Episode 11 – "Dil Mein Kuch Toh Hai"
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Tanishka aaj kuch alag thi. Na good morning, na vo usual "Oye pagal" wala text, na hi koi meme spam. Hemant ne subah se 3 baar Insta open kiya, 2 baar WhatsApp, aur ek baar Snap bhi — bas uski activity check karne ke liye.
Par kuch nahi. Silence.
Dost toh the. Par ab woh dosti bhi ajeeb si ho gayi thi. Thoda possessive, thoda sweet, aur thoda confusing. Hemant ko aaj pehli baar laga — shayad Tanishka ke bina uska din adhura lagta hai.
Usne finally WhatsApp khola:
Hemant:
"Zinda ho?"
Reply 10 minute baad aaya:
Tanishka:
"Haan, just not in the mood today."
Bas. Aur kuch nahi.
Par Hemant ke liye yeh line loud thi. Woh samajh gaya, kuch to hai.
Usne video call milaya. Tanishka ne cut kar diya.
Phir usne voice note bheja, "Agar tu mood mein nahi hai, toh main kuch nahi puchunga. Bas sunn raha hoon."
15 minute tak silence. Phir ek message aaya:
Tanishka:
"Can we talk without talking? Like… just be there?"
Call connect hua.
Dono screens pe sirf chehre the — thake hue, lekin ek dusre ke liye familiar. Safe.
Hemant chup raha. Tanishka bhi.
Kabhi kabhi silence bhi language hota hai.
Kuch der baad Tanishka bolti hai, "Hemant… tujhe kabhi aisa lagta hai ki tu kisi ko har din miss karta hai, bina kisi reason ke?"
"Roz," Hemant ne kaha. "Ek specific ladki ko…"
Tanishka ki aankhon mein halka sa sparkle aaya. "Woh specific ladki lucky hogi."
Hemant hassa. "Mujhe nahi lagta use pata bhi hai."
Tanishka ne phone ki screen se nazar hata li. Shayad woh samajh gayi thi… Shayad nahi bhi.
Phir woh awkward silence.
Tanishka ne topic divert karne ki koshish ki. "Waise aaj ek ladki ne tera reel pe comment kiya tha: 'That smile 😍'... Aur tune 'Haha thank you' reply bhi kiya."
Hemant ne aankhein chhoti ki. "Jealous ho rahi hai kya?"
"Jealous?" Tanishka ne acting kari. "Main? Naah. Mujhe kya fark padta hai?"
"Par teri awaaz bol rahi hai ki fark padta hai."
Tanishka ne hansi chhupayi. "Tu zyada mat soch. Bas reel delete kar de."
"Pehle tu bata, tujhe kyun chubh raha hai?"
"Bas… mujhe nahi pasand kisi aur ko teri smile pasand aana," Tanishka finally boli.
Hemant ka dil ussi second mein melt ho gaya.
"Toh tu accept karti hai ki tu thoda possessive hai?" he asked, teasing.
"Possessive?" Tanishka ne aankhen ghumaayi. "Main sirf protective hoon."
"Same thing," Hemant hassa.
Thodi der dono chup ho gaye. Phir Hemant bolta hai, "Tanishka... kabhi laga tujhe ki hum dosti ke level se aage badh rahe hain?"
Uske is seedhe sawaal ne Tanishka ko thoda shock kiya. Woh chah rahi thi ki Hemant pooche… par jab usne pooch liya, toh jawab dena mushkil ho gaya.
"Main confuse hoon," Tanishka ne dhire se kaha. "Kabhi lagta hai tu best friend hai. Kabhi lagta hai... kuch aur hai."
Hemant serious ho gaya. "Main tujhe pressure nahi de raha. Bas jaana chahta hoon ki tu bhi wohi mehsoos karti hai jo main karta hoon."
Tanishka ne aankhen band ki. "Main dar rahi hoon."
"Kis cheez se?" Hemant ne pucha.
"Ki agar humne is dosti ko badla… aur kuch galat ho gaya… toh tu chala jaayega."
Hemant ne turant jawab diya. "Main tere life se jaane waalon mein se nahi hoon."
Woh line uske dil mein seedha utar gayi.
"Par main ready nahi hoon Hemant… Not yet," Tanishka boli.
"Toh mat ho. Main wait kar lunga," Hemant bola. "Main har roz tere saath hoon, chahe label ho ya nahi."
Silence. Fir thoda comfort.
Tanishka muskurayi. "Tab tak tu kisi aur ko 'Haha thank you' mat bolna."
Hemant hassa. "Jealous ka level 1000 pe hai."
"Shut up," Tanishka ne pillow uthakar screen ki taraf fake idea mein maara.
"Waise… tu ready ho ya nahi, ek baat yaad rakh," Hemant ne bola. "Mujhe tu har version mein chahiye — confused, moody, happy, ya silent. Bas tu."
Tanishka ka dil ek second ke liye ruk gaya.
Yeh confession nahi tha, par usse kam bhi nahi tha.
Phir dono call pe so gaye. Ek dusre ke saath, screen ke uss par.
Hemant ne finally apne dil ki diary mein likha:
> "Usne aaj bhi nahi kaha,
par uski aankhon ne keh diya —
Dil mein kuch toh hai."
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