Chapter 11 – Ek Anjaana Rishta
Rishta pakka hone ke baad dono parivaar bahut khush the.
Ghar mein shaadi ki taiyariyan shuru ho gayi thi.
Lekin...
Ania ke dil mein ab bhi koi khushi nahi thi.
Woh sirf apne Ammi-Baba ke liye ye rishta nibhana chahti thi.
Ek shaam Ania ke phone par ek anjaan number se call aayi.
Usne call receive ki.
Ania: "Hello..."
Dusri taraf se ek halki si muskurahat bhari awaaz aayi.
Aayan: "Assalamu Alaikum... meri future wife kaisi hain?"
Ania kuch pal ke liye chup ho gayi.
Ania: "Wa Alaikum Assalam... Ji, theek hoon."
Aayan hans pada.
Aayan: "Lagta hai aap abhi bhi mujhse ghabra rahi hain."
Ania: "Nahi... aisi baat nahi hai."
Aayan: "Main soch raha tha... kyun na hum pehle dost ban jaayein? Dosti se shuru hua rishta aur bhi khoobsurat hota hai."
Ania ne dheere se kaha...
Ania: "Hmm... theek hai."
Aayan ko uski chhoti si awaaz bhi achhi lag rahi thi.
Kuch der idhar-udhar ki baatein karne ke baad Aayan ne poocha—
Aayan: "Ek baat poochun?"
Ania: "Ji."
Aayan: "Kya main aapke past ke baare mein jaan sakta hoon?"
Ye sunte hi Ania ka chehra badal gaya.
Usne kuch pal khamosh rehkar jawab diya.
Ania: "Kyun? Ye jaanne ke liye ki main achhi ladki hoon ya buri?"
Aayan turant samajh gaya ki uski baat se Ania ko bura laga hai.
Aayan: "Nahi, Ania... mera woh matlab bilkul nahi tha."
"Har insaan ka ek past hota hai. Mujhe usse koi farq nahi padta."
"Mujhe sirf itna jaana tha ki tumhari zindagi kaisi rahi."
Ania ne gehri saans li.
Ania: "Sach kahun... mujhe ye shaadi bhi nahi karni thi."
"Main sirf apne Ammi-Baba ki wajah se maan gayi."
"Mujhse mohabbat ki koi umeed mat rakhiyega."
"Main sirf is rishte ko nibhaungi."
Phone ke doosri taraf kuch pal ki khamoshi chha gayi.
Phir Aayan bahut sukoon se bola—
Aayan: "Main tum par kisi bhi cheez ka bojh nahi daalunga."
"Tum jitna waqt logi... main utna intezaar karunga."
"Aur rahi baat mohabbat ki..."
"Haq se nahi... dua se maangunga."
Ania chup rahi.
Phir Aayan ne dheere se kaha—
Aayan: "Waise..."
"Mujhe tumhari woh purani notebook ke baare mein pata chala."
Ania ekdum hairaan reh gayi.
Ania: "Aapko... notebook ke baare mein kaise pata?"
Aayan muskura diya.
Aayan: "Bas itna samajh lo... tumhare baare mein jitna jaana, utna hi tumhari izzat aur badh gayi."
"Tumne apni zindagi mein bahut kuch saha hai."
"Lekin ab..."
"Main chahta hoon ki tumhare chehre par sirf muskurahat ho."
"Main tumhe itni khushiyan dena chahta hoon ki tum apna har purana dard bhool jao."
Ania ki aankhen bhar aayi.
Lekin usne apni awaaz ko sambhalte hue bas itna kaha—
Ania: "Shayad main sab kuch bhool chuki hoon..."
"Ya shayad..."
"Mujhe bhool jaane ki aadat ho gayi hai."
Aayan ne uski baat samajh li.
Usne aur kuch nahi kaha.
Bas muskurakar bola—
Aayan: "Theek hai..."
"Lekin ek din main tumhari is khamoshi ko bhi muskuraahat mein badal dunga."
Call khatam ho gayi.
Ania kaafi der tak phone ko dekhti rahi.
Uske dil mein pehli baar ek ajeeb sa sukoon mehsoos hua.
Lekin woh ab bhi khud se ek hi baat kehti thi—
"Mohabbat meri kismat mein nahi hai..."
Usse kya pata tha...
Ki kismat chupke se uske liye ek nayi kahani likh rahi thi.
To Be Continued...