2.

Teen haftay guzar chuke thay, aur Nain, Maham, Maira, Naurez, aur Kainat ki dosti ab ek mazboot rishtay mein tabdeel ho gayi thi. In sab ka aik hi route tha, University Bus Route 2. Har roz subah jab bus ke liye intezaar karti thi, toh wo apni chhoti si gang ke saath honay par khud ko mutmaeen mehsoos karti thi. Bus ki yeh safar inka apna aik chhota sa routine ban gaya tha.

"Yaar, yeh seniors boys ajeeb hain na?" Maham ne dheere se Maira ke kaan mein kaha, jab bus mein chadhne ka waqt aaya.

Maira ne muskurate hue Maham ko dekha aur dheere se jawab diya, "Haan, bilkul. Har waqt peeche ki teen seats par jam kar baithe rehte hain, jaise unka haq hai."

Naurez, jo hamesha Maira ke saath baithti thi, unki baaton par chup si muskurahat layi, lekin kuch kaha nahi. Maham ne dekh liya aur thoda mazak mein kaha, "Naurez tum kabhi in boys ke baare mein kuch nahi kehti. Kya tumhe ye seniors achay lagte hain?"

Naurez ne hansi dabate hue jawab diya, "Nahi, bas main unka notice nahi karti."

Nain, jo hamesha Maham aur Kainat ke saath baithti thi, peechay se boli, "Waise notice toh karna chahiye. Har roz ye log humari taraf ajeeb nazron se dekhte hain."

Is waqt peechay ki taraf se ek senior larka unki taraf dekhta hua guzar gaya. Maham ne dheere se Maira ke kaan mein kaha, "Dekho, dekho, phir ghur raha hai."

Maira ne zor se hasne se khud ko rokha aur kaha, "Kya lagta hai? Yeh seniors hamesha aise hi weird rahenge ya kabhi normal bhi ho jayenge?"

"Mujhe toh nahi lagta," Maham ne aansu pochhti hui hansi ke beech jawab diya.

Phir, ek din jab bus waise hi dheemi chal rahi thi, Kainat ka ghussa phir se bhadak utha. "Yeh bus uncle itna slow kyu chala raha hai? Agar main apne walid ko keh doon, toh kal se yeh uncle nahi hoga yahan."

Bus mein aik awkward si silence chha gayi. Sab larkiyan ek dosre ki taraf dekhti rahi, lekin koi jawab nahi de raha tha. Har koi samajh raha tha ke Kainat ka yeh attitude kabhi kabhi baat ko zyada complicated bana deta hai.

Maira ne awkward silence ko torhte hue dheere se kaha, "Chalo yaar, bus uncle ko chhor do, unhe apni marzi se chalne do. Waise bhi hum roz late nahi hote, time pe hi pohanch jaate hain."

Maham ne bhi haan mein haan milate hue kaha, "Haan, thoda slow chalata hai, lekin safe toh hai na. Waise bhi humara safar maze se guzar raha hota hai."

Kainat thodi naaraaz si ho gayi lekin chup rahi.

-

Aksar yeh hota tha ke jab wo larkiyan apni seats par bethi hoti thi, toh senior larkiyan unhein dekh kar naaraaz ho jaati thi. Ek din jab seats ke liye phir se ek chhota sa jhagra hua, toh Maira ne dheere se kaha, "Yaar, yeh larkiyan kya samajhti hain? Bus mein sabko seats leni hoti hain. Agar hum pehle aa kar baithe hain toh humara haq hai."

Maham ne hasi dabate hue jawab diya, "Inka haq sirf ghussa karna hai. Waise bhi yeh seniors hain, unhein apni dignity ka khayal rakhna chahiye."

Naurez, jo hamesha chup rehti thi, aaj bol uthi, "Mujhe lagta hai inka mood har roz bigra hota hai. Shayad yeh hum junior larkiyon ko pasand nahi karti."

Sab ne is baat par muskurahat ke saath sir hila diya. Guftagu ka silsila wapis shuru ho gaya, lekin Kainat ab bhi thodi off lag rahi thi.

Maira ne Maham ki taraf dekha aur dheere se kaha, "Waise tumhari aur Naurez ki dosti kitni jaldi ho gayi hai, tum dono kitni achi tarah ghul mil gayi ho."

"Haan, waise Naurez thodi si chup hai lekin jab baat karti hai toh bilkul dil se karti hai," Maham ne jawab diya.

Naurez ne yeh sun kar ek chhoti si muskurahat di aur kaha, "Tum dono ke saath ghulna milna waise bhi asaan hai."

Maira or Maham confuse thay, Kia yay baisti thi?

-

Aj Superior University ke auditorium mein ek aur session tha. Maham aaj absent thi, is liye sirf Nain, Naurez, Maira, aur Kainat hi maujood thi. Session ek tareeqe ka introduction tha, jisme university ke kuch professors naye students ke liye guftagu kar rahe thay. Lekin sab larkiyan session se thodi bore ho rahi thi. Kainat ne ek do baar apna phone check kiya aur Maira ke kaan mein dheere se kaha, "Yeh session khatam kab hoga, bohot boring hai."

Maira ne sir hila kar haan mein haan milai, "Haan yaar, samajh nahi aa raha yeh kya faida hai iss sab ka." Naurez bhi chup chaap sun rahi thi, jab ke Nain, hamesha ki tarah, nazarien neeche kiye baithi thi.

