"Sameeeeeeer " Naina screamed, her hands trembling and her eyes wet. She felt hot and sweat started trickling down her neck. Suddenly everyting went silent and it was just darkness.
"Naina Kya huva? " her roommate was next to her in a minute. "Phir wahi sapna dekha tune ?" .
Naina nodded, "Kya karun Sadiya, yeh sapna har waqt mujhe pareshan karta hai? Sameer jaise koi musibat mein ho aur mujhe pukar raha hai , mai uske pass jana chahati houn par woh kahi dikhayi nahi de raha . Sirf uski dard bhari aawaz sunayi de rahi hai. Ek gutan si hoti hai apni majbori par"
"Naina das saal ho gaya hai. Woh aana hota toh aa jata. Aaj phir Preeti ka phone aaya tha puch rahi thi kab ghar aayegi? Gharwaloun se kab tak dur rahegi, kab tak khud ko yun saza degi ? Kab tak aise bhagti rahegi? Sadiya questioned her rubbing her back to calm.
"Galti bhi toh aisi ki hai na ? Saza toh milni hi chahiye mujhe ? Socha yeh marketing agency ki wajah se har jagah ghumne milega aur kahin na kahi shayad Sameer milega. Har shahar mein dhund rahi houn usse, pata nahi kahan hai aur kab milna hoga?
"Har din dua karti houn rab se ki tujhe tera pyar mile . Ab soja kal tujhe Cancer patients ka jo campaign hai woh bhi toh shuru karna hai. " She gave Naina a glass of water and asked her to sleep. Her roommate was the only one who knew the pain she was going through. Naina felt the tiredness in her chest, in how she breathed and her thoughts dragged by in slow motion, she slunk to a quiet spot and curled up.
Sameer was lost in his thoughts , Is heart remembered the days he was with Naina. With true love you feel like the other is the reason your life is beautiful. It is when you're lost in those eyes, those thoughts and you think of them every moment. Loving someone is the best feeling because when you feel low and you talk to them, all they say is, "It will be alright; I'm right beside you." She had said " Tum the , Tum ho Tum hi rahoge aisi Mohabbat hai tumse" . He had lost all the warmth of her love because of his foolishness and ego. It seemed unfair that no matter how much he strived to be the man his conscience wanted him to be, it would keep taunting him with his mistake. Each time the regrets reemerged he would diligently analyze them again, hoping that this time his mind would be satisfied with his self professed remorse, but it never was. Like an unforgiving spectre it would be back tomorrow to haunt him all over again. "Tune ek gunah kiya hai Sameer tere Dil ko sukoon kabhi nahi milega, tu aise hi batakta rahega jab tak yeh teri saansein chalti rahegi " Looking at her photo he said "
Yun toh koi jaangaari nahi hai mere pass mausam ki
Bas itna janta houn ki teri yaadein toofan lati hai
His chain of thoughts was broken when he heard a knock on his door. "Arey Sunaina tum ?? Aao kaho kya chahiye" he asked hiding the tears that had made its way.
"Apne Dil mein jagah de do " she replied
"Kahan toh hai, is dil mein uski yaadein, uski muskan,uska bola sa pyar, uska dard, uski khamoshi ne jagah le li. Kabhi kabhi khud ko dhundta houn is dil mein par har jagah wahi hai. Ab aur kisi ke liye kya khud ke liye bhi jagah nahi is dil mein"
Sunaina knew his reply from past five years she was asking the same question and he would reply the same. "Kabhi kabhi jalan hoti hai ki aisa pyar mujhe nahi mila, phir taras aata hai us ladki par jisne aisa pyar kho diya " Sunaina replied.
"Khair mai kuch aur baat karne aayi thi, ek program hai tum perform karoge Sanam?"
"Sanam nahi Bewafa Sanam kaho " he smirked and then added " Mujhe nahi karna koi program, yeh dulat yeh shawharat mera inse kya lena dena "he said and got up to leave.
