Episode 2: Anjaani Mulaqat

Episode 2: Anjaani Mulaqat

Terminal khali ho chuka tha. Seo-Jun aur Min-Ho ne har taraf nazar dorai, magar Anaya kahin nazar nahi aa rahi thi.

"Kahan gayi wo?" Kang-Dae ne hairan ho kar poocha, jab wo scene par wapas pohncha.

Min-Ho ne sar hilaya. "Pata nahi... abhi yahin thi, phir achanak ghayab ho gayi."

Isi lamhe, Seo-Jun ki management team ki gaadiyan cheekhti hui pohnchin. Media pressure, security protocols, tight schedule — sab kuch ek sath sar par aa gaya. Kang-Dae ka radio bhi phir se chilaya, suspects kisi aur jagah trace ho chuke thay.

Ek pal mein sab bikhar gaye. Aur Anaya... waqai ghayab ho chuki thi.

Haqeeqat mein, jab halaat sambhal gaye thay, Anaya chupke se peeche hat gayi thi. Zakhmi honay ke bawajood wo aahista se terminal ke andar wapas gayi aur ek public restroom mein chali gayi. Wo laparwah nahi thi — ek tajurbakaar musafir thi. Uske bag mein hamesha basic first-aid ka saman hota tha.

Aaine ke saamne khadi ho kar usne apne zakham saaf kiye. Khoon sookhne laga tha, magar chehra bilkul pursukoon tha. Dard tha... magar usne isay khud par hawi nahi hone diya.

Uska Korea aana sirf ghumne ke liye nahi tha. Ye ek wada tha. Uski best friend, Pakistan mein, ek K-pop group ki bohat badi fan thi. Anaya ne wada kiya tha ke wo Seoul jayegi, concert dekhegi, tasveerein khenchegi, aur poora tajurba live-stream karegi apni dost ke liye.

Concert Night

Raat gehri ho chuki thi jab Anaya concert venue tak pohnchi. Hall bharpoor tha — chamakti roshniyan, cheekhti awaazein, garmajoshi se labrez fiza.

Anaya ek konay mein baith gayi aur apni dost ko video call lagai.

"Dekho... main yahan hoon," usne aahista se kaha.

Doosri taraf, uski dost khushi se cheekh uthi.

Anaya khud stage ki taraf mushkil se dekh rahi thi. Uska jism thaka hua tha, dard barhta ja raha tha. Wo sirf isliye wahan thi kyun ke usne wada kiya tha.

Usay zara bhi andaza nahi tha ke stage par gaane wala superstar koi aur nahi, balke Seo-Jun tha — wahi shakhs jis se usne airport par bahas ki thi.

Hotel ka Buhran

Concert khatam hote hi thakawat apne urooj par pohnch gayi. Anaya seedha apne pehle se booked hotel gayi.

Yaad rahe, ye koi sasta hotel nahi tha. Usne online sab kuch pehle se plan kiya tha — ek mahfooz, izzat-dar, mid-range hotel jo concert hall ke qareeb tha.

Magar reception par ek museebat uska intezaar kar rahi thi.

"Main bohat sharminda hoon, madam..." receptionist ne pareshaan lehje mein kaha. "Ek system error ki wajah se aapki booking cancel ho gayi hai."

Anaya ne aahista si aah bhari, awaaz thakan se bhari. "Koi baat nahi... koi doosra room available hai?"

Ek lambi khamoshi. "Madam... hum aaj poori tarah full hain."

Anaya khamosh khadi rahi. Ghabraayi nahi — bas be-had thaki hui thi. Ek pardesi shehar mein, raat gehri, jism zakhmi. Aur koi room nahi.

"Kya main baithi ja sakti hoon...?" usne dheeme se poocha, sirf apne aap ko dilasa dene ke liye.

Achanak, hotel ke bhaari sheeshay ke darwaze khule. Ek group andar aaya — security guards, staff, aur ek shohrat ki chamak se ghira hua.

Ye wahi K-pop group tha.

Seo-Jun aagay tha. Uski nazar us waqt Anaya par pari jab usne uski wahi khaas hoodie pehchan li. Wo apni security ko chhod kar seedha receptionist ke pass gaya.

"Isay meri suite de do," usne kaha. "Main aaj kisi member ke sath ruk jaunga."

Receptionist aur staff hairan reh gaye. Anaya ne dheere se peeche mudkar dekha... aur uski nazrein us par tik gayin.

Seo-Jun ne apna mask utaar diya. "Main Seo-Jun hoon... ek idol. Aur ye mera group hai."

Wo lamha jaise haqeeqat ki ek zabardast lehr ki tarah tha. Wahi shakhs jis se usne airport par bahas ki thi. Wahi shakhs jiska concert usne abhi live-stream kiya tha. Aur ab... wo uske bilkul saamne khada tha. Chota Haru uske pass tha, ek narm, sharmeeli muskurahat ke sath.

Ehtaram

Group ke baqi members aagay badhe aur usay gehray ehtaram se jhuk kar salute kiya.

"Shukriya... humare leader ke bete ko bachane ke liye."

Anaya ke chehre par ajeeb si befikri chha gayi; wo hamesha se tawajjo ka markaz banna napasand karti thi. Usne sirf ek muqtasir jawab diya:

"Salam... ye koi bari baat nahi thi."

