~~~~ Rehguzar ~~~~
London Heathrow Airport….one of the busiest airports in the world. Today, however, its more chaotic than ever. All flights have been cancelled or delayed due to heavy snowfall. The passengers are running mad and the staff are trying their best to accommodate them. One of those passengers is Mr. Mayank Sharma, a young enterprenuer, highly ambitious and more successful than anyone can be at his age. While all passengers are losing their patience and wondering around hopelessly to get out of this situation as soon as possible, Mr. Sharma is sitting in a cafeteria, reading the latest news on stock market and occasionally studying some of the financial reports of his company. You can easily see the scrolling figures of the stock market reflecting from his laptop on to his glasses. Suddenly his concentration is disrupted by the sound of someone weeping. Initially, he ignores it but then it starts creeping into him as he can no longer focus on his work. So he starts looking around trying to identify the source and soon he notices…a young, Asian lady, few tables away, sitting all by herself trying to control her tears but failing miserably. Finding no one else who is trying to help her, he approaches her..
M: Excuse me, are you ok?She looks at him with her watery eyes and Mayank just freezes for a few seconds. Such innocent eyes…such a helpless soul. Mayank does not really understand why he is feeling that way from a glimpse of her face but instantly snaps out of his strange thoughts and being a perfect gentleman, asks again..
M: Is everything ok with you? Can I help you in any way? kya hum aap ki koi madad kar sakte hai?
N: Ya Khuda…aapko Urdu aati hai?
M: Urdu..jee aati hai. per aap ro kyun rahi hai? koi pareshaani hai?
N: nahi jee…woh hamari flight delay hogai hai na..iss liye (as she sorts her dupatta)
M: (smiles) jee..faqat aap ki flight hi nahi….yahan se uraan bharnewale tamam hawai jahaz mausam ki wajah se delay kar di gayi hai. dekhiye chaaron orre…saare log aap hi ki tarha pareshaan hoke idhar udhaar ghum rahe hai per koi bhi to aap ke tarha ro to nahi raha.
N: jee hum ro nahi rahe the…woh bas khauff sa horaha tha
M: aap k saath aur koi nahi hai kya?
N: jee nahi (as she sorts her dupatta again)Mayank can gauge from her body language that she is not feeling comfortable talking to a stranger and not only is she a shy person, she seems naive and definitely not belonging to this part of the world. Suddenly the waiter comes and asks..
W: Ma'm would you like to order something?
N: (gives a helpless look, opens her purse and says)…no..thank you.
W: m'am I am sorry to say this but if you will not order anything may I kindly ask you to take the lounge outside. The restaurant is only for customers.
M: (understanding the situation that the lady doesn't have enough money and she may be very hungry) Excuse me, the lady is with me and I would like to place an order, can I have the menu please! Mayank goes through the menu and asks..
M: kya lengi aap?
N: jee nahi humain bhukh nahi hai. aap hi khaa lijiye
M: hmm…kahan se hai aap?
N: Pakistan se…kyun?
M: lagta hai pakistaniyon me aajkal woh tehzeeb nahi rahi.
N: matlab? hum badtameez hai?
M: ab dekhiye…ek banda aap ke saamne akela khayega yeh to koi tehzeeb nahi hui na. koi sahi pakistani hota to hamara saath deta.
N: suniye…aap humain nahi jaante isi liye yeh sab bakwas baatein kar rahe hai. humain hamara tehzeeb aur tameez dono ka ahsaas hai. dijiye humain…With a smile, Mayank forwards the menu…she orders a sandwich, a soft drink and an ice cream. Mayank also places his order and they have their regular chitchat.
M: waise aap jaa kahan rahi hai?
N: apne ghar..(she has a grin on her face)
M: hahhaaa…haan per ghar hai kahan?
N: Islamabad..
M: accha? hum bhi Islamabad hi jaa rahe hai
N: sach me? aap bhi wahan k rehnewale ho?
M: nahi..hum to business meeting k liye jaa rahe hai.
N: business meeting? (as she gazes at him from top to bottom)
M: (Mayank realizes her confusion) jee…yeh hai hamara business card
N: (doesn't bother to look at it) zaroorat nahi isski. hum to bas yeh soch rahe the k itne kam umer me…
M: kaamyaabi k saath umer ka kya talluq? mehnat aur mushakkat se kaamyabi haasil hosakti hai
N: to wahan per aap ka koi rishtedaar nahi?
M: aha…hum to pehli baar jaa rahe hai woh bhi sirf 3 din k liye
N: per aap itne acche urdu kaise bol lete hai
M: ammi Pakistan se hai..iss liye. warna hum to UK me hi paida hue aur yahin per palay aur bare hue
N: ajeeb hai…yahan per to jin pakistnaiyon se hamari mulaqat hui unhe yeh zubaan to kya unke mulk se bhi koi talluq nahi aur aap…
M: har koi ek jaisa nahi hota…hai na?
Nupur doesn't respond but says to herself .."
sach me…har koi ek nahi hota aur aap sa to humnain kabhi nahi dekha". After a couple of hours, there comes the announcement, flights to Islamabad is now ready to board. Passengers have been requested to approach the gate. Both Mayank and Nupur follow the instructions and clear the immigration. But they separate their ways after passing the gate as Mayank is travelling on Business Class and Nupur in Economy. They say 'bye' to each other and take their seats. While Mayank takes his seat and gets back to his work on his laptop, Nupur takes a seat next to a so-called young white guy who was busy listening to his loud music on his ipod.
