Dard ki Kahani Mera safar

Chapter 11 - Faisla

College ka gate aaj Ayesha ke liye imtihaan ban gaya tha.

Ek taraf Shazab khara tha. Haath mein laal gulab, ankhon mein nami. 2 saal purani mohabbat us ke chehre par likhi hui thi.

Dosri taraf Hamza tha. Khali haath, lekin nazron mein sukoon aur yaqeen. Wohi larka jis ne Ayesha ko tootne ke baad jora tha.

Ayesha ke kadam jese zameen mein gadh gaye. Dil zor se dharak raha tha.

Shazab ne pehle awaz di "Ayesha... please. Main jaanta hun main ne galti ki. Lekin main majboor tha. Ghar walon ne dhamki di thi. Main ne un se lar kar ab sab theek kar liya hai. Ammi maan gayi hain. Tum se nikah karna chahta hun"

Ayesha ki ankhain bhar aayin. Shazab ki awaz mein wohi purani kashish thi.

Hamza chup tha. Us ne bas Ayesha ko dekha. Koi shikayat nahi, koi ilzam nahi. Sirf ek khamosh dua thi us ki ankhon mein.

Ayesha ne gehri saans li aur aage barhi. Sab ki nazrain us par thin.

"Shazab" Ayesha ki awaz kanpi. "Tumhari baat sun kar dil dukhta hai. Kyunki ek waqt tha jab main tumhare baghair saans bhi nahi le sakti thi. Lekin jis din tum ne bina wajah mujhe chhora tha, us din mera kuch hissa mar gaya tha"

Shazab ka chehra utar gaya. "Main maafi mangta hun..."

"Maafi mil sakti hai" Ayesha ne beech mein kaha. "Lekin bharosa? Bharosa dobara banana bohot mushkil hota hai"

Phir Ayesha ne rukh Hamza ki taraf kiya. Hamza ne nazar jhuka li.

"Hamza" Ayesha boli. "Tum ne mujh se kabhi kuch nahi manga. Jab main roti thi to tum chup karwa dete thay. Jab main girti thi to tum haath dete thay. Tum ne mujhe sikhaya ke zindagi sirf mohabbat ke naam se nahi chalti... izzat aur saath ke naam se bhi chalti hai"

Hamza ne sar uthaya. Us ki ankhain nam thin.

Ayesha ne faisla kar liya tha.

"Main... main Hamza ka saath chunti hun"

Pura gate sannata ho gaya. Kuch larkiyan taaliyan bajane lagin. Kuch sirf dekh rahi thin.

Shazab ne ek nazar Ayesha ko dekha, ek nazar Hamza ko. Phir chup chaap palat kar chala gaya. Gulab zameen par gir gaya.

Hamza hairan tha. "Ayesha... tum... tum ne soch liya?"

Ayesha muskurai. Pehli baar 2 mahine baad dil se muskurai. "Haan. Main ne soch liya. Darr lagta hai Hamza. Kahin dobara toot na jaun. Lekin tumhare saath darr bhi acha lagta hai"

Hamza ne kuch nahi kaha. Bas dheere se Ayesha ki taraf haath barhaya. Ayesha ne 2 second socha... phir apna haath us ke haath mein de diya.

Us din ke baad sab badal gaya.

College mein ab Ayesha aur Hamza aksar sath nazar aate thay. Library mein, canteen mein, function mein. Lekin izzat ke saath. Koi hadood cross nahi hui.

Ayesha ki ammi ko jab pata chala to pehle gussa hui. "Beta abhi parhai mukammal nahi hui"

Ayesha ne ammi ka haath pakra. "Ammi, main waada karti hun parhai bhi karungi. Aur Hamza... wo acha larka hai. Us ne mushkil waqt mein saath diya"

Ammi ne Ayesha ko gale laga liya. "Allah tumhara naseeb acha kare"

Idhar Shazab ghaib ho gaya tha. 1 hafte baad us ka message aaya Ayesha ko. "Mubarak ho. Tum khush raho. Main ne bhi sabak seekh liya"

Ayesha ne message parh kar delete kar diya. Na gussa, na afsos.

Ek mahina guzar gaya.

Aaj Hamza ne Ayesha ko park bulaya. Mausam suhana tha. Darakhton se patte gir rahe thay.

"Ayesha" Hamza baitha tha bench par. "Main ne tum se jaldi mein izhaar kar diya tha. Agar tum chaho to hum dost reh sakte hain. Koi zabardasti nahi"

Ayesha hans di. "Dost? Ab to tum se zyada koi apna nahi"

"Phir?" Hamza ne poocha.

"Phir ye ke... main bhi tum se mohabbat karti hun Hamza. Shayad usi din se jab tum ne pehli baar library mein mujhe rone se roka tha"

Hamza ki ankhon mein khushi ke aansu aa gaye. "Sach?"

"Sach" Ayesha ne kaha. "Lekin waada karo, kabhi chhor kar nahi jao ge"

"Waada" Hamza ne Ayesha ka haath pakra. "Main zindagi bhar tumhara saath nibhaunga"

Dono khamosh baith gaye. Aasman mein suraj dhal raha tha.

Raat ko Ayesha ne apni diary kholi. Pehle panne par likha "Shazab - Dard"

Beach wale panne par likha "Tootna"

Aur aakhri panne par aaj nayi line likhi "Hamza - Umeed"

Us ne diary band ki aur khirki se baahir dekha. Chaand chamak raha tha.

Zindagi ne usay zakhm bhi diye thay aur marham bhi.

Dhoka bhi mila tha aur sacha saath bhi.

Ayesha ne dua ki "Allah, bas isi tarah saath rakhna"

Lekin kya zindagi itni asaan hogi?

Kya Shazab waqai chala gaya hai?

Aur kya Hamza ke ghar wale is rishtay ko qabool karen ge?

Ayesha ko nahi pata tha.

Bas itna pata tha ke us ne faisla kar liya hai.

Aur is faislay ke saath wo aage barhna chahti hai... umeed ke saath.

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