CHAPTER 1 — "Woh Purana Sa Garden"
Subah ke 10:30 time tha. School ka ground bachho ki hansi, zor-zor ki baate aur bhaag-daud se poora bhar chuka tha. Har taraf rang, shor, masti—par ek kone me, purane neem ke tree ke neeche ek ladki shaant si baithi thi. Uska naam tha Aarohi.
Uske haath me ek adha khula notebook tha, jisme adhi-adhoori sketches the. Kuch leaves, kuch clouds, aur ek tree ka trunk jiska upper part abhi blank tha. Aarohi ke chehre par wohi purana sa concentration tha jo uske teachers kabhi kabhi notice karte the.
Ye neem ka tree uska favourite tha. School me jitna time milta, wo yahi aa jati thi. Tree ke neeche hawa thodi thandi chalti thi, aur zameen me girte patton ki khushboo use hamesha attract karti thi. Par asli reason koi aur tha…
Usne pencil se halka sa curve banaya hi tha ki peeche se ek awaaz aayi,
"Tum phir wahi tree bana rahi ho?"
Aarohi ne palak jhapa kar mudkar dekha. Same mischievous smile, same messy hair, aur haath me ek chips ka packet—ye sab dekh kar koi bhi pehchan leta. Wo tha Reyansh.
Reyansh ground ka sabse energetic bachcha mana jata tha. Kabhi cricket, kabhi football, kabhi random daud—uske pair shayad rest ka meaning bhool chuke the. Par strangely, break ke kuch first minutes me wo hamesha Aarohi ke tree ke paas aa jata tha.
Aarohi ne pencil side rakhi aur thoda sa smile kiya.
"Tum har baar ye sawal puchte ho, aur main har baar wahi reply deti hoon."
Reyansh ne chips khol kar ek piece uski taraf badhaya.
"Phir bhi puchta hoon. Suno na, boredom bhi koi cheez hoti hai."
Aarohi ne chips liya aur halki si hansi chhupa li.
"Tree mujhe pasand hai. Simple."
Reyansh uske bag ke paas baith gaya. "Simple? Bilkul simple nahi. Ye tree special hai. Hum dono ka meeting point."
Aarohi ne sir utha kar leaves ko dekha. "Haan… shayad."
Reyansh ne notebook ki taraf jhukkar sketch dekha.
"Tumne branches kyun nahi banayi?"
"Kyuki main decide nahi kar pa rahi," Aarohi ne softly kaha.
"Kabhi lagta hai branches alag-alag direction me honi chahiye… kabhi lagta hai seedhi. Mujhe nahi pata life kaisi hoti hai."
Reyansh ne uski baat sun kar ek second ke liye serious expression liya. Phir thoda mask up kar diya.
"Life? Tum bhi na… abhi hum 12 saal ke hain. Abhi tumhe homework aur race ki fikar karni chahiye. Life ka tension to mujhe bhi abhi nahi lena."
Aarohi ne pencil utha kar hawa me teen chhote strokes banaye.
"Par kabhi lagta hai hum kabhi alag ho gaye to?"
Uski awaaz bilkul halki, bilkul sachchi thi.
Jis tarah bachche bina kisi filter ke bol dete hain, wo aisi hi ek baat thi.
Reyansh ki expression pehle to freeze ho gayi. Phir usne notebook bandh ki aur seedha uski aankhon me dekha.
"Hum kyun alag honge? Tum mujhe chhod dogi kya?"
Aarohi ne turant head shake kiya. "Nahi… par waqt to badalta hai na."
"Waqt badalta hoga," Reyansh ne confidently kaha, "par hum nahi badlenge. Aur agar badlenge bhi… to saath badlenge."
Aarohi ne hansi rokne ki koshish ki. "Tum kitne filmy ho."
"Main serious hoon," Reyansh ne uska chips ka packet saamne rakhte hue kaha.
"Agar kabhi koi tumse puche ki tumhara best friend kaun hai, tum sirf mera hi naam lena. Aur main bhi tumhara naam hi lunga. Fix?"
Aarohi ne thoda sa proud feel kiya. "Fix."
Reyansh ne apna pinky finger badhaya.
"Pinky promise?"
Aarohi ne fingers lock kar diye. "Pinky promise."
Dono thodi der chup rahe, hawa patton ko hila rahi thi, aur ground ke shor se alag ek chhoti si duniya ban gayi thi.
