School ka pehla din hamesha special hota hai… lekin Meera ke liye yeh din thoda alag tha.
"Yaar naya school… naye log… kaise adjust karungi?" Meera ne apni best friend se phone pe kaha.
Dusri taraf se awaaz aayi,
"Relax Meera, tu toh sabki favorite ban jaati hai."
Meera muskura di… lekin dil ke andar halka sa darr tha.
Dusri taraf…
Aarav.
Class ka sabse shaant ladka.
Na zyada baat karta, na kisi se dosti. Hamesha last bench pe baithta, apni notebook aur books mein khoya hua.
Teachers uski tareef karte the…
Students use thoda "attitude wala" samajhte the.
Lekin sach yeh tha… Aarav sirf akela rehna pasand karta tha.
Class 11 ka pehla lecture…
Teacher ne announce kiya,
"Class, we have a new student today."
Meera dheere se andar aayi.
White kurti, neatly tied hair, aankhon mein thodi nervousness… aur ek simple si smile.
"Hi everyone… main Meera hoon."
Puri class ki nazar us par thi.
Aur last bench par… Aarav ne bhi pehli baar sir uthakar kisi ko dekha.
Aur bas… kuch toh alag tha.
Seating arrangement…
Teacher ne kaha,
"Meera, you can sit there… next to Aarav."
Meera ne us taraf dekha.
"Yeh hi hai woh silent type ladka…" usne mann mein socha.
Woh uske paas jaakar baith gayi.
"Hi…" Meera ne halka sa smile ke saath kaha.
Aarav ne sirf ek chhota sa nod kiya.
Bas.
No smile.
No reply.
Meera ne socha,
"Bada attitude hai bhai isme."
Lekin woh rukne wali nahi thi.
Kuch din baad…
Maths ka lecture chal raha tha.
Meera thoda confuse ho gayi.
Usne dheere se Aarav ki taraf jhuk kar kaha,
"Excuse me… yeh step samjhaoge?"
Aarav ne uski notebook li… aur bina kuch bole solve kar diya.
"Thanks…" Meera ne kaha.
Aarav ne bas halka sa dekha… aur wapas apni book mein lag gaya.
Us din ke baad…
Roz thodi baat hone lagi.
"Pen hai?"
"Notes dega?"
"Yeh answer sahi hai kya?"
Aur dheere dheere…
"Tum itne chup kyun rehte ho?"
"Tum itna bolti kyun ho?" 😄
Ek din lunch break mein…
Meera apna tiffin lekar uske paas aayi.
"Tum lunch nahi karte?"
Aarav: "Karta hoon."
Meera: "Toh aaj mere saath karo."
Aarav thoda hesitant tha… lekin mana nahi kar paya.
Us din pehli baar…
Aarav hasa.
Aur Meera ne notice kiya.
"Tum haste hue ache lagte ho…" usne tease karte hue kaha.
Aarav ne turant nazar hata li.
Lekin dil mein… kuch badal gaya tha.
Time passed…
Classmates ban gaye…
Phir friends…
Phir best friends.
Har project saath
Har assignment saath
Har choti baat share krte the
Ek baar annual function ke practice ke waqt…
Meera stage pe dance kar rahi thi.
Aarav neeche se dekh raha tha.
Usne pehli baar realize kiya…
"Yeh sirf friend nahi hai…"
Dusri taraf…
Meera bhi confuse thi.
Jab Aarav baat nahi karta tha toh use gussa aata tha…
Aur jab karta tha toh use ajeeb sa happiness feel hota tha.
Ek din baarish ho rahi thi…
School ke baad dono gate ke paas khade the.
Meera: "Umbrella nahi hai… ghar kaise jaungi?"
Aarav ne apna umbrella khola…
aur bina kuch bole uske paas khada ho gaya.
Dono ek umbrella ke niche…
Khamoshi…
Sirf baarish ki awaaz…
Aur dhadkan.
Meera ne dheere se kaha,
"Aarav… tum alag ho."
Aarav: "Accha ya bura?"
Meera: "Special."
Us raat…
Dono ne ek hi baat sochi…
"Shayad… yeh dosti se zyada hai."
Chapter 1 End… ❤️