Inkaar

Chapter 1.

O-Levels khatam ho chuke thay aur A-Levels ka aghaz hone wala tha, magar Sabiha Ibtisam ne us naye safar se pehle apni zindagi ki sab se bari ghalti kar di thi: Zavian Aurangzeb ke samne apne jazbaat ka izhaar.

Woh inkaar, jo farewell ki us shaam hua, kisi legend se kam nahi tha-sirf isliye kyunke woh behad aam, magar dil cheer dene wala tha.
Auditorium ke bahar ka mahol jashn aur ronqon se bhara tha, magar Sabiha ke dil mein tufaan umar raha tha.

Usne gehri saans li, apna midnight blue dress theek kiya jo uski shakhsiyat mein aik khamosh grace paida kar raha tha. Uska hijab uske chehre ki nooraniyat ko mazeed barha raha tha.

Uske hathon mein gulab aur chameeli ka aik khoobsurat bouquet tha, jis ki khushboo hawa mein ghul rahi thi, magar uski puri tawajjah sirf us aik shakhs par thi jisay woh dhoond rahi thi.

Kuch hi faaslay par, Zavian khara tha. Usne crisp black shirt aur dark trousers pehen rakhi thi jo uski rob-dar shakhsiyat ko mukammal bana rahi thi.

Aik hath jeb mein tha, aur doosre mein sulagti hui cigarette, jis ka dhuaan hawa mein halkay halkay ud raha tha. Woh hamesha ki tarah be-parwah aur maghroor lag raha tha.

Sabiha ke qadam uski taraf barhne lage. Uske unche heels ki *tap-tap* us khamosh jagah par aik wazeh rhythm paida kar rahi thi, jo uske dil ki tez hoti dharkano se mil rahi thi.

Woh jhijhki-har qadam aik jang ki tarah mehsoos ho raha tha-magar usne himmat jooti. Jab woh uske qareeb pahunchi, to heels ki awaaz khamosh ho gayi.

Zavian ne abhi tak uski taraf nahi dekha tha, magar Sabiha janti thi ke ab wapsi ka koi rasta nahi.

Do saal ki mehnat, raaton ki jaag aur exams ka wo bojh ab khatam ho chuka tha. Sabiha ke A-Levels ke results C-grades mein aaye thay.

Kuch log ise mamooli samajh sakte thay, magar Sabiha ke liye ye aik jeet thi; woh mutma'in thi ke usne haar nahi maani thi. Lekin, uski is choti si khushi ka markaz sirf aik shakhs tha:

Zavian Aurangzeb.
Zavian college ka "Golden Boy" tha. Aurangzeb Pharmaceuticals ka waris, lambi qad-o-qamat, teekhi aankhein, aur aisi kashish jo kisi maqnatees ki tarah sab ko apni taraf khench leti thi.

Woh sirf handsome nahi tha; woh aik zeheen aur charismatic student tha jo hamesha straight A's leta tha.

College ka har shakhs us ka dewana tha, aur Sabiha bhi un mein se aik thi. Uske liye, Zavian sirf aik larka nahi, balkay aik khwab tha.

Jaise hi Sabiha qareeb hui, Zavian ne apna sar uthaya aur uski taraf dekha. Uske chehre par wahi pur-aitmaad smirk thi.

"Sabiha? Tum yahan kya kar rahi ho?" Zavian ne pucha, uski awaaz mein aisi sardi thi jisne Sabiha ka dil cheer kar rakh diya.

Is se pehle ke Sabiha kuch keh pati, uski cigarette ka dhuaan Sabiha ke phapron mein gaya, jis se usey zor ki khansi aayi. Zavian ki bhonhein na-pasandgi se sikar gayin.

Usne foran cigarette phenk di aur apni suit ki jeb se handkerchief nikal kar uski taraf barhaya, halanke uske chehre ke taassurat ab bhi thanday thay.

"Apna khayal rakho," usne be-rukhi se kaha, aur phir dono hath wapas apni jebon mein daal liye, jaise Sabiha ke qareeb khara hona bhi uske mayar ke khilaf ho.

Sabiha ne kante hathon se gulab aur chameeli ka wo bouquet barhaya. Uske saansein ukhri hui thin aur dil aisa lag raha tha jaise pasliyon se takra kar toot jayega.

"Zavian... ye tumhare liye hain," usne kanpti hui awaaz mein kaha. "Aaj hamara farewell hai, aur... tumhare results mubarak ho. Main bas ye kehna chahti thi... ke main tumse mohabbat karti hoon."

Zavian khamosh raha. Kuch lamhon tak wahan bhari sannata chha gaya, jise sirf auditorium se aati dhimi music ki awaaz tor rahi thi.

