⭐ CHAPTER 11 — "Sach Ka Pehla Darwaaza"
Raat shaant thi, par Aarohi ka dil bilkul shaant nahi tha. Reyansh ke ghar se aate waqt uska mann ajeeb sa halka bhi tha… aur bhaari bhi.
Jab se usne usse hug kiya tha, tab se wo lagatar uske baare me soch rahi thi. Wo hug koi normal baat nahi thi.
Usme warmth thi.
Safety thi.
Aur ek ajeeb sa belonging.
Par sabse zyada darr ye tha…
Agar uske feelings galti hui toh?
Wo apne kamre me aakar bed par baith gayi. Table lamp ki naram roshni me uska chehra aur bhi thoughtful lag raha tha. Wo diary uthakar likhne hi wali thi ki uske phone par Reyansh ka message aaya.
"Reach terrace. 2 minutes."
Aarohi ne phone ko ek pal tak bas dekha.
"Is ladke ko raat me terrace milta hi kyun hai?"
Wo khud se bolkar muskuraayi. Par phir uski smile dheere-dheere sharmili hoti chali gayi.
Wo terrace ki taraf jaane lagi.
Hawa me ek thandak thi. Par uske dil me ek garm sa hichko-la.
Jaise hi usne darwaza khola… Reyansh waha tha.
Railing ke upar jhuk kar aasman dekh raha tha.
Chaand ki roshni uski profile ko time-lapse photo jaise bana rahi thi— calm, thoughtful, warm.
Aarohi dheere se uske paas jaakar khadi ho gayi.
"Tumne bulaya?"
Reyansh ne uski taraf dekha…
Uski aankhon me koi shararat nahi thi aaj.
Sirf ek serious si intensity.
"Hmm. Kyunki…"
Wo ruk gaya.
"…Aaj kuch zaroori baat hai."
Aarohi ka dil ekdum fast ho gaya.
"Kya hua?"
Reyansh seedha khada ho gaya aur uski taraf pura face karke bola,
"Aarohi… jab se main wapas aaya hoon na… ek cheez lagatar dimaag me chal rahi hai. Main khud ko confuse kar sakta hoon, par tumhe nahi."
Aarohi ne apne haath ki ungliyan ek saath dabaayi. Nervousness clear thi.
"Kya confuse ho tum?"
Reyansh ne ek gehri saans li.
"Tumhe chhod kar jaane ka dard… main bhool chuka tha. Par tumhe dekhte hi sab wapas aa gaya."
Aarohi ne chup-chaap uski baat suni.
"Mujhe yaad hai…" Reyansh dheere se bola,
"…tumhara wo ro-oppa hua chehra, jab mujhe us raat pata chala tha ki hum kal shift ho rahe hain. Tumne mujhse poocha bhi nahi. Bas ro di thi."
Aarohi ne aankhon me ek chhota sa pain mehsoos kiya.
"Haan… kyunki tum bina kuch bole chale gaye the."
"Woh majboori thi Aarohi… par tumhe hurt karne ka koi intention nahi tha."
Aarohi ne apne hoth dabaye.
"Par hua toh tha."
Reyansh thoda dheere uske paas aaya.
Aur uska voice soft ho gaya.
"Aarohi… main tumhe ek baat sach me bataana chahta hoon."
Aarohi ne uski aankhon me dekha.
Wo bilkul clear thi—
koi jhoot nahi.
Koi drama nahi.
Sirf sach.
"Tum meri life ka sabse safe hissa ho," Reyansh bola.
"Jab main door tha… tab bhi."
Aarohi ki saanse ruk si gayi.
Aisa confess usne kabhi imagine nahi kiya tha.
"Reyansh…"
Uske words atak gaye.
"Main tumse kuch demand nahi kar raha," Reyansh ne softly kaha,
"na koi promise, na koi answer. Bas… yeh bata raha hoon."
Aarohi ka heart calm ho gaya.
Strangely calm.
"Tumhe lagta hai main nahi jaanti?" Aarohi ne dheere se kaha.
"Tum badle ho… par tumhari feelings nahi."
Reyansh thoda close aaya, par bilkul safe distance me ruk gaya.
"Tum keh rahi ho… tumhe samajh aa gaya?"
Aarohi ne halka sa sir hila diya.
"Shaayad. Aur… main bhi confuse hoon. Par ek baat sure hai."
