Terrace par hawa aur tez ho chuki thi…
Aryan ab bhi shock me tha.
Uske dimaag me bas ek hi naam ghoom raha tha—
"Meher…"
"Tum… wahi ho na…?" Aryan ne dheere se kaha.
Uski awaaz kaanp rahi thi.
Meher ne uski aankhon me dekha…
Aur halki si haan me sar hilaya.
"Par… ye kaise possible hai?" Aryan almost toot gaya,
"Tum… toh…"
"Mar chuki hoon," Meher ne uski baat complete ki.
Silence.
Aryan ke pair jaise zameen me jam gaye.
"Ye sab… sach hai?" usne dheere se pucha.
Meher uske kareeb aayi…
Uski aankhon me seedha dekhte hue boli—
"Tumhe yaad hai woh raat?"
Aur us ek line ke saath…
Aryan ke dimaag me sab flash hone laga.
⚡ FLASHBACK
Tez baarish…
Raat ke 11:30…
Aryan bike chala raha tha.
Uske doston ka call chal raha tha.
Wo haste hue baat kar raha tha…
"Bhai tu aa raha hai na?" phone par awaaz aayi.
"Bas 10 minute!" Aryan ne hansi me kaha.
Road wet thi…
Visibility kam…
Tabhi…
Achanak ek ladki road cross kar rahi thi.
"HEY!" Aryan chillaaya…
Brake lagayi…
Bike skid hui…
Aur phir—
CRASH.
Sab kuch slow ho gaya.
Ladki zameen par gir gayi…
Uska sir road se takraya…
Aryan ka phone haath se gir gaya.
Wo daud kar uske paas gaya…
"HEY… ARE YOU OKAY??" wo panic me tha.
Ladki ki aankhen aadhi khuli thi…
Honth hil rahe the…
"Aryan…" usne dheere se kaha.
Aryan freeze ho gaya.
"Tum… mera naam kaise—?"
Lekin…
Uske pehle hi…
Ladki ki saanse ruk gayi.
Rain uske chehre par gir rahi thi…
Aur Aryan shock me jam gaya tha.
Door se logon ki awaaz aayi…
"Accident! Accident!"
Aryan ka dimaag blank ho gaya.
Aur phir…
Wo bhaag gaya.
⚡ BACK TO PRESENT
Aryan zameen par baith gaya.
Uska saans control se bahar tha.
"Ye… ye maine kiya…" usne dheere se kaha.
Uski aankhon se aansu girne lage.
"Main tumhe chhod kar bhaag gaya…"
Meher chup thi.
Uski aankhon me aansu nahi the…
Bas ek gehra dard tha.
"Main dar gaya tha…" Aryan ro raha tha,
"Main samajh nahi paaya kya karun…"
Silence.
"Tum mar rahi thi… aur main…"
Wo apna sentence complete nahi kar paaya.
Meher dheere se uske paas baithi…
"Tum akela nahi bhaage the…" usne softly kaha.
Aryan ne upar dekha—
"Matlab?"
"Log aa gaye the…" Meher ne kaha,
"Par tab tak… late ho chuka tha."
Aryan ka guilt aur badh gaya.
"Par tumhe mera naam kaise pata tha?" usne confused hoke pucha.
Meher ne uski aankhon me dekha…
Aur dheere se kaha—
"Kyuki main tumhe pehle se jaanti thi…"
Aryan shock me aa gaya.
"Kaise??"
Meher ne halki si muskaan di…
Is baar thodi soft…
"College…" usne kaha,
"First year…"
Aryan ka dimaag phir se flash hua.
⚡ FLASHBACK 2
College campus…
Ek ladki door se Aryan ko dekh rahi hai…
Diary me kuch likh rahi hai…
Aryan apne dosto ke saath busy hai…
Usne kabhi notice hi nahi kiya.
Ladki… Meher.
⚡ BACK
"Tum… mujhe dekhte the… par kabhi notice nahi kiya," Meher ne kaha.
Aryan ki aankhon me shock + guilt dono tha.
"Main tumse baat karna chahti thi…" Meher ne dheere se kaha,
"Par himmat nahi hui…"
"Phir us raat…"
Uski awaaz halki si toot gayi.
"Main tumse milne aa rahi thi…"
Aryan ka dil ruk gaya.
"Matlab… tum road par…"
"Tumhare paas aa rahi thi," Meher ne complete kiya.
Silence.
Aaj jo accident hua tha…
Wo sirf accident nahi tha.
Wo ek adhoori mulaqat thi.
Aryan ke aansu ruk nahi rahe the.
"Main… main sab theek karna chahta hoon…" usne kaha,
"Please… mujhe ek chance do…"
Meher ne uski taraf dekha…
Aur dheere se kaha—
"Isliye toh main aayi hoon…"
Aryan freeze.
"Matlab?"
"Main yahan atki hoon…" Meher ne kaha,
"Kyuki meri kahani adhoori hai…"
"Kaunsi kahani?" Aryan ne pucha.
Meher ne dheere se kaha—
"Humari kahani."
Hawa ekdum thandi ho gayi.
Aryan ka dil fast dhadakne laga.
"Par… humari toh kabhi shuru bhi nahi hui…"
Meher ne uski aankhon me dekha—
"Is baar hogi."
Silence.
Darr ab bhi tha…
Lekin us darr ke andar…
Ek ajeeb sa connection bhi tha.
"Par kaise…?" Aryan ne dheere se pucha.
Meher ne aasman ki taraf dekha…
Phir uski taraf—
"Jab tak tum mujhe bhool jaoge…"
"Ya…"
"Jab tak tum mujhe mukammal nahi kar doge."
Aryan confuse + emotional.
"Matlab?"
Meher ne ek step peeche liya…
Hawa me halki si fade hone lagi…
"Aaj ke liye itna hi…" usne dheere se kaha.
"WAIT!" Aryan chillaaya,
"Mat jao!"
Meher ne last time uski taraf dekha…
"Kal… 12 baje…"
Aur phir…
Wo gayab ho gayi.
Sirf hawa reh gayi.
Aur Aryan…
Ek aisi kahani me phas chuka tha…
Jahan se bahar nikalna mushkil tha—
Ya toh wo usse mukti dilayega…
Ya khud uski duniya ka hissa ban jayega.