Chapter 1: Ek Choti Si Shuruaat… Ya Sabse Badi Bhool?
Mera naam Lipun hai. Main odisha jilese hun. Aaj main jo kuch bhi likh raha hoon, shayad yeh meri zindagi ki sabse badi sachai hai… aur sabse badi galti bhi. Agar main us din thoda sa bhi alag faisla leta, toh shayad meri zindagi aaj kuch aur hoti.
Sab kuch ek normal din se shuru hua tha.
Subah ka time tha, lagbhag 8 baje. Main apne kamre ke chhote se khidki ke paas khada tha, haath mein chai ka cup aur dimag mein hazaar sawal. Life already itni complicated thi, par mujhe nahi pata tha ki aaj ka din sab kuch badal dega.
"Maa, main nikal raha hoon!" maine zor se awaaz lagayi.
"Khane ka dabba le ja, Aarav!" Maa ne kitchen se chillakar kaha.
Maine jaldi se bag uthaya aur bina dabba liye hi nikal gaya. Mujhe late ho raha tha… ya shayad main bhaag raha tha apni problems se.
College ka last year chal raha tha. Sab log future ke bare mein soch rahe the—placement, career, relationship… aur main? Main bas survive kar raha tha.
Us din main bus stop pe khada tha jab meri nazar ek ladki par padi.
Woh simple thi… bahut hi simple. White kurti, black jeans, aur aankhon mein ek ajeeb si shanti. Uska naam mujhe tab nahi pata tha, par uski aankhon mein kuch tha jo mujhe rok raha tha.
Bus aayi. Hum dono chadh gaye. Kismat dekho, seat bhi ek hi mili.
"Tum baith jao," maine kaha.
"Nahi, tum baitho," usne halka sa smile karte hue jawab diya.
Aakhir mein hum dono ek saath baith gaye.
"Main Aarav," maine haath badhaya.
"Siya," usne haath milate hue kaha.
Us ek choti si mulaqat ne meri zindagi ka direction badal diya… par mujhe tab iska andaaza bhi nahi tha.
Agle kuch din hum roz milne lage. Same bus, same seat, same baatein. Dheere dheere woh meri aadat ban gayi.
"Tum hamesha itne chup kyun rehte ho?" Siya ne ek din pucha.
"Pata nahi… shayad bolne layak kuch hai hi nahi," maine muskura kar kaha.
"Har kisi ke paas kahani hoti hai, Aarav. Bas koi sunne wala chahiye," usne seedha meri aankhon mein dekhte hue kaha.
Us din mujhe laga, shayad woh hi meri kahani sunegi.
Dheere dheere hum close ho gaye. Library mein saath padhna, canteen mein chai peena, aur raat ko messages karna—sab normal lagne laga.
Ek din usne mujhe apne ghar bulaya.
"Parents nahi hain ghar pe, aa jao. Kuch important baat karni hai," uska message aaya.
Main thoda hesitate hua, par phir chala gaya.
Uska ghar simple tha, par uski tarah hi clean aur peaceful.
"Tum chai piyoge?" usne pucha.
"Haan," maine jawab diya.
Chai ke saath usne apni life ke bare mein batana shuru kiya.
"Mere papa nahi hain… aur maa bhi zyada bimar rehti hain. Main hi sab kuch hoon unke liye," usne dheere se kaha.
Mujhe uske liye respect aur badh gaya.
Phir usne ek aisi baat kahi jo mujhe samajh nahi aayi.
"Aarav… agar main tumse kuch maangu, toh tum mana toh nahi karoge?"
"Depends… kya?" maine thoda confuse hoke pucha.
"Promise karo pehle."
"Okay… promise."
Usne ek file nikali aur mere saamne rakh di.
"Mujhe ek chhota sa kaam chahiye tumse… bas ek signature."
"Signature? Kis liye?" maine file kholte hue pucha.
"Bas ek formal kaam hai… loan ke liye. Main akeli hoon, isliye kisi trusted insaan ki zarurat hai," usne seedhe aur shaant tone mein kaha.
Main thoda shock hua.
"Loan? Kitna?"
"Bas 2 lakh," usne casually kaha.
2 lakh mere liye chhoti amount nahi thi.
"Siya, yeh thoda risky hai…" maine kaha.
"Aarav, main tum par trust karti hoon… kya tum mujh par nahi karte?" usne emotional hoke kaha.
Uski aankhon mein aansu aa gaye.
Aur wahi meri sabse badi weakness thi… emotions.
Maine bina zyada soche sign kar diya.
Us waqt mujhe laga main uski help kar raha hoon… par main apni zindagi ki sabse badi galti kar raha tha.
Agle kuch din sab normal raha. Siya usual thi, hum milte the, baat karte the… par dheere dheere uska behaviour change hone laga.
Woh calls ignore karne lagi, messages ka reply late dene lagi.
Ek din main uske ghar gaya… par darwaza band tha.
Neighbours ne kaha, "Woh toh kal hi shift ho gayi."
Mere pair ke neeche se zameen khisak gayi.
"Maine uska number try kiya… switched off."
Us din raat ko mujhe ek call aaya.
"Hello, kya yeh Aarav bol rahe hain?" ek unknown voice ne pucha.
"Haan…"
"Main bank se bol raha hoon. Aapka loan due hai. Aapne 2 lakh ka loan liya hai, aur ab aapko repayment karna hoga."
Mere haath ka phone gir gaya.
"Maine loan nahi liya…" maine darr se kaha.
"Sir, documents par aapke sign hain."
Us waqt mujhe sab samajh aa gaya.
Siya… woh sab jhoot tha.
Meri saanse tez ho gayi.
Maine khud se sirf ek sawal pucha—
"Main itna bewakoof kaise ho gaya?"
Us raat main so nahi paya. Sirf ek hi cheez dimag mein chal rahi thi—meri zindagi barbaad ho chuki thi.
Par asli shock toh abhi baaki tha…
Agle din subah, jab main college pahucha, toh sab log mujhe ajeeb nazron se dekh rahe the.
Mere dost ne aake kaha,
"Bhai… tune kya kiya hai?"
"Kya matlab?" maine pucha.
Usne apna phone dikhaya.
News page par mera photo tha…
"College Student Involved in Loan Fraud Case"
Meri aankhon ke saamne andhera chha gaya.
Yeh sirf paise ka mamla nahi tha… meri izzat, mera future… sab khatre mein tha.
Aur sabse badi baat—
Siya ka asli naam bhi Siya nahi tha.
Main usse jaanta hi nahi tha…
Aur woh ladki… jis par maine apni zindagi ka sabse bada trust kiya—
Woh meri zindagi ki sabse badi galti ban chuki thi.
To be continued…