Nain ko Chemistry department ke Chinese rice bohot pasand thay. Aksar jab lab ki class khatam hoti, toh wo aur Naurez Chemistry department ki canteen ki taraf chal parti thi. Aaj bhi un dono ka plan wahi tha. Lab Sciences ka department Chemistry department se zyada door nahi tha, is liye un dono ne break ka poora faida uthane ka faisla kiya.
Jab wo dono canteen ke qareeb pohnchi, toh wahan Maham bhi nazar ayi, jo apni Biochemistry class se wapis aa rahi thi. Thoda thaki hui lag rahi thi, lekin uske chehre par usual muskurahat thi.
"Aray Maham, tum yahan?" Nain ne muskurate hue poocha.
"Haan yaar, Biochemistry ka lecture khatam karke aa rahi thi. Tum dono kahan ja rahi ho?" Maham ne haath utha kar un dono ko greet kiya.
Naurez ne thoda mazak mein kaha, "Chinese rice khaanay. Tum bhi join karo, thoda fresh ho jao gi."
Maham ne thoda hans kar jawab diya, "Yeh toh tempting offer hai. Chalo, baithte hain thodi der."
Teeno larkiyan Chemistry department ke canteen ke ek corner mein baith gayi. Chinese rice ka order de kar, sab thodi relaxed ho gayi aur apni hectic routine ke baare mein baatein karne lagi.
"Yaar, aaj ka lecture bohot tough tha," Maham ne thakawat se kaha. "Biochemistry ke reactions samajh mein aate aate bhi dimagh khatam ho jata hai."
Nain ne haan mein haan milate hue kaha, "Lab mein bhi aaj bohot kaam tha. Har waqt experiments aur phir reports, kabhi lagta hai ke din khatam hi nahi hota."
Naurez ne dheere se hansi ke saath kaha, "Haan, waise bhi yeh college life zyada hectic hai. Kabhi kabhi lagta hai bas ghar mein hi rahte."
Jab wo apne routine ke baare mein baat kar rahi thi, Maham ki aankhen achanak canteen ke entrance ki taraf chali gayi. Usne wahan se aate hue Muhammad Amir ko dekha, jo aik larki ke saath canteen mein daakhil ho raha tha. Amir ka usual confident aura aur casual dressing sab kuch waise hi tha, lekin uske saath ek larki thi jo bilkul comfortably uske saath chal rahi thi.
Nain ki aankhen achanak khuli ki khuli reh gayi jab uski nazar Amir aur us larki par pari. Usne foran apni nazar hata li, lekin ek pal ke liye wo shocked reh gayi thi. Uske chehre ka rang thoda uda hua lag raha tha.
Naurez ne turant notice kiya ke Nain ki aankhon mein ajeeb si halchal thi. Usne apni nazar Amir aur uske saath wali larki par daali, aur sab samajh gayi. "Kya ho raha hai, Nain? Tum itni disturbed kyun lag rahi ho?" Naurez ne dheere se poocha.
Maham ne bhi Amir ko dekha aur thoda ghussa mehsoos kiya, lekin usne chup rehna behtar samjha. "Nain, tumhe toh pata tha ke tumhara aur Amir ka abhi koi scene nahi hai. Tum usay bas bhool jao. Tumhari feelings se pehle tumhara focus hona chahiye," Maham ne thoda softly kaha.
Nain ne dheere se saans bhari aur kaha, "Haan, lekin... main bas yeh soch rahi thi ke shayad kuch ho sakta tha." Uski disappointment uske chehre pe nazar aa rahi thi.
Naurez ne uska haath thoda gently pakad kar kaha, "Yaar, dekho, abhi hum yeh sab chhoti chhoti baatein ignore karen. Hum yahan study karne aaye hain, aur hum sab doston ka support hamesha tumhare saath hai."
Maham ne bhi Nain ko support karte hue kaha, "Haan, Naurez sahi keh rahi hai. Tum abhi focus karo apne goals pe. Amir jaise log bas side distractions hain."
