Vaishnavi ka heartbeat abhi bhi fast tha।
Aarav uske itne kareeb khada tha… aur uski awaaz abhi bhi uske kaano me goonj rahi thi—
"Tum samajhna chahti ho… ya sirf feel karna?"
Usne kuch bolne ke liye lips open kiye hi the…
"Vaishnavi!"
Dono ne ek saath mudkar dekha।
Sumit।
Is baar uski awaaz normal nahi thi… thodi heavy thi।
Vaishnavi ek second ke liye confuse ho gayi—
Aarav itna close… aur Sumit door se dekh raha…
"Chalo… late ho raha hai," Sumit ne bas itna kaha।
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha… phir Vaishnavi ki taraf।
"Dinner miss ho jayega," usne calm tone me bola।
Jaise kuch hua hi nahi ho।
Par Vaishnavi ko pata tha—
kuch to hua tha।
Next Morning
"Vaishuuuu… uth jaaa!"
Naina ne uska blanket kheench diya।
"5 minute…" Vaishnavi ne aankhen band rakhte hue kaha।
"5 minute me hum log nikal jayenge aur tu yahin reh jayegi," Naina ne tease kiya।
Vaishnavi ne aankhen kholi, "Kahan?"
"Ghumne! Obviously!"
Neeche hall me already sab ready the।
Sumit couch par baitha phone dekh raha tha…
Aarav khidki ke paas khada kisi se call par baat kar raha tha।
Vaishnavi neeche aayi… aur automatically uski nazar Aarav par chali gayi।
Kal raat wala moment flash hua।
Usne turant nazar hata li।
"Finally madam aa gayi," Sumit ne bina upar dekhe kaha।
"Tumhe problem hai?" Vaishnavi ne seedha reply diya।
"Always," usne halka sa smile kiya… par aankhon me wo usual masti nahi thi।
Naina beech me aayi, "Guys please… trip pe aaye hain, fight mat karo!"
Car Scene
Is baar arrangement thoda different tha।
Aarav driving seat par…
Vaishnavi uske side wali seat par…
Aur peeche Naina aur Sumit।
Car chal padi।
Thodi der tak silence raha।
"Music lagao na," Naina ne bola।
Sumit ne turant phone connect kiya।
"Romantic songs nahi," usne deliberately bola।
Vaishnavi ne peeche mudkar usse dekha।
"Tumhe problem kya hai romantic songs se?"
"Problem songs se nahi… situation se hoti hai," usne casually bola।
Aarav ne ek second ke liye rear mirror me Sumit ko dekha।
Phir bina kuch bole road par focus kar liya।
Thodi der baad…
Vaishnavi ne window se bahar dekhte hue apna haath thoda bahar nikala।
Hawa thandi thi।
Aarav ne bina dekhe hi kaha,
"Haath andar rakho… thand lag jayegi."
Vaishnavi ne halki si surprise se uski taraf dekha।
"Main theek hoon…"
"Still," Aarav ne calmly repeat kiya।
Wo chupchap haath andar le aayi।
Peeche se Sumit ne dekha।
Usne kuch nahi bola।
Par uski jaw tighten ho gayi।
Outing Spot – Hill View
Jagah beautiful thi।
Neeche valley… upar halka sa cloudy sky…
thandi hawa… aur log kam।
"Wow…" Naina literally jump karte hue boli,
"Yeh place to perfect hai!"