"Itne aache Shayar ho aur gayak bhi chaho toh lakhoun kama sakte ho par nahi. Khair yeh jo program hai Cancer pateints ke liye hai, ek NGO ne sponsor kiya hai. Ab toh karoge?"
"Chalo insaniyat ke naate yeh kar leta houn. Shayad kuch to punya mile,warna gunah toh itna bada hai ki nark mein bhi jagah na mile. Kab hai ?" . After giving all the details of the program Sunaina left saying him to take care.
"Arey Campaign Cancer ka kar rahe ho, help karne keh rahe ho tu emotions lao na , kya kar rahe ho? Unka dard mehsoos nahi hota tumhe? Woh jante hai ki unke pass ab kuch lamhe hai zindagi ke, sab apne chod kar chale gayein hai" Naina shouted at the artist who was shooting the campaign at the hospital.
"Naina madam aap ek baar dikha di jiye, nayi aayi hai yeh" the other assistant suggested.
Naina knew the pain of losing the one who is the core of your existence as she acted those lines feeling the same emotions everyone applauded and asked if she could do it. This was not a commercial ad, it was for a cause she agreed and quickly dressed up as a Cancer patient. Sameer was on the way to the auditorium of the hospital, he heard a familiar voice " Yeh zindagi ke aakhri lamhe aap khoobsurat bana saktein hai, kya aap help karenge? he peeped into the room and he could see Naina talking to someone, a partial view was visible. He could not believe what he saw. "Naina yahan aur woh cancer patient? Kyun keh rahi thi zindagi ke aakhri lamhe?". The thoughts were accelerating inside his head. He wanted them to slow down so that he can breathe but they didn't. His breaths come in gasps and he felt like he will blackout. His heart was hammering inside his chest like it belonged to a rabbit running for its skin. The corridor spined and he squat on the floor, trying to make everything slow to something his brain and body can cope with. He wanted to go and hold her in his arms and not leave her. But his promise restrained him. His heart and brain were waging a war against each other . Finaly his heart won "Chahe woh jo samjhe samajne do , aaj toh milkar rahoga" he finally got up to meet her but the room was empty. He searched the adjacent rooms but could not find her.
"Sir Aapka performance ka time huva hai, sab wait kar rahein hai " a person from the organizing committee informed. "Shayad woh wahan ho sakti hai ? " he hurriedly walked towards the auditorium. Naina was dragged to the auditorium by her colleague koi toh " Sanam ka performance hai chalna dekhtein hai ,baad mein aake dres change karle" . Naina chuckled "Yeh kaisa naam hai Sanam?" but her heart wanted to hear him, maybe he was loved by someone dearly.
Naina stood like a statue as soon as she saw Sameer on the stage , was she hallucinating ? She pinched herself to make sure it wasn't a dream. His voice reached her ears to reconfirm that he was indeed there
"Bawara Sa mann kheecha jaye teri oor
Jaise mai patang aur tu meri dor "
He wanted to sing Gazal which he had written but changed to a song that conveyed his feelings at this moment to her.
Phir le aaya dil majboor kya keeje
Phir le aaya dil majboor kya keeje
Raas na aaya rehna door kya keeje
Dil keh raha usse makammal kar bhi aao
Woh jo adhoori si baat baaki hai
Woh jo adhoori si yaad baaki hai
Woh jo adhoori si yaad baaki hai
Phir le aaya dil majboor kya keeje
Raas na aaya rehna door kya keeje
Dil keh raha usse makammal kar bhi aao
Woh jo adhoori si baat baaki hai
Woh jo adhoori si yaad baaki hai
Woh jo adhoori si yaad baaki hai
He had never planned to see her again but today seeing her as a Cancer patient, breathing the last moments of her life he could not stop himself, His heart had compelled him. His eyes were filled with tears he didn't know whether to be happy that she was in front of him or cry seeing her in this condition.
