📘 Chapter 25 – Badhte Kadam, Badalte Rishtे
Agla din school ka kuch alag hi mahal lekar aaya. Subah-subah hi corridors me students ka shor, teachers ke instructions aur class monitors ki awaazein gungun rahi thi. Par in sab ke beech, Aarav aur Radhika ka dhyaan sirf ek dusre ki taraf khinch raha tha—bilkul waise hi jaise kuch din pehle tak hota tha, bas farq ye tha ki ab dono ke beech kuch unsaid sa, halka sa distance bhi aa gaya tha.
Radhika apne bag ke straps ko ungliyon se ghumate hue classroom me entry karti hai. Aaj wo thodi tense lag rahi thi, shayad kal ki baaton ka asar abhi tak uske dimaag me goonj raha tha. Vahi Aarav usko dekhte hi ek second ruk gaya, jaise uska brain ek moment ke liye freeze ho gaya ho.
"Bolna chahiye kya? Ya phir aaj bhi chhod du?"
Is confusion me hi wo seedha apni seat tak jaa kar baith gaya.
Lectures shuru hue, par dono ka dhyaan kahin aur hi tha. Radhika baar-baar apni notebook ke corner pe lines banane lagti, phir mita deti. Aarav kabhi teacher ki taraf dekhte hue soch me doob jata, kabhi Radhika ki taraf chhup-chhup kar.
Lunch break hua. Radhika apni usual jagah par jaakar baith gayi—aangan wale ped ke paas, jaha woh hamesha shade me quietly khana khana pasand karti thi. Usne apna tiffin khola hi tha ki peeche se footsteps rukne ki awaaz aayi.
Aarav.
"Baithu?" usne dheere se pucha.
Radhika ne thoda ruk kar haan me sir hila diya. Wo baith gaya, par dono kuch seconds chup rahe. Hawa me ek ajib si awkwardness thi, jo dono ko uncomfortable bhi kar rahi thi aur thodi si hasi bhi aa rahi thi, par koi pehle nahi bol raha tha.
Aakhir Radhika hi boli,
"Kal jo hua… mujhe usse awkward nahi hona chahiye tha."
Aarav ne turant upar dekh kar kaha,
"Nahi, galti meri bhi thi. Shayad maine zyada expect kar liya tha. But I’m not upset."
Radhika ki shakal me halka sukoon aaya.
"Bas… mujhe time chahiye hota hai cheezon ko samajhne me," usne quietly kaha.
Aarav ne muskurane ki chhoti si koshish ki.
"Time jitna chahiye, utna le lo. Main yahin hoon."
Radhika ka tension thoda halka hua. Usne tiffin me se ek extra sandwich nikal kar Aarav ki taraf badhaya.
"Lo, main ne banaya nahi… par mummy ne banaya hai. Try kar lo."
Ye ek chhota sa gesture tha, par Aarav ke liye kaafi tha.
Lunch break khatam hone ke baad dono classroom ki taraf lot rahe the. Tabhi unka common friend Kritika hansi rok kar boli,
"Tum dono na… door jao toh tension, paas aao toh awkwardness… pata nahi kya hi chal raha!"
Aarav aur Radhika ek dusre ko dekh kar embarrassed ho gaye.
"Nothing like that!" Radhika ne jaldi se kaha.
Par Kritika ko kaun rok sakta tha?
"Ha ha theek hai, main kuch nahi bolungi. Tum dono khud hi samajh lena," usne drama wala wink diya aur bhaag gayi.
Class me wapas aa kar teacher ne project groups announce kiye. Aur as expected, Radhika aur Aarav ek hi group me the. Unke saath Kritika aur Rohan bhi the. Project ka topic thoda challenging tha—communication aur misunderstandings par ek presentation.
Irony.
Presentation ke liye sab library me baith gaye. Radhika notes likh rahi thi, Aarav Research kar raha tha, aur Kritika bas dono ko irritate karne ka mauka dhoond rahi thi.
"Communication important hota hai, warna misunderstandings ho jaati hain," Radhika ne apne notebook me likha.
Aarav ne uski line dekh kar halki si smile ki.
"Bilkul… warna unnecessary distance aa jata hai."
Radhika ne ek second ke liye uski aankhon me dekha, phir notebook me wapas jhukti hui boli, "Haan… I agree."
Project discuss karte karte unke beech ki awkwardness thodi dissolve hone lagi. Dono normal tarike se baat karne lage, thoda argue kiya, thoda hassi—jaise pehle karte the.
Shaam ko project complete karne ke baad sab ghar jane ke liye nikle. Bahar thandi hawa chal rahi thi. Radhika apni shawl ko thoda tight wrap karte hue chal rahi thi. Aarav uske parallel.
"Kal free ho?" Aarav ne casually pucha.
"Kyuu?" Radhika ne curiosity se poocha.
"Project ka remaining part practice karna hai. Plus… I wanted to talk. Bas normal baat. Kuch serious nahi."
Usne jor dekar kaha.
Radhika ne thoda socha, phir bola,
"Okay. Kal milte hain."
Aarav ne halki si relieved smile di.
"Great. Library at 4?"
Radhika, "Done."
Dono opposite directions me chale gaye, lekin is baar pehli baar in many days, unke steps heavy nahi the. Jaise dono ke bistar se ek bada bojh utaar diya gaya ho.
Radhika ghar pahunch kar apna bag rakh kar bed par gir gayi. Uske mind me aaj ki saari baatein rewind ho rahi thi—lunch break, project discussion, Aarav ki simple si smile.
Uske lips par bhi halka sa smile aa gaya.
"Shaayad… cheezein normal ho sakti hain," usne socha.
Dusri taraf Aarav bhi ghar pahunch kar comfortable ho gaya. Usne diary me ek chhota sa sentence likha:
"Aaj pehli baar laga… hum fir se friends ban sakte hain. Shanti wali dosti."
Raat ne dono ko ek halki si clarity di thi. Kuch bhi over nahi tha, kuch bhi force nahi—bas gradual, comfortable progress.
Agle din ki meeting ka khayal dono ko ajeeb tarah ka sukoon de raha tha.
Chapter end...!!