CHAPTER 1🌙
Mumbai ki baarish hamesha se thodi filmy hoti hai… lekin us raat kuch alag tha.
Aastha ne apni umbrella tight pakdi hui thi, lekin hawa itni tez thi ki baarish seedha uske chehre par aa rahi thi. Uska mascara halka sa smudge ho chuka tha, par usse fark nahi pad raha tha. Uske dimaag mein sirf ek hi thought chal raha tha—
"Maine usse kyun trust kiya?"
Wo seedha Marine Drive ke paas ruk gayi. Samundar ka paani bhi us raat unusually violent tha… bilkul uske emotions ki tarah.
"Tum yahan kya kar rahi ho?"
Peeche se ek awaaz aayi.
Aastha ne mudkar dekha—Ayaan.
Same black shirt, wet hair, intense eyes. Jaise wo hamesha movies mein hero entry deta ho.
"Tumhe kya lagta hai?" Aastha ne thoda sarcastic tone mein kaha.
"Tumhe sab pata hai na?"
Ayaan kuch seconds tak chup raha. Baarish dono ke beech ek wall jaisi ban chuki thi.
"Sab nahi pata," usne dheere se kaha, "par itna zaroor pata hai ki tum galat jagah pe trust kar rahi ho."
Aastha ka gussa aur badh gaya.
"Seriously Ayaan? Ab tum mujhe sikhaoge trust kya hota hai? Tumne khud kya kiya hai, yaad hai?"
Flashback uske dimaag mein flash hua—
3 months pehle…
Same city… same rain…
Same ladka.
Ayaan ne usse promise kiya tha—
"Main kabhi tumhe hurt nahi karunga."
Aur phir exactly wahi hua jo usne kabhi imagine bhi nahi kiya tha.