Car ka engine dheere se band hua… aur ek pal ke liye sab kuch bilkul quiet ho gaya।
Raat ka time tha ।
Door tak phali hui halki lights…
Thandi hawa… aur saamne wo villa jo itna calm lag raha tha jaise kisi ne usse duniya se alag karke rakh diya ho।
Vaishnavi ne dheere se car ka door khola।
Thandi hawa ekdum se uske chehre se takraayi… aur wo ek second ke liye ruk gayi।
"Welcome," Aarav ki calm awaaz uske paas hi sunayi di।
Usne side me mudkar usse dekha।
Wo usual hi lag raha tha… composed… jaise kuch bhi special nahi ho|
Par Vaishnavi ke liye sab kuch naya tha।
"Chalo," Aarav ne casually kaha, "andar chalte hain।"
Andar aate hi warm lights ne unhe surround kar liya।
Vaishnavi ke steps automatically slow ho gaye… wo har cheez notice kar rahi thi—
wooden interiors, soft lights, silence… sab kuch itna different tha uski usual life se।
"Tum log fresh ho jao," Aarav ne kaha, "main bas aata hoon… uncle bula rahe hain।"
"Abhi?" Sumit ne thoda eyebrow raise kiya।
"Hmm… 5–10 minutes," Aarav ne simple tone me reply diya।
Aur bina kisi aur explanation ke wo wahan se chala gaya।
Vaishnavi ne usse jaate hue dekha।
Bas aise hi…
Without looking back।
Ek ajeeb sa empty feel aaya।
"Hero busy ho gaya," Sumit ne side se comment kiya।
Vaishnavi ne uski taraf dekha, "Tum har baat ko joke kyun bana dete ho?"
"Kyuki agar serious bana du to tum aur zyada confuse ho jaogi," usne seedha jawab diya।
Wo kuch bol nahi paayi।
Kuch der baad…
Vaishnavi quietly balcony ki taraf chali gayi।
Darwaza khola… aur thandi hawa phir se usse feel hui।
Is baar wo rukhi nahi।
Wo seedha railing ke paas jaake khadi ho gayi।
Neeche andhera… upar halki si moonlight… aur beech me wo।
Usne apni arms fold ki।
"Sab kuch itna alag kyun lag raha hai…"
Aarav ka behaviour…
Ye jagah…
Aur khud wo…
Sab kuch ekdum unfamiliar sa lag raha tha।
"Tumhe akele rehna itna pasand hai?"
Peeche se aayi awaaz ne uska focus tod diya।
Wo mudkar dekhti hai।
Sumit।
"Haan," usne simple reply diya, "aur tumhe har jagah aa jana pasand hai?"
"Obviously," wo uske side me aake khada ho gaya, "warna tum overthink karti rehti ho।"
Vaishnavi ne halka sa sigh liya।
"Main overthink nahi kar rahi…"
"Achha?" usne halka sa lean hote hue poocha, "to phir kya kar rahi ho?"
Wo chup rahi।
Aur is baar uski ye chup thodi heavy thi।
Sumit ne uski taraf dekha।
"Vaishnavi…"
Is baar uska tone different tha।
"Tum theek ho?"
Wo thodi si surprise hui।
Usne expected nahi kiya tha ki wo serious hoga।
"Haan…" usne dheere se kaha, "bas… thoda ajeeb lag raha hai।"
"New place?"
"Hmm… aur…" wo ruk gayi।
"...aur Aarav?"
Vaishnavi ne turant uski taraf dekha।
"Tumhe har baat guess karni hoti hai?"
"Easy hai," Sumit ne shoulders uthaaye,
"Tumhare face par sab likha hota hai।"
Hawa thodi aur thandi ho gayi thi।
Vaishnavi ne apne haath aur tight fold kiye।
Sumit ne notice Kiya।
Bina kuch bole… usne apni jacket utari aur uski taraf badha di।
"Le lo।"
"Nahi chahiye," Vaishnavi ne reflex me mana kiya।
"Drama mat karo," usne softly uske shoulders par rakh di, "thand lag rahi hai tumhe।"
Vaishnavi ek second ke liye freeze si ho gayi।
Wo usually usse irritate karta tha… tease karta tha…
Par aise…
Usne halki si awaaz me kaha,
"Thanks…"
Dono kuch der tak chup khade rahe।
Par ye silence awkward nahi tha।
Calm tha।
"Tum itni careless kyun ho?"
Sumit ne suddenly poocha।
"Main careless nahi hoon," Vaishnavi ne turant reply diya।
"Tum ho," usne calmly kaha, "khana skip karna, rest ignore karna… ye sab kya hai?"
"Tumhe kya?"
