Chapter 2 —
Rooh Ka Raasta
Maghrib ki azaan hawa mein ghul rahi thi jab Zara ne apni shawl theek ki. Azaan ki awaaz uske dil ko chhoo kar guzri, jaise kisi ne andar hi andar yaad dila diya ho —
ishq ka bhi ek adab hota hai.
Usne ja-namaz bichhai. Dil abhi bhi uljha hua tha, lekin jab usne haath bandh kar "Allahu Akbar" kaha, to duniya peeche reh gayi. Sajde mein jhukte hi aankhon se aansu beh nikle.
"Ya Allah," uski khamosh dua thi,
"agar yeh ehsaas meri imtehaan hai to mujhe sabr de,
aur agar yeh teri ata hai to isay paak rakh."
"Nam aankhon se jo dua nikli,
woh khud raasta ban gayi."
Shehzaan usi waqt masjid ke sehan mein khada tha. Azaan ke baad ki khamoshi mein uska dil bechain tha. Usne pehli dafa mehsoos kiya ke ishq sirf chaah ka naam nahi — zimmedari bhi hota hai.
Uske zehan mein Nabi-e-Kareem ﷺ ka woh paighaam ghoom raha tha jo usne bachpan se suna tha:
"Behtareen muhabbat wahi hai jo haya ke saath ho."
"Jo ishq haya se khali ho,
woh sirf khwahish reh jaata hai."
Library ke usi kone mein phir mulaqat hui, lekin is dafa hawa ka rang badla hua tha. Zara ke chehre par sakoon tha, aur Shehzaan ki aankhon mein ehtiyaat.
"Tum aaj khamosh ho," Shehzaan ne kaha.
Zara ne muskurate hue jawab diya, "Kuch baatein Allah se ho jaati hain, phir insaan se kam reh jaati hain."
Shehzaan ne sar jhuka li. Us lamhe usay samajh aa gaya ke yeh larki sirf dil nahi, imaan bhi sambhal kar rakhti hai.
"Woh ishq hi kya jo dua na baney,
aur woh dua hi kya jo ishq se niklay."
Us raat dono ne apne apne dil mein ek ankahee si had qaim kar li.
Na qurbat ki jaldi,
na alfaaz ki bechaini.
Sirf intezaar —
halaal intezaar.
Aur us intezaar mein jo sukoon tha,
woh har wisaal se zyada gehra tha.
"Jahan niyyat saaf ho,
wahan raaste khud ba khud asaan ho jaate hain."
Shehzaan ne pehli baar dil se yeh tasleem kiya:
agar ishq rooh par hukoomat karta hai,
to uska raasta Allah se ho kar guzarta hai.
Aur Zara ne jaana —
jo mohabbat Allah ke naam se shuru ho,
woh kabhi zaya nahi jaati.
Halaal Khwab
Fajr ke baad ki hawa mein ajeeb sa sukoon hota hai. Zara khidki ke paas baithi tasbeeh ke daane ginti rahi, lekin dil kisi aur hi ginati mein uljha tha. Us raat usne khwab dekha tha —
khwab jahan shor nahi tha, sirf itminaan tha.
Shehzaan ka chehra us khwab mein bhi tha, lekin na qareeb, na door —
bas thehra hua.
Usne khud se kaha,
Agar koi khwab baar baar aaye, to shayad woh sirf khayal nahi hota… imtihaan hota hai.
"Har khwab taabeer nahi hota,
magar har dua be-asar bhi nahi hoti."
Shehzaan ne us din apni maa ke saath nashta kiya. Baaton baaton mein jab maa ne kaha,
"Beta, zindagi ka sukoon sirf sahi rishte mein hota hai,"
to woh chup reh gaya.
Uske dil mein ek naam roshni ki tarah chamak utha — Zara.
Magar us ishq mein koi jaldi nahi thi. Usne sajde mein sir rakh kar sirf itna kaha:
"Ya Allah, agar yeh meri pasand hai to isay meri zindagi ka hissa bana de,
aur agar nahi… to mere dil se isay nikaal de."
"Jo maanga sajdon mein,
woh chheen kar nahi milta."
Library mein mulaqat hui, lekin aaj dono ke beech alfaaz kam aur ehsaas zyada thay. Zara ne dheere se kaha,
"Main nahi chahti ke koi jazba Allah ki marzi se aage badhe."
Shehzaan ne uski baat poori hone se pehle hi keh diya,
"Main bhi nahi. Main isay naam dena chahta hoon… halaal naam."
Zara ki aankhon mein aansu aa gaye —
khushi ke.
"Jab ishq dua ban jaaye,
to aansu bhi ibaadat lagte hain."
Us din un dono ne koi wada nahi kiya,
sirf niyyat saaf ki.
Naa raaste ki jaldi,
naa manzil ka ghamand.
Sirf yaqeen.
Zara jaante hue ke yeh ishq intezaar maangta hai,
Shehzaan samajhte hue ke mard ki mohabbat sabr se pehchaani jaati hai.
"Haya ke saaye mein palne wala ishq,
kabhi tanha nahi hota."
Aur kahani ne dheere se rukh badla —
jazbaat se zimmedari ki taraf.
khwahish se dua ki taraf.
aur mohabbat se nikaah ke khwab ki taraf.
Agar aap chaho, next main likh sakti hoon: