Subah ka waqt tha…
Aasmaan bilkul halka sa neela tha, jaise raat aur din ke beech ka ek shaant pal ho. Hawa me thodi thandi si nami thi, aur sheher abhi poori tarah jaaga nahi tha.
Aarohi apni balcony me khadi thi…
Haath me chai ka cup tha, par wo bas aadat ke liye tha. Na usse taste ka ehsaas ho raha tha, na uska mann tha peene ka.
Uski nazar seedha saamne aasman par tikki hui thi.
"Tumhe subah pasand nahi thi na…" usne dheere se kaha.
Uski awaaz me halka sa muskaan tha… aur us muskaan ke peeche gehra dard.
"Tum kehte the… subah boring hoti hai… aur main kehti thi ki subah fresh hoti hai…"
Wo halki si hansi.
"Dekho… ab main bhi boring ho gayi hoon…"
Hawa ka ek halka jhonka aaya…
Jaise kisi ne uski baat sun li ho.
Aarohi ne aankhen band ki.
Aur ek pal ke liye usne imagine kiya
Kabir uske paas khada hai.
Usi careless style me…
Haath pockets me…
Face par wo half smile.
"Pagal hai tu…"
Wo awaaz fir se uske dimaag me goonj uthi.
Aarohi ne aankhen kholi…
Aur sach phir saamne tha.
Koi nahi tha.
Sirf wo.
Aur uski yaadein.
Aaj ek special din tha.
Kabir ko jaaye hue poore 6 mahine ho chuke the.
6 mahine…
180 din…
Aur har din Aarohi ne ek hi cheez feel ki thi
Guilt.
Wo guilt jo kabhi kam nahi hota.
Sirf aadat ban jata hai.
Aarohi ne decide kiya ki aaj wo wapas wahi jayegi…
Kabir ke paas.
Kabristan.
Usne simple white kurta pehna.
Wahi jo Kabir ko pasand tha.
"White me cute lagti hai tu…" wo hamesha kehta tha.
Aarohi ne mirror me khud ko dekha…
Aur dheere se bola
"Ab bhi lagti hoon?"
Uska khud hi koi jawab nahi tha.
Kabristan bilkul shaant tha.
Pedon ke beech se halki dhoop zameen par gir rahi thi.
Aarohi dheere-dheere chalti hui Kabir ke grave tak pahunchi.
Wo wahi ruk gayi.
Kuch seconds tak bas us naam ko dekhti rahi
Kabir Sharma
Jaise har baar dekhne par bhi usse yakeen nahi hota ho.
"Hi…" usne dheere se kaha.
"Main aa gayi…"
Wo neeche baith gayi.
Aaj wo ro nahi rahi thi.
Aaj uski aankhen shaant thi.
Jaise wo finally thak chuki ho ro kar.
"6 mahine ho gaye…" usne dheere se kaha.
"Pata hai? Main ab bhi roz tumhe message karti hoon…"
Usne halki si hansi.
"Stupid na?"
Hawa thodi tez chali…
Pedon ke patte hilne lage.
Aarohi ne aasman ki taraf dekha.
"Ya tum sunte ho?"
Usne apni aankhen band ki…
Aur gehri saans li.
"Main aaj tumse ek baat karne aayi hoon…"
Usne dheere se kaha.
"Last time…"
"Promise."
Uski awaaz me halka sa darr tha.
Jaise wo khud hi ready nahi ho us baat ke liye.
"Main thak gayi hoon Kabir…"
Aarohi ki awaaz halka sa toot gayi.
"Main har din tumhe yaad karke jee rahi hoon… par main jee nahi rahi…"
Uski aankhon me aansu aa gaye.
"Main aage badhna chahti hoon…"
Ye words bolna uske liye sabse mushkil tha.
"Par mujhe darr lagta hai…"
"Lagta hai agar main aage badh gayi… to tumhe bhool jaungi…"
Usne apne haath ko zor se pakda.
