Chapter 1: Tufaan Aur Woh (The Storm and Her)
Chapter 1 Chapter 1: Tufaan Aur Woh (The Storm and Her) Raat ka waqt tha aur aasmaan se paani kisi azaab ki tarah baras raha tha. Lahore ki sarkein sunsaan thin, sirf baarish ki taiz aawaz aur kabhi kabhar guzarti hui gaariyon ki lights ka shor tha. Asiya bus stop ki chat ke neeche khari, thand se kaanp rahi thi. Uska dupatta geela ho chuka tha aur haathon mein pakri hui files usne seene se bheench rakhi thin taake woh kharaab na ho jayen. Woh baar baar apni ghari dekh rahi thi, magar koi bus, koi rickshaw nazar nahi aa raha tha. Sadak ki doosri taraf, andhere mein ek kaali SUV khari thi. Engine chalu tha, wipers khamoshi se sheeshe saaf kar rahe thay, lekin andar baitha shakhs hil nahi raha tha. Hamza ki aankhein shikaari ki tarah us larki par jami hui thin. Uske haath steering wheel par sakhti se jamay hue thay, knuckles safed par chuke thay. Hamza ki zindagi hamesha dushmani aur khoon mein guzri thi. Uske liye insaan ya toh dushman hotay thay ya mohray. Magar aaj, is toofani raat mein, us larki ko dekh kar uske seenay mein kuch ajeeb sa hua tha. Ek dard, ek kashish, ek junoon. Woh kamzor lag rahi thi, be-sahara. Aur Hamza ko lag raha tha ke agar usne abhi usay apni hifazat mein nahi liya, toh duniya usay kha jayegi. "Yehi hai..." Hamza ne dabe hue lehjay mein khud se kaha. Uski awaaz mein ek khaufnaak yaqeen tha. "Yehi meri qismat hai." Asiya ne mehsoos kiya ke koi usay dekh raha hai. Insaan ki fitrat hoti hai, jab koi ghoor raha ho toh jism par ek ajeeb si sarsarahat hoti hai. Usne ghabra kar idhar udhar dekha. Saamne khari kaali gaari ki headlights achanak on huin, jinki taiz roshni ne usay chundhiya diya. Asiya ne ghabra kar apna haath aankhon ke aagay rakha. Gaari ka darwaza khula aur ek lamba, chaura saaya bahar nikla. Heavy boots ke paani mein padne ki aawaz 'chap-chap' karti hui qareeb aane lagi. Asiya ka dil zor zor se dharakne laga. Woh peeche hatna chahti thi magar peeche sirf deewar thi. Hamza uske bilkul qareeb aa kar ruka. Woh itna qareeb tha ke Asiya ko uski mehangi cologne aur cigarette ki mili juli boo aa rahi thi. Uska qad Asiya se kaafi lamba tha, poora wajood ek pahar ki tarah usay overshadow kar raha tha. Baarish un dono ke gird baras rahi thi, magar Hamza ki body language aisi thi jaise toofaan bhi us se darta ho. "Gaari mein betho," Hamza ki aawaz bhaari aur hukumraana thi. Koi sawal nahi, sirf hukum. Asiya ki awaaz halaq mein phans gayi. "M-Main aapko nahi jaanti... please door rahein." Hamza ne apni gardan halki si terhi ki. Uska jabra sakht (clenched jaw) tha. Usko 'Na' sunne ki aadat nahi thi. "Ye akhri baar bol raha hoon. Bheeg rahi ho, aur yahan khara hona mehfooz nahi hai. Andar betho." "Mujhe nahi jana!" Asiya ne himmat juta kar kaha aur side se nikalne ki koshish ki. Magar Hamza ne bijli ki tezi se uska raasta rok diya. Usne Asiya ko chua nahi, magar apna haath deewar par rakh kar usay gher liya. Asiya ab uske aur deewar ke beech qaid thi. "Tumhari safety mera masla hai ab," Hamza ne uski aankhon mein jhankte hue kaha. Uski aankhein kaali aur gehari thin, jaise koi atah samandar jisme doob kar wapis aana namumkin ho. "Duniya bohot buri jagah hai, Asiya. Tum jaisi nazuk cheez toot jayegi." Asiya hairan reh gayi. Is ajnabi ko uska naam kaise pata tha? Khauf ki ek thandi lehar uski reerh ki haddi mein utar gayi. "Aap... aap mera naam kaise jante hain? Kaun hain aap?" Hamza ke chehre par koi expression nahi aaya, bas wohi shadeed obsessed look. Tabhi door se kuch awara larkon ki aawazein aayin jo shor machate hue aa rahe thay. Hamza ne ek nazar unki taraf dekha—ek aisi khooni nazar ke agar woh dekh lete toh wahin mar jatay—aur phir wapis Asiya ki taraf dekha. "Tumhare paas do raste hain," Hamza ne dheere se kaha, magar lehja khatarnaak tha. "Ya toh izzat se mere saath chalo, ya main tumhe utha kar le jaonga. Faisla tumhara hai." Asiya ke paas koi chara nahi tha. Woh thar thar kaanp rahi thi. Yeh