Vaishnavi ka heartbeat abhi tak control me nahi aaya tha.
Aarav uske bilkul saamne khada tha.
Itna close ki uski saans uske cheek ko touch kar rahi thi.
"Because I'm running out of ways to pretend I don't want you."
Uski awaaz heavy thi. Real.
Aur shayad pehli baar— Sacchi.
Vaishnavi ki aankhen uski aankhon me locked rahi.
Kuch seconds.
Bas do log.
Aur beech me saari unsaid baatein.
Phir usne dheere se kaha—
"Toh pretend karna band karo."
Aarav ne blink kiya.
Jaise usne expect nahi kiya tha ki wo itni seedhi baat bolegi.
"Aur clearly bol do…"
Uski awaaz thodi shake hui.
"Main kya hoon tumhare liye?"
Silence.
Aarav ne kuch bolne ke liye lips part kiye.
"Vaishnavi… main—"
Ruk gaya.
Phir se.
Vaishnavi ne aankhen band kar li.
Ek second ke liye.
Aur jab wapas kholi—
Sab clear tha.
Uske lips pe ek chhoti si smile aayi.
Dard bhari.
"Exactly."
"Tum hamesha itna bolte ho ki main ruk jaun…"
"…par kabhi itna nahi bolte ki main reh jaun."
Aarav ka chest tight ho gaya.
"It's not that simple!"
"Mere liye simple hona chahiye tha."
She snapped.
"Main bas ek answer chahti thi…"
"…aur tumhare paas abhi bhi nahi hai."
Aarav ne ek step aage badhaya.
"I do care—"
"Mujhe care nahi chahiye!"
Uski awaaz thodi loud ho gayi.
"Mujhe clarity chahiye Aarav!"
Silence.
Heavy.
Crushing.
"Aur jab tak tum khud decide nahi kar paate…"
Uski awaaz dheere ho gayi.
"…main wait nahi kar sakti."
Aur wo mud gayi.
Is baar— Sacchi me chali gayi.
Aarav ne usse roka nahi.
Shayad isliye nahi ki wo nahi rok sakta tha—
Balki isliye…
Kyuki wo jaanta tha—
Uske paas jawab nahi hai.
Same Night — College Fest
Music itni loud thi ki dil ki awaaz bhi dab jaaye.
Lights flash ho rahi thi.
Log dance kar rahe the.
Sab kuch normal lag raha tha.
Vaishnavi andar aayi Naina ke saath.
"Aaj tu overthink nahi karegi. Clear?"
"Try karungi."
Sumit already wahan tha.
Jaise hamesha.
Jaise wo hamesha hota hai.
"Finally. Main soch raha tha tum aaj dramatic entry logi."
"Main itni important nahi hoon."
"Tumhe idea bhi nahi hai tum kitni ho."
Vaishnavi ne uski taraf dekha.
Ek second ke liye.
Phir nazar hata li.
Aarav — Watching
Door ke paas khada Aarav sab dekh raha tha.
Uska focus sirf ek jagah tha.
Vaishnavi.
Aur usse samajh nahi aa raha tha—
Wo kab itni door ho gayi?
Rhea — The Catalyst
Rhea dheere se uske paas aayi.
"You look distracted."
"Main hoon."
"Uski wajah se?"
Aarav ne jawab nahi diya.
Rhea ne halki si smile di.
"You still haven't told her?"
Aarav ne aankhen band ki.
"It's complicated."
"No."
Rhea ka tone sharp ho gaya.
"You're making it complicated."
Phir dheere se—
"Aur tum jaante ho… tum usse choose nahi kar sakte."
Aarav ka jaw tighten ho gaya.
"…I don't have a choice."
Vaishnavi Hears It
Unhe pata nahi tha—
Vaishnavi peeche khadi thi.
Usne sab sun liya.
Har word.
Har pause.
"I don't have a choice…"
Uska heart literally drop ho gaya.