"Par main tumhe bhoolna nahi chahti…"
"Main bas… dard se thoda sa aaram chahti hoon…"
Hawa phir se chali.
Is baar thodi zyada tez.
Jaise koi react kar raha ho.
Aarohi ne halki si smile di.
"Tum hote to bolte 'finally samajh aayi tujhe'…"
Uski aankhon me aansu the… par wo muskura rahi thi.
Usne apne bag se ek diary nikali.
Wo diary jisme wo pichle 6 mahine se likh rahi thi.
Har din.
Har feeling.
Har regret.
Usne diary kholi.
Aur ek page padha
"Day 27: Aaj bhi maine uska chat open kiya. Aaj bhi single tick tha."
Wo halki si hansi.
Phir ek aur page
"Day 89: Aaj maine pehli baar bina roye uska naam liya."
Phir
"Day 143: Shayad main theek ho rahi hoon… par main nahi chahti theek hona."
Aarohi ne diary band kar di.
"Main pagal thi na…" usne dheere se kaha.
"Par ab nahi…"
Usne deep breath li.
"Ab main theek hona chahti hoon."
"Tumhare liye."
Aarohi ne dheere se apni pocket se phone nikala.
Kabir ka chat open kiya.
Usne type kiya
Aarohi: "Aaj main tumhe last message bhej rahi hoon."**
Uske haath kaanp rahe the.
Par wo likhti rahi
Aarohi: "Main tumse bohot pyaar karti hoon… aur hamesha karti rahungi."**
Aarohi: "Par ab main aage badh rahi hoon…"**
Aarohi: "Iska matlab ye nahi ki main tumhe bhool rahi hoon…"**
Aarohi: "Bas… main jeena seekh rahi hoon."**
Usne screen ko dekha…
Aankhon me aansu bhar aaye.
Phir usne last line likhi
Aarohi: "Goodbye Kabir…"**
Send.
Single tick.
Jaise hamesha.
Par aaj wo alag feel ho raha tha.
Aarohi ne phone band kiya.
Aur usse apne bag me rakh diya.
Phir usne dheere se Kabir ke grave par haath rakha.
"Goodbye…" usne dheere se kaha.
Is baar uski awaaz me dard kam tha…
Aur sukoon zyada.
Wo dheere-dheere waha se uth kar chalne lagi.
Har step heavy tha…
Par har step me ek ajeeb si lightness bhi thi.
Jaise wo kuch peeche chhod rahi ho.
Aur kuch naya le kar ja rahi ho.
Gate ke paas pahunch kar wo ek baar phir ruki.
Usne peeche mud kar dekha.
Kabir ka grave…
Ped…
Wo jagah…
Sab kuch.
Usne halki si smile di.
Aur dheere se kaha
"Thank you…"
Sheher ab poori tarah jaag chuka tha.
Log apni life me busy the.
Cars chal rahi thi.
Horn baj rahe the.
Sab normal tha.
Aur shayad…
Aarohi bhi.
Usne apna phone nikala.
Aur iss baar…
Kabir ka chat open nahi kiya.
Wo seedha contacts me gayi.
Aur Neha ko call kiya.
"Hello?" Neha ki awaaz aayi.
Aarohi ne halki si smile ke saath kaha
"Coffee pe chalna hai?"
Neha thodi surprised thi.
"Tu theek hai?"
Aarohi ne aasman ki taraf dekha.
Aur dheere se kaha
"Haan… shayad ab ho rahi hoon."
Zindagi rukti nahi.
Chahe kitna bhi dard ho…
Wo aage badhti rehti hai.
Aur kabhi-kabhi…
Hume bhi uske saath badhna padta hai.
Kabir Aarohi ki zindagi ka hissa tha…
Aur hamesha rahega.
Par ab…
Wo uski zindagi ka poora sach nahi tha.
Kabhi-kabhi…
Pyaar ka matlab pakad ke rakhna nahi hota.
Kabhi-kabhi…
Pyaar ka matlab hota hai
Chhod dena.
💔
THE END.