Achaanak se Nain ke chehre par ek ajnabi sa asar nazar aaya. Uski aankhon ka focus badal gaya aur wo seedha stage ki taraf dekhne lagi. Pehle to wo thoda ghumaayi, lekin phir unki nazrein ek jagah jaa ke atak gayi. Naurez ne foran mehsoos kar liya ke kuch ajeeb ho raha tha.

"Nain? Tum theek ho?" Naurez ne dheere se poocha, lekin Nain ne koi jawab nahi diya.

Naurez ne uski follow ki hui nazar ko dekha aur phir apni aankhon ko stage ki taraf le gayi. Wahan ek naya chehra tha — ek lamba, fit larka jo white T-shirt aur black jeans pehne hue tha, joggers ke saath. Uska chehra handsome tha, aur poora andaz bohot confident aur dominating tha. Uske chehre par ek halki si muskurahat thi, jo ek saath gentle aur mazahiya lag rahi thi.

Wo larka auditorium ke stage par khada tha, aur wo un professor se mazaaq kar raha tha jo abhi tak students ke liye guftagu kar rahe thay.

"Sir, lagta hai aapko CS department ke students ka intezaar tha, haina?" Larka has kar keh raha tha.

Professor ne bhi hansi mein jawab diya, "Haan, lagta hai sab CS wale aise hi late aate hain!"

Larka muskuraya aur apne aap ka tareef karwate hue bola, "Main Muhammad Amir hoon, Computer Science ka freshman."

Jaise hi Muhammad Amir ne apna naam announce kiya, auditorium mein halki si hansi aur whispers shuru ho gayi. Naurez ne ek pal ke liye Nain ki taraf dekha aur usay Nain ka awkward andaz samajh aa gaya. Nain ne apni nazrein foran stage se hata kar neeche kar li thi, lekin uske chehre par ek ajeeb si muskurahat thi.

"Hmmm... kya baat hai Nain?" Naurez ne dheere se muskurate hue poocha.

Nain ne thodi si sharmate hue dheere se sir hila diya aur halki si muskurahat di. "Kuch nahi," usne chupke se jawab diya.

Lekin Naurez ne uske chehre ka rang dekh kar samajh liya tha ke baat kuch zyada thi. "Achha, toh tumhe yeh larka kaisa laga?" Naurez ne teasing andaz mein pucha.

Nain ne chupke se aankhon mein sharm bhari muskurahat ke saath dheere se kaha, "Bohot handsome hai, aur bohot tall bhi."

Naurez ne thoda hansi dabate hue bola, "Waqai? Tumhe lagta hai yeh dashing hai?"

Nain ne apne chehre par ghair eradi muskurahat sambhalte hue sir hila diya, "Haan, thoda zyada hi."

Donon ne aik dosre ki taraf muskurate hue dekha aur halki si hansi nikal gayi. Dono ke beech yeh aik nayi, chhupi hui guftagu thi jo sirf inke darmiyan samajh mein aa rahi thi. Muhammad Amir ka andaz aur uski shakhsiat dono larkiyon par apna asar chhor chuki thi.

Nain ne phir se stage ki taraf dekha, lekin phir jaldi se apni nazrein wapis le li. "Kuch zyada hi acha lag raha tha, Naurez," usne dheere se kaha.

"Tum toh kaafi impress ho gayi lagti ho," Naurez ne hansi ke saath kaha.

Nain ne zyada kuch nahi kaha, sirf apne aap ko busy karte hue ek book nikaal li, lekin uske chehre ki muskurahat ab bhi wahan thi.

Maira, jo in dono ki guftagu dekh rahi thi, thodi confuse ho gayi thi. "Kya ho raha hai tum dono ke beech?" Maira ne directly poocha, thoda surprise hote hue.

Naurez ne thoda laugh dabate hue kaha, "Kuch nahi, bas Muhammad Amir ko dekh kar Nain thodi si lost ho gayi thi."

"Kaun Muhammad Amir?" Maira ne confusion mein stage ki taraf dekha.

"Wohi jo abhi stage par tha, CS wala," Naurez ne muskurate hue jawab diya.

Maira ne thoda apni ankhen ghumai aur bola, "Oh, ye larka? Tum dono uske baare mein baat kar rahi thi?"

Nain ne halki si sharamindagi ke saath sir hila diya, "Haan, bas aise hi... kuch khaas nahi."

Maira thodi si awkward si ho gayi thi. Wo hamesha straightforward hoti thi, aur aise chhupi chhupi guftagu uske liye ajeeb hoti thi. Usne ek nazar Kainat ki taraf daali, jo chup chaap apne phone mein masroof thi. Kainat se baat karna hamesha thoda mushkil lagta tha, lekin ab usay koi aur rasta nahi nazar aya.

"Toh Kainat, tumhe yeh session kaisa lag raha hai?" Maira ne awkwardly poocha, sirf guftagu ko zinda rakhne ke liye.

Kainat ne apna phone neeche rakha aur thoda bored andaz mein jawab diya, "Boring hai. In sessions ka koi faida nahi. Mere walid agar yahan hote toh yeh sab kuch bohot alag hota."

Maira ne zyada jawab nahi diya. Usay har baar Kainat ka yeh walid ka zikar thoda irritating lagta tha, lekin wo chup rahi.