raat ka waqt tha.
shehar so chuka tha.. lekin aarohi ki aankhon me neend ka naam-o-nishaan tak nahi tha|
Ceiling ko ghurte hue uske dimaag me wahi sawaal baar- baar ghoom raha tha-
"aakhir meri zindagi mere saath aisa kyun kar rahi hai?"
22 saal ki aarohi ek simple si ladki thi.
na zyada sapne, na zyada shauk.
bas ek hi wish- shaanti wali zindagi.
lekin qismat ki shayad ye pasand nahi tha.
uske pitaji ka accident hue do saal ho chuke the.
us din ke baad se ghar sirf ek jagah nahi, balki zimmedari ban chuka tha|
Maa ki bimaari.
chhota bhai rohan ki padhai.
aur khud aaroshi- jo apne sapne chup-chaap jeb me rakh chuki thi.
wo ek private office me receptionist thi.
salary kam, kaam zyada.
boss ka attitude alag level ka.
"miss aarohi, file laayi ya phir aaj bhi bhool gayi?"
office ke woh shabd aaj bhi uske kaano me goonj rahe the.
Aarohi ne gehri saans li aur side me rakha phone utha liya.
time:12:47 AM
instagram scroll karte hue uski ungli ruk gayi.
ek random quote dikha-
'kuch log apni qismat likhne nahi,
qismat lodne ke liye paida hote hain.'
usne halki si muskaan ke sath phone band kar diya.
"filmy dialogues..."
wo khud se boli.
tabhi achanak-
DHOOM!
bijli kadakne ki awaaz se wo hila si gayi,
window ke bahar baarish tez ho chuki thi.
hawa aisi jaise kisi ka gussa ho.
aur tab...
darwaze par knock hua|
aarohi seedhi baith gayi.
is waqt?
is baarish me?
is raat?
uska dil tez dhadakne laga.
"kaun hoga?"
wo dheere se boli.
phir se knock.
knock.. knock...
aarohi ne chadar lapeti aur dheere -dheere darwaze ki taraf badhi.
"kaun?"
uski awaaz halki kaanp rahi thi.
koi jawaab nahi.
usne peephole se dekha.
bahaar ek lamba sa ladka khada tha.
black coat, bheege baal, aankhon me ajeeb si gehraai.
aur haath me..
ek purana sa brown envelope|
aarohi ne darwaza aadha khola.
ji ... kaun?''
ladka seedha uski aankhon me dekh raha tha.
"tum aarohi sharma ho?"
uski awaaz gehri aur shaant thi.
aarohi ne haan me sir hila diya.
ladka bina kuch bole envelope uski taqraf badha deta hai.
"ye tumhare liye."
"kaun ho aap?"
aarohi ne pooche.
ladka ek second ek liye rukta hai.
uski aankhon me kuch chamakta hai_
jaise dard.. jaise pehchaan|
"bas ek raahi...
jo apna kaam karke chala jaata hai."
itna keh kar wo mud gaya.
"aapka naam?"
Aarohi ne peeche se poocha.
ladka rukta hai.
"kabir."
aur agle hi pal, wo baarish me gaayab ho gaya.
aarohi darwaza band kake peeche tik gayi.
uske dil zor-zor se dhadak raha tha.
envelope kaafi purana tha.
upar sirf ek line likhi thi-
"agar tum apni zindagi badalna chahti ho, to ise kholo."
aarohi ke haath kaanp rahe tha.
"drama hoge..."
wo khud ko samjhane ki koshish karti hai.
lekin dil kuch aur keh raha tha.
usne envelope khola.
andar ek letter aur ek chhoti si key thi.
letter padhna shuru kiya-
"aarohi,
agar ye letter tum tak pahucha hai.
iska matlab waqt aa chuka hai.
tumhari zindagi jo ab tak sirf struggle thi.
wo asal me ek test thi.
kal subah 10 baje.
city ke purane library ke peeche jo abandoned building hai.
wahan aana..
sach tumhara intezaar kar rahe hai.
-tumhara apna'"
aarohi ka dimaag ghoom gaya.
"ye kya bakwaas hai?"
wo gusse aur darr ke miz tone me boli,
key ka haath me ghumate hue wo soch rahi thi-
koi mazzak?
ya koi scam?
lekin letter ki handwritting..
wo kuch jaana -pachchaana sa lag raha tha.
us raat aarohi so nahi paayi.
kabir ka chehra.
letter ke shabd.
aur wo key,
subhar ka 9:30 baj chuka the.
aarohi mirror ke samne khadi thi.
"jaana chahiye ya nahi?"
wo khud se pooch rahi thi.
Maa ki awaaz kitchen se aayi-
"aarohi ne gehri saans li.
"aaj chhuti le li hai maa."
Decision ho chika tha.
10"05 AM
wo abandoned building ke samne khadi thi.
jagah sunsaan thi.
diwaaron par toote hue pasters,
aur hawa me ek ajeeb sa sannata.
"hello?"
aarohi ne awaaz lagayi.
tabhi peeche se-
tum aa hi gayi
wo palat kar dekhti hai.
kabir.
same black jacket.
same gehri aankhen.
"tum sach me aaogi, mujhe poora yakeen tha."
kabir mushuraya.
"tum kon ho?"
aarohi ne seedhe sawal kiya.
"aur ye sab kya drama hai?"
kabir uske saamne aakar rukta hai.
kyuki tumhari zindagi sirf tumhari nahi hai, aarohi,"
wo dheere se bola.
"tumhari qismat kisi aur ki kahani ka missing page hai."
aarohi gusse me hansi.
"zyada filmy do raha hai."
kabir ne building ke andar ishara kiya.
"bas ek baar andar aa jao.
phir agar tumhe laga ki ye sab jhooth hai...
main khud tumhe chhod dunga."
kuch pal ki khamoshi.
phir aarohi ne wo chhoti si key uske samne ki.
"ye key kis cheez ki hai?"
kabir ne gehri saans li.
"us sach ki...
jo tumhari [poori zindagi badal dega."
aur jaise hi aarohi ne ek kadam aage badhaya-
uske pair ke neeche zameen hilne lagi...
building ke andar se ek roshi nikli.
aarohi ki aakhen phail gayi.
ye.. ye kya hai?"
kabir ne uski taraf dekha.
"welcome to the game, aarohi.
ab qismat peecge nahi hate gi."