Awaazon Ka Ghera

na qabil-e-bardasht tha. Usne ek pal Anaya ki taraf dekha phir apni Ammi ki taraf palta. "Ammi, bas kijiye," Zayan ne abki baar pukhta awaaz mein kaha. Uski awaaz mein dard tha, magar woh dard ab ghusse mein badal raha tha. "Anaya meri kamzori nahi, meri taqat hai. Aap uski khamoshi ko kamzori samajh rahi hain, magar wo uski gehrayi hai." Ammi ki aankhein hairat se khuli reh gayi. Zayan ne kabhi unse is tarah baat nahi ki thi. "Taqat? Ye larki jo tumhara chehra bhi nahi dekh rahi, ye tumhari taqat hai? Zayan, tumhe nazar lag gayi hai. Main abhi tumhare Abbu ko bulati hoon." Kehti hui wo gusse mein andar ki taraf paltein. Zayan unke peechhe nahi gaya. Uska poora wajood gham aur ghusse ki aag mein jal raha tha. Usne Anaya ki taraf dekha, jo ab bhi apna chehra chhupaye khari thi, uske kandhe halke halke hil rahe thay. Uska dil Anaya ko is haalat mein dekh kar tukre tukre ho gaya. "Anaya," Zayan ne narm awaaz mein pukara. Usne aage barh kar dheere se Anaya ke kandhe par hath rakha. Anaya ne apni aankhein uthayin. Uske chehre par ansoo thay, aur aankhon mein ek gehra khauf tha. "Mujhe afsos hai. Meri Ammi... wo bas..." Zayan ko lafz nahi mil rahe thay. "Koi baat nahi," Anaya ne toot-ti hui awaaz mein kaha, uski awaaz ba mushkil sunayi de rahi thi. "Wo sahi kehti hain. Main... main waisi nahi jaisi unhe pasand hai. Main jaisi hoon, waisi hi hoon. Aur shayad... shayad main aapke liye bhi sahi nahi hoon." Ye sun kar Zayan ka hath Anaya ke kandhe se sarak gaya. Usne Anaya ke chehre par nazar dali, uski aankhon mein wo dard tha jo Zayan ne pehle kabhi nahi dekha tha. Usko laga jaise aaj uski Ammi ne sirf Anaya ki nahi, Zayan ki bhi rooh par waar kiya tha. "Anaya, aisa mat kaho," Zayan ne foran kaha. Usne Anaya ka hath pakra, uski hatheli thandi aur paseene se tar thi. "Tum jaisi ho, waisi hi behtareen ho. Tumhari khamoshi mein jo sacchayi hai, wo lafzon ke shor se kahin zyada gehri aur khoobsurat hai. Aur... aur tum meri kamzori nahi ho. Tum hi to ho jo mujhe samajhti ho." Anaya ne uske hath ki giraft mehsoos ki. Usse Zayan ki aankhon mein apni sachayi nazar aayi. Uska dil thora pur-sukoon hua, magar Ammi ke alfaz ab bhi uske kaano mein goonj rahe thay. "Mujhe yahan se jana hai," Anaya ne foran kaha, uski awaaz mein bechaini thi. "Main ab yahan ek pal bhi nahi reh sakti." Zayan ne uski baat samajhi. Usne idhar udhar dekha. Hall mein wapas jana to mumkin hi nahi tha. Usko pata tha ke agar Anaya ab wahan gayi to shayad wo kabhi kisi function mein jaa paane ki himmat nahi dikha payegi. "Theek hai," Zayan ne kaha, usi waqt ek faisla karte hue. "Hum chalte hain. Main tumhe ghar drop kar deta hoon." Anaya ne tasalli se sar hilaya. Zayan ne usko apne sath chalne ka ishara kiya. Dono balcony se nikle aur hall ke ek peeche wale darwaze ki taraf barhe jo seedha parking ki taraf ja raha tha. Hall ke shor se bach kar, wo us darwaze se bahar nikal gaye. Bahar halki halki boonda baandi shuru ho chuki thi. Raat ki thandi hawa unke chehron se takra rahi thi. Zayan ki gaari thori door khari thi. Dono khamoshi se us taraf chalte rahe. Gaari mein baithne ke baad bhi dono ke darmiyan khamoshi chhaye rahi. Ye wo khamoshi nahi thi jo unke darmiyan sukoon deti thi, balkay ye bojh ban gayi thi. Anaya khirki se bahar barish ko dekh rahi thi aur Zayan drive kar raha tha, uska zehn Ammi ki baaton aur Anaya ke dard ke gird ghoom raha tha. "Mujhe afsos hai," Zayan ne akhir khamoshi todi. Uski awaaz halki thi, magar usmein gehrayi thi. "Ammi... wo bas tumhare baare mein nahi jaantiin. Wo sirf chahti hain ke main normal ban jaun, jaisa sab chahte hain." "Main jaanti hoon," Anaya ne dheere se kaha, uski awaaz mein ab thori thakan thi. "Meri Maa bhi aisi hi hain. Wo bhi chahti hain ke main rishta kar lun, makeup karun, hansu, bolun." Usne ek gehra saans liya. "Shayad hum waqai... 'normal' nahi hain." "Normal kya