Magar wahan khade har shakhs ke liye, ye bilkul bhi "koi baat nahi" nahi tha.

Inkar

Seo-Jun ki nazar Anaya ke hoodie par lagay khoon ke nishaan par gayi, aur uski taang par bandhi bandage par bhi. Uska chehra ab bhi niqab mein poori tarah chupa hua tha, sirf thaki hui aankhein bahar jhaank rahi thin.

"Tumhe is halat mein khadi nahi hona chahiye," usne kaha, awaaz mein ek sakht, na-manne wali fikr thi.

Anaya ne uski taraf nahi dekha, seedha samne dekhti rahi. "Main theek hoon," usne fauran jawab diya.

"Nahi. Tum theek nahi ho."

Ek lamha khamosh raha. Anaya ne apni aawaz sakht rakhi. "Mujhe kisi ki madad nahi chahiye."

Seo-Jun ne staff ki taraf ishara kiya, bina peeche mudkar dekhe. "Meri suite iske liye taiyaar karo."

Anaya ke andar ka self-respect fauran jaag utha. "Nahi. Mujhe khairaat nahi chahiye."

Seo-Jun ne dalil nahi di. Usne bas uski nazron se nazrein milayin, ek aisi mutmain awaaz mein jo aaj ke din bohat kuch dekh chuki thi. "Ye khairaat nahi hai. Ye sirf jagah hai."

"Main apna khud ka intezam kar sakti hoon," Anaya ne kaha, magar uski awaaz mein pehle jitni sakhti nahi thi. "Main kisi ka ehsaan nahi lena chahti."

"Ehsaan?" Seo-Jun ne halka sa sar hilaya. "Tumne mere bête ki jaan bachai. Aur main tumhe ek raat ke liye kamra bhi nahi de sakta?"

Anaya khamosh rahi. Uski thakan aur zakham ab uske ghamand se zyada bhaari ho chuke thay. Raat ke waqt kisi anjaan shehar mein akela nikalna, khule zakham ke sath — ye ek aisi luxury thi jo wo afford nahi kar sakti thi.

"...sirf aaj raat ke liye," aakhir usne kaha, awaaz mushkil se sunayi de rahi thi.

Chota Haru, jo abhi tak khamosh khada tha, dheere se apne baap ke peeche se nikla.

"Kya abhi bhi dard ho raha hai?" usne nirmi se poocha.

Anaya ne neeche dekha. Duniya ke khilaf uska sakht pehra iss bacchay ki masoomiyat dekh kar fauran narm pad gaya. Uska chehra chupa hua tha, magar uski aankhon ki garmi bacha mehsoos kar sakta tha.

"Main theek ho jaungi," usne jawab diya, lehja aahista aur narm ho gaya.

Haru ek pal ke liye ruka, phir dobara upar dekha. "Shukriya... phir se."

Anaya ke niqab-posh chehre par ek halki, mushkil se nazar aane wali muskurahat aayi. "Bas dobara museebat mein mat pado."

Haru ne ek chota, sacha muskura kar jawab diya, us sakht warning mein bhi ek ajeeb si hifazat mehsoos karte hue.

Suite ka Darwaza

Reception ke corner mein, ek staff member ne apni jaib se chupke se ek phone nikala, khaali corridors ki taraf ghabraaya hua dekh kar, aur ek private number dial kiya.

"Wo larki..." wo phone par saregoshi karne laga. "Abhi bhi yahan hai. Face veil pehnay hui. Shayad koi usay dhoond raha hai."

Isi waqt, hotel ke andheray security basement mein, ek CCTV monitor ek pal ke liye bhadaka. Screen par ek dhundhla, blur frame tha — Anaya ka Incheon Airport terminal se chupke se nikalna, ghanton pehle ka.

Tasveer mein kuch bhi saaf nahi tha — na chehra, na koi perfect pehchaan. Sirf ek gehra veil aur ek pursaraar mojudgi. Magar shehar mein kahin, ek na-dekha jaal ab kasna shuru ho chuka tha.

Bhaari lakdi ka darwaza khula.

Anaya andar dakhil hui, darwaza khud-ba-khud band ho gaya, poori duniya ko bahar chhod kar. Usne apna bhaari samaan zameen par rakh diya, chand qadam chal kar deewar se tak gayi.

Aahista, dhyaan se, uske haathon ne niqab aur hijab ki dorriyan khol din. Pehli baar jab se wo Korea pohnchi thi, usne khud ko poori tarah saans lene di.

Chehra, jo abhi tak is pardesi zameen par kisi ne nahi dekha tha, ab kamre ki dhundhlahat mein bilkul akela tha.

"...bas," usne khali fiza mein saregoshi ki.

Aur poori din ki afrataftri ke baad pehli baar, gehri khamoshi uske sath khadi ho gayi — is dafa uski jismani takleef ke khilaf, na ke uski hifazat ke khilaf.

Magar bahar corridor mein, wahi staff member phone band kar chuka tha, apni aankhon mein ek ajeeb chamak liye.

Kal subah tak, poori duniya ko pata chal jaega ke wo hijabi larki kaun hai.

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