Chapter 1
Subah ke kareeb saat baje the. Ghar ke kitchen se chai aur parathe ki khushboo aa rahi thi. Hamid dining table par chup-chaap baitha tha. Uske saamne chai ka cup tha, lekin uska dhyaan kahin aur tha.
"Hamid, nashta kar lo jaldi. Dukan bhi jana hai tumhe," uski ammi ne kitchen se awaaz lagayi.
"Ji ammi," usne dheere se jawab diya.
Hamid zyada bolne wala ladka nahi tha. Log aksar kehte the ki woh shaant hai, apni hi duniya me rehta hai. Par asal me uske andar bahut kuch chal raha tha… jo woh kisi ko bata nahi pa raha tha.
Kabhi-kabhi woh khud se hi ek sawaal karta tha.
"Main dusre ladkon jaisa kyun nahi hoon?"
School ke dinon se hi usse mehsoos hota tha ki woh thoda alag hai. Jab uske dost ladkiyon ke baare me baatein karte, mazaak karte, woh bas chup reh jata.
Uska dil kabhi-kabhi kisi ladke ko dekh kar ajeeb si feeling mehsoos karta tha… aur phir woh khud hi ghabra jata.
Usse lagta tha shayad yeh sab galat hai.
Uske abbu kaafi strict the. Unke liye zindagi ka ek simple rule tha—padhai karo, kaam karo, phir shaadi karo aur family banao.
Hamid ko darr lagta tha… agar unhe pata chal gaya ki uske dil me kya chal raha hai, to kya hoga?
Nashta khatam karke woh ghar se bahar nikla. Sadak par log apni normal zindagi me busy the.
Lekin Hamid ke andar ek aisi baat thi…
jo woh kisi se keh nahi pa raha tha.