Shahar ki sadkein us din ajeeb si khamoshi me bheegi hui thi. July ki pehli baarish thi, aur hawa me mitti ki khushboo kuch zyada hi gehri lag rahi thi — jaise kuch naya shuru hone wala ho.
Ayaan apni bike dheere chala raha tha. Uske headphones me slow music chal raha tha, lekin uska dhyaan kahin aur tha. Shayad life ke bare me… ya shayad us khaali pan ke bare me jo wo kaafi time se feel kar raha tha.
"Life itni boring kyun ho gayi hai…" usne khud se kaha.
Tabhi…
Ek achanak se ladki uski bike ke saamne aa gayi.
"Arey!"
Ayaan ne brake jor se daba di. Bike thodi phisal gayi lekin control ho gayi.
Ladki bilkul uske saamne khadi thi… baarish me bheegi hui… haath me ek purani si diary pakde hue.
Uski aankhon me darr tha… ya shayad kuch aur.
"Tum dekh ke nahi chal sakti?" Ayaan thoda gusse me bola.
Ladki ne seedha uski taraf dekha… bina kuch bole.
Uski aankhein… ajeeb si thi. Gehri. Jaise kuch kehna chahti ho, lekin bol nahi pa rahi.
"Sorry…" usne dheere se kaha.
Ayaan ka gussa ek second me thanda ho gaya.
"Thik ho tum?" usne pucha.
Ladki ne sirf haan me sar hilaya… phir bina kuch kahe chal di.
Ayaan usse dekhta reh gaya.
Kuch toh tha usme…
Kuch alag.
Us raat Ayaan ko neend nahi aayi.
Us ladki ka chehra baar baar uske dimag me aa raha tha. Wo aankhein… wo khamoshi…
"Kaun thi wo…" usne chhat ki taraf dekhte hue kaha.
Agla din.
College ka pehla din after vacations.
Ayaan apne dosto ke saath canteen me baitha tha.
"Bhai tu itna lost kyun hai?" Kabir ne tease kiya.
"Nothing yaar…"
"Pakka ladki ka scene hai," Rohan hansa.
Ayaan bas muskura diya.
Tabhi…
Canteen ka door khula.
Aur wo ladki andar aayi.
Same ladki.
Baarish wali.
Ayaan ka dil ek second ke liye ruk gaya.
"Ye… ye yahan kya kar rahi hai?" usne dheere se kaha.
Kabir ne pucha, "Kisko dekh raha hai?"
Ayaan ne ungli se point kiya.
Kabir ne dekha, "Oooo… new admission lag rahi hai."
Wo ladki akeli thi. Kisi se baat nahi kar rahi thi. Seedha corner table pe jaake baith gayi.
Usne apni diary nikali… aur likhne lagi.
"Bhai tu gaya…" Rohan hansa.
Ayaan khada ho gaya.
"Main aata hoon."
Wo dheere dheere us ladki ke paas gaya.
"Excuse me…"
Ladki ne upar dekha.
Same aankhein.
Same khamoshi.
"Tum kal… road pe…" Ayaan thoda awkward ho gaya.
"Hmm," usne sirf itna kaha.
"Main Ayaan."
"Zoya."
Naam sunte hi jaise hawa ruk gayi.
"Nice name," Ayaan ne halka sa smile kiya.
Zoya ne bas diary band ki… aur uthne lagi.
"Wait," Ayaan ne kaha, "tum yahan new ho na?"
"Hmm."
"Friends nahi bane abhi?"
"Zarurat nahi."
Uska jawab seedha tha… thoda thanda bhi.
Ayaan confuse ho gaya.
"Tum thodi ajeeb ho," wo hasne laga.
Zoya ne seedha uski aankhon me dekha,
"Tum thode zyada normal ho."
Ayaan chup.
Phir dono halki si smile kar diye.
Pehli baar.
Us din ke baad sab kuch dheere dheere badalne laga.
Ayaan har din Zoya ko notice karta.
Wo hamesha akeli rehti. Classes attend karti, notes likhti, aur chali jaati.
Na kisi se hasi, na mazaak.
Sirf… diary.
Ek din Ayaan ne pucha,
"Tum itna kya likhti ho?"
Zoya ne diary close ki,
"Stories."
"Love stories?"
"Adhoori kahaniyan."
Ayaan thoda serious ho gaya.
"Adhoori kyun?"
Zoya ne jawab nahi diya.
Ek hafte baad.
Phir se baarish ho rahi thi.
Same jagah.
Same road.
Ayaan khada tha… jaise kisi ka wait kar raha ho.
Aur wo aayi.
Zoya.
"Tum yahan?" usne pucha.
Ayaan ne smile kiya,
"Shayad tumhara wait kar raha tha."
Zoya ne kuch nahi kaha.
Bas uske paas khadi ho gayi.
Baarish tez ho gayi.
Dono bheeg rahe the.
Kuch seconds ke liye sab slow ho gaya.
Ayaan ne dheere se kaha,
"Tum haste kyun nahi?"
Zoya ne uski taraf dekha,
"Kyuki jab log haste hain… to wo kisi na kisi din ro dete hain."
Ayaan ka dil halka sa dukh gaya.
"Main tumhe hasaunga," usne confidently kaha.
Zoya ne halka sa smile kiya…
"Try kar lo."
Us moment se…
Unki story shuru hui.
Ya shayad…
Ek adhoori kahani ki shuruaat hui.