Silence.
Sab kuch us ek jawab pe atka hua tha.
Aarav ki aankhen Vaishnavi par tikki hui thi.
Sumit bhi usse hi dekh raha tha.
Aur Vaishnavi—
Beech me khadi thi.
Dil ek taraf.
Dimaag dusri taraf.
Usne dheere se saans li.
"Mujhe… time chahiye."
Silence..
Aarav ka expression halkasa gir gaya.
Sumit ne sirf ek second usse dekha… phir dheere se nod kiya.
"Theek hai."
Pause.
"Par main wait kar raha hoon choice ke liye…"
"…confusion ke liye nahi."
Vaishnavi ne uski taraf dekha.
Wo serious tha.
Pehli baar—bilkul serious.
Aarav ne kuch nahi bola.
Bas uski aankhon me ek hi cheez thi—
Fear.
That Night — Alone
Vaishnavi apne room me baithi thi.
Lights off.
Phone side me.
Uska dimaag loud th
.
"I don't have a choice…"
"Main tumhe choose karta hoon…"
Do alag awaazein.
Do alag log.
Do alag feelings.
Usne aankhen band ki.
"Main kya kar rahi hoon…"
Aarav — Breaking
Aarav apni car me baitha tha
.
Engine off.
Head steering par tikka hua.
"Maine kab itna late kar diya…"
Usne aankhen band ki.
Vaishnavi ka face flash hua.
Uski voice—
"Mujhe clarity chahiye."
Aarav ne teeth clench kiye.
"Damn it…"
Wo jaanta tha—
Is baar wo sach me use lose kar raha hai.,
Next Day — College
Atmosphere heavy tha.
Naina ne Vaishnavi ko side me khinch liya.
"Okay spill. Kya chal raha hai?"
"Kuch nahi."
"Don't lie yaar."
Vaishnavi ne bas itna kaha—
"Bas thak gayi hoon."
Corridor me—
Rhea uske saamne aa gayi.
"We need to talk."
"Mujhe nahi."
Rhea smiled.
"Phir bhi sun lo."
Vaishnavi ruk gayi.
Rhea uske close aayi.
Voice low.
Sharp.
"Tumhe lagta hai tum jeet jaogi?"
Vaishnavi ne seedha jawab diya—
"Main compete hi nahi kar rahi."
Rhea hansi.
"Exactly."
"Isliye tum haar jaogi."
Vaishnavi ka expression change nahi hua.
"At least main kisi ko confuse toh nahi karti."
Rhea ka smile halka sa stiff hua
"Tumhe lagta hai tum sab samajh gayi ho?"
Vaishnavi ne uski aankhon me dekha.
"Enough samajh gayi hoon."
Rhea aur paas aayi.
"Phir ek aur cheez samajh lo…"
Pause.
"Aarav free nahi hai."
Vaishnavi ka heart skip hua.
"Aur kabhi tha bhi nahi."
Silence.
"Matlab?"
Rhea ne bas smile kiya.
"Tumhe jitna pata hai… wo kahani ka aadha hissa hai."
Aur wo chal di.
Vaishnavi wahi khadi reh gayi.
Aarav & Sumit — Real Talk
Ground ke paas—
Aarav aur Sumit saamne khade the.
Silence.
Aarav:
"Tu serious hai uske liye?"
Sumit:
"Haan."
No hesitation
.
Aarav ne aankhen hata li.
"…main bhi."
Silence.
Heavy.
Sumit ne dheere se bola—
"Phir problem ye hai ki tu bolta nahi."
Aarav irritate hua.
"Sab kuch bolna possible nahi hota."
Sumit:
"Phir lose karna bhi possible hota hai."
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha.
"Tu wait karega?"
Sumit ne seedha jawab diya—
"Uske liye… haan."
Pause.
"Tere decisions ke liye… nahi."
Vaishnavi — Realization
Classroom me baithi hui—
Vaishnavi ka dimaag kahin aur tha
.
Rhea ke words:
"Aarav free nahi hai…"
Matlab kya?
"Kya main galat samajh rahi hoon?
Final Scene
Evening.
Campus almost empty.
Vaishnavi bench par baithi thi.
Aarav aaya.
Slowly.
"Vaishnavi…"
Wo uski taraf nahi dekhi.
"Please… ek baar meri baat sun lo."
Silence.
"Jo tumne suna…"
"…wo poora sach nahi tha."
Vaishnavi ne dheere se uski taraf dekha.
"Toh poora sach kya hai?"
Aarav chup ho gaya.
Again.
Vaishnavi hansi.
Halka sa.
Dard bhara.
"Exactly."
"Tum abhi bhi nahi bol pa rahe."
Aarav desperate ho gaya.
"Main bolunga… bas—"
"Late ho gaya Aarav.
"
Silence.
"Main kisi aise insaan ke liye wait nahi kar sakti…"
"…jo khud ke liye stand nahi le sakta."
Aarav ka expression toot gaya.
"Aur Sumit?"
Vaishnavi ne aankhen band ki.
"Wo kam se kam jhoot nahi bolta."
Aur wo uth ke chal di.
Aarav wahi khada reh gaya.
CLIFFHANGER
Door se Sumit aa raha tha.
Usne Vaishnavi ko dekha.
Phir Aarav ko.
Aur phir seedha Vaishnavi ke paas jaake ruk gaya.
"Decision liya?"
Vaishnavi ne uski taraf dekha.
Phir Aarav ki taraf.
Aur dheere se kaha—
"…ab lena padega."
To be continued.....