20.

Nain kay dil mein aj kal kuch ajeeb si ghabrahat thi. Har martaba jab uski nazrein Muhammed Amir se milti, wo ajeeb si vibes mehsoos karti thi, jaise kuch galat ho raha ho. Pehle toh usay laga ke yeh uski apni soch hai, lekin phir yeh baat ghalatfehmi se barh kar haqeeqat ban gayi. Ek hafta ho chuka tha aur Amir ne usay poori tarah ignore kiya tha. Na koi salaam, na koi guftagu. Jaise wo Nain ke wajood ko mehsoos hi nahi karta ho.

Nain ne apne dil ko tasalli di thi ke "Shayad yeh aadmi aisa hi hai, thoda reserved aur apne kaam se kaam rakhne wala." Lekin kuch tha jo theek nahi lag raha tha. Har dafa jab Amir ki aankhein us par padti thi, wo sirf door se dekhta tha, lekin baat nahi karta tha. "Yeh bad vibes kyun mehsoos ho rahi hain?" Nain ke dil mein sawaal barh gaye thay.

Ek din, jab university ka din bilkul aam tha, Nain ne Amir ko university ke garden mein kisi ladki ke saath baithay dekha. Wo pehli nazar mein usay pehchan nahi payi, lekin jo uski aankhon ne dekha, wo bilkul unexpected tha. Amir us ladki ke saath maze se hans raha tha, jaise dono bohot qareebi dost hoon. Nain ne apne dil ko sambhalne ki koshish ki. "Shayad koi dost hai," usne khud ko samjhaya, lekin us waqt tak andaza nahi tha ke yeh ladki kaun hai.

Baad mein, jab Nain ne Naurez se yeh baat ki, to Naurez ne thoda sa surprise lekin chup reh kar kaha, "Us ladki ka naam Samreen hai. Woh Amir ki girlfriend hai, aur woh Lahore University se hai." Yeh sunte hi Nain ke dil mein dard ki ek leher daud gayi. Wo jo khud se har waqt yeh sochti thi ke shayad Amir usay pasand karta hai, uski soch aik lamhe mein bikhar gayi thi.

"Girlfriend?" Nain ne dheemi si awaz mein kaha, lekin uska chehra iss baat ko maanne ke liye tayyar nahi tha.

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Naurez ko iss baat ka pehle se hi pata tha. Usne Amir aur Samreen ko pehle bhi saath dekha tha. Lekin Naurez ne yeh baat Nain se chupai thi, kyun ke wo apni dost ko dukhi nahi karna chahti thi. "Kya faida usay abhi batane ka? Jab samajh mein aayegi baat, khud hi samjh legi." Yeh soch kar usne Nain ko kuch nahi bataya.

Lekin aaj uska dil nahi maan raha tha. Usne aakhri baar apne dost Sufiyan se confirm karna zaroori samjha. Sufiyan ko Naurez apne dil mein "Chuss" kehti thi, kyun ke wo har baat mein apna unnecessary mashwara denay ke liye tayyar hota tha, lekin asli naam tha Sufiyan. Usne Sufiyan se directly poocha, "Amir ko jaanti ho na? Us ladki ka kya scene hai jo uske saath thi?"

Sufiyan ne bina jhijhak jawab diya, "Haan, woh Samreen hai. Amir ki girlfriend hai, dono kaafi time se saath hain. Wo Lahore University mein padhti hai."

Naurez ne apne dil mein ek gehri sans li aur apni chhupi hui muskurahat ko daba liya. "Chalo ab to tasalli ho gayi," usne khud se kaha. Lekin ab usay ye baat confirm karni thi ke sab sahi hai ya nahi. Usne Maham se baat ki aur kaha, "Mujhe confirm karna hai, yeh sab theek hai ya koi galatfehmi hai. Tum Abdullah se pooch lo, woh zoology department ka hai aur Amir ka bhi achha dost hai."

Maham ne Abdullah se baat ki aur jo jawab aaya usne Naurez ko bhi thoda shocked kar diya. "Haan, yeh baat sahi hai. Amir aur Samreen kaafi time se saath hain."

Jab Maham ne Naurez ko yeh baat batayi, dono ne faisla kiya ke yeh baat Nain ko na batayi jaye. "Kya zarurat hai usay dukh dene ki, Fazool admi hai wo or uski tension lay gi."

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Lekin Nain ko sab kuch pata chal chuka tha. Wo jo pehle se ghalatfehmi mein thi, ab wo ghalatfehmi bhi door ho chuki thi. Amir ke liye uske dil mein jo bhi feelings thi, wo ab thakawat aur bechaini mein tabdeel ho gayi thi. "Kab tak main is one sided feelings main rahoon gi?"

--

Lecture hall ke aik kone mein Summayya apni dost Maira aur Waleed ko dekhti thi. Maira aur Waleed ka kuch ajeeb sa mahaul tha. Waleed ne Maira se notes maange thay, lekin Maira ke paas notes the hi nahi. Wo apne aap ko kuch dino se is cheez ke liye bura mehsoos kar rahi thi ke usne kabhi dhang se notes banaye nahi, lekin wo Waleed ko yeh baat keh nahi paayi.

"Mujhe... notes dene the, lekin..." Maira ki awaaz dheemi thi, jaise usay apni baat kehne mein bhi jhijhak ho rahi ho.

Waleed thoda pareshan ho kar bola, "Koi baat nahi, tum de sakti ho jab time mile."

Maira ki aankhon mein ek ajeeb si sharam thi. Wo Waleed ko disappoint nahi karna chahti thi, lekin usay samajh nahi aa raha tha ke wo kya kare. Summayya ne yeh sab manzar dekha, aur apne dil mein socha, "Yeh dono itne awkward kyun hain?"

Summayya ne apne bag se apne notes nikaale aur chupke se Maira ke haath mein de diye. "Lo, yeh de do Waleed ko. Is se pehle ke wo aur awkward ho jaye," usne dheere se kaha aur hansi dabayi.

Maira ne Summayya ki taraf shukar guzaar nazron se dekha, aur phir jaldi se Waleed ke paas gayi. "Yeh lo notes," usne thodi sharam se kaha.

Waleed ne notes le liye aur ek halka sa smile kar ke wahan se chala gaya. Maira ne aik lambi sans li, jaise wo bohot bari tension se chhoot gayi ho.

"Na bana notes, kr lay oltay kam, Kaha tha kuch note kr lia karo." Summayya ne Maira ko mazak se danta.

"Yaarr, May kia karon mujh...Ahh." Maira ne sans lambi ki.

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