Hello everyone. Back with the new chapter. Sorry for being late as always.

C.I.D. obsessed: Thank you, dear. I don't do shayari or poems. It's just that I'm a huge novel lover and after reading a lot of novels, I've tried to apply those writing skills to my writing.

Also thank you Shajila Singh and Babli 15 and all other readers. Keep reading and enjoying.

Dard Ka Naam Ishq

Chapter 3

Purvi apne kamre ke bistar par taangen phaila kar beth gayi. Dopehar ke 2 baj rahe the. Khirkiyon se tapti dhoop ain uske chehre par chamak rahi thi. Us ne jhulaa kar bistar se uth kar khirkiyon ke parde barabar (band) kar diye and wapis apni jagah par jam gayi. Aaj ka din gair mamooly tor par use thaka dene wala din saabit hua tha. Use mehsoos ho raha tha ke woh pehle hi qadam par kamzor saabit ho rahi hai. Us ki tabiyat bohat bojhal thi Abhijeet se milne ke baad. Najaane ye kaisa asar tha jo woh wahan se aate hue apne saath hi le aayi thi. Us ne apni tabiyat ke is bojhalpan se chutkara paane ke liye ghusal khane (bathroom) ka rukh kiya aur sink ke saamne khare ho kar paani ki tooti khol di aur palak jhapakte mein paani ki taiz dhaar us ke saamne sink mein behne lagi. Us ne do qadam barhaye aur apne chehre par thande thaar paani ki lehron ko hathon ke mukhtalif zawiyon (angles) se phainkne lagi.

"Naraaz hone ki zaroorat nahi hai Purvi" Us ke kamre ka darwaaza tik se khula tha aur Geet andar daakhil hui thi. Geet ki awaaz Purvi ke kaanon se takrayi.

"Mein naraaz nahi hun" Paani ki dhaar us ke aik haath ki harkat se ruk gayi thi. Us ne jaldi se apna mun toliye se poncha aur bahir nikalte hue dheere se boli.

"Hona bhi nahi chahiye warna meine bhi konsa tumhe mana lena tha" Us ki khanakti hui hansi kamre mein goonji thi. Woh aik matnasib (darmiyane) qad o kath ki larki thi, Sunehre lambe baal, khoobsurat naqoosh liye hue magar us mein kashish nahi thi, us ki nisbat Purvi mein aik mawarai kashish thi jo har aire ghaire ko us ke qareeb kheenchti thi.

Purvi ne uski baat ka koi jawaab na diya. Bas halka sa muskura di aur kamre mein bikhri hui cheezein samaitne mein lag gayi.

"Bade nakhre ho gaye hain tumhare, ab to jawaab bhi nahi deti. Acha, mana lungi baba. Waise sahi mein kisi ko manaya kaise jaata hai ye mujhe maloom nahi. Ye saadatmand larki to tum hi ban sakti ho. Kabhi kabhi mujhe lagta hai ke mein tumhari badi behan hun aur tum meri choti behan...ohoo galat keh gayi..kabhi kabhi nahi. Hamesha hi yahi lagta hai" Geet Purvi ke bistar par poori tarhan jamte hue aik adaa se boli.

"Geet, tum kab sudhrogi? Tum waqaie theek kehti ho, mein kabhi badi behan nahi ban payi. Tum man maniyan karti gayi aur mein tumhe kabhi rok hi nahi payi. Tumhari man maniyon mein tumhara saath deti gayi. Apna, tumhara, aur sab ka nuqsaan karti gayi" Purvi anjaane dukh mein beh gayi. Najaane woh konse barbadi ke din the jo yaad a gaye the.

"Kya man maani ki hai maine?" Geet ne Purvi ke ooper achnabhe se ankhein uthayein. Par yakeenan un aankhon mein izteraab (uljhan, bechaini) chupa tha jis ko chupane ki be inteha koshish ki gayi thi.

"Mein woh sab yaad nahi karna chahti. Tum khud bhi janti ho ke tum ne kya kiya hai aur kya nahi" Purvi ne dheere se aankhein band kar lein aur bistar par aadhi gir gayi.