Flight is on…a good 7 hours…its late at night and all passengers are pretty much busy sleeping or watching movies or listening to music. But the guy next to Nupur is drinking heavily and dancing to his loud music. In his random movements, he is repeatedly brushing his body with that of Nupur's which is making her feel very awkward. Plus the alcohol and its smell…she feels like throwing up. After a while, her neighbour goes for a break and after another few minutes, she feels the seat next to her is filled again. As she takes a quick glimpse, she notices, its the same person at the airport!
N: aap?
M: jee…hum!
N: woh aadmi?
M: ussko humnain apni seat de di
N: kyun? Business class wala seat usse kyun de diya
M: arre aapko nahi pata Business class kitni boring hoti hai. saare log apne laptop me lage hue…kharoos aur buddhe log. hum to bore hogaye…socha aapse thora waqt aur beeta ley…aap ko koi aitraaz to nahi na?
N: aitraaz!! jee hergiz nahi (she has this big grin on her face)She says to herself…
aapko andaaza bhi nahi k kitna sukoon mil raha hai aap k aajane se warna uss sharabi gora paghal larke ne to pareshaan karke rakh diya tha. On the other hand, Mayank was saying to himself "
aap ko kya lagta hai hum aapko uss sharabi badtameez goray k paas aise hi baithnay dete? agar raazi na hota seat badalne ko to iss flight me hi usse ek sabaq sikha deta k adab kis shay ka naam hai."After a bit of chitchat, Nupur falls asleep…and Mayank gets back to his work. He needs to prepare this report before landing but does not want to disturb Nupur while she is sleeping. So he gets his notebook out and starts doing his figures and calculations. After a while, he also falls asleep without even realising that he hasn't even taken his glasses off. He is waken up by the stewardess…
S: Sir, the flight has landed and all passengers have already left. Mayank is startled…the plane is pretty much vacant with the last batch of passengers still departing. He notices that the girl next to him is also gone! His glasses are safely placed in his shirt pocket. He sorts himself quickly, nabs all his staff and takes his luggage from his seat in business class. Everything is arranged at the airport…he is received by his staff and he checks into a 5* hotel. After freshening up, as he opens his notebook to complete his calculations, he finds a letter there…written in Urdu. Mayank wonders what it is…but as he needs to prepare for the meeting he parks his thoughts aside and starts looking for his pen…again he can't seem to find it anywhere. He assumes it has been lost in the plane somewhere and carries on with his work with another pen.
The conference is over in 3 days…Mayank has been extremely pre-occupied with his work and its only in the flight on his way back to London he recalls that girl. He takes his notebook out and looks at the letter. He is sure now…this has been written by her but alas! he can't read Urdu. He keeps on wondering what she has written!! Why did she not say Good Bye to him? Why did she leave like this? She could have woke him up! He knows there must be some answers in this letter…but he can't read.
Months pass by…Mayank cannot seem to forget that girl. He wants to read that letter but he can't and he does not feel like making anyone else read it either. So he decides to learn the language. In his busy life style, he manages to learn Urdu..and after a good 7/8 months…he gets to read the letter..
" …aap ka naam nahi pata per aaj aap ne jis tarha hamara saath nibhaya isse humain yaqeen hone laga hai k iss duniya me aise log bhi hai jo farishtey ki tarha hamare zindagi me aate hai aur hamari zindagi ko aise chooN jaate hai k unhe bhulana phir aasan nahi hota. abhi aap so rahe hai aur aapko jagaane ka dil nahi horaha…thodi dair me yeh flight land honewali hai aur issi ke saath hum dono ka safar bhi shayed yahin per khatam hojaaye. per na jaane aisa kyun lagta hai k Khuda ne humain milaya hai taake hum ek doosre ka saath kuch aur lamhein guzaar paaye. shayed yeh aaghaz hai ek naye safar ka…agar aapko bhi iss aitmad ka ahsaas hai to aaj se thik 3 din ke baad aap k flight se pehle shaam k 5 baaje Murree Hills pe humse milne zaroor ayyega. hum aap ka intezar karenge. Khuda Hafiz"p.s. nishaani ki taur pe aap ka qalam saath liye jaa rahe hai…3 din ke baad humse wapas le lijiyega.
Mayank is speechless after reading the letter. Oh God…he says to himself. Without thinking further for a second, he books the next flight to Islamabad and heads for Murree Hills. He searches for that girl but soon realises she is not here. Its been months since she wrote that letter. Yet…he waits all day..hoping that she may just show up. Till today, every few months, as soon as Mayank gets some time, he flies to Islamabad and heads for this place and spends some time there hoping that she will be there. Hoping that she is waiting for him as much as he is waiting for her…even today!
Writer's Note: This story is based on a true event of my life…a letter that was written to me in Urdu more than a year ago. Till today as I brush my fingers on those handwritten letters, I wonder whats written in there that has caused me to lose one of the most important person in my life! -Neela
Bhabhi Ji Ghar Pe Hain?
Tujhse Hai Raabta
Real Estate
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