Maham ko is din ka intezaar bohot arsay se tha. Superior University ke gate tak pohanchte hue, uska dil excitement se bhar gaya tha.
Wo khud Jauharabad se thi, ek chhota sa sheher jo Sargodha se lagbhag dhai ghante ke faslay par tha. Is liye, har roz ka ye safar lamba aur thakawat bhara hota, lekin aj ke din us thakawat ko bhi mehsoos nahi kar rahi thi.
Maham ne bus ke ander daikh kar ek lambhi sans li. "Kaise ajeeb log hain, sab apni apni dunya mein magan hain," usne dil hi dil mein socha. Har koi apni jagah par jaane mein masroof tha, kisi ko doosron se koi lena dena nahi. "Shayad ye sheher ke log hain, har waqt busy, apne kaam mein ghussa rahte hain."
Bus ke andar usne ek nazar idhar udhar daali. Safar lambha tha, aur is safar ke doran usay kuch ajeeb si bechaini mehsoos ho rahi thi. "Yeh bus driver kitna slow chala raha hai, ab tak to pohanch jana chahiye tha," usne andar hi andar shikayat ki. Garmi ki tapish aur safar ki thakawat us par asar daal rahi thi. Usne khud ko tasalli di ke yeh sab waqt ke saath behtar ho jayega.
Jab bus ne university ke qareeb pohancha, Maham ne apni aankhen band kar ke ek baar phir apne aane wale dinon ka socha. Jab bus ruk gayi, toh usne bag uthaya aur neeche utar gayi. Thakawat ab zyada mehsoos ho rahi thi, lekin university ka bada campus daikh kar ek nayi taqat mehsoos hui.
Jaise hi Maham ne apne aage dekha, wo campus ka intehai bara aur impressive gate daikh kar hairan reh gayi. Samne red carpet bichha tha, jo shayad freshmen ke welcome ke liye tha. "Waah, yeh to socha bhi nahi tha," Maham ne khud se kaha.
Gate se andar daakhil hote hi, Maham ne do larkiyon ko apni taraf aate dekha. Dono hijab aur gown mein thi, ek patli, nazuk aur qameer, jab ke doosri thodi si healthy aur confident nazar aa rahi thi. "Assalam-o-Alaikum," Maham ne muskurahat ke saath un dono ko greet kiya.
"Wa-Alaikum Assalam," dono larkiyon ne ek saath jawab diya, ek chhoti si muskurahat ke saath.
Teeno larkiyan kuch dair ke liye wahin qareeb ke bench par ja kar beth gayi. Aaj 17 August tha, Pakistan mein garmi apni inteha ko chhu rahi thi. Din itna garam tha ke har koi apni jagah pr chhaya dhoondhne ki koshish kar raha tha.
Kuch dair ke baad healthy larki ne doosri larki se pucha, "Tum chai peena pasand karogi?"
"Nahi, main theek hoon," nazuk si larki ne sharafat se jawab diya.
Phir healthy larki ne Maham ki taraf dekha aur kaha, "Mere walid ka apna import-export ka business hai. Wo bohot mashhoor hain apne trade ke liye."
Maham thodi si awkward mehsoos karne lagi. "Yeh kaisi baat hai pehle din hi? Shayad inka yeh tareeqa hai logo ko impress karne ka," Maham ne apne dil mein socha. Healthy larki mein ek arrogance aur confidence tha, lekin Maham ko is baat se zyada koi asar nahi hua. Usay lag raha tha ke shayad yeh larki har cheez ko apni class aur background ke lehaz se daikh rahi hai.
Nazuk si larki, jo ab tak khamosh thi, Maham ko kuch zyada hi gentle aur masoom lag rahi thi. Uska hijab aur gown usay aur bhi sharmili banata tha. "Yeh larki kitni shareef aur simple si lagti hai, bilkul alag," Maham ne socha. Wo larki thodi si lambi thi, takreeban 5.6 feet, patli aur suljhi hui lag rahi thi.
Dusri larki, jo thodi moti thi, uska ravayya arrogant tha. Hijab aur gown ke bawajood uske andaz mein ek ajeeb si be-dilli thi, jaise wo sab se behtar samajhti ho. Maham ko laga ke wo har baat mein apne walid ke business ka zikr kar ke logo pr impression jama rahi thi.
"Acha, tum logon ka pehla din kaisa guzar raha hai?" Maham ne unse pucha, guftagu ka rukh badalne ke liye.
"Achha hai, lekin garmi bohot zyada hai," nazuk si larki ne sharmate hue jawab diya.
Garmi waqai intehai thi. Har koi paseene mein dooba hua tha, lekin university ka shandar campus aur red carpet, har ek chehre par ek muskurahat la raha tha.
Jald hi, teeno larkiyan uthi aur auditorium ki taraf chalne lagi. Wahan freshman semester ka session hona tha jiske liye wo ayi thi. Auditorium ke samne logo ka hujoom tha, har koi andar daakhil ho raha tha, apne naye safar ki shuruaat karne ke liye.
Maham ne auditorium ke andr qadam rakha aur andar ke mahaul ko dekha. Dil mein ajeeb si halchal thi, jaise zindagi ke naye faseelay usay bula rahe hon.
Nain ne apni nazar Maham par daali. Chhoti si, masoomiyat se bharpoor, jaise ek chhoti gudiya ho. Nain ko Maham bohot cute aur innocent lagi. Uske chehre par hamesha ek halki si muskurahat rehti thi, jaise duniya ki kisi bhi fikar se door ho. Maham ne sirf ek din mein apna aik asar chhoda tha.
