Chapter 6 — Ajeeb Si Khushi
Us din ke baad Hamid aur Arman ka milna lagbhag roz ka routine ban gaya tha.
Kabhi chai ki shop par, kabhi market ke raste par chalte hue… aur kabhi bas yun hi khade ho kar baatein karte hue.
Hamid ne notice kiya ki Arman ke saath waqt ka pata hi nahi chalta tha.
Ek shaam dono chai ki shop ke bahar khade the. Hawa thodi thandi thi aur aasman par badal the.
Arman ne achanak pucha,
"Hamid, tumhare zyada dost nahi hain kya?"
Hamid thoda sa muskura diya.
"Pata nahi… shayad main zyada logon se baat nahi karta."
Arman ne mazaak me kaha,
"Achha hai. Phir main special ho gaya… kyunki tum mujhse baat karte ho."
Dono halki si hansi hans pade.
Lekin us chhoti si baat ne Hamid ke dil me ajeeb si garmahat bhar di.
Usse samajh nahi aa raha tha kyun… par Arman ke saath reh kar usse ek sukoon milta tha.
Jaise woh apne aap ko chhupane ki koshish thodi der ke liye bhool jata ho.
Thodi der baad Arman ne kaha,
"Chalo thoda walk karte hain."
Dono dheere-dheere sadak par chalne lage. Raat ho rahi thi aur street lights jal chuki thi.
"Hamid," Arman ne dheere se kaha,
"kabhi-kabhi lagta hai tumhare dimaag me bahut saari baatein chalti rehti hain… par tum bolte nahi."
Hamid ek pal ke liye ruk gaya.
Usse laga jaise Arman ne uske dil ki baat pakad li ho.
"Shayad…" usne dheere se kaha.
Arman ne uski taraf dekha aur halka sa bola,
"Jab bhi tumhe lage na ki kisi se baat karni hai… to main hoon."
Yeh sun kar Hamid kuch bol nahi paya.
Bas usne halki si smile di.
Us raat ghar jaate waqt Hamid ke dil me ek ajeeb si khushi thi.
Lekin us khushi ke saath ek darr bhi tha.
Kyuki woh jaanta tha…
agar uske dil ki sachchai kabhi bahar aa gayi, to shayad sab kuch badal sakta hai.
Aur shayad…
Arman bhi.