Raat ka safar ajeeb hota hai.
Bahar sab quiet hota hai…
andar sab loud.
Bike chal rahi thi.
Hawa tez thi.
Par Vaishnavi ko kuch feel nahi ho raha tha.
Sumit ne rear-view mirror se usse dekha.
"Tum theek ho?"
Silence.
"Vaishnavi?"
"Haan."
"Jhoot."
Usne halka sa sigh liya.
"Please aaj mat pucho…"
Sumit ne kuch seconds usse dekha.
Phir dheere se bola—
"Theek hai."
Pause.
"Main guess nahi karunga."
Vaishnavi ne thoda surprise se uski taraf dekha.
"Jab bolna hoga… bol dena."
Wo simple tha.
Par us moment me—
exactly wahi chahiye tha.
Silent Breakdown
Road lights uske face pe flash ho rahi thi.
Har light ke saath—
ek memory.
Aarav ki voice:
"I don't have a choice…"
Uska chest heavy ho gaya.
"He chose her…"
Usne aankhen band kar li.
Tears aaye…
par girne nahi diye.
Sumit Notices Everything
Bike slow hui.
Ek quiet road par ruk gayi.
"Utaro"
"Kyu?"
"Bas utaro."
Vaishnavi confuse hui—
par utar gayi.
Sumit ne uski taraf seedha dekha.
"Ab bol sakti ho."
She looked away.
"Kuch nahi hai."
"Main itna stupid nahi hoon."
Silence.
"Kisi ne hurt kiya hai tumhe."
Her throat tightened.
"…aur main guess kar sakta hoon kaun.
"
Vaishnavi ne aankhen band ki
.
"Please Sumit…"
He stepped closer.
Voice softer—
"Tumhe explain nahi karna.
"
Pause.
"Par ek baat bolu?"
She didn't respond.
"Jo insaan tumhe confuse karta hai…"
"…wo tumhare layak clear nahi hota."
That hit.
Deep.
Usne dheere se poocha—
"Aur jo clear ho…?"
Sumit ne seedha uski aankhon me dekha.
"Usse ignore mat karo."
Silence.
Heavy.
Meanwhile — Aarav
Aarav apni car me baitha tha.
Steering wheel pakad ke.
Tightly.
Uske dimaag me sirf ek line ghoom rahi thi—
"I heard you."
"Shit…"
Usne frustration me steering pe punch maara.
"She misunderstood…"
Aur phir—
ek aur thought aaya.
"Ya shayad… main hi late ho gaya."
Uska chest tighten ho gaya.
Rhea Enters Again
Passenger door khula.
Rhea baith gayi.
"Drive."
"Nahi."
"Aarav—"
"Not now."
Rhea ne uski taraf dekha.
Serious.
"You lost her today."
Aarav ne aankhen band ki.
"Shut up."
"Sach bol rahi hoon."
"Tumne usse kabhi clearly choose nahi kiya…"
"…aur aaj kisi aur ne kar liya."
Aarav ka jaw tighten ho gaya
.
"It's not like that."
Rhea leaned closer.
"Toh jaake prove karo."
Silence.
Next Day — College
Atmosphere change ho chuka tha.
Sab notice kar rahe the.
Vaishnavi aayi—
Sumit ke saath.
Normal.
Calm
.
Too calm.
Naina ne whisper kiya—
"Tum dono… kuch chal raha hai kya?"
Vaishnavi ne bas smile kiya.
"Logon ko kaam nahi hota."
Sumit ne side me murmur kiya—
"Answer avoid karna bhi ek answer hota hai."
She smirked.
Door se Aarav sab dekh raha tha.
Aur usne jo dekha—
usne galat samajh liya.
Vaishnavi aur Sumit canteen ke corner me baith ke baat kar rahe the.
Vaishnavi thodi emotional thi—
par control me.
Sumit ne uska haath pakda.
Softly.
"You don't have to pretend with me."
Vaishnavi ne uski taraf dekha.
Aur dheere se bola—
"I'm tired of pretending."
Sumit:
"Then don't."
Usne uska haath tight pakda.
Aarav ne ye dekha.
Half scene.
Half words.
Aur usne assume kar liya—
They're together.
Aarav Snaps (Internally)
"That fast?"
"Bas itna hi tha?"
Uska chest jal gaya.
Three-Way Tension Scene
Aarav seedha unke paas aaya.
"Nice."
Vaishnavi ne upar dekha.
Calm.
"Kya?
"Tum move on bhi fast karti ho."
Silence.
Sumit ne uski taraf dekha.
"Careful Aarav."
"Main careful hi hoon."
Aarav ne Vaishnavi ki taraf dekha—
hurt + anger mix.
"Ya shayad main hi stupid tha…"
"…jo soch raha tha tum wait karogi."
Vaishnavi ka expression change hua.
"Tumhe wait karna tha?"
"At least itna ki tum samajh pao kya chal raha hai!"
"Mujhe sab samajh aa gaya hai."
"Nahi aaya!"
Voice loud ho gaya.
"Tumne suna… par samjha nahi!"
Vaishnavi hurt hui.
"Aur tumne bola hi kya jo main samajhti?"
Silence.
Sumit beech me aaya.
"Enough."
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha.
"Tu beech me mat aa."
"Main beech me nahi aa raha…"
Pausee
"…main uske saath khada hoon."
That hit.
Hard.
Sumit ne seedha Aarav ki aankhon me dekha.
"Tu confuse karega…"
"…main clear rahunga."
"Tu wait karwayega…"
"…main choose karunga."
Dead silence.
Vaishnavi stunned.
Cliffhanger
Sumit ne Vaishnavi ki taraf dekha.
"Main wait nahi karunga Aarav ke decisions ka."
Pause
.
"Main tumhe choose karta hoon."
Aarav freeze.
Vaishnavi ka heart race karne laga.
Aarav ne dheere se kaha—
"…aur tum?"
Silence.
Sab kuch us ek answer pe ruk gaya.
Vaishnavi ne aankhen band ki.
Deep breath li.
Aur jab kholi—
toh uski nazar Aarav par gayi.
Phir Sumit par.
Aur phir—
wo kuch bolne wali thi—
To be continued...