Nain aaj apni normal routine mein thi. Subah subah woh university ayi, jaise har roz karti thi, lekin aaj ka din kuch alag sa tha. Uska dil halka halka ghabra raha tha, lekin usne iseh ignore kar diya. "Shayad thakaan ki wajah se hai," usne apne aap ko tasalli di.
Aaj uska pehla lecture bohot interesting tha. Lecture hall mein doston ke saath baith kar uska mood theek ho gaya. Kainat aur uske Radiology ke doston ke saath milne ka waqai apna maza tha.
Jaise hi lecture khatam hua, Nain, Kainat aur baaki dost hall se nikal kar neeche seerhiyon par chalne lage. Hawwa garm thi, aur seediyan utarte waqt Nain ka dhyaan thoda sa hil gaya.
Nain ke pair phisal gaye aur wo girne wali thi, lekin achanak kisi ne uski baazoo thaam li. "Aray sambhal ke!" ek mardana awaaz Nain ke kaanon mein goonj uthi.
Wo shakhs aur koi nahi, balki Arslan tha, jo Naurez ka senior bhi reh chuka tha. Arslan, jise doston mein Banta ke naam se bulaya jata tha, apne ajeeb tareeqay se chalne ki wajah se mashhoor tha. "Thanks, bhai," Nain ne jhat se kaha, apni sharam aur hairani ko chupane ki koshish karte hue.
"Koi baat nahi," Arslan ne muskurate hue kaha, lekin phir apni funny andaaz mein bola, "Waise thoda weight kam karo, phisalna mushkil ho jayega."
Yeh sun kar Nain aik dum embarrassed ho gayi. Uska chehra surkh ho gaya, aur usne jhat se wahan se hattna pasand kiya. "Itni embarrassing baat kar di, uff!" Nain ne apne andar hi andar socha, lekin usne apni muskurahat ko zabardasti barqarar rakha.
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Cafeteria ka waqt tha, aur Nain, Naurez, Maham, Shehreen, Summayya, aur Maira sab Botany Department ke cafeteria mein baith kar aaraam kar rahe thay. Chemistry department ka cafeteria hamesha ki tarah crowded tha, lekin Botany Department ka cafeteria qudratan khaali tha. Yeh unka favourite spot tha, kyun ke yahaan aaraam se baith kar guftagu karna aur thoda relax karna zyada behtar lagta tha.
Jab sab larkiyan maze se apne khanay mein masroof thi, achanak Arslan apne doston ke saath wahan aa gaya. Wo log hamesha yehin aakar lunch karte thay. Arslan ne Nain ko dekha, aur ek baar phir funny tareeqay se chal kar uske paas aaya. "Phir girne ka plan hai?" Arslan ne mazaak karte hue kaha.
Nain ne apni aankhon mein sharm aur hassi chhupate hue jawab diya, "Nahi, ab sambhal ke chalungi."
Dur se Waleed, Arslan ka dost, un dono ko baat karte dekh raha tha. Usne ek baar phir dekh kar Arslan ko ishara kiya, lekin Arslan apne mazaak mein masroof tha. Waleed ne ye manzar apni aankhon mein basa liya aur thodi dair baad jab Muhammed Amir se mila, toh baat badh gayi.
"Woh Arslan aur Nain ko maine cafeteria mein saath baithay dekha hai," Waleed ne sirf ek casual andaaz mein kaha, lekin Amir ke liye yeh khabar intehai ahmiyat rakhne lagi. "Woh log toh kaafi comfortable lag rahe thay," Waleed ne aur bhi shaq paida kar diya.
Muhammed Amir ke chehre par gussa aur ghalatfehmi ki lehar daud gayi. "Kya yeh sach hai?" usne apne aap se poocha. "Kya Nain aur Arslan ke darmiyan kuch chal raha hai?"
Us raat Amir ne Nain se baat nahi ki, aur andar hi andar yeh ghalatfehmi badhti gayi. Uska dil is baat ko tasleem karne ko tayyar nahi tha ke jo usne dekha wo sach hai, lekin shak ka zeher uske dimaagh mein barh raha tha.
Back at the Botany cafeteria, Maham ne Nain ki taraf dekha aur kaha, "Tumhara mood kyun off lag raha hai? bantay ki baat buri lagi kya?"
Nain ne thoda hasa aur bola, "Nahi yaar, bas ajeeb lagta hai jab koi weight ke baare mein baat karta hai."
Naurez ne mazaak mein kaha, "Tumhein bantay ki baat dil pe nahi leni chahiye, wo to hamesha aise hi bolta hai. Tumhe dekh ke lagta hai ke bas kisi ka bhi din ban jata hai!"
Shehreen ne bhi hansi mein shamil hote hue kaha, "Mujhe to lagta hai banta ka mazaq karna tumhare baare mein nahi tha, bas uski aadat hai."
Maira, jo sada si aur masoom thi, chup chap sun rahi thi. Usne dheere se kaha, "Kya hamesha log sirf mazaq kehte hain, ya kabhi kabhi asal mein logon ki feelings chhupi hoti hain mazaq mein?"
Summayya ne hansi roknay ki koshish karte hue kaha, "Aray chhodo yeh sab, khana khatam karo. Botany department ka yeh aakhri khaali cafeteria hai, yahan ka maza lo."
Teeno larkiyan hansne lagi, lekin Naurez ko ab bhi Amir ka wo jhatka yaad tha. Usne apne dil mein faisla kar liya tha ke yeh baat abhi Nain se nahi karegi. "Baat ko thanda rehne do"
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