Yeh ek aisi prem kahani hai jahan khamoshiyan lafzon se zyada geheri hain. Iska ant wahan hota hai jahan se sawal shuru hote hain.
Shehar ki bheed-bhaad se door, purane Shimla ki ek tang gali mein ek chhota sa cafe tha—'The Last Page'. Wahan ki khidkiyon se baraf se dhaki pahadiyan saaf dikhti thi. Aryan har sham wahan baithta tha, ek hi kone wali mez par, hath mein ek purani diary aur thandi hoti hui coffee liye.
Aryan koi lekhak nahi tha, par uski zindagi ki kahani kisi upanyas (novel) se kam bhi nahi thi. Wo wahan kisi ka intezar karta tha. Uska intezar teen saal pehle shuru hua tha, aur aaj bhi wo usi mod par khada tha.
Teen saal pehle, isi cafe mein, Aryan ki mulakat Meera se hui thi. Meera, jo baarish mein poori tarah bheeghi hui andar aayi thi aur usne bina puche Aryan ki mez par baithte hue kaha tha, "Umeed hai aapko bura nahi lagega, bahar toofan hai aur andar jagah nahi."
Aryan ne bas muskura kar sar hila diya tha. Us din ke baad, baaton ka silsila aisa chala ki waqt ka pata hi nahi chala. Meera ek painter thi, jo rangon se zyada jazbaaton ko samajhti thi. Aryan ek architect tha, jo imaraton mein sukoon dhoondta tha.
Dono ki pasand alag thi, par khamoshi dono ko ek jaisi pyari thi.
Unki dosti pyaar me kab badal gai unhen khud nahi pata, dono mein se kisi ne kabhi kaha nahi. Par unki aankhon mein wo iqrar tha jo zabaan par nahi aa pata tha. Ek sham, jab suraj dhal raha tha aur aasmaan par gulabi rang bikhra tha, Meera ne Aryan se ek ajeeb si baat kahi.
"Aryan, agar main kabhi bina bataye chali jaun, toh kya tum mujhe dhoondoge?"
Aryan ne uska hath thama aur kaha, "Dhoondne ki zaroorat nahi padegi, Meera. Tum jahan bhi rahogi, meri dhadkan wahi hogi."
Meera ne muskura kar apni diary se ek panna faada, us par kuch likha aur ek purani chabi us panna mein lapet kar Aryan ko de di. "Ise tab tak mat kholna jab tak main tumse door na ho jaun."
Aryan ne use mazaak samjha tha. Par agle din, Meera cafe nahi aayi. Agle hafte bhi nahi. Uska phone band tha, uska rented kamra khali tha, aur shehar mein koi uske bare mein nahi janta tha. Wo jaise hawa mein ghul gayi thi.
Intezar ka Teesra Saal
Aaj wahi din tha. Teen saal pure ho chuke the. Aryan ne aaj tak wo panna nahi khola tha, kyunki use lagta tha ki jis din wo panna kholega, Meera ke wapas aane ki umeed khatam ho jayegi. Par aaj, sukoon ki jagah bechaini ne le li thi.
Cafe ka darwaza khula aur thandi hawa ka ek jhonka andar aaya. Aryan ne ummid se darwaze ki taraf dekha, par wahan koi nahi tha—sirf ek courier wala tha.
"Mr. Aryan?" usne pucha.
Aryan ne haan kaha. Courier wale ne ek purana sa box use thama diya. Box par koi sender ka naam nahi tha, bas ek nishan tha—ek chhota sa neela phool, jo Meera aksar apni paintings ke kone mein banaya karti thi.Aryennko turant samajh aa gaya ki ye meera ne bheja hoga. Yeh sochkar veh hairan ho gaya ki meera itne saalo baad mujhe phool bheja.
Aryan ke hath kanpne lage. Usne box khola. Uske andar ek aur chabi thi, bilkul waisi hi jaisi Meera ne teen saal pehle di thi. Uske sath ek chhota sa note tha:
"Chabiyaan do hain, par darwaza ek hi hai. Wo darwaza jo humne kabhi nahi khola. Aaj raat 12 baje, usi purane kile ki deewar par milna jahan humne pehli baar sunset dekha tha. Agar tum aaye, toh kahani puri hogi. Agar nahi... toh shayad ye chabiyaan tumhare liye sirf ek chota sa khilona ban kar reh jayengi."
