Aarohi ke saamne khada wo insaan…
Uski awaaz…
Uska style…
Sab kuch Kabir jaisa tha.
Par phir bhi…
Kuch alag tha.
Uski aankhen…
Wahi feel nahi de rahi thi.
Aarohi ke dil me ek ajeeb sa darr uth gaya.
"Ka… Kabir?" usne dheere se kaha.
Wo insaan halki si smile ki.
Par wo smile Kabir wali nahi thi.
"Tumhe kya lagta hai?" usne calm tone me pucha.
Aarohi ek step peeche hati.
"Nahi… ye possible nahi hai…" usne sir hilaate hue kaha.
"Tum… Kabir nahi ho."
Wo insaan uske aur paas aaya.
"Par tum dekhna chahti ho ki main kaun hoon…" usne dheere se kaha.
Aarohi ka heart race kar raha tha.
"Door raho!" wo chillayi.
Par wo rukha nahi.
Aakhir wo itna paas aa gaya ki Aarohi uska face clearly dekh sakti thi.
Aur us moment…
Aarohi ka confusion aur badh gaya.
Face almost same tha.
Jaise Kabir ka hi reflection ho.
Par phir bhi… exact nahi.
"Tum kaun ho?" Aarohi ne fir se pucha.
Is baar uski awaaz me darr ke saath gussa bhi tha.
Wo insaan kuch seconds tak use dekhta raha.
Phir dheere se bola
"Naam se kya farq padta hai…"
Aarohi ka patience khatam ho gaya.
"Stop this! Tumne mujhe messages kyun kiye? Ye sab kya hai?"
Wo insaan thoda serious ho gaya.
"Kyuki tumhe sach pata hona chahiye…"
"Kaunsa sach?" Aarohi ne turant pucha.
Usne seedha uski aankhon me dekha
"Kabir ki death… accident nahi thi."
Aarohi ke kaan me wo line goonj gayi.
Jaise time freeze ho gaya ho.
"W… what?" usne dheere se kaha.
"Tum jhoot bol rahe ho…"
Uska dimag accept hi nahi kar raha tha.
Wo insaan seedha khada raha.
"Sach hamesha easy nahi hota accept karna…"
Aarohi ne gusse me kaha
"Proof hai tumhare paas?"
Wo insaan halka sa muskuraya.
"Tumhe proof chahiye?"
Usne apni pocket se phone nikala.
Screen on ki.
Aur Aarohi ke saamne hold kiya.
"Dekho."
Aarohi ne hesitation ke saath screen dekhi.
Video play ho raha tha.
Raat ka scene…
Road…
Kabir ki bike…
Aarohi ka heart skip kar gaya.
"Ye… accident wala din…" usne dheere se kaha.
Video me clearly dikh raha tha
Kabir bike chala raha tha.
Phone uske haath me tha.
Par next moment…
Ek black car side se aati hai.
Aur jaan bujhkar uski bike ko hit karti hai.
Kabir road par gir jata hai.
Video wahi freeze ho jata hai.
Aarohi ka haath kaanp gaya.
"Ye… ye accident nahi tha…"
Uski awaaz bilkul halki thi.
Wo insaan sirf usse dekh raha tha.
"Ab samajh aaya?"
Aarohi ke dimaag me hazaar sawal aa gaye.
"Par… kyun? Kaun karega aisa?"
Wo insaan dheere se bola
"Ye tumhe khud pata lagana padega."
Aarohi ne uski taraf gusse se dekha
"Tumhe pata hai na! To batao!"
Wo insaan thoda close aaya.
"Main sab kuch nahi bata sakta…"
"Par main tumhe guide kar sakta hoon."
Aarohi confused thi… gusse me thi… darr me thi.
"Tum ho kaun?" usne fir se pucha.
Is baar wo insaan thoda serious ho gaya.
"Main… Kabir nahi hoon."
Ye sunte hi Aarohi ka dil thoda aur toot gaya.
"Par main usse jaanta tha."
Aarohi ne aankhen sikodi.
"Kaise?"
Wo insaan thodi der chup raha.
Phir bola
"Kyuki main uske saath tha… us raat."
Aarohi ka heart literally ruk gaya.
"Tum… waha the?"
"Phir tumne use bachaya kyun nahi?!" wo chillayi.
Uski awaaz me pain tha… gussa tha… aur guilt bhi.
Wo insaan thoda side me dekhne laga.
"Main late pahucha…"
Aarohi ko ye word sunte hi shock laga.
"Late…"
Wahi word jo Kabir ne last me bola tha.
"Late ho gaya…"
Aarohi ki aankhon me aansu aa gaye.
"Sab kuch late ho jata hai…" usne dheere se kaha.
Wo insaan uski taraf dekhta raha.
"Isliye main tumhe pehle hi warn kar raha hoon."
Aarohi ne confuse hoke pucha
"Kis baare me?"
Wo dheere se bola
"Tum danger me ho."
Aarohi ka dil zor se dhadka.
"Main? Kyun?"
"Kyuki tum Kabir ke closest thi."
Aarohi ek step peeche hati.
"Ye sab kya ho raha hai…"
Uska dimaag overload ho chuka tha.
"Main isme nahi padna chahti…"
Wo mudkar chalne lagi.
Par us insaan ne kaha
"Phir Kabir ke liye justice kaun lega?"
Aarohi ruk gayi.
Uske kadam freeze ho gaye.
"Justice…"
Usne dheere se repeat kiya.
Uska dil aur dimaag dono lad rahe the.
Ek side
Darr.
Dusri side
Kabir.
Usne dheere se mudkar us insaan ko dekha.
"Tumhe kya chahiye?"
Wo insaan seedha bola
"Sach."
"Tumhe sach chahiye… aur mujhe bhi."
Aarohi kuch seconds tak chup rahi.
Phir usne deep breath li.
"Thik hai…"
"Main help karungi."
Wo insaan halki si smile ki.
"Good choice."
"Par yaad rakhna…"
Wo thoda serious hua
"Ye game simple nahi hai."
Aarohi ne seedha uski aankhon me dekha
"Main bhi simple nahi hoon."
Hawa tez chal rahi thi…
Kabristan ke patte hil rahe the…
Aur ek nayi kahani start ho chuki thi.
Ab ye sirf ek love story nahi thi…
Ye ek mystery thi.
Ek revenge.
Ek truth.
Aarohi ne last baar Kabir ke grave ki taraf dekha.
"Main promise karti hoon…" usne dheere se kaha.
"Is baar… late nahi houngi."
Wo dono waha se chal diye.
Ek unknown raaste par…
Jahan sach chhupa tha…
Aur shayad…
Aur bhi dard.
"Kabir ke saath kya hua tha… aur Aarohi kis danger me phasne wali hai?"
To be continued…