"Woh sab qismat mein likha tha. Meri ghalti nahi thi. Mene to sirf apna bhala chaha tha par shayad qismat ko manzoor hi nahi tha" Woh be inteha dhitayi se boli thi aur kamre se nikalti chali gayi thi. Andar band darwaaze ke peeche Purvi aur us ki tanhaiyaan reh gayi theen.

Woh aj bhi wahin khadi thi jahan woh kal khadi thi. Wohi aali shaan darwaaza, wohi manzil, wohi souz se lada aik makaan jo ghar kehlaane ke laiq nahi raha tha. Chokidaar ne darwaaza khol diya tha. Aankhon mein pehchaan chamak uthi thi. Purvi andar daakhil ho gayi. Aaj bhi wohi raste the, wohi mahol tha. Kuch bhi tabdeel nahi hua tha. Aaj bhi woh un hi raston se chal kar us ke kamre ke ain saamne aa khadi thi. Do kadam aur, aur woh us ke kamre mein hoti aur dekhte hi dekhte woh do qadam bhi woh paar kar gayi par phir achanak hi kisi khayaal se ruk gayi. Darwaaze ko dakhailne ke bajaye darwaaze pe halki si dastak (darwaza bajana) de daali. Do minute guzar gaye magar darwaaza na khula. Weerani ka ye aalam tha ke yun laga jaise koi rehta hi na ho is kamre mein. Hath dobara darwaaza khatkhatane ke liye uthe aur is baar zara zor se. Magar jawab tha ke aata hi nahi. Dastak ki goonj aik baar phir us ke haathon se paida hui thi aur us ke haath uthaane se pehle hi darwaaza dhad se khul gaya tha. Darwaaze ki dehleez par woh khadi thi aur doosri taraf woh khada tha. Chehre par weerani aur sipat pan tha. Us ne aaj bhi wohi kapre pehne hue the jo kapre us ne kal pehne hue the. Maili si neeli shirt aur kaale pajame. Baal bikhre hue the. Kuch pal yunhi guzar gaye aur pata bhi nahi chala. Na hi Purvi kuch boli aur na hi Abhijeet kuch bola. Un dono ke beech sadiyon ki khamoshi thi jo toot ke hi nahi de rahi thi. Aankhein bol rahi theen aur lab chup the.

"Kese ho?" Aankhon ke taar toot gaye aur lab bolne lage. Purvi ne hi is khamoshi ko torne ki sakat ki jo un ke beech a gayi thi.

"Theek kese ho sakta hun? Qismat ko manzoor hi nahi" Woh najaane konsi khalaon ko ghoor kar bola tha jaise Purvi se nahi, khud se kalaam (bolna) ho.

Purvi kuch na boli. Woh sirf us ki aankhon mein do pal ko daikhe gayi taake khoj le woh gham, woh dard jo is insaan ne paal liya tha aur jis ne isse kahin ka nahi choda tha.

"Tum?" Shayad woh ab hi Purvi pe ghor kar paaya tha. Pehle to woh shayad yahi samjha tha ke shayad us ki tanhaiyaan us se mukhatib hain.

"Purvi. Tumhari dost. Banoge mere dost. Mera is duniya mein koi dost nahi hai" Purvi ka haath Abhijeet ki taraf badha tha. Purvi ke chehre pe aik man moh lene waali muskurahat thi jis pe koi bhi fidaa ho jaata.

"Purvi.." Woh zeere lab badbadaya tha aur najaane kis lamhe mein us ka haath aage badha tha, aur bohat qareeb tha ke woh purvi ka naram mulaim haath thaam leta magar phir kisi khayal se foran se pehle apna hath peeche kheench liya.

"Purvi? Dost? Bewaqoof samjha hai mujhe. Sab jaanta hun. Bhoola nahi hun mein tumhe. Samjhi? Kal aayi thi na tum? Yaad hai mujhe. Tumhe kya laga tha dhoka do gi mujhe aur mein tumhare dhoke mein a jaun ga. Ab nahi hoga yeh" Woh itne zor se chilla raha tha ke us ka gala phatne wala ho raha tha magar woh tha ke chup hone ka naam hi nahi le raha tha. Saath hi aansuon ki aik rail bhi behti ja rahi thi.

