. "Dhoop tez hai" kehne ka bahana chahiye tha. Aliya nikli. Aaj bhi safed kurti. Aaj bhi confident. Aaj bhi Umar ko dekh kar ruki nahi. Umar utha. 2 kadam chala. "Aliya." Naam sun kar Aliya ke kadam ruk gaye. Palti. "Aap mera naam kaise jante ho?" Umar: "Zain ne bataya." Jhoot. Usne poora data nikalwa liya tha. Aliya Sheikh. 24 saal. IT graduate. Raat aur dopahar ki shift karti hai. Ammi abba Multan mein rehte hain. Yahan akeli flat mein. Aliya ki aankhon mein sakhti aa gayi. "Mera naam lene ka haq aapko kisne diya? Main aapko jaanti nahi." Umar ka dil chubh gaya. Sahi baat thi. Haq nahi tha. Wo sirf Umar tha. Sheher ka darr. Lekin Aliya ke saamne wo sirf ek ladka tha... jise pehli nazar mein pyaar ho gaya tha. Usne dabba aage badhaya. "Nimbu paani hai. Dhoop tez hai. Aap... aapko garmi lag rahi hogi." Aliya ne dabba nahi liya. "Main gareeb nahi hun Umar sahab ke nimbu paani ki mohtaaj. Aur na hi main aapse baat karna chahti hun. Aap apna kaam karein, main apna." Ye keh kar wo chali gayi. Tez kadam. Peeth seedhi. Umar wahin khada reh gaya. Dabba haath mein. Garm ho gaya tha. Jaise uska dil. Us raat Umar so nahi saka. Chatt pe baitha taare ginta raha. Pehli baar usko samajh aa raha tha ke pyaar maanga nahi jata. Pyaar sabit kiya jata hai. Bandook se nahi, sabr se. Daraaz se nahi, izzat se. Usne faisla kar liya. Aliya ko takleef nahi dega. Uske saamne nahi aayega. Bas door se... bas ye dekh lega ke wo safe hai, khush hai. Agar khushi uske bina hai, to Umar khush hai. Lekin qismat ko kuch aur manzoor tha. Teesre din dopahar mein sheher mein hadsa ho gaya. Bijli ka transformer phat gaya. Aag lag gayi. ByteWave wali building ke neeche wali dukan mein. Dhuan upar tak ja raha tha. Log bhag rahe the. Shor, cheekh. Umar ka banda daudta hua aaya: "Bhai, upar wali company mein aag lag gayi!" Umar ka khoon khaul gaya. Aliya. Dopahar ki shift. Upar wali floor. Ek second nahi lagaya. Bandook, bandook sab bhool gaya. Wo dauda. Building mein dhuan bhar chuka tha. Seedhiyan jal rahi thi. Fire brigade ko 10 minute the. Upar Aliya aur 2 ladkiyan phas gayi thi. Darwaza jam ho gaya tha. Aliya khidki pe khadi cheekh rahi thi: "Koi hai?" Neeche se awaaz aayi: "Aliya!" Umar. Kurta phaar kar munh bandh kar wo dhuan ke andar ghus gaya. Garmi, aag, cheekh. Sab bardasht. Sirf ek chehra aankhon ke saamne: dopahar ki dhoop mein chalne wali confident ladki. Darwaza tor diya. Aliya ko kandhe pe uthaya. "Aankh band karo." Aliya ne aankh band kar li. Usko Umar ki dhadkan mehsoos ho rahi thi. Itni tez, jaise wo khud se zyada uski jaan bacha raha ho. Neeche utarte waqt Umar ka pair jal gaya. Dard se chehra bheench gaya, lekin awaaz nahi nikli. Aliya ko bahar la kar zameen pe letaya. "Theek ho tum?" Aliya ne aankh kholi. Chehre pe kaalikh, aankhon mein aansu. "Aap... aap kyun aaye? Aap to gangster ho." Umar ne halka sa muskuraya. Dard ke bawajood. "Gangster hun. Lekin insaan bhi hun. Aur tum... tum dopahar ki dhoop ho Aliya. Bina tumhare ye sheher andhera lagta hai." Ambulance aa gayi. Aliya ko le gaye. Umar ko bhi. Hospital mein pair pe patti bandhi. Aliya bed pe leti Umar ko dekh rahi thi. 3 din baad Aliya discharge hui. Ghar jaane lagi to gate pe Umar khada tha. Pair mein patti, haath mein... wahi nimbu paani ka dabba. Thanda karke laya tha. Aliya ne dabba le liya. Kuch nahi boli. Gari mein baith gayi. Umar ne door band kiya. "Main aapke peeche nahi aaunga. Waada hai. Bas... bas itna kehna tha ke dopahar ki dhoop ho tum. Main saaya ban kar khada rahunga. Agar kabhi chhaye ki zaroorat ho to." Gari chali gayi. Umar palat kar warehouse ki taraf chala gaya. Dil halka tha. Pyaar ka izhaar ho gaya tha. Qabooliyat ka intezar nahi tha. Mahina guzar gaya. Umar ne waada nibhaya. Aliya ke saamne nahi aaya. Sirf door se. Kabhi chhup kar, kabhi Zain se pooch kar. Ek din dopahar mein Aliya khud warehouse aayi. Haath mein wahi dabba. Khali. Umar ne dekha to saans ruk gayi. Aliya saamne khadi hui. "Dopahar ki dhoop tez hai Umar sahab. Aur saaya... saaya ke bina dhoop kaati nahi jaati." Umar ki aankh nam ho gayi. 27 saal mein pehli baar. Aliya ne dabba wapas uske haath mein de diya. "Ise bhar kar laana. Roz. Main intezar karungi. Dopahar 2 baje. Bench pe." Umar ne sirf sir hila diya. Us din ke baad Muzaffargarh ki dopahar badal gayi. Dhoop wahi thi, garmi wahi thi. Lekin bench pe do log baithte the. Ek gangster, jo ab sirf ek ladke ka naam tha. Aur ek confident ladki, jo us ladke ke pyaar ko samajh gayi thi. Umar ne bandook rakh di. Kaam chhod diya. Naya kaam shuru kiya. Logistics ka. Izzat se. Aliya ke liye. Aliya ne uska haath pakda, uska past nahi dekha. Uska aaj dekha. Shaadi wale din dopahar thi. Dhoop tez thi. Umar ne Aliya ka haath pakda aur kaha: "Tum dopahar ki dhoop ho. Main saaya. Hamesha." Aliya muskurayi: "Aur main waada karti hun, ye saaya kabhi kam nahi hone dungi." Dono ne ek dusre ko dekha. Sheher taliyan baja raha tha. Umar gangster nahi raha tha. Wo sirf Aliya ka Umar ban gaya tha. Aur kahani khatam hui... Happy ending ke saath. Jahan pyaar ne bandook se zyada taqat dikhai.