Aryan ne ghadi dekhi. Raat ke 11 baj rahe the. Bahar baraf girni shuru ho chuki thi. Wo utha aur apni purani diary se wo panna nikala jo usne teen saal se sambhal kar rakha tha. Usne aaj pehli baar us panne ko khola.
Us par likha tha:
"Main kabhi gayi hi nahi thi, Aryan. Main hamesha tumhare peeche wali mez par baithi rehti thi, bas tumne kabhi mud kar nahi dekha."
Aryan ka dil zor se dhadakne laga. Usne piche wali mez ki taraf dekha. Wahan ek coffee ka cup rakha tha jismein se dhuan nikal raha tha, jaise koi abhi uth kar gaya ho. Cup ke niche ek aur note tha:
"Der mat karna, wo mera intezar kar raha hai."
Aryan ghabra gaya aur sochne laga. Wo kaun? Meera ne 'mera' intezar likha tha ya 'hamara'? Aur agar wo yahi thi, toh wo samne kyun nahi aayi?
Aryan bhagte hue cafe se bahar nikla aur kile ki taraf badha. Andheri raat, charo taraf baraf, aur san-sanati hawa. Jab wo kile ki us deewar par pahuncha, toh wahan koi nahi tha. Sirf ek safed chadar bichi thi baraf ki.
Par tabhi, usne baraf par kuch nishan dekhe. Wo kisi ke pairon ke nishan nahi the. Wo kisi ko ghasitne ke nishan the, jo kile ke us purane basement ki taraf ja rahe the jise salon pehle band kar diya gaya tha.
Aryan ne apni pocket se dono chabiyaan nikali. Basement ke darwaze par do bade taale latak rahe the. Usne pehli chabi lagayi—taala khul gaya. Usne dusri chabi lagayi—dusra taala bhi khul gaya.
Jaise hi usne darwaza dhakela, andar se ek halki si roshni aayi. Meera wahan baithi thi, par uski peeth Aryan ki taraf thi.
"Meera?" Aryan ne kaampte hue awaaz di.
Wo dheere se mudi. Uske chehre par wahi purani muskurahat thi, par uski aankhein bilkul safed thi. Usne ek purana gramophone bajaya, jis par unka pasandida gaana bajne laga.
"Tum aa gaye, Aryan," Meera ne kaha. "Maine kaha tha na, kahani aaj puri hogi."
Tabhi Aryan ki nazar kone mein padi. Wahan ek badi si painting thi, jo abhi-abhi banayi gayi thi. Painting mein Aryan ki tasveer thi,par uske charo taraf log ro rahe the aur uski tasveer par ek phoolon ki mala chadhi hui thi.
Meera ne Aryan ka hath pakda. Uska hath barf se bhi zyada thanda tha.
"Aryan, kya tumne kabhi socha hai ki us din us cafe mein baarish mein bheegh kar main aayi thi, ya tumhari yaad?"
Aryan ne kuch kehna chaha, par uski awaaz nahi nikli. Usne dekha ki uske apne hath dhundle (transparent) hote ja rahe hain. Usne piche mud kar dekha, darwaza gayab ho chuka tha. Wahan sirf ek deewar thi jis par khoon se likha tha:
"Yahan sirf wahi aate hain, jo pehle hi ja chuke hote hain."
Ab sawal ye tha... Kya Meera mar chuki thi aur Aryan ko lene aayi thi? Ya Aryan teen saal pehle hi mar chuka tha aur ye sab uski aatma ka ek adhura khwab tha?
Ab Aryan ko kuch bhi samajh nahi aa raha tha aur uske man me yahi sare sawaal gunj rahe the per vaha koi nahi tha jo uske in sab sawaloo ka jawab de.
Aage ki kahani padhne ke liye new chapter ka intzaar kare Aasha hai ki kahani pasand aai hogi aur ye kahani kisi sacchi ghatna per aadharit hai