Chapter 2 Junoon-e-Shikaar

Zoya university ke gate ke andar dakhil hui toh uska dil abhi tak tezi se dharak raha hai. Uske haath halkay se kaanp rahe thay aur chehre par khauf se zyada gussa tha. Zain Shah ke pakar ki garmi abhi tak uski kalai par mehsoos ho rahi thi. Wo jitna us khandan se door bhagna chahti thi, qismat use utna hi unke qareeb kheench rahi thi.

"Zoya! Tum theek toh ho? Chehra kyun itna utra hua hai?" Uski sab se achi dost, Ayla, ne uske paas aakar pareshani se poocha.

Zoya ne ek gehra saans liya aur khud ko sambhalne ki koshish ki. "Kuch nahi Ayla, bas raste mein mausam ki wajah se thoda ajeeb lag raha tha. Chalo, class ka waqt ho raha hai." Usne baat ko taala, kyunke wo nahi chahti thi ke koi bhi Zain Shah ka naam lekar uski subah kharab kare.

Magar Zoya ye nahi jaanti thi ke Zain Shah ki nazar se bachna namumkin tha. Class shuru ho chuki ti, professor whiteboard par lecture likh rahe thay, magar Zoya ka dhyan kahin aur tha. Uske dimaag mein bar bar us bad-naseeb raat ke manazir ghoom rahe thay. Uske baap ki aakhri saansein, uski maa ki cheekhein, aur un sab ke piche khari wo sangeen shakhsiyat—Zain ka baap, Asif Shah.

"Main unhein kabhi maaf nahi karungi. Kabhi nahi," usne dhiime se socha, aur uske haath mein pakra hua pen uski ungliyon ki sakhti se larazne laga.

Wahi doosri taraf, Zain Shah apne aalishan office ke bade se glass window ke paas khara sheher ko dekh raha تھا. Uska secretary, Farhan, darwaze par dastak dekar andar dakhil hua. Uske haath mein ek file thi.

"Sir, aap ne jo maloomat mangi thien, wo sab is mein hain," Farhan ne adab se kaha.

Zain ne bina mure sirf apna haath aage barhaya. Farhan ne khamoshi se file uske haath mein thama di. Zain ne file kholi, us mein Zoya ki university ka poora schedule, uske doston ke naam, aur uske ghar ke raste ki ek ek detail maujood thi. Zain ki aankhon mein ek ajeeb si chamak ubhri—ek aisi chamak jo sirf ek deewane aashiq ke chehre par hoti hai jo apne shikaar ko ghern ki tayyari kar raha ho.

"Zoya... tum samajhti ho ke tum mujhse nafrat kar ke mujhse door reh sakti ho?" Zain ne dhiime se muskurate hue file ko apne seene se laga liya. "Tumhari nafrat meri is mohabbat ko mazeed gehra karti hai. Main tumhe is tarah apni zindagi mein shamil karunga ke tum chah kar bhi mujhse door nahi ja paogi."

"Sir, ek aur baat," Farhan ne thoda hichkichate hue kaha. "Aapke baap, Asif Shah sahab ne pucha hai ke aap aaj raat ki party mein shamil ho rahe hain ya nahi? Unho ne kaha hai ke sheher ke bade business tycoons wahan aa rahe hain."

Zain ka chehra sangeen ho gaya. Uski aankhon mein apne baap ke liye koi izzat ya mohabbat nahi thi, balki ek ajeeb sa tanz tha. "Unhein keh dena ke Zain Shah apne faisle khud karta hai. Agar mera mood hua, toh main aunga."

Farhan ne sar jhukaya aur khamoshi se kamre se baher nikal gaya. Zain ne apna phone uthaya aur ek number dial kiya. "University ke baher gari tayyar rakho. Mujhe theek dopehar do baje wahan hona hai."

Dopehar ko jab university ki chutti hui, toh halki halki barish ab bhi ho rahi thi. Zoya aur Ayla baher niklien. Ayla ke bhai ne use lene aana tha, isi liye wo dono khari intezar kar rahi thien.

"Zoya, mausam bohot kharab ho raha hai. Tum hamare sath hi chalo, hum tumhe tumhare ghar drop kar denge," Ayla ne fikar-mandi se kaha.

