Dillagi

Dillagi_Part 19

Fiza ka munh band karne ke baad ab kahani ek naye aur ajeeb khulase ki taraf barh rahi hai jo unke raste mein ek naya parda uthayegi.

---

Gaari jab ghar ke porch mein aakar ruki, to baahir halki halki barish ab tez ho chuki thi. Zaviyar ne gaari band ki aur ghoom kar Meerab ki taraf dekha, jo abhi bhee us ke kandhe par sir rakhe khamosh baithi thi. Us ke chehre par ab rone ke nishaan to nahi the, lekin ek ajeeb sa sukoon tha.

"Chalein, Mrs. Zaviyar? Ya aaj poori raat gaari mein hi barish dekhne ka irada hai?" Zaviyar ne dabi dabi muskurahat ke sath poocha.

Meerab ne aahista se apna sir uthaya aur us ki aankhon mein dekha. "Zaviyar... aaj aap ne jo kiya, us ke baad mujhe lagta hai ke main dunya ki sab se khush-naseeb larki hoon. Mujhe kabhi nahi laga tha ke koi mujhe is tarah sab ke samne protect karega."

Zaviyar ne us ke gaal par aahista se apni ungli pheri. "Maine tum se pehle din hi kaha tha, Meerab. Tum par aane wali har aanch ko pehle mujh se guzarna hoga. Ab chalo, warna is barish mein dono bheegh jayenge." Dono ne gaari ke darwaze khole aur tezi se bhaagte hue ghar ke bade se veranda mein dakhil ho gaye.

Lekin jaise hi unho ne ghar ke andar qadam rakha, lounge mein lights on thin aur wahan ka mahaul bilkul ajeeb lag raha tha. Sofe par Zaviyar ke dad (Chairman) akele baithe hue the, unke samne table par kuch purane documents aur ek purani tasveer bhee pari thi. Unke chehre par pareshani aur gehri soch ke badal saaf nazar aa rahe the.

Zaviyar ne hairaan ho kar Meerab ka haath thoda chora aur aage barha. "Dad? Aap is waqt jag rahe hain? Sab theek to hai na?"

Chairman ne sir utha kar dono ko dekha. Unki aankhon mein gussa nahi tha, balki ek ajeeb sa dukh aur afsoos tha. Unho ne table par rakhi wo purani tasveer uthayi aur Zaviyar ki taraf barhayi. "Zaviyar... mujhe tum dono se ek bohot zaroori baat karni hai. Ek aisi baat jo maine barson se sab se chupa kar rakhi thi, lekin aaj jab tum dono ek ho chuke ho, to tumhein yeh janne ka poora haq hai."

Zaviyar ne tasveer haath mein li. Wo ek bohot purani black and white tasveer thi, jis mein do jawan larke ek doosre ke gale mein bahein dale muskura rahe the. Un mein se ek to khud Chairman (Zaviyar ke dad) the, lekin doosre larke ka chehra...

Meerab ne jaise hi us doosre larke ke chehre par nazar dali, us ke hosh urr gaye. Us ka dil zor se dharakne laga. "Yeh... yeh to mere abbu (father) hain!" Meerab ne hairat se chilate hue kaha.

Zaviyar ne hairat se kabhi Meerab ko dekha aur kabhi tasveer ko. "Dad? Yeh kya maamla hai? Meerab ke abbu aur aap...?"

Chairman ne ek gehri saans li aur unke chehre par barson purani thakan jhalakne lagi. "Haan Zaviyar. Meerab ke walid, 'Kamal', mere university ke sab se behtareen aur qareebi dost the. Hum dono ne mil kar is business ki shuruat ki thi. Lekin... aaj se bees saal pehle, ek galatfehmi aur hamare ek teesre partner ki saazish ki wajah se, hamare darmiyan aisi dushmani paida hui ke Kamal ne sab kuch chor kar shehar chor diya. Maine gusse aur anaa (ego) mein use kabhi dhoondne ki koshish nahi ki."

Chairman uthe aur unho ne Meerab ke dono haath pakad liye, unki aankhon mein aansoo the. "Meerab beti... jab tum pehli baar hamare office mein as a PA aayi thin, to mujhe tumhara naam aur tumhare documents dekh kar hi shak ho gaya tha. Aur jab maine tumhare baap ka naam parha, to mere paon tale se zameen nikal gayi. Maine tumhein dukh dene ki koshish nahi ki, lekin Natasha ke baap ki deal hamare us purane dushman se juri thi jis ne mere aur tumhare baap ko juda kiya tha. Main darr gaya tha ke kahani phir se khud ko dohra na de."

Zaviyar aur Meerab dono bilkul gum-sum khare the. Unhe yakeen nahi aa raha tha ke unki 'Dillagi' sirf un dono ka rishta nahi tha, balki yeh barson purani dushmani aur judaai ko mitane ka qudrat ka ek khoobsurat mansuba tha.

"Lekin dad," Zaviyar ne pucha, "wo teesra partner kaun tha jis ne aap dono ko alag kiya?"

Chairman ne apna chehra sakht kiya aur bola, "Wo koi aur nahi... Natasha ke walid hain. Aur wo ab bhee chup nahi baithenge. Unho ne hamari saari deals cancel kar di hain, aur ab wo hamari company ko tabah karne ke liye koi naya khel khel rahe hain."

*(To be continued...)*