Ek second ke liye—
Usse laga shayad wo galat sun rahi hai.
Phir Rhea boli—
"Good. Then don't hurt her more."
Bas.
Wahi enough tha.
Vaishnavi wahan se quietly chali gayi.
Kisi ne notice nahi kiya.
Breakdown — Without Tears
Washroom me jaake wo mirror ke saamne khadi ho gayi.
"He doesn't have a choice…"
Matlab?
He chose her.
Simple.
Clear.
Final.
Usne aankhen band ki.
Deep breath li.
Aur decide kiya—
No more.
Back To The Crowd
Vaishnavi wapas aayi.
Face normal.
Smile normal.
Sumit ne usse dekha.
"Tum theek ho?"
"Haan."
"Sach me?"
"Haan."
He didn't believe her.
Par push nahi kiya.
Dance Floor — Shift
Music change hua.
Slow beat.
Sumit ne haath badhaya.
"Dance?"
Normally wo hesitate karti.
Aaj nahi.
"Chalo."
Wo uske saath dance floor pe chali gayi.
Sumit ne usse gently hold kiya.
Not too close.
Respectful.
"Tum aaj alag lag rahi ho."
"Good ya bad?"
"Dangerous."
Vaishnavi halki si smile di.
Phir dheere se—
Wo uske aur close aa gayi.
Deliberately.
Aarav ne ye dekha.
Aur uska control break ho gaya.
Confrontation
Wo seedha unke paas aaya.
"Vaishnavi."
Uski awaaz hard thi.
"Kya hai?"
"We need to talk."
"Abhi?"
"Yes. Abhi."
Sumit ne step liya.
"Chill Aarav—"
"Tu beech me mat aa."
Vaishnavi ka patience khatam.
"Tumhe kya problem hai?"
"Problem?"
Aarav almost laughed.
"Tumhe nahi pata?"
"Nahi."
She held his gaze.
"Aur honestly… mujhe farak bhi nahi padta."
That hit
Deep.
Truth Explosion
Aarav ne uska wrist pakda.
"Stop lying."
Vaishnavi ne turant haath chhuda liya.
"Tumhe jhoot se problem hai?"
Uski aankhen uski aankhon me.
Sharp.
"Toh khud se start karo."
Aarav froze.
"I heard you."
Dead silence.
"'I don't have a choice.'"
Aarav ka face change ho gaya.
"Vaishnavi—"
"No."
"Explain mat karo."
"Main samajh gayi."
"Tumhare paas choice nahi hai…"
"…toh main tumhari problem kyun banun?"
Aarav desperate ho gaya.
"You don't understand—"
"Exactly!"
She snapped.
"Main samajhna bhi nahi chahti ab!"
Bestfriend Breaking Point
Sumit ne Aarav ko side me liya.
"Tu usse sach kyun nahi bolta?"
Aarav frustrated.
"Sab kuch bol nahi sakta!"
"Toh lose kar de use?"
Silence.
"Simple hai Aarav."
Sumit ka tone calm tha.
Dangerously calm
"Ya toh tu usse choose kar…"
"…ya phir side ho ja."
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha.
"Tu usse pasand karta hai?"
Sumit ne bina hesitate kiye bola—
"Haan."
Aur iss baar—
Wo mazak nahi kar raha tha.
Final Scene
Vaishnavi exit ki taraf chal rahi thi.
Aarav ne last try kiya"
"Vaishnavi—"
Wo ruki.
"Main explain kar sakta hoon."
She turned.
Calm.
Cold.
"No."
"Ab zarurat nahi hai."
"Tumne already decide kar liya."
Aur phir—
Usne Sumit ki taraf dekha.
"Can you drop me home?"
Sumit ne sirf itna kaha—
"Always."
Wo dono saath chal diye.
Aarav wahi khada reh gaya.
First time—
Sach me akela.
To be continued.....