Raat ke 2 baj rahe the.
Ayaan apne kamre me akela baitha tha… haath me wo folded paper… aur aankhon me neend ka naam nahi.
Har second uske dimaag me Zoya ki awaaz goonj rahi thi—
"Agar kisi din himmat ho… toh mujhe wapas le jaana."
"Ye sirf ek line nahi hai…" Ayaan ne dheere se kaha,
"Ye ek chance hai…"
Usne paper ko aur zor se pakad liya.
"Main tumhe jaane nahi dunga, Zoya."
Subah hone se pehle hi Ayaan ready ho gaya.
Na usne breakfast kiya…
Na kisi se baat.
Seedha bike uthayi… aur nikal gaya.
Destination?
Zoya.
Roads khaali thi.
Hawa tez chal rahi thi.
Aur Ayaan ke dimaag me sirf ek hi goal—
Usse wapas lana hai.
Usne kal raat Zoya ka last location track kiya tha—
Bus station.
"Please late mat hona…" wo baar baar khud se bol raha tha.
Jab wo station pahucha…
Tab tak suraj nikal chuka tha.
Log apni journeys me busy the.
Lekin Ayaan ki duniya sirf ek cheez par ruk gayi—
Zoya.
Wo platform par khadi thi.
Ek chhota sa bag… aankhon me wahi dard…
Aur haan—
Wo ja rahi thi.
"Aye Zoya!" Ayaan zor se chillaaya.
Zoya ne mudkar dekha…
Aur uska chehra shock se bhar gaya.
"Ayaan?? Tum yahan kya kar rahe ho??"
Ayaan uske paas aaya, saans phooli hui—
"Tumhe lene aaya hoon."
Zoya ka dil tez dhadakne laga.
"Pagal ho gaye ho kya?? Main ja rahi hoon!"
Ayaan ne seedha uski aankhon me dekha—
"Main bhi."
"WHAT?" Zoya almost chilla di.
"Main tumhe akela nahi jaane dunga," Ayaan ne firmly kaha,
"Tumne kaha tha na… himmat ho toh wapas le jaana…"
Zoya ki aankhon me aansu aa gaye—
"Wo maine bas… aise hi likh diya tha…"
"Main aise hi nahi le raha," Ayaan ne jawab diya.
"Tum samajh kyun nahi rahe Ayaan!" Zoya ki awaaz toot gayi,
"Ye koi movie nahi hai… meri family… meri shaadi… sab fix hai!"
Ayaan ne ek step aur paas aate hue kaha—
"Tumhari life fix nahi hai."
"Main tumhe khush rakh sakta hoon…" usne dheere se kaha.
Zoya ne aankhen band kar li—
"Tum already rakh chuke ho…"
Silence.
Sirf train ki halki si awaaz door se aa rahi thi.
"Aur agar main tumhare saath chal jaun… toh kya guarantee hai sab thik hoga?" Zoya ne dheere se pucha.
Ayaan ne bina soche jawab diya—
"Koi guarantee nahi hai…"
Zoya ne aankhen khol di.
"Par ek baat sure hai…" Ayaan ne uska haath pakad liya,
"Main tumhe kabhi akela feel nahi hone dunga."
Zoya ke aansu ruk nahi rahe the.
"Tum itne sure kaise ho…"
Ayaan halka sa muskuraaya—
"Kyuki main tumse pyaar karta hoon."
Ye pehli baar tha…
Jab Ayaan ne ye words clearly bole.
Zoya ka dil toot bhi raha tha… aur jud bhi raha tha.
"Late ho raha hai…" announcement aayi.
Train aa rahi thi.
Decision ka moment.
Zoya ne Ayaan ka haath dheere se chhoda…
Aur peeche hat gayi.
Ayaan ka dil ek second ke liye ruk gaya.
"Main nahi aa sakti…" Zoya ne dheere se kaha.
Jaise sab khatam ho gaya.
Ayaan ne kuch nahi kaha.
Bas usse dekhta raha.
Zoya mudkar train ki taraf chalne lagi.
Har step ke saath…
Ayaan ka dil toot raha tha.
Tabhi…
Zoya ruk gayi.
Uske kadam freeze ho gaye.
Aankhon se aansu beh rahe the.
Usne dheere se peeche mudkar dekha…
Ayaan ab bhi wahi khada tha.
Usi jagah.
Usi umeed ke saath.
Zoya ne aankhen band ki…
Aur apne dil se ek sawaal kiya—
"Kya main sach me ja sakti hoon?"
Answer aaya—
"Nahi."
Agle hi second…
Zoya ne apna bag neeche gira diya…
Aur daud kar Ayaan ke paas aayi.
"Ayaan!"
Usne usse tightly hug kar liya.
"Main nahi ja sakti…" wo roti hui boli,
"Main tumhe chhod kar nahi ja sakti…"
Ayaan ne usse aur zor se pakad liya…
Jaise wo usse kabhi chhodna hi nahi chahta.
"Bas… ab kahin nahi jaane dunga," usne dheere se kaha.
Train aa chuki thi…
Log chadh rahe the…
Lekin Zoya nahi gayi.
Usne apni life ka sabse bada decision le liya tha.
Lekin…
Har decision ka consequence hota hai.
Aur unka…
Abhi shuru hone wala tha.
Ayaan ne dheere se pucha—
"Ab?"
Zoya ne uski aankhon me dekha—
"Ab… storm aayega."