Reyansh ne brow raise kiya.
"Kya?"
Aarohi ne dheere, bahut dheere se kaha—
"Tumhare aane se meri life me jo halki si khushi aa rahi hai na… waise kabhi nahi aayi."
Reyansh ke lips par ek natural si soft smile aa gayi.
Koi teasing nahi.
Koi attitude nahi.
Bas ek emotional smile.
"Thank you," usne almost whisper me kaha.
Aarohi ne kuch seconds tak bas uski aankhon me dekha.
Fir awkward hokar nazar hata li.
"Tumne mom-dad se kuch kaha?" Aarohi ne topic shift karne ke liye poocha.
Reyansh ne turant jawab nahi diya.
Phir bola,
"Haan. Aaj thodi si baat hui."
Aarohi shock rahi gayi.
"Kya?! Kya bola tumne?"
"Relax."
Reyansh hans diya— thoda sa.
"Maine sirf itna kaha ki… Aarohi meri old friend hai, aur mujhe uske saath time spend karna accha lagta hai."
Aarohi ne sharm se zameen dekha.
"Tum weird ho…"
"Main toh hoon hi." Reyansh ne shoulders uchaaye.
"Par unka reaction thoda surprising tha."
"Matlab?"
"Unhone kuch bola nahi," Reyansh ne samjhaya,
"bas ek doosre ko dekha aur smile ki."
Aarohi ka heart ek dum se halki si acchi feeling me ghul gaya.
"Inko sab pata chal raha hai kya?"
"Ho sakta hai," Reyansh ne playful tone me kaha,
"parents ko hamesha sab pata hota hai."
Aarohi ne soft laugh diya.
Reyansh ne terrace ki railing par haath rakha aur kaha,
"Aarohi… ek baat aur."
Aarohi ne palat kar dekha.
"Haan?"
"Kabhi-kabhi lagta hai tum mujhse thoda door bhaag rahi ho."
Aarohi ne turant deny kiya.
"Nahi toh! Main kaha bhaag rahi hoon?"
Reyansh ek step uski taraf aaya.
Uski aankhon me wo purani teasing chamak aa gayi.
"Phir jab main paas aata hoon… tum itna blush kyun karti ho?"
Aarohi ne turant chehra side kar liya.
"Reyansh stop…"
"Sach me," Reyansh ne soft voice me kaha,
"tum blush karti ho tab tum bohot cute lagti ho."
Aarohi ko laga uska chehra literally jal raha hai.
Usne ek cushion uthakar uske muh par maar diya.
"Tum hadd karte ho!"
Reyansh hans pada.
"Tum blush kar rahi ho, matlab meri baat sahi thi."
Aarohi ne cushion phir se uthaya.
"Reyansh… main—"
"Okay okay, stop!"
Reyansh ne dono hathon se haar maan li.
"Hug mat dena, warna phir tum sharmaogi."
Aarohi ruk gayi.
Phir puch liya— badey softly.
"Woh hug… galat tha kya?"
Reyansh ka expression instantly soften ho gaya.
"Nahi. Bilkul nahi."
Aarohi ki aankhon me clarity thi.
"Phir… agar main phir se tumhe hug karu, toh?"
Reyansh ek pal ke liye literally freeze ho gaya.
Uska dil bahut clearly dhadak raha tha—
par usne apna expression control kiya.
"Agar tum comfortable ho," usne dheere se kaha,
"toh main kabhi mana nahi karunga."
Aarohi uske paas aayi.
Slowly.
Halka sa nervous.
Par uske har step me ek trust tha.
Jab wo uske bilkul saamne aayi…
Reyansh ne ek second ke liye bhi haath nahi badhaya.
Usne wait kiya.
Aarohi ne hi pehle ek soft sa, safe sa hug diya.
Short.
Gentle.
Warm.
Reyansh ne bas uski back par ek light sa touch rakha—
respectfully… aur bas utna hi.
Aarohi peeche hati aur halki si smile ki.
"Goodnight, Reyansh."
Reyansh ne uski smile ko itne dhyaan se dekha jaise wo koi rare moment ho.
"Goodnight, Aarohi."
Jab Aarohi terrace se neeche utar rahi thi…
ek thought uske mind me baar-baar aa raha tha—
"Shayad… ye bachpan ka promise kabhi khatam hua hi nahi."
And chapter end....!!!