Chapter 7: Pachtave Ke Aansoo Aur Nayi Deewar (Tears Of Regret And The New Wall)
Zaid Shahmeer ke haath is waqt kaanp rahe the. Usne Wafa ki kalai ko thama zaroor tha, lekin uski pakad me ab wo purana guroor ya zabardasti nahi thi.
Uske chehre par ek ajeeb sa khauf tha—ek aisa darr jo usne apni poori zindagi me kabhi mehsoos nahi kiya tha.
Uska wo badla, jispar usse naaz tha, ek pal me mitti ka dher sabit ho chuka tha.
"Wafa... meri baat suno," Zaid ne kamzor aur dhere awaaz me kaha. Uske alfaaz uske halaq me phans rahe the.
"Mujhe... mujhe sach me nahi pata tha. Mujhe bachpan se jo bataya gaya, maine bas us par yakeen kiya. Mujhe maaf kar do, Wafa...
"Wafa ne ek jhatke se apna haath uski pakad se chudaya aur do qadam peeche hat gayi. Uski aankhon se behte hue aansu is waqt aag ki tarah lag rahe the.
Usne ek gehri saans li aur nafrat se bhari muskurahat ke sath Zaid ki taraf dekha.
"Maafi? Zaid Shahmeer ke paas maafi ka lafz bhi hai, mujhe nahi pata tha!" Wafa ki awaaz poore kamre me goonj gayi.
"Tumne meri maafi tab sochi thi jab tumne mere baap par 50 crore ka jhoota fraud case banaya tha? Tumhe khuda ka khauf tab aaya tha jab tumne unhe is umer me jail ki salakhon ke peeche bheja? Tumne meri izzat aur meri azadi ka sauda apni ek gandi 'Zid' ke liye kiya, aur aaj jab tumhara jhoot samne aa gaya, to tum maafi maang rahe ho?
"Zaid chup-chap khada raha. Uske paas Wafa ke kisi bhi sawal ka koi jawab nahi tha. Uske abba, Shahmeer Sahab, wheel-chair par baithe khamoshi se ro rahe the aur unhone apna chehra sharmindagi se hathon me chhupa liya tha.
"Main is ghar me ab ek pal bhi nahi ruk sakti," Wafa ne sakht lehje me kaha aur darwaze ki taraf barhi.
"Tumhara ye aalishan mansion mujhe kisi qabr ki tarah lagta hai, jahan meri khushiyan dafn hain."
"Nahi Wafa! Tum nahi ja sakti!" Zaid ek dum aage badha aur uske raste me deewar ban kar khada ho gaya. Uske chehre par ab pachtave ke sath-sath ek ajeeb sa pagalpan aur khauf tha.
"Main tumhe jaane nahi doonga. Main janta hoon maine bohot badi galti ki hai, main bheriya hoon, jallad hoon... jo kaho main sab sunne ke liye tayaar hoon.
Lekin tum is ghar se baahar qadam nahi rakhogi.
"Wafa ne darrne ke bajaye apni nazrein uski aankhon me gaar di.
"Tum mujhe kaise rokoge Zaid? Phir se mere baba ko jail bhejoge? Phir se koi jhoota case banaoge? Ab tumhara koi bhi teer mujh par asar nahi karega, kyunki ab mere paas khone ke liye kuch nahi bacha.
Tumne sab pehle hi chheen liya hai."Zaid ne uski baat sun kar apni aankhein band kar li. Uske dil me ek ajeeb sa dard utha. Wo janta tha ki Wafa sahi keh rahi thi. Uske paas ab Wafa ko black-mail karne ka koi hathiyaar nahi bacha tha.
Agar wo ab bhi zabardasti karta, to Wafa hamesha ke liye usse aur door ho jaati.Main tumhe majboor nahi karunga..." Zaid ne dheere se kaha, uski awaaz me ek shikasht thi.
"Lekin tum agar is waqt ghar se baahar jaogi, to tumhari ammi aur baba ko ye pata chal jayega ki hamari shadi ek saazish thi.
Wo pehle hi kamzor hain, unka dil ye sadma nahi jhel payenge. Khuda ke liye unke liye ruk jao. Tum is ghar me raho, par mujhse door. Main tumhe kabhi apna chehra nahi dikhaunga jab tak tum nahi chahogi."
Wafa uski baat sun kar ruk gayi. Zaid ne ek baar phir uski sabse badi kamzori yaani uske family ka naam liya tha, lekin is baar wo black-mail nahi kar raha hai, balki sach keh raha tha.
Agar wo aaj is tarah rote hue ghar wapas jaati, to uske baba zinda laash ban jaate. Unhe lagta ki unki wajah se unki beti ki zindagi barbaad ho gayi.
Wafa ne ek gehri saans li aur apne aansu saaf kiye. "Theek hai. Main yahan rahungi... lekin sirf apne baba ki tabiyat ke liye. Par yaad rakhna Zaid Shahmeer, aaj se aur abhi se, tum is ghar me mere liye sirf ek anjaan shakhs ho.
Mera aur tumhara koi rishta nahi hai."Wafa bina koi agla lafz bole, corridor se hoti hui apne kamre me chali gayi aur andar se lock kar diya. Zaid wahi corridor me zameen par baith gaya aur usne apne baal pakad liye.
Ek aisa billionaire jo poore sheher ko apni ungliyon par nachata tha, aaj ek masoom larki ke samne ghutne tek chuka tha .
Usi waqt Murad aahista se chalta hua Zaid ke paas aaya. Murad ki aankhon me bhi apne sahab ke liye dukh tha.
"Sir... aapko sambhalna hoga. Jo hua wo bohot bura tha, lekin ab aapko apni galti ko sudharna hoga."Zaid ne Murad ki taraf dekha, uski aankhon me aansu the.
"Murad... maine ye kya kar diya? Main usse mohabbat karta tha, par maine usse sirf dard diya. Wo mujhse nafrat karti hai Murad... bohot zyada nafrat."
"Sir, mohabbat me sabr karna hota hai. Aapne shuruat galat ki thi, ab rasta sahi chunein. Wafa Sahiba ka dil bohot narm hai, unhe waqt dein," Murad ne samjhate hue kaha.Zaid ne apne aansu saaf kiye aur khada hua.
Uske chehre par ab ek naya faisla tha. "Main apna sab kuch badal doonga Murad. Main uski nafrat ko sahoonga, uske gusse ko jheloonga, lekin uski 'Wafa' ko dubara jeet kar rahunga .
Aaj se Zaid Shahmeer ki nayi zindagi shuru hoti hai.
"Doosri taraf, Wafa apne kamre me baithi khidki se baahar dekh rahi thi. Wo janti thi ki ab ladai badal chuki thi. Zaid ab uspar hukum nahi chala sakta tha. Lekin ussi waqt uske toote hue mobile par ek naya notification aaya.
Wo Ahsan Farooqui ka message tha: "Wafa, sachai jaan kar kaisa laga? Agar is jail se azadi chahiye, to kal shaam ko mujhe purane railway station par milo.
Mere paas tumhe is ghar se nikalne ka ek perfect plan hai.
"Wafa ne us message ko dekha aur soch me pad gayi. Kya usse Ahsan par bharosa karna chahiye, ya Ahsan ka apna koi ganda mufaad tha?
Kahani ab ek naye dangerous mor par khadi...... thi...