Episode 3: “Sawaal aur Sannate”
Episode 3: "Sawaal aur Sannate" Zayan ne apne purane laptop ki screen par cursor ko ghumte hue dekha, lekin uska dhyan kaam mein nahi tha. Bahar asman par kale badal cha rahe the. Karachi ki barish hamesha achanak aati thi, aur jab aati thi to sheher thamm jata tha. "Abhi tak nahi aayi..." Zayan ne gari (watch) dekhi. 5:15 ho chuke the. Uske zehen mein kai sawal uthne lage. "Kya wo raste mein phas gayi hai? Uske paas to shayad chhatri (umbrella) bhi nahi thi kal. Agar wo bimar ho gayi to? Nahi Zayan, tum kyu itna soch rahe ho? Wo sirf tumhari diary wapas karne wali hai." Tabhi uske phone par Ammi ki call aayi. Zayan ne lambi saans li aur call uthai. "Zayan! Kahan ho tum? Phupo ke ghar jana hai aaj, unki beti ki mangni ki baat..." "Ammi... main library hoon. Kaam bohat hai, deadline hai aaj," Zayan ne jhoot bola. Uska gala khushk ho raha tha. Wo jhoot bolte waqt hamesha hichkichata tha. Phone rakh kar usne khirki se dekha. Barish shuru ho chuki thi. Teiz boondein kanch par thap-thap kar rahi thin. Usi lamhe, library ka bhari darwaza khula. Anaya dakhil hui, lekin wo akeli nahi thi. Uske sath Sara thi jo zor-zor se baatein kar rahi thi. "Anaya yaar! Is boring library mein kya rakha hai? Chalo na kahin bahar chai peene chalte hain, kya tum hamesha kitabon mein ghusi rehti ho?" Anaya ne koi jawab nahi diya, lekin uski nazrein seedha Zayan ke table ki taraf uthin. Dono ki aankhein milin. Zayan ne foran nazrein jhuka lin, uska dil dharakne laga. Anaya ne mehsoos kiya ke Zayan aaj zyada pareshan lag raha hai—shyad apni diary ki wajah se. Sara ne Zayan ko notice kiya aur shararat se muskura kar Anaya ke kaan mein kaha, "Oho! To isliye tum yahan aati ho? Handsome to hai, lekin lagta hai iski zabaan nahi hai." Anaya ne tezi se Sara ka hath pakra aur usey ek kone mein le gayi. "Sara, please! Tum jao yahan se. Main... main thori der mein aati hoon." Mushkil se Sara ko rukhsat karke, Anaya Zayan ke table ki taraf barhi. Zayan ke hath thar-thara rahe the. Anaya ne dabi-paon uske samne wali kursi khainchi aur baith gayi. Usne bag se wo nili diary nikali aur table par sarka di. "Ye... mahfooz hai," Anaya ki awaaz itni halki thi jaise koi phool girne ki sada ho. Zayan ne diary ko hath lagaya, lekin uski nazar Anaya ke un hathon par thi jo dupatta ke kone ko sakhti se lapet rahe the. "Shukriya..." Zayan ne pehli baar Anaya se baat ki. Uska lehja bhari tha, jaise sadiyon baad koi saaz baja ho. "Maine... maine socha tha shayad aap nahi ayengi. Barish ho rahi hai." Anaya ne sar uthaya. Uske chashme par barish ki halki si boond thi. "Mujhe aana tha. Aapke sketches... wo bohat kuch kehte hain." Dono khamosh ho gaye. Bahar barish teiz ho gayi thi, aur library ke us kone mein, unke darmiyan maujood sadiyon ka sannata ab dosti ki pehli seerrhi (step) ban raha tha. [Novaflix.sbs]