Phir Reyansh achanak bola,
"Main ek aur promise karta hoon."
Aarohi ne curiosity se dekha. "Kaisa promise?"
"Jab hum bade honge…" Reyansh ne thodi hesitation se kaha, "to hum… shaadi karenge."
Aarohi ki aankhen gol.
"Shaadi?"
Reyansh ne shoulders ucha kar kaha,
"Haan! Tum meri best friend ho na? To mera future bhi tumhare saath hoga."
Aarohi ne zameen ki taraf dekha, phir soft tone me kaha,
"Par shaadi to… bade log karte hain. Hum to abhi…"
"Abhi nahi, future me!" Reyansh ne chipka diya.
"Future me jab hum bade honge, tab."
Aarohi ne woh baat samajh li.
Bachpan ke dimaag me future ka meaning simple hota hai—
Bade hone ka matlab hamesha saath rehna.
She smiled.
"Thik hai, future me."
Reyansh phool ki tarah khil gaya.
"Bas! Ab tumne bhi promise kar diya."
Aarohi ne hansi dabate hue kaha,
"Tum bhi na…"
Bell baj gaya.
Ground ka shor ek dam me ruk gaya jaise kisi ne mute button daba diya ho.
Teacher ki awaaz door se aa rahi thi, "Line banao! Line banao!"
Aarohi ne notebook sambhali aur khadi ho gayi.
Reyansh ne bag uthaya.
Dono parallel line me chale.
Stairs chadhte hue Reyansh peeche se bolta hai,
"Tum mujhe race me hara nahi sakti, so try mat karna!"
Aarohi ne turning point par ruk kar uski taraf dekha.
"Aaj tum dekh lena."
Reyansh ne finger point kiya.
"A challenge?"
Aarohi ne sir hila diya.
"A challenge."
Phir dono ne ek saath floor ki taraf daud lagayi.
Steps ke beech me hansi, excitement, ek dusre ko overtake karne ka thrill—ye sab un dono ki dosti ka natural part tha.
Classroom ke door pe pahunch kar dono huff kar rahe the.
Reyansh bolta hai,
"Main first! Maine jeeta!"
Aarohi ne protest kiya.
"Nahi! Main pehle pahunchi thi!"
Reyansh ne classroom me enter karte hue kaha,
"Chalo thik hai, tum jeet gayi. Birthday girl ko jeetne dena chahiye."
Aarohi shocked.
"Mera birthday to next month hai!"
Reyansh hairan.
"Arre maa ne bola tha tumhara birthday abhi aane wala hai. Maine to bas bol diya."
Aarohi hasti reh gayi.
"Kaisi logic hai tumhari…"
Reyansh ne tongue out ki. "Best logic."
Dono apni-apni seats par baith gaye.
Teacher ne attendance register khola.
"Aarohi?"
"Present ma'am."
"Reyansh?"
"Present!"
Class start ho gayi—par Aarohi ka mind wapas garden me hi tha.
Uske notebook me adhi branches abhi bhi blank thi.
Usse sochna pad raha tha…
Future kaisa hoga?
Life kis direction me le jayegi?
Aur kya promises hamesha promises hi rehte hain?
Usne pencil uthai aur page ke kona par ek chhoti si line likh di:
"Future unknown hai… par aaj hum saath hain."
Usko bilkul idea nahi tha ki ye ek chhoti si bachpan ki line kitni badi reality ban jayegi.
Ki ek din ye neem ka tree, ye halka hawa, ye innocent promises… sab ek yaad ban kar reh jayenge.
Aur ye bhi usse nahi pata tha ki wahi promise, jo sirf ek masti me kiya gaya tha, ek din uski khamosh duniya me wapas dhoom macha dega—jab wo 20 saal ki hogi, aur wohi aadmi… bilkul badal kar, bilkul naya ho kar… uske saamne khada hoga.
Class bell bajti hai.
Teacher bolti hai, "Notebooks uplock kar do."
Aarohi notebook close karti hai.
Par woh chhoti si line—
"Future unknown hai… par aaj hum saath hain."
Uska heart ussi pe tik gaya.
Usse bilkul pata nahi tha ki uska "aaj" ek din end ho jayega…
Aur "future" usse wapas usi neem ke tree ki yaadon me le aayega.
Yeh unki story ki sirf shuruaat thi…
And chapter end here.... Next chapter soon...!!!