School ke piche ek purana sa music room tha…
Diwaron par halki dararein, khidki se aati thandi hawa, aur ek akela piano.
Yeh jagah Ji-Hoon ki thi.
Wo aksar yahan aata tha… logon se door, awaazon se door.
Ek din barish ho rahi thi.
Boonden khidki se takra rahi thi, aur Ji-Hoon dheere-dheere piano baja raha tha.
Tabhi darwaza dheere se khula.
"Tum hamesha yahan akele baithte ho?"
Ji-Hoon ne bina mudkar kaha,
"Haan… yahan koi disturb nahi karta."
Ladki andar aayi, halki si muskaan ke saath.
"To aaj se yeh aadat badalni padegi."
Ji-Hoon:
"Kyun?"
Ladki:
"Kyunki ab main bhi yahan baithungi."
Uska naam Soo-Yeon tha.
---
Us din ke baad sab badalne laga.
Ab room kabhi khaali nahi rehta tha.
Ji-Hoon piano bajata… Soo-Yeon chupchaap sunti.
Ek din Soo-Yeon boli:
"Tum jab yeh melody bajate ho na… lagta hai koi kisi ko yaad kar raha hai."
Ji-Hoon halka sa muskuraya:
"Ya shayad koi kisi ko bhool nahi pa raha."
---
Ek din barish ke waqt Soo-Yeon ne poocha:
"Agar main ek din na aau… to tum kya karoge?"
Ji-Hoon:
"Tum aisa kyun karogi?"
Soo-Yeon:
"Bas batao."
Ji-Hoon:
"Phir main bhi yahan aana band kar dunga."
Soo-Yeon hansi:
"To yeh melody bhi band ho jayegi?"
Ji-Hoon:
"Haan… kyunki yeh melody tumhare bina adhoori hai."
---
Ek din Min-Jae ne Ji-Hoon ko roka.
"Tu uske itna kareeb kyun ja raha hai?"
Ji-Hoon:
"Tujhe kya problem hai?"
Min-Jae (gusse me):
"Tu sach jaanta hai!"
Ji-Hoon:
"Mujhe kuch nahi jaana."
Min-Jae:
"Baad me bahut dard hoga…"
---
Phir ek din Soo-Yeon nahi aayi.
Agla din bhi nahi…
Phir kabhi nahi.
Music room phir se khaali ho gaya.
Ji-Hoon roz aata…
par piano ko chhoota bhi nahi tha.
---
Kuch hafton baad Min-Jae aaya.
"Sach sunega?"
Ji-Hoon chup raha.
"Soo-Yeon last stage illness me thi… uske paas time bahut kam tha."
Ji-Hoon ki saansein ruk gayi.
"Usne mana kiya tha tujhe batane se… wo chahti thi tu use hamesha haste hue yaad rakhe."
---
Annual function ka din aaya.
Ji-Hoon stage par baitha.
Poora hall silent tha.
Usne wahi melody bajani shuru ki…
Is baar har note me dard tha.
Log ro rahe the…
par Ji-Hoon bas ek khaali seat ko dekh raha tha.
---
Performance ke baad wo seedha music room gaya.
Darwaza aadha khula tha.
Andar se piano ki awaaz aa rahi thi.
Wahi melody…
Ji-Hoon dheere se bola:
"Yeh kaise ho sakta hai…?"
Usne darwaza khola.
Room me koi nahi tha.
Phir bhi piano khud baj raha tha.
Hawa thandi ho gayi thi.
Ji-Hoon dheere-dheere andar gaya.
"Kaun hai wahan?"
Koi jawab nahi.
Bench par ek diary rakhi thi.
Usne use uthaya… haath kaamp rahe the.
Pehle page par likha tha:
"Agar tum yeh padh rahe ho… to shayad main wahan nahi hoon."
Agli line:
"Par maine tumse jhoot bola tha… main jaana nahi chahti thi."
Ji-Hoon ki aankhon se aansu girne lage.
Aakhri line:
"Tumne kaha tha na… main rahungi… to kya tum mujhe mehsoos kar pa rahe ho?"
---
Achanak piano ki awaaz ruk gayi.
Poora room bilkul silent ho gaya.
Ji-Hoon dheere se mudkar dekhta hai…
Darwaze ke paas ek halki si parchai khadi thi.
Wo Soo-Yeon jaisi lag rahi thi…
par uska chehra saaf nahi dikh raha tha.
Ji-Hoon ki awaaz kaanp gayi:
"Soo-Yeon…?"
Parchai dheere-dheere uski taraf badhne lagi…
Aur jaise hi wo kareeb aayi—
Lights achanak band ho gayi.
---
To Be Continued… (Part 2)