Dillagi

Dillagi_Part4

### **Chapter 4: Barish Ka Toofan Aur Badalte Mizaj**

Ungli par bandha wo safaid rumal Meerab ke dil mein ajeeb si halchal macha chuka tha. Wo raat bhar so nahi saki thi. Jab bhee wo aankhen band karti, use Zaviyar ki fakar-mand aankhen aur us ka narm lehja yaad aa jata. Lekin subha uthte ہی us ne apne aap ko jhatka, "Nahi Meerab, wo ek maghroor jallad hai. Ek baar rumal kya bandh diya, tum to use insaan samajhne lagin!"

Office pohnch kar us ne sab se pehle Zaviyar ka rumal dho kar, perfectly press kar ke apne bag mein rakha. Aaj mausam bhee ajeeb tha. Subha se hi aasmaan par kaale badal chhaye hue the aur tez thandi hawa chal rahi ti.

Meerab jaise hi Zaviyar ke cabin mein file rakhne gayi, us ne dekha ke Zaviyar pehle se hi kisi gehre soch mein betha tha. Us ne Meerab ko aate dekha to us ki nazar sab se pehle Meerab ki lapti hui ungli par gayi.

"Haath kaisa hai ab?" Zaviyar ne rukhkhai se poocha, lekin us ki aankhon mein fikar saaf thi.

"Ab bilkul theek hai, sir. Thank you. Aur... yeh aap ka rumal," Meerab ne bag se rumal nikal kar table par rakh diya.

Zaviyar ne rumal ko dekha, jo bohot saleeqe se teh kiya hua tha aur us se ek bheeni bheeni khushboo aa rahi thi. Us ne bina kuch bole rumal utha kar apne daraz mein rakh diya. "Hoon. Aaj shaam ko hamari textile factory ka daura hai. Tumhe mere sath chalna hoga. Saari inventory reports sath le lena."

"Factory? Lekin sir, mausam bohot kharab lag raha hai, lagta hai barra toofan aane wala hai," Meerab ne khirki se baahir dekhte hue kaha.

"Main mausam dekh kar business nahi karta, Meerab. Theek 3 baje hum nikal rahe hain, tayyar rehna," Zaviyar ne hamesha ki tarah apna hukmarana andaz dikhaya.

Meerab ne chup-chaap gardan hilaayi aur baahir aa gayi.

Theek 3 baje dono Zaviyar ki barri si kaali gaari mein factory ke liye nikal khare hue. Raaste mein khamoshi ka raj tha. Zaviyar gaari chala raha tha aur Meerab baahir dekhti rahi. Abhi wo shehar se thoda baahir pohnche hi the ke achanak zordar barish shuru ho gayi. Barish itni tez thi ke samne ka rasta dekhna mushkil ho gaya. Hawa ke thaperon se gaari bhee hil rahi thi.

"Sir, barish bohot zyada hai. Hamen kahin ruk jana chahiye," Meerab ne ghabra kar kaha.

Zaviyar ne samne dekha, jahan har taraf pani bhar chuka tha. "Peeche jaane ka rasta bhee band hai. Hamen aage hi barhna hoga."

Lekin taqdeer ko kuch aur hi manzoor tha. Achanak ek zordar jhatke ke sath gaari ka engine band ho gaya. Zaviyar ne dobara start karne ki koshish ki, lekin gaari bilkul dead ho chuki thi. Pani gaari ke tyron tak pohnch raha tha.

"Damn it!" Zaviyar ne gusse mein steering par haath maara. "Engine mein pani chala gaya hai shayad."

Mausam mazeed kharab hota ja raha tha, bijli zor se kadak rahi thi jis se Meerab darr kar sarak gayi aur us ne darr ke maare apna dupatta zor se bheencha. Zaviyar ne us ki ghabrahat dekh li.

"Darrne ki zaroorat nahi hai, main hoon yahan," Zaviyar ki aawaaz mein is baar koi sakhti nahi thi, balki ek aisi warmth thi jis se Meerab ka darr thoda kam hua.

Zaviyar ne baahir dekha, thoda door ek purani, khali lagti hui building (jo unki company ka ek purana warehouse tha) nazar aa rahi thi. "Hamen wahan chalna hoga, gaari mein rehna safe nahi hai."

Zaviyar ne gaari ka darwaza khola aur tezi se doosri taraf aakar Meerab ka darwaza khola. Us ne apna qeemti coat utha kar Meerab ke sar par daal diya taake wo barish se bach sake. "Chalo, tezi se bhaago!"

Dono tezi se bhaagte hue us warehouse ke andar dakhil hue. Warehouse andar se khali tha, lekin baahir ke toofan se mehfooz tha. Meerab poori tarah bheegh chuki thi, us ke baal chehre par chipak rahe the aur wo thand se kaanp rahi thi. Zaviyar bhee bheegha hua tha, us ke baal bhee bikhre hue the jis mein wo aam dino se zyada handsome aur aam lag raha tha.

"Tum theek ho?" Zaviyar ne us ke qareeb aakar poocha.

"Ji... bas thand lag rahi hai," Meerab ne kaanpte hue kaha.

Zaviyar ne aas-paas dekha, wahan kuch purani lakriyan aur boxes pare the. Us ne apne lighter se kuch sukhi lakriyon ko aag laga di. Kuch hi dair mein wahan aag ki garmayi phail gayi. Meerab aag ke paas baith gayi aur apne haath senkne lagi.

Zaviyar bhee us ke thoda door baith gaya. Aag ke roshan sholon mein Meerab ka chehra chamak raha tha. Us ke bheege baal aur un se tapakte pani ke qatre dekh kar Zaviyar ka dil achanak ek ajeeb tarah se dharak utha. Wo bina palken jhpkaye Meerab ko dekhta raha.

"Aap mujhe itna tang kyun karte hain, Mr. Zaviyar?" Meerab ne achanak aag ko dekhte hue dheere se poocha. "Kya main itni buri hoon?"

Zaviyar ne ek gehri saans li aur aag ki taraf dekhne laga. "Main kisi ko tang nahi karta, Meerab. Asal mein... mujhe un logo se chirr hai jo bohot jaldi haar maan lete hain. Pehle din jab tum mere samne boli thin, to mujhe laga tum bhee baqi larkiyon jaisi ho jo gusse mein bhaag jayengi. Lekin tum ne dat kar kaam kiya."

Meerab ne hairat se Zaviyar ko dekha. Yeh pehli baar tha ke wo us se itni narm aur sachhi baat kar raha tha.

"To iska matlab aap meri tareef kar rahe hain?" Meerab ke labon par ek shokh muskurahat aayi.

Zaviyar ne foran apni nazren churayein aur rukhkhai ka jhoota naqab pehan liya. "Zyada khush hone ki zaroorat nahi hai. Galtiyan abhi bhee tum bohot karti ho."

Meerab halki si hans parhi. Us ki hansi warehouse ki khamoshi mein gunji to Zaviyar ke dil ke taar hile. Wo dono is toofani raat mein ek dusre ke bohot qareeb mehsoos kar rahe the. Dushmani ki deewar ab aahista aahista dhal rahi thi, aur ek an-jaana rishta janam le raha tha.

Lekin unhe nahi maloom tha ke agla din unke liye ek naya morr lekar aane wala tha, jahan se Zaviyar ka dil Meerab ke liye poori tarah badal jayega (Part 5 mein).

*(To be continued...)*