Teeno ne ek dosre ki taraf dekha aur ek chhoti si muskurahat di. Lekin Nain ka dil abhi bhi halka sa bhari tha. Uske liye yeh sab samajhna mushkil ho raha tha, lekin usne apne doston ki baat sun kar apne aap ko sambhalne ki koshish ki.
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Jahan Nain apni taraf se yeh moment absorb kar rahi thi, wahin doosri taraf Muhammad Amir ne apni nazar chhupaye bagair Nain ko dekha. Uski aankhein uski taraf gayi, lekin uska chehra bilkul shant tha. Nain ka nikab uski aankhon ke emotions ko chhupa nahi sakta tha. Amir ko yeh dekh kar andar se ek ajeeb si kashish mehsoos hui.
Usne socha, "Yeh larki waqai kuch khaas hai. Uski aankhen itni gehri hain ke main unmein kho jata hoon." Amir ke dil mein ek chhupi hui tamanna thi ke wo Nain ke nikab ko hata kar uska poora chehra dekhe.
Lekin, us waqt Amir ke saath jo larki thi, wo uska bachpan ki dost thi. Uska naam Zara tha, aur wo apni wedding ki shopping ke liye Amir ke saath discussion kar rahi thi. Zara ka apna ek rista tha, aur wo shadi ke baare mein excitement se baat kar rahi thi.
"Amir, tum sun rahe ho ya nahi? Main tumhein bata rahi hoon ke mujhe apne wedding ki shopping karni hai, aur tumhara dhyan kahin aur hai!" Zara ne thoda annoyed hote hue kaha.
Amir ne foran apni attention Zara ki taraf kar li, lekin uski aankhen wapis baar baar Nain ki taraf ja rahi thi. "Haan, Zara, main sun raha hoon. Tumhari shopping ki baat ho rahi thi na?"
Zara ne uska haath thoda tap kar ke kaha, "Haan, lekin tumhara dhyan kahan hai? Tum waqai distracted lag rahe ho. Tumhein koi aur larki toh nahi pasand aayi?"
Amir ne halka sa smile kar ke Zara ko dekha aur kaha, "Nahi, tum bas apni shadi ki shopping ke baare mein baat karti jao. Main tumhara full attention dera hoon."
Zara ne hansi ke saath kaha, "Achha, theek hai. Waise mujhe tumhara opinion chahiye tha dresses ke designs par. Tumhein kaunsa color zyada pasand hai? Main soch rahi hoon kuch light shades pe focus karoon."
Amir ne Zara ki baat ko dhyan se suna, lekin uska focus ab bhi Nain ki taraf tha. Wo Nain ke baare mein sochta raha, aur andar hi andar yeh samajh nahi pa raha tha ke kyun wo Nain ke nikab ko hata kar uska poora chehra dekhna chahta tha.
Zara ne phir thoda tease karte hue kaha, "Amir, agar tumhein koi pasand hai toh mujhe bata do. Main tumhara bhi rista kara doongi!"
Amir ne hansi mein jawab diya, "Nahi Zara, filhal tum apni shadi pe focus karo. Mera waqt bhi aayega."
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Maira ko aj bohot bhook lagi thi. Lecture ke baad uska pet bilkul khaali lag raha tha. Usne apni best friend Summayya ki taraf dekha aur thoda shikayat bharay lehje mein kaha, "Yaar Summayya, bohot bhook lagi hai. Chal kuch khane chalte hain!"
Summayya, jo har waqt active aur mazaak mein rehti thi, thodi hansi ke saath jawab diya, "Mujhe to bas kuch thanda peena hai. Lekin sirdiyan hain, is thand mein zyada thanda peena bhi theek nahi lagta."
Maira ne thoda taana maarte hue kaha, "Haan haan, tum hamesha apne drinks pe focus karte ho. Lekin mujhe abhi kuch khana hai. Chemistry department ke canteen chalte hain, wahan Chinese rice bhi mil jata hai."
Summayya ne haan mein sir hilate hue jawab diya, "Theek hai, chalo."
