Shaam ka waqt tha.
Aasman me badal phir se jama ho rahe the… jaise har baar ki tarah baarish bhi is kahani ka hissa ban chuki ho.
Ayaan wahi khada tha.
Wahi road.
Wahi jagah.
Lekin aaj sab kuch alag lag raha tha.
Uske dimaag me sirf ek hi baat ghoom rahi thi—
"Aakhri baar…"
"Ye aakhri kyun hoga…?" usne dheere se khud se kaha.
Uska dil ajeeb sa dar feel kar raha tha. Jaise kuch galat hone wala ho.
10 minute…
20 minute…
30 minute…
Phir…
Wo aayi.
Zoya.
Lekin aaj wo pehle jaisi nahi lag rahi thi.
Na uski aankhon me wahi shanti thi…
Na uske chehre par wo halki si muskaan.
Aaj uske chehre par sirf… dard tha.
"Ayaan…" usne dheere se kaha.
Ayaan uske paas gaya,
"Tum thik ho? Tum itne din kaha thi?"
Zoya ne uski aankhon me dekha…
Aur us pal me… Ayaan ko samajh aa gaya—
Kuch bahut bada galat hai.
"Main zyada time nahi ruk sakti," Zoya ne kaha.
Ayaan ka patience toot gaya,
"Zoya please! Seedha bolo na kya ho raha hai!"
Zoya ne aankhen band ki…
Jaise wo himmat jod rahi ho.
Phir usne dheere se kaha—
"Ayaan… main yahan rehne nahi aayi thi."
Ayaan confuse ho gaya,
"Matlab?"
"Main yahan… sirf kuch din ke liye thi."
"KYUN?" Ayaan ki awaaz thodi loud ho gayi.
Zoya ki aankhon me aansu aa gaye…
"Kyuki… main bhaag kar aayi thi."
Ayaan ek second ke liye freeze ho gaya.
"Bhaag kar…?"
Zoya ne haan me sar hilaya.
"Mera past… mera ghar… sab kuch complicated hai," wo bol rahi thi,
"Main kisi se door rehna chahti thi… isliye yahan aayi."
Ayaan dheere dheere samajhne ki koshish kar raha tha.
"Par ab…?" usne pucha.
Zoya ki awaaz halki si toot gayi—
"Ab wo log mujhe wapas le ja rahe hain."
"Kaun log?" Ayaan ne gusse me pucha.
"Mere family…"
"Tum mana kar do!"
"Main nahi kar sakti," Zoya ne seedha jawab diya.
"Kyun??"
Zoya ne uski taraf dekha…
Aur uski aankhon me jo dard tha… usne Ayaan ko chup kar diya.
"Kyuki meri shaadi fix ho chuki hai."
Jaise kisi ne Ayaan ke andar se saans kheench li ho.
"Kya…?"
Usne socha shayad wo galat sun raha hai.
"Repeat karo…" usne dheere se kaha.
Zoya ne aankhen jhuka li—
"Meri shaadi… already decide ho chuki hai."
Ayaan ka dimaag blank ho gaya.
"Par… tumne kabhi bataya nahi…"
"Main batana nahi chahti thi."
"Kyun??"
Zoya ki awaaz toot gayi—
"Kyuki main tumhe kho dena nahi chahti thi…"
Silence.
Sirf baarish ki awaaz.
Aur do log…
Jinki kahani shayad shuru hone se pehle hi khatam ho rahi thi.
Ayaan ne dheere se kaha—
"Tumhe lagta hai main itna weak hoon… ki sach sunke chala jaunga?"
Zoya ne turant jawab diya—
"Tum strong ho… isliye main tumhe hurt nahi karna chahti thi."
Ayaan ki aankhon me gussa aur dard dono aa gaye—
"Par ab kya ho raha hai Zoya? Ye hurt nahi hai?"
Zoya chup.
Aansu uske gaalon par gir rahe the.
"Ayaan… main tumse door rehne ki koshish kar rahi thi," wo boli,
"Par tum… tum baar baar mere paas aa gaye…"
Ayaan halka sa muskura diya…
Dard bhari muskaan.
"Galti meri hai na…"
Zoya ne turant kaha—
"Nahi! Galti meri hai…"
Kuch seconds ke liye dono chup rahe.
Phir Ayaan ne dheere se pucha—
"Ek baat sach sach batao…"
Zoya ne uski taraf dekha.
"Kya tum… mujhse…"
Wo ruk gaya.
Zoya ki saanse tez ho gayi.
Ayaan ne himmat karke poocha—
"Kya tum mujhse pyaar karti ho?"
Time jaise ruk gaya.
Baarish dheere ho gayi.
Hawa thandi ho gayi.
Aur Zoya…
Rone lagi.
Usne dheere se kaha—
"Haan…"
Ayaan ki aankhon me aansu aa gaye.
"Phir ja kyun rahi ho??" usne almost chilla kar kaha.
Zoya ne sirf ek line boli—
"Kyuki har pyaar mukammal nahi hota…"
Ayaan ne uska haath pakad liya—
"Toh hum complete karenge! Main hoon na!"
Zoya ne dheere se apna haath chhuda liya…
"Life itni simple nahi hoti Ayaan…"
"Aur agar main tumhe jaane na doon toh?" Ayaan ne kaha.
Zoya ne uski aankhon me dekha—
"Toh main toot jaungi…"
Ye line…
Seedha Ayaan ke dil me lagi.
"Kal subah… main ja rahi hoon," Zoya ne dheere se kaha.
Ayaan ka dil phir se doob gaya.
"Mat jao…" usne almost whisper me kaha.
Zoya uske kareeb aayi…
Aur pehli baar…
Usne Ayaan ko hug kiya.
Tightly.
Jaise wo us moment ko hamesha ke liye feel karna chahti ho.
"Ayaan…" usne dheere se kaha,
"Tum meri sabse khoobsurat galti ho…"
Ayaan ki aankhon se aansu gir gaye.
"Main galti nahi banna chahta…" usne kaha.
Zoya peeche hati…
Aur ek chhota sa folded paper uske haath me de diya.
"Isse tab padhna… jab main chali jaaun."
"Aur agar main abhi padh lu toh?"
Zoya halka sa muskuraayi…
"Phir main ja nahi paungi."
Ye kehkar…
Wo mud gayi.
Aur chal di.
Ayaan bas usse dekhte reh gaya…
Jab tak wo nazar se gayab nahi ho gayi.
Us raat…
Ayaan ne wo paper khola.
Usme sirf ek line likhi thi—
"Agar kisi din himmat ho… toh mujhe wapas le jaana."
Ayaan ne paper tightly pakad liya…
Aur uski aankhon me ek naya emotion tha—
Dard ke saath saath…
Decision.