Vaishnavi bhi smile karne lagi।
"Chalo niche chalte hain," Aarav ne kaha।
Sab stairs se neeche ja rahe the।
Vaishnavi thodi careful thi… par ek step miss ho gaya।
"Careful—"
Aarav ne turant uska haath pakad liya।
Same moment…
Sumit bhi aage badha tha।
Par Aarav already usse hold kar chuka tha।
Vaishnavi ek second ke liye freeze ho gayi।
Uska haath abhi bhi Aarav ke haath me tha।
Unki eyes mili।
"Dhyaan se," Aarav ne softly kaha।
Sumit ne side me dekha।
"Great," usne halka sa sarcastic murmur kiya।
Naina ne notice kiya… par kuch bola nahi।
Cafe Scene
Thodi der baad wo sab ek small cafe me baith gaye।
"Main coffee leke aata hoon," Sumit khada ho gaya।
"Main help karti hoon," Naina uske sath chali gayi।
Table par ab sirf Aarav aur Vaishnavi bache।
Silence।
"Tum theek ho?" Aarav ne poocha।
"Hmm…"
"Kal raat ki baat…"
Vaishnavi ne turant uski taraf dekha।
Aarav ne continue kiya,
"Tumhe uncomfortable feel hua ho to…"
"Na… nahi," Vaishnavi ne jaldi se bola।
Phir dheere se,
"Bas… samajh nahi aaya।"
Aarav usse dekhta raha।
"Sab samajhna zaruri nahi hota," usne calmly kaha,
"kabhi-kabhi feel karna enough hota hai।"
Vaishnavi ka heartbeat phir se fast ho gaya।
Door se Sumit un dono ko dekh raha tha।
Usne tray table par thodi force se rakhi।
"Coffee," usne short tone me bola।
Jealousy Build
"Tum dono ka private talk khatam ho gaya ho to hum bhi join kar le?" Sumit ne sarcastically bola।
"Sumit…" Naina ne usse lightly push kiya।
"Relax, mazaak kar raha hoon," usne fake smile diya।
Vaishnavi uncomfortable feel kar rahi thi।
"Tum theek ho?" usne dheere se Sumit se poocha।
"Main? Bilkul," usne seedha uski aankhon me dekhte hue kaha,
"tum tension mat lo… main kisi ke beech me nahi aata।"
Ye line seedha hit kari।
Vaishnavi chup ho gayi।
Evening Walk
Shaam hone lagi thi।
Sab wapas upar walk kar rahe the।
Naina thodi aage chal rahi thi।
Sumit peeche slow ho gaya।
Vaishnavi automatically uske sath reh gayi।
"Tum itna weird behave kyun kar rahe ho?" usne finally pooch liya।
"Main weird hoon?" Sumit ruk gaya।
"Tumhe nahi lag raha?"
Wo uski taraf mudkar khada ho gaya।
"Lagta hai," usne dheere se kaha,
"par shayad reason tum ho।"
Vaishnavi shock ho gayi।
"Main?"
"Hmm," usne halki si hansi di… par aankhon me pain tha,
"tumhe pata bhi hai tum kya kar rahi ho?"
"Main… kya?"
Sumit ek second ke liye chup raha।
Phir bola,
"Chhodo… tumhe abhi nahi samajh aayega।"
Wo aage chal diya।
Vaishnavi wahi khadi reh gayi।
Ending Scene
Sab wapas car ki taraf ja rahe the।
Is baar…
Aarav aur Vaishnavi saath chal rahe the।
"Usne kuch bola?" Aarav ne casually poocha।
"Sumit?"
"Hmm."
Vaishnavi ne sirf itna kaha,
"Wo… thoda upset lag raha hai।"
Aarav ne kuch seconds tak kuch nahi bola।
Phir dheere se kaha,
"Har cheez simple nahi hoti Vaishnavi।"
"Matlab?"
Aarav ruk gaya।
Vaishnavi bhi ruk gayi।
Usne seedha uski aankhon me dekha।
Is baar uski gaze usual se zyada intense thi।
"Matlab… agar tumhe lag raha hai ki tum bas enjoy kar rahi ho…"
Wo thoda sa pause karta hai।
"…to shayad tum galat ho।"
Vaishnavi ka heartbeat ekdum se fast ho gaya।
"Tum kya kehna chahte ho?"
Aarav uske aur kareeb aaya।
"Main… ab aur ignore nahi kar sakta।"
Cliffhanger
Us pal vaishnavi ko samajh aagya--
Ab ye sirf trip nhi tha..
Kuch aaisa shuru ho chuka tha
Jise vo control nhi kar paygi....
To be continued.....