Phir, usne apna sar thora sa jhukaya aur Sabiha par apni thandi, teekhi nazar dali. Jab woh bola, to uske alfaaz khanjar ki tarah chubh gaye.

"Mohabbat?" Zavian ne mazahiya andaz mein muskurate hue pucha.

"Kya tum sach mein sochti ho ke tumhari choti si duniya aur tumhare ye mamooli jazbaat mere mayar ke barabar hain? Sabiha, main Aurangzeb Pharmaceuticals ka waris hoon. Meri reputation aur mera mustaqbil tum jaise logon ke sath ulajhne se kharab nahi ho sakta. Dobara kabhi meri taraf dekhne ki koshish mat karna."

Sabiha ke chehre ka rang ud gaya. Woh wahan pathar ki tarah khari reh gayi, jaise us ka wajood hi khatam ho gaya ho.

Zavian baghair kisi pachtaway ke mud kar chal para, jaise wahan aik pal aur khara hona bhi uski shaan ke khilaf ho.

"Ruko!" Sabiha ne pukara, uski aankhon mein aansu bhar aaye thay. "Kam az kam ye phool to le lo. Ye bas aik tohfa hai... doston ke darmiyan."

Zavian ruka, magar usne palat kar dekhne ki zehmat nahi ki. Usne be-parwahi se kandhay uchhaye aur thandi awaaz mein kaha:

"Ye tum hi rakho. Mujhe tumhare aansuon ya tumhare saste tohfon mein koi dilchaspi nahi hai."

Aur isi ke sath, woh apni duniya mein khoya hua wahan se chala gaya, aur Sabiha ko wahan akela aur toot chuka chhor gaya.

A-Levels ka naya safar shuru ho chuka tha, magar Sabiha ke liye ye naya agaaz kisi nayi museebat se kam nahi tha.

Maskan Chowrangi ke qareeb waqay Beaconhouse ka ye campus, jo apni behtareen faculty aur homely mahol ke liye jana jata tha, aaj Sabiha ko bojh lag raha tha. Wajah sirf aik thi: Zavian Aurangzeb.

Usay samajh nahi aa raha tha ke Zavian ne isi campus ka intekhab kyun kiya? Kya duniya choti par gayi thi? Farewell par ki gayi uski 'confession' ki kahani college ke har kone mein aag ki tarah phail chuki thi.

Zavian ke doston ne usay mazaaq ka nishana bana diya tha, aur ab, class mein kadam rakhne se pehle hi, Sabiha college ka 'joke' ban chuki thi.
Sabiha ne campus ke gate par khare ho kar apni aankhein mali.

Chota sa campus, khula-khula sa mahol, lekin uski nazrein wahan atak gayin jahan Zavian apni 'royal entry' de raha tha.

Woh hamesha ki tarah apne do sab se qareebi doston, Irtiza aur Affan ke sath tha.

Teeno kisi gehri baat par hans rahe thay, aur Sabiha ko yaqeen tha ke unke hasne ki wajah wahi hai-us ki mohabbat, us ka inkaar, aur us ki ruswai.

Tabhi, piche se kisi ne uska kandha thapthapaya. Ye Fizza thi. Fizza, jo Irtiza ki girlfriend thi aur Zavian ke group ki har choti-bari khabar Sabiha tak pohanchati thi. Lekin aaj, Sabiha ke dil mein un baton ke liye koi dilchaspi nahi bachi thi.

"Sabiha! Kahan khoi hui ho?" Fizza ne muskurate hue kaha, jabke uski nazrein bhi wahi theen jahan Sabiha ki theen.

"Dekho, woh log canteen ki taraf ja rahe hain. Irtiza ne bataya tha ke Zavian aaj mood mein nahi hai, shayad farewell ke baad se kuch chirchira sa rehta hai."

Sabiha ne koi jawab nahi diya, bas aankhein ghuma lin. Fizza ko uski khamoshi ki aadat nahi thi, isliye usne baat jari rakhi.

"Sabiha, sun rahi ho? Zavian ka group canteen mein baithne wala hai. Agar tum chaho to hum piche wali table par baith sakte hain, taake tum usay dekh sako..."

Sabiha ne thandi aah bhari aur canteen ki taraf barhte hue bola, "Fizza, please. Mujhe ab koi dilchaspi nahi hai ke woh kahan baith raha hai ya uska mood kaisa hai. Mujhe bas apne subjects par focus karna hai. Woh chapter khatam ho chuka hai, aur ab main wahan wapas nahi jana chahti."

Fizza ki aankhon mein herani thi, magar Sabiha ne usay mazeed kuch kehne ka mauqa nahi diya aur canteen ki bheer mein ghus gayi, koshish karte hue ke uski nazar Zavian par na paray, jo wahan baitha apni aane wali tabahi ka sabab bani hui us 'joke' par hans raha tha.