  We consider a two-dimensional nonlinear waveguide with distributed gain and
losses. The optical potential describing the system consists of an unperturbed
complex potential depending only on one transverse coordinate, i.e.,
corresponding to a planar waveguide, and a small non-separable perturbation
depending on both transverse coordinates. It is assumed that the spectrum of
the unperturbed planar waveguide features an exceptional point (EP), while the
perturbation drives the system into the unbroken phase. Slightly below the EP,
the waveguide sustains two-component envelope solitons. We derive
one-dimensional equations for the slowly varying envelopes of the components
and show their stable propagation. When both traverse directions are taken into
account within the framework of the original model, the obtained two-component
bright solitons become metastable and persist over remarkably long propagation
distances.