"Mera naam Nain Fatima hai, aur tumhara?" Nain ne pyar se pucha.
"Maham... Maham Hassan," Maham ne sharmate hue jawab diya, lekin uske chehre par muskurahat barqarar thi.
Un dono ki dosti ka aaghaaz isi chhoti si guftagu se hua tha, aur agle chand dinon mein ye dosti gherai tak phel gai. Superior University ke freshmen semester ke classes sirf Monday aur Tuesday ko hoti thi, jo un dono ke liye kafi waqt diya karta tha aik dosre ko samajhne ka. Sirf do hafton mein, Maham aur Nain ki dosti mazid gehri ho gayi thi.
Ek din wo dono main department ke back terrace pe baithe huay thay. August ka din tha, aur garmi apni inteha ko chhoo rahi thi. Magar terrace ka ye kona thoda thanda aur sukoon wala tha. Dono ne apne bags floor pe rakh diye thay aur neeche baith kar gup shup kar rahi thi.
Nain ne aas-paas dekha aur do larkiyan door ek chhoti si bench par bethi nazar ayi. Ek larki chhup si thi, aur doosri thodi si zyada confident lag rahi thi.
"Woh larkiyan kaun hain?" Maham ne Nain se pucha, apni nazar un dono par jamaate hue.
"Pata nahi... chalo, ja kar milte hain." Nain ne jawab diya.
Dono uth kar un larkiyon ke qareeb chali gayi. Jaise hi wo paas pohanchi, confident larki ne muskurahat ke saath unhe dekha.
"Assalam-o-Alaikum," Maham ne himmat karke pehlay salam kiya.
"Wa-Alaikum Assalam!" Us larki ne muskurahat ke saath jawab diya. "Main Maira hoon, aur yeh meri dost Naurez."
"Main Maham hoon, yeh Nain hai."
Maira ne ek hi pal mein Maham se guftagu karni shuru kar di. Dono meetha meetha hans rahay thay, jaise pehle se dost hoon. Maira bhi Jauharabad se thi, isliye Maham aur uski guftagu jaldi hi ghari hui. "Tum bhi Jauharabad se ho? Main bhi wahin se hoon!" Maira ne excited ho kar kaha.
"Wow, seriously? Tum kis area se ho?" Maham ne poocha, her eyes lighting up.
"Main Shehar Road k paas rehti hoon, aur tum?"
"Main Railway Road k qareeb." Maham ki awaaz me bhi excitement thi. Ek ajeeb si apnayat thi jo Maham aur Maira mein dikhayi de rahi thi. Jaldi hi dono maze se gup shup karne lagi, jaise purani doston ka milan ho raha ho.
Naurez ne ab tak kuch nahi kaha tha. Wo bohot khamosh larki lag rahi thi, bilkul Nain ki tarah. Nain ne is khamoshi ka faida uthaya aur Naurez ke qareeb ho gayi.
"Tumhara naam Naurez hai, hai na?" Nain ne pyaar se poocha.
"Haan," Naurez ne dheere se jawab diya.
"Tumhara star sign kya hai?" Nain ne haste huay pucha.
"Scorpio." Naurez ne easily bola.
"Wow, mera bhi Scorpio hai." Dono ne aik dosre ko do minute k liay daikha
"Tumhara college kaunsa tha?"
"Reader College, Jauharabad. Tumhara?"
"Main Superior College mein thi," Nain ne apna taruf diya.
Naurez thodi si relaxed lag rahi thi. Dono larkiyan dheere dheere ek dosray ko jaan rahi thi, lekin unki khamoshiyan ek dosray se milti thi. Dono ka apna ek reserved nature tha, jo ek natural affinity ko janam de raha tha.
Darmiyan mein, Maham aur Maira maze se has rahi thi. "Acha, tumhein pata hai yahan ka canteen kaisa hai? Main sun rahi thi ke yahan ki chai bohot famous hai," Maham ne chulbuli harkat se kaha.
"Haan, chai to waqai achi hai, lekin samosay ziada ache hain!" Maira ne hans kar jawab diya.
Unki guftagu mein itni rawani thi ke waqt ka pata hi nahi chala. Aisa lag raha tha jaise Maham aur Maira purani dost hain, aur unke darmiyan koi rukawat nahi thi. Dono larkiyan extroverts thi, aur yeh nayi dosti un dono ke liye bohot aasaan thi.
Lekin phir, un sab ki guftagu mein Kainat ka inteqaal ho gaya. Uska andaaz waqai arrogant tha. Jaise hi wo wahan ayi, usne sab ki taraf ek tafreehi nazar se dekha.
"Tum log yahan kya kar rahe ho?" Kainat ne thodi be-dilli se poocha, jaise wo sab ko judge kar rahi ho.
"Hum bas waise hi baithay hain, maze se guftagu kar rahe hain," Maham ne muskurahat ke saath jawab diya.
"Mere walid ka business to mashhoor hai... Tumhein pata hai?" Kainat ne ghamand bhari awaaz mein kaha, phir se apne walid ke kaam ka zikr le aayi.
Maham ne apni awkward muskurahat chhupa kar sirf sir hila diya. "Oh, acha, yeh baat to tum pehle bhi bata chuki ho," usne andar hi andar socha.
Nain ne Kainat ki is baat par sirf ek chhoti si muskurahat di, lekin uske chehre se saaf tha ke wo bhi thoda uncomfortable mehsoos kar rahi thi. Naurez ne bas apna sar jhuka liya aur chup rahi, jaise wo iss hawaa mein apne liye jagah nahi dhoond pa rahi thi.