Agle din…

Sufiya college jaa rahi thi.

Subah ka time tha. Sheher abhi poori tarah se jag nahi paya tha, lekin roads par halki si movement shuru ho chuki thi. Sufiya apne bag ko shoulder par adjust karte hue jaldi jaldi bus stop ki taraf badh rahi thi.

Aaj ka din important tha.

Bohot important.

Usse apne college ke kuch documents submit karne the admission ka final process complete karna tha. Sirf 20 minutes ka kaam tha lekin agar woh miss ho jaata, toh poora process delay ho sakta tha.

Aur Sufiya aisa bilkul nahi chahti thi.

Woh already thodi late ho chuki thi.

Woh bhaag kar bus stop pahunchi…

Lekin tab tak

Bus ja chuki thi.

Ek second ke liye woh wahin ruk gayi.

Usne door jaati hui bus ko dekha.

Aur phir dheere se apni aankhen band kar li.

“Great…” usne dheere se khud se kaha.

Woh wapas ghar aayi.

Uske steps slow ho gaye the. Panic uske chehre par clearly dikh raha tha.

Jaise hi woh andar aayi, uski ammi ne poocha

“Kya hua? Itni jaldi wapas aa gayi?”

Sufiya ne almost frustration mein jawab diya

“Yrr ammi… main ab kya karu?”

Usne bag sofa par rakh diya aur baith gayi.

“Mujhe yeh documents aaj hi submit karne hain. Sirf 20 minutes ka kaam tha aur meri bus miss ho gayi.”

Uski awaaz mein tension clear thi.

“Upar se abbu bhi ghar par nahi hain aaj. Aur iss sheher mein mere koi friends bhi nahi hain jinse help le saku. Agar main time pe nahi gayi na toh mera admission ka kaam nahi hoga.”

Woh ek saans mein sab bol gayi.

Uski ammi ne use dekha.

Unhone kuch seconds tak kuch nahi bola.

Phir thoda sa muskurate hue boli

“Tu tera gham mujhe batana band kar ruk, main kuch karti hoon.”

Sufiya ne confused hokar unhe dekha.

“Ammi kya karengi aap?”

Lekin usse jawab milta usse pehle he

Ghar ke bahar se ek awaaz aayi.

Ek familiar si sound.

Bike ki.

Sufiya ki ammi ne darwaze ki taraf dekha.

Aur phir unki nazar padi

Karim par.

Karim apni Bullet ke saath khada tha.

Casual sa look. Simple sa outfit. Lekin uske presence mein ek alag hi confidence tha.

Jaise woh bina kuch bole bhi noticeable ho.

Sufiya ne bhi usse dekha.

Aur ek second ke liye dono ki aankhen mili.

Karim ne thoda sa smile kiya.

Jaise use situation samajh aa gayi ho.

“Lagta hai aaj kisi ki bus miss ho gayi,” usne halka sa tease karte hue kaha.

Sufiya ne thoda sa awkward feel kiya.

“Haan… aur mujhe urgently college jaana hai,” usne seedha jawab diya.

Karim ne ek second ke liye usse dekha.

Phir apni bike ki keys ko halka sa ghumaate hue bola

“Toh chalo. Main chhod deta hoon.”

Sufiya ne turant mana karne ke liye muh khola

“Nahi, main”

Lekin uski ammi beech mein bol padi

“Bilkul. Tum Karim ke saath chale jao.”

Sufiya ne shock mein apni ammi ko dekha.

“Ammi…?”

Unhone bilkul casually jawab diya

“Karim achha ladka hai. Aur waise bhi tumhe late ho raha hai.”

Sach yeh tha…

Ke Sufiya ki ammi ko Karim pehli nazar mein hi pasand aa gaya tha.

Uska andaaz, uska tareeka.

Sab kuch genuine lag raha tha.

Sufiya ke paas zyada options nahi the.

Time already nikal raha tha.

Aur situation bhi clear thi.

Usne ek deep breath li…

Aur dheere se kaha

“Okay.”

Karim ne smile ki.

“Chalein?”

Sufiya ne halka sa nod kiya.

Aur phir woh uski Bullet ke paas aayi.

Usne pehli baar itni close se bike dekhi.

Thodi nervous thi.

Thodi unsure bhi.

Karim ne casually bola

“Relax. Main safe drive karta hoon.”

Sufiya halki si smile kar di.

Aur bike par baith gayi.

Engine start hua.

Aur woh dono nikal pade.

Shuru ke kuch minutes silence mein beet gaye.

Sufiya thodi awkward thi.

Usne apne dupatte ko adjust kiya aur balance banane ki koshish ki.

Karim ne thoda halka sa conversation start kiya

“First day?”

“Almost,” Sufiya ne jawab diya, “Admission ka kaam complete karna hai.”

“Important lag raha hai.”

“Bohot.”

Karim ne sirf “hmm” kaha.

Aur speed thodi badha di.

Aur saamne speed breaker aaya aur Sufiya ka hath Karim pe kandhe pe aajata hain. Aur Karim ke nazar aine mein he uss moment capture krte hue thamb jaati hain.

Hawa halka sa tez chal rahi thi.

Sufiya ke baal thode face par aa rahe the.

Woh unhe side karte hue city ko dekh rahi thi.

Aur pata nahi kyun…

Usse thoda sa calm feel hone laga.

Jo panic usse ghar par ho raha tha…

Woh dheere dheere kam ho raha tha.

“Time par pahunch jaoge,” Karim ne casually kaha.

Sufiya ne thoda surprise hokar poocha

“Tumhe kaise pata?”

Karim ne halka sa smile kiya

“Main hoon na.”

Ek simple si line.

Lekin us moment mein…

Woh kaafi thi.

College gate finally nazar aaya.

Sufiya ne ek relieved sa sigh liya.

Karim ne bike rok di.

“20 minutes,” usne remind kiya.

Sufiya ne turant utar kar usse dekha

“Thank you… seriously.”

Karim ne sirf itna kaha

“Jaao. Late ho raha hai.”

Woh bhaagte hue andar chali gayi.

Karim wahin khada raha.

Usne usse andar jaate hue dekha.

Aur phir dheere se apni nazar hata li.

Kuch time baad

Sufiya wapas aayi.

Uske chehre par relief tha.

Aur ek genuine smile.

“Ho gaya?” Karim ne poocha.

“Ho gaya,” usne khushi se kaha.

“Good.”

Woh dono wapas bike par baithe.

Iss baar silence awkward nahi tha.

Thoda comfortable tha.

Aur tabhi Karim bolta hain ek mazedar baat batau. Sufiya bol

ti hain ji bataiye na.

Karim - Mera bhi aur aapka college same hain. Aur Sufiya ya ekdum se surprise mein chali jati hain.

Aur shayad…

Iss ek ride ne…

Unke beech kuch shuru kar diya tha.