Karte hain hum aaj qabool kya keeje
Ho gayi thi jo humse bhool kya keeje
Ho gayi thi jo humse bhool kya keeje
Karte hain hum aaj qabool kya keeje
Ho gayi thi jo humse bhool kya keeje
Dil keh raha usse mayassar kar bhi aao
Woh jo dabi si aas baaki hai
Woh jo ruki si chaah baaki hai
Woh jo ruki si chaah baaki ha
Woh jo ruki si chaah baaki ha
Ho gayi thi jo humse bhool kya keeje
Dil keh raha usse mayassar kar bhi aao
Woh jo dabi si aas baaki hai
Woh jo ruki si chaah baaki hai
Woh jo ruki si chaah baaki ha
Woh jo ruki si chaah baaki ha
Yes, it all had started with a bet but slowly he had fallen for her. By the time he had realized the damage was done. He wanted to correct his mistake, he had broken an innocent heart which had loved him truly. "Sameer Haan Ya Naa ? " her voice echoed. He had seen the heartache was like a lump of red hot coal placed in her chest, it glowed and burnt her at the same time, but it did not cool quickly like a lump of coal in water, it throbbed and had tortured her. Her eyes had frozen over like the surface of a winter puddle, robbing them of their usual warmth. He wanted to reach in and tell her it wasn't true, but she wouldn't believe. He wanted to rekindle the fire of love but her insides were too damp with uncried tears.
Naina stared at him, she could feel herself become hypnotized by his voice. Sameer had tried everything to rectify his mistake. Endured every pain but it was hard for her to trust again, believe in love again. In a fit of anger, she had said " Sacha pyar karte ho na tum mujhse? Toh phir kabhi mere samne mat aana. Itni dur chale jao ki mujhe tumhara khayal tak na aayein" . He had promised and had lived up to it. As soon as he left she had realized her mistake. She searched for him everywhere but he had left without saying anything. His last words haunted her everynight.
Zara si rangish par na chod kisi apne ka daman
Zindagi beet jati hai apno ko apna banane mein
It had been ten long years. The Sameer who was standing before her was altogether a different person , a boy who was so conscious of looks, fashion trends was wearing a simple kurta and a pair of slippers. As he moved his hands through his hair "Yeh aaadat ab tak nahi gayi" she smiled.
Kismat ko hai yeh manzoor kya keeje
Milte rahe hum baadastoor kya keeje
Milte rahe hum baadastoor kya keeje
Kismat ko hai yeh manzoor kya keeje
Milte rahe hum baadastoor kya keeje
Dil keh raha hai usse musalsal kar bhi aao
Woh jo ruki si raah baaki hai
Woh jo ruki si chaah baaki hai
Woh jo ruki si chaah baaki ha
Woh jo ruki si chaah baaki ha
Milte rahe hum baadastoor kya keeje
Dil keh raha hai usse musalsal kar bhi aao
Woh jo ruki si raah baaki hai
Woh jo ruki si chaah baaki hai
Woh jo ruki si chaah baaki ha
Woh jo ruki si chaah baaki ha
Once he was done , there was a loud applause. As she saw him coming towards her Naina bit her lip, eyes on Sameer. He moved closer with those eyes that looked so deeply into her own, There was something about that gaze of his she would never find in another man, as if in that moment their souls had made a bridge. His eyes spoke of the deep love that had grown into a silent song. A kind of love that was delicate yet strong and that could live beyond eternity. She wanted to own those eyes for ever. " Tum yahan, kab huva ? Kaunse stage pe ho? She took a minute to understand his questions , then softly replied " Mujhe Cancer nahi hai" and explained the reason behind her dressing like a cancer patient.
He pulled her closer wrapping his arms around her. His embrace was warm, and his big, strong arms seemed very protective when wrapped around her frail body. The world around her melted away as she squeezed him back, not wanting the moment to end. There was nothing more to say.
" Phir se wahi , dil le aaya mujhe hai bas jahan teri meri wafayein" he said to her holding her close listening to each others heartbeats.
Writer: Sajida