Dono larkiyan Chemistry department ki canteen ke liye chal padi. Maira ka dimaag sirf khane pe tha, lekin Summayya ab bhi thoda confused thi ke wo kya order kare. Jab wo canteen ke qareeb pohnchi, toh unhone wahin pe Amir ko dekha, jo ek larki ke saath baitha tha. Dono apas mein kuch seriously discuss kar rahe thay. Summayya ne halki si curiosity ke saath Amir ki taraf dekha.
"Aray Maira, dekh, yeh Amir hai na?" Summayya ne dheere se kaha.
Maira ne bhi dekha aur phir thoda shocked ho gayi, "Haan, yeh wahi larki hai jo kal canteen mein uske saath thi! Lagta hai yeh dono ek dosray ke kaafi close hain."
Summayya ne thoda dhyan se sunne ki koshish ki, "Lagta hai yeh dono shadi ki shopping ke baare mein baat kar rahe hain!"
Maira ka mooh khul gaya, "Shadi ki shopping? Yani yeh dono engaged hain?" Uski aankhon mein surprise tha, lekin wo bhi thoda hurt mehsoos kar rahi thi. "Woh toh Nain ke taraf bhi dekh raha tha kal."
Summayya ne sir hila kar kaha, "Waise lagta hai yeh Amir kisi aur ke saath serious hai, aur phir bhi flirting chal rahi hai!" Dono ne phir baghair aur kuch kehne ke apna rukh wapas doston ki taraf kiya.
Jab Maira aur Summayya wapis apni doston, Nain, Naurez, Maham, aur Shehreen ke paas pohnchi, toh dono thodi excited thi ke unhe kya pata chala.
Maira ne sabko dekh kar bola, "Aray suno, humne abhi abhi Amir ko dekha canteen mein. Wo ek larki ke saath shadi ki shopping ki baat kar raha tha!"
Nain, jo pehle se thodi emotional thi, thoda shock se chup ho gayi. Naurez ne uski taraf dekha aur uska haath thoda gently pakar liya, "Tum fikar mat karo, Nain. Tumhein pata hai hum sab tumhare saath hain."
Maham ne, jo hamesha apne doston ke emotions ko samajhti thi, thoda gusse se kaha, "Matlab yeh banda engaged hai aur phir bhi flirting kar raha hai? Yeh toh bohot bura hai!"
Shehreen, jo hamesha straight talker hoti thi, foran ghussa ho gayi, "Haan, yeh Amir waqai do number banda lagta hai. Ek taraf engagement aur doosri taraf Nain ke taraf aankhein daal raha hai! Kitna dishonest hai."
Summayya ne bhi Shehreen ka saath dete hue kaha, "Mujhe toh waise bhi Amir ka nature kuch samajh nahi aata. Uska attitude hamesha ajeeb lagta hai."
Nain ne thoda ghussa dabate hue kaha, "Lekin mujhe yeh pata nahi tha. Agar wo engaged hai, toh phir mujhe uske baare mein sochna hi nahi chahiye." Uska dil toota hua tha, lekin usay apni doston ki support ka ahsaas ho raha tha.
Maira ne apni hansi chupate hue kaha, "Tum fikar mat karo, Nain. Tumhare liye bohot achay log honge. Amir ko bhool jao, aur abhi humein khana khaane do!" Maira ka focus hamesha khane pe rehta tha, lekin usne bhi Nain ko support karna zaroori samjha.
Maham ne sir hilate hue kaha, "Haan, Maira theek keh rahi hai. Aaj ka din tumhare liye sirf relax karne ka hai."
Naurez ne bhi apne andar ki softness ke saath Nain ko tasalli di, "Dekho Nain, hum sab yahan hain. Tumhein kisi ki zaroorat nahi hai, jo insaan tumhare liye theek hoga, wo waqt par zaroor aayega."
Nain ne apni doston ki baaton ko sun kar thoda halka mehsoos kiya. Lekin uska dil ab bhi thoda udaas tha. "Tum log sahi keh rahe ho. Shayad mujhe usko bhool jana chahiye," usne dheere se kaha.