Is baar usne thoda sharp tone me bola।
Par Sumit ne react nahi kiya।
Usne bas uski taraf dekha।
"…mujhe pata nahi," usne dheere se kaha, "par farq padta hai।"
Vaishnavi usse dekhte reh gayi।
Ye same Sumit tha…
Jo har waqt usse tease karta tha…
Par ab…
Wo bilkul different lag raha tha।
Real।
"Tumhe har baat serious lene ki zarurat nahi hoti," Sumit ne halki si smile ke sath kaha, "warna life boring ho jayegi।"
Vaishnavi ke lips pe bhi halki si smile aayi।
"Tumhe sab kuch joke me lene ki zarurat nahi hoti," usne reply kiya।
"Balance ho jata hai fir," usne usse halka sa nudge kiya।
Vaishnavi halki si hansi।
Aur us pal…
Sab kuch thoda halka lagne laga।
Usne dheere se kaha,
"Sumit…"
"Hmm?"
"Tum… itne bure nahi ho jitna lagte ho।"
Sumit ne dramatic expression diya,
"Wow… itna bada compliment… mujhe likh ke dena padega।"
Vaishnavi ne aankhen ghumayi,
"Seriously bol rahi hoon।"
Sumit thoda sa quiet ho gaya।
"Late realization," usne dheere se kaha।
Unke beech ek chhota sa pause aaya।
Par is baar wo pause uncomfortable nahi tha।
Warm tha।
Tabhi…
"Dinner ready hai।"
Aarav ki awaaz peeche se aayi।
Dono ne ek saath mudkar dekha।
Wo wahi khada tha… same calm expression ke sath।
Par uski nazar ek second ke liye Vaishnavi par ruk gayi…
Phir us jacket par।
Phir Sumit par।
"Chalo," usne normal tone me kaha।
Dinner almost silent tha।
Kuch normal baatein… kuch light
conversation…
Par Vaishnavi ka focus baar-baar shift ho raha tha।
Kabhi Aarav…
Kabhi Sumit…
Aarav bilkul composed tha।
Jaise kuch feel hi nahi ho raha।
Par Kabhi -Kabhi uski nazar Vaishnavi par ruk jaati…
Aur phir wo instantly side dekh leta।
Sumit usual tha…
Par thoda calm।
Zyada tease nahi kar raha tha।
Dinner ke baad…
Vaishnavi phir balcony me chali gayi।
Is bar bina soche।
Thodi der baad footsteps sunayi diye।
Wo mudkar nahi dekhi।
"Cold lag rahi hai?"
Aarav|
Wo uske paas aake khada ho gaya।
Same jagah… jahan kuch der pehle Sumit khada tha।
"Main theek hoon," Vaishnavi ne dheere se kaha।
"Sure?"
Usne directly uski aankhon me dekha।
Vaishnavi ne aankhen thodi si hata li।
"Tum busy the…" usne casually bola।
"Hmm… kaam tha," Aarav ne simple reply diya।
Phir ek second ka pause।
"Tumhe kuch chahiye tha?"
Usne poocha।
Vaishnavi ne uski taraf dekha।
Ye same line…
Same tone…
Par feel different tha।
"Tum hamesha aise hi rehte ho?" usne achanak pooch liya।
Aarav thoda sa confuse hua,
"matlab ?"
"Bas… normal … jaisa kuch matter hi nahi karta," usne dheere se kaha।
Aarav kuch seconds tak use dekhta raha।
Phir usne halka sa sigh liya।
"Sab matter karta hai," usne calm tone me kaha, "bas har cheez show karna zaruri nahi hota।"
Vaishnavi chup ho gayi..
Usne dheere se kaha ,
"Par kabhi kabhi samjhna .... mushkil ho jata hai।"
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha।
Is baar uski gaze thodi intense thi ।
"Tum samajhna chahti ho ?"
Vaishnavi ek second ke liye ruk gayi।
"Ya sirf feel karna ?"
Hawa ek dam se aur thandi lagne lagi ।
Vaishnavi ki heartbeat thodi fast ho gayi।
Wo kuch bol nahi payi।
Aarav ne ek step aur close liya।
Unke beech distance ab almost khatam ho chuka tha ।
"Vaishnavi …"
Usne dheere se uska nam liya।
Aur ussi moment…
Vaishnavi ko achanak feel hua—
Jaise koi unhe dekh raha ho।
Usne side mai glance kiya।
Door ....thodi distance par…
Sumit khada tha।
Uski ankhen seedha un dono par thi ।
Aur is baar…
Wo smile nahi kar raha tha ।
Cliffhanger
Vaishnavi ne Aarav ki taraf dekha...
Phir dheere se apni nazar Sumit par le gayi ..
Dono ki ankhon mai kuch tha...
Jo use ek hi waqt me dono ki taraf kheench raha tha
Aur us pal ...
Use pehli baar mehsus hua
Ye sirf confusion nahi...
Kuch aur bhi hai ...
To be continued....