"Abhijeet, aisa kuch bhi nahi hai. Aik baar yaqeen kar ke to dekho" lafaz khud ba khud hi adaa hote gaye. Saath hi aankh ka aik beimaan qatra bhi beh nikla.

"Yaqeen aik baar kiya jata hai, baar baar nahi aur agar aik baar toot jaye to phir judta nahi hai. Bohat naazuk hota hai ye" Woh uski aankhon mein dekh ke bola aur najaane Purvi ko kyun laga ke woh yaqeen shayad us ne hi toda hai halanke woh aj Abhijeet se doosri baar mil rahi thi. Bina jaane, bina mile, bhala woh uska yaqeen kaise tod sakti thi.

"Mein andar a jaun?" Purvi ne yun zaahir kiya jaise us ki simaat ne woh sab suna hi nahi jo Abhijeet ne use kaha.

"Bohat dheet ho" Abhijeet darwaaze ke beech mein yun khada ho gaya ke Purvi andar daakhil na ho sake.

"Haan, Woh to mein hun par dost mein us se bhi zyaada achi saabit ho sakti hun. Aazmaish shart hai" Purvi hans kar yun boli jaise woh dono aik doosre ko najaane kitne barson se jaante hon.

"Tumhe mere ghar se dhakke de kar nikalna pade ga kya?" Us ki aankhein lahu rang ho gayein magar lehja sipaat raha.

"Nahi. Is ki zaroorat nahi hai. Mein khud hi chali jaati hun par tumhe meri aik baat manni pade gi. Mano ge na?" Aankhon mein bebasi liye woh boli thi. Us ke hosale digmaga rahe the. Woh har lamhe ek nayi oonchayi se neeche gir rahi thi jin ki gehraiyaan be panah theen.

"Kya baat?" Us ka sar jhuk gaya tha. Shayad haar maan gaya tha us ka dimaag Purvi ke bepanah hosalon ke aage.

"Batati hun magar kya mein pehle andar a sakti hun?" Woh muskura ke boli thi. Abhijeet ne Purvi ke liye jagah chod di jaise ijazat de raha ho. Purvi dehleez paar kar gayi Abhijeet ko wahi darwaaze ke saamne khada chod kar. Purvi almari ke paas ayi aur us ko khol diya aur nikal padi khoj pe. Us ne aik saaf suthri sabz shirt aur kaali jeans almari mein se nikaal li aur woh le ke Abhijeet ke peeche khadi ho gayi.

"Abhijeet?" Purvi ne Abhijeet ko pukaara magar woh shayad sun hi nahi paya tha.

"Abhijeet?" Aik aur pukaar aur Abhijeet apni sochon se chaunk kar Purvi ki taraf palta tha.

"Kya hai yeh?" Purvi ne kapre Abhijeet ki taraf badha diye jis ko laite hue woh dheere se ulajhte hue kehta hai.

"Kapre. Jao, aur naha lo aur phir ye kaprein pehen lena balke mein istary bhi kar deti hun" Woh muskura kar kapre wapas lene ke liye apne haath badhati hai.

"Mein theek hun. Zaroorat nahi hai mujhe" Woh usko kapre thamate hue sipaat lehje mein bolta hai.

"Beshak tumhe zaroorat nahi magar mujhe to hai na zaroorat. Baat nahi mano ge meri. Theek hai, mein bhi nahi jaungi jab tak tum meri baat nahi maan lete" Woh ek shareer si muskaan chehre par sajaye hans kar maze se bolti hai.

Doosre hi lamhe, Purvi ke haathon se kapre jhapte gaye the aur Purvi ke kuch kehne se pehle hi woh ghusal khane ki taraf badhta chala gaya.

"Are are, itni taizi. Kapre istary to karwa lete" Woh zor se hans kar awaaz lagati hai.

"Bhaad mein jaooo" Ghusal khane se wapas ghuseeli awaaz goonji thi.

Purvi dheere se muskura kar kamre se bahir nikal jati hai aur bawarchi khane (kitchen) mein ja kar bawarchi (chef) ko Abhijeet ke liye kuch acha sa banane ko kehti hai aur phir aik baar phir is ghar ki diwaaron se alvida leti hai aik baar aur wapas aane ke liye.

To be continued

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