Kuch din beet gaye the. Main roz ki tarah computer center jaati thi aur apna kaam karti thi. Lekin har din mere mind mein ek hi thought hota tha —
"Aaj shayad wo aa jaaye."
Uski notebook ab bhi mere bag mein carefully rakhi hui thi. Main use har din center lekar jaati thi, is umeed mein ki kabhi na kabhi wo zaroor aayega.
Ek din jab main class mein apni seat par baithi hui thi aur computer on kar rahi thi, tabhi door dheere se open hua.
Maine automatically apni nazar door ki taraf uthayi.
Aur us moment mein mera heart ek second ke liye ruk sa gaya —
wo wahi ladka tha.
Wo calmly andar aaya aur apne friends ke group ke paas jaakar baith gaya, jaise kuch hua hi na ho.
Usko itne dino baad dekh kar mujhe ek ajeeb si feeling hui — thodi si relief aur thodi si nervousness.
Mujhe yaad aaya ki uski notebook abhi bhi mere bag mein hai.
Main kuch seconds tak sochti rahi,
"Kya mujhe abhi usko notebook de deni chahiye?"
Lekin uske aas-paas uske sabhi friends baithe hue the. Is wajah se mujhe thoda uncomfortable feel ho raha tha.
Phir bhi maine himmat karke apna bag open kiya aur uski notebook bahar nikali.
Main dheere-dheere uske computer table ke paas jaakar khadi ho gayi.
Wo us waqt apne friends ke saath baat kar raha tha. Jaise hi uski nazar mujh par padi, usne thoda surprise hokar meri taraf dekha.
Maine bina kuch bole uski notebook uski taraf badha di.
Usne quickly notebook le li aur halki si smile ke saath kaha,
"Thank you."
Us moment mein mujhe bahut kuch bolna tha —
"Aap itne din kahan the?"
"Main aapka intezaar kar rahi thi."
Lekin uske friends ki wajah se main kuch bhi nahi bol payi.
Main quietly wapas apni seat par aa gayi.
Us din mujhe ek baat samajh aayi —
kabhi-kabhi humare dil mein bahut saari baatein hoti hain, lekin hum unhe keh nahi paate.
Aur shayad wahi khamoshi bhi ek kahani ka hissa ban jaati hai…Main apni seat par baith kar computer screen ki taraf dekh rahi thi, lekin mera dhyaan ab bhi usi par tha.
Kabhi-kabhi main chhupkar uski taraf dekh leti thi. Wo apne friends ke saath normal baat kar raha tha, jaise kuch hua hi na ho.
Thodi der baad class ka kaam start ho gaya. Teacher ne sabko ek practical task diya aur sab students typing karne lage. Main bhi apna kaam karne lagi, lekin dil mein ek halka sa ajeeb sa ehsaas tha — jaise main kuch kehna chahti thi, par keh nahi pa rahi thi.
Kuch minutes baad mujhe side se ek halki si awaaz sunai di,
"Excuse me..."
Maine dheere se apni nazar uthayi.
Wo wahi ladka tha, mere desk ke paas khada hua.
Uske face par ek simple si smile thi.
Usne calmly kaha,
"Sorry, main kuch dino se center nahi aa paaya. Thoda busy tha."
Uski ye baat sunkar mere dil ko ek chhota sa sukoon mila.
Maine halka sa smile karte hue sir hila diya aur softly kaha,
"Koi baat nahi."
Us moment mein hamari aankhen ek second ke liye mili, aur phir wo wapas apni seat par chala gaya.
Main kuch seconds tak uski taraf dekhti rahi.
Us din mujhe ek baat feel hui —
kabhi-kabhi ek simple si baat bhi dil ko bahut khushi de deti hai.
Aur shayad us din hamari kahani mein ek nayi shuruaat ho chuki thi…
"Kya ye sirf ek simple si baat thi, ya hamari dosti ki asli shuruaat?"