Shehar ki sabse badi aur raunaq-bhari shadi ka jashn apne urooj par tha. Har taraf roshniyan thi, qeemti itar (perfume) ki khushboo faza mein tair rahi thi, aur badon-badon ki mehfil jami hui thi. Magar is bheed mein bhi ek shakhs aisa tha jiski maujoodgi ne poore hall mein ek ajeeb sa rob (aura) paida kar rakha tha.
Arsalan Shah.
Wo ek kone mein khada, apne haath mein pakde juice ke glass ko dheere-dheere ghuma raha tha. Uska chehra sapat (expressionless) tha, jaise ise duniya ki kisi khushi ya gham se koi sarokar na ho. Log usse milne ke liye betab thay, magar uski sakht shakhsiyat aur gehri aankhon ka khauf unhe door rakhne ke liye kaafi tha.
"Arsalan! Yaar, thoda toh muskura diya kar, log darr rahe hain tujhse," uske bachpan ke dost, Faris ne mazaq udaya.
Arsalan ne sardi (coldness) se uski taraf dekha. "Tujhe pata hai Faris, mujhe ye shor aur dikhawa pasand nahi. Main yahan sirf tere kehne par aaya hoon."
"Bas thodi der aur... dekh toh sahi, poora shehar yahan..." Faris ki baat beech mein hi reh gayi.
Achanak, hall ke bade darwaze se koi dakhil hua. Hall ki sari lightein jaise us ek chehre par thamm gayi hon.
Wo Noor thi.
Safaid rang ka bhari kaam-dar jora pehne, sar par dupatta tikaye, wo kisi khwaab ki tarah lag rahi thi. Uska chehra itna masoom aur roshan tha ke andheri raat mein bhi chaand sharma jaye. Wo apni saheliyon ke saath hanste hue andar aa rahi thi, is baat se bilkul be-khabar ke koi uski har ek harkat ko apni aankhon mein qaid kar raha hai.
Arsalan Shah, jo aaj tak kisi ladki ki taraf nazr utha kar bhi nahi dekhta tha, uske liye waqt ruk gaya. Uska glass pakda hua hath thamm gaya. Usne dekha ke kaise Noor ne apni lath (hair lock) ko kaan ke peeche kiya, kaise uski aankhon mein shrarat chamki jab wo hansi.
"Faris..." Arsalan ki awaaz itni dheemi thi ke shayad wo khud bhi hairan tha.
"Haan? Kya hua?" Faris ne dekha ke Arsalan ki nazrein kahan jami hui hain. Wo muskura diya. "Oh! Toh Arsalan Shah ki nazr akhir-kar kisi par thahar hi gayi? Wo Noor hai. Is shehar ke sabse shareef khandan ki beti. Bilkul apne naam ki tarah... Noor."
Noor. Arsalan ne is naam ko apne dil mein dohraya. Uske andar ek ajeeb sa toofan uth raha tha—ek aisa ehsaas jo na kabhi mehsoos kiya tha, na kabhi socha tha. Ye sirf pasand nahi thi, ye toh kuch aur hi tha.
"Noor..." Arsalan ne dheere se kaha, par uski awaaz mein ek ajeeb sa kabza (possession) tha. "Aaj se pehle meri zindagi bilkul khali aur andheri thi Faris. Par aaj... maine apni zindagi ka maqsad dekh liya hai."
Faris thoda dar gaya. "Arsalan, kya keh rahe ho? Wo ladki... wo bohot nazuk hai."
Arsalan ne apni gehri, siyah aankhon se Noor ko dekhte hue ek qadam aage badhaya. Uske chehre par ab ek aisi muskurahat thi jo sukoon kam aur khatra zyada lag rahi thi.
"Nazuk cheezein hi toh sambhal kar rakhne ke liye hoti hain Faris. Aur Arsalan Shah jo cheez pasand kar leta hai... wo uski milkiyat (property) ban jati hai. Phir chahe duniya idhar ki udhar ho jaye... Noor sirf meri hogi. Sirf meri."
Noor ne achanak mehsoos kiya ke koi use dekh raha hai. Usne nazrein uthayin aur door khade us shakhs ko dekha. Arsalan Shah ki nazron mein jo Deewangi thi, usne Noor ke dil ki dhadkan tez kar di. Wo darr kar peeche huti, par use kya pata tha ke wo Sher (Lion) ki nazron mein aa chuki hai, jahan se bach nikalna namumkin tha.