"Nahi Ayla, tumhara ghar doosri taraf hai. Main bus se chali jaungi, tum fikar mat karo," Zoya ne muskurate hue mana kiya. Usne nahi chahti thi ke uski wajah se kisi aur ko takleef ho.

Ayla ki gari aayi aur wo chali gayi. Zoya akeli bus stop ki taraf barhne lagi. Sarak par gaariyan kam thien aur barish ke thandے qatre uske chehre par gir rahe thay. Achanak, ek dafa phir wahi kaali chamakti hui gari uske paas aakar ruki. Magar is baar gari se Zain nahi, balki do bodyguards baher nikle.

Zoya darr ke maare do qadam piche hati. "Tum log kaun ho? Mere raste se hato!"

"Madam, Shah sahab ne aapko yaad kiya hai. Meharbani kar ke gari mein baithiye," ek bodyguard ne nihayat adab magar sakht lehje mein kaha.

"Main kisi Shah ko nahi jaanti! Chale jao yahan se, warna main shor macha dungi!" Zoya ne gussay aur khauf ke milay julay lehje mein chillayi.

"Humein zabardasti karne par majboor na karein, madam," doosre ne kaha aur Zoya ka baazu pakarne ke liye haath aage barhaya.

"Hath mat lagao mujhe!" Zoya ne piche hatne ki koshish ki, magar sarak sunsaan thi aur barish ki wajah se koi aas paas nahi tha. Uska dil tezi se dharak raha tha. Usne bhagne ki koshish ki, magar bodyguards ne use gher liya.

Usi pal, gari ka pichla darwaza khula aur andar se Zain Shah baher nikla. Uske haath mein ek kala umbrella (chata) tha. Uska lamba coat aur uski sangeen aankhein is mausam mein mazeed dravni lag rahi thien. Usne bodyguards ko ishara kiya, aur wo dono foran piche hat gaye.

Zain dhiime dhiime qadmon se Zoya ke qareeb aaya. Usne chata is tarah kiya ke barish ke qatre Zoya par girna band ho gaye, aur wo dono ek hi chate ke neeche aa gaye. Zoya ne nafrat se Zain ki aankhon mein dekha.

"Yeh kya badtameezi hai, Zain? Tumhari himmat kaise hui mere raste mein is tarah aane ki?" Zoya ki awaz kaanp rahi thi, magar gussa saaf tha.

"Badtameezi?" Zain ne ek gehri aur narm hansi hansti hui kaha. "Zoya, main toh sirf tumhari hifazat kar raha hoon. Mausam kharab hai, aur main apni jaan ko is tarah sarak par akela nahi chhor sakta."

"Main tumhari jaan nahi hoon! Main tumhari dushman hoon, Zain Shah! Mujhe tumse ghin aati hai," Zoya ne chillakar kaha, uski aankhon mein aansu tairne lage.

Zain ka chehra ek pal ke liye sakht hua, uski pakar chate par mazboot hui. Usne apna doosra haath aage barhaya aur Zoya ke bheege hue baalon ki ek lat ko uske chehre se piche kiya. Zoya ne jhatke se apna sar piche kiya, magar Zain ke chehre par wahi junooni muskurahat wapas aa gayi.

"Dushmani? Mujhe tumhari is nafrat se bhi mohabbat hai, Zoya. Agar tum mujhse mohabbat nahi kar sakti, toh nafrat hi sahi. Magar yaad rakhna, tum ho sirf meri. Bhale hi mujhe iske liye poori duniya se larna pare, ya tumse hi kyun na larna pare."

Zain ne gari ka darwaza khola. "Ab sharafat se andar baitho, warna mujhe ache se pata hai ke tumhe gari mein kaise bithana hai."

Zoya ne daayein baayein dekha, madad ke liye koi nahi تھا. Wo jaanti thi ke Zain ek deewana shakhs hai aur wo jo kehta hai, wo kar guzarta hai. Usne apni aankhein band kien, ek aakhri baar us par nafrat ki nazar daali, aur gari ke andar baith gayi. Zain bhi uske sath pichli seat par baith gaya aur gari tezi se aage barh gayi.

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