Engagement khatam ho chuki thi…
ghar me ab dheere-dheere shor kam ho raha tha…
Par Kanika ke andar jo noise chal raha tha…
vo rukne ka naam hi nahi le raha tha.
Sab log usse mil rahe the…
congratulations… smiles… hugs…
Aur vo bas… smile kar rahi thi.
Fake. Controlled. Perfect.
Jaise usne apne emotions ko ek box me band kar diya ho…
aur uspe likh diya ho —
"Do Not Open."
Raat thodi aur gehri ho chuki thi…
Kanika balcony me khadi thi…
thandi hawa uske face ko touch kar rahi thi…
Par usse kuch feel nahi ho raha tha.
Usne phone nikala…
same chat open ki…
Krishna.
Usne type kiya —
"Aaj meri engagement thi…"
Aur phir turant delete kar diya.
"Ab kya farq padta hai…"
usne dheere se kaha.
"Kanika…"
Peeche se awaaz aayi.
Vo thodi si chauk gayi…
aur jaldi se aankhon ke paas haath le jaakar check kiya — kahin aansu to nahi dikh rahe.
"haan… aa rahi hoon…"
Vo andar jaane ke liye mudhi hi thi…
ki uski nazar gate ki taraf gayi…
Aur us moment me —
sab kuch ruk gaya.
Saans…
soch…
waqt.
Gate ke paas ek ladka khada tha…
black shirt… thoda messy hair…
Aur aankhon me wahi intensity…
Krishna.
Kanika ke haath se phone almost gir gaya…
"yeh… yahan…?"
Uska dil itni fast beat kar raha tha jaise bahar aa jayega.
"nahi… nahi Kanika… tu overthink kar rahi hai…"
usne apne aap ko samjhaya.
Par vo sapna nahi tha.
Krishna sach me waha khada tha.
Vo dheere-dheere andar aaya…
log usse dekh rahe the…
kuch confuse… kuch curious…
Par Krishna ki nazar sirf ek jagah thi —
Kanika.
Unki aankhen mili…
Aur us ek second me —
saare flashbacks ek saath laut aaye.
Late night calls…
random fights…
uski hasi…
uska "tum sirf meri ho" kehna…
Sab.
Kanika ne nazar hata li…
"Control…"
usne apne aap se kaha.
Krishna uske paas aaya…
itna paas… ki uski heartbeat clearly feel ho rahi thi.
"Hi…"
Bas ek word.
Par us ek word ne uske andar ka sab kuch hila diya.
Kanika ne seedha uski taraf dekha…
"tum yahan kya kar rahe ho?"
Tone calm tha…
par andar tufaan tha.
Krishna thodi der chup raha…
"late ho gaya na…?"
Usne halki si smile ke saath kaha.
Kanika ka patience toot gaya.
"Ye koi joke hai Krishna?"
"tumhe lagta hai tum aise aaoge… aur sab normal ho jayega?"
"main normal karne nahi aaya…"
Krishna ne dheere se kaha…
"main sirf…"
Vo ruk gaya.
"Sirf kya?"
Kanika ki awaaz thodi heavy ho gayi thi.
"Sirf tumhe dekhne…" 💔
Silence.
Heavy. Uncomfortable. Real.
Kanika ne aankhon me aansu rok liye…
"dekh liya na?"
"ab jao."
Krishna ne uski taraf dekha…
"itna easy hai tumhare liye?"
Kanika hassi…
Par vo hasi… dard wali thi.
"easy?"
"tumne kabhi try kiya tha mushkil samajhne ka?"
Krishna kuch bol nahi paaya…
"jab mujhe tumhari zarurat thi…"
Kanika bolti gayi…
"tab tum nahi the."
"jab main toot rahi thi…"
"tab tum busy the."
"aur aaj…"
Usne apne haath ki ring dikhayi…
"jab sab khatam ho gaya…"
"tum aa gaye?"
Krishna ne us ring ko dekha…
Aur pehli baar uske face pe regret clearly dikh raha tha.
"main galat tha…"
Usne dheere se kaha.
Kanika ne turant jawab diya —
"bahut der se realise hua."
Krishna ne ek step aur paas aake kaha…
"par feelings abhi bhi wahi hain…"
Kanika ka dil ek second ke liye ruk gaya…
Par usne apne aap ko sambhala…
"meri nahi."
Jhoot.
Clear jhoot.
Par zaroori tha.
"Kanika…"
Krishna ne uska naam aise liya…
jaise vo pehle leta tha…
soft… close… real.
"please ek baar baat to sun lo…"
Kanika ne aankhen band ki…
Deep breath li…
Aur fir seedha uski aankhon me dekha…
"tumhe pata hai Krishna…"
"mujhe sabse zyada dard kis baat ka hai?"
Krishna chup raha…
"ye nahi ki tum chale gaye…"
"ye hai ki tumne kabhi roka hi nahi." 💔
Krishna ke paas koi answer nahi tha.
"ab main kisi aur ki ho chuki hoon…"
Kanika ne dheere se kaha…
"aur is baar…"
"main khud ko todne nahi dungi."
Krishna ne uski taraf dekha…
deep… silent…
"toh kya sab khatam?"
Kanika ne thodi der socha…
phir halki si smile ke saath bola —
"kuch cheezein kabhi khatam nahi hoti…"
"bas unka haq badal jaata hai."
Krishna ne aankhen band kar li…
jaise usne sab samajh liya ho.
Aur us moment me…
dono samajh gaye —
vo ab bhi ek dusre se pyaar karte hain…
Par iss baar…
waqt unke saath nahi hai. 💔
Kanika ne apni nazar Krishna se hata li…
warna shayad vo apne hi words tod deti.
Uska dil already uski baaton se hil chuka tha…
aur agar vo thodi der aur waha rukti…
toh shayad sab control khatam ho jaata.
"Kanika…"
Is baar awaaz Krishna ki nahi thi.
Dono ne ek saath mudh kar dekha.
Waha khada tha —
Ayaan.
Kanika ka fiancé.
White shirt… composed personality…
aur aankhon me ek ajeeb si shanti.
Vo dheere-dheere un dono ki taraf aaya…
Uski nazar ek second ke liye Krishna pe ruki…
jaise vo samajhne ki koshish kar raha ho —
yeh kaun hai.
"Sab theek hai?"
Ayaan ne normal tone me poocha.
Kanika ne turant jawab diya —
"haan… bilkul."
Too fast.
Too fake.
Krishna ne halka sa sarcastic smile diya…
"lagta toh nahi…"
Kanika ne uski taraf gusse se dekha…
"Krishna, bas."
Ayaan ne ab clearly notice kar liya tha…
ki yeh koi normal situation nahi hai.
"Introduce nahi karogi?"
Usne calmly poocha.
Kanika ek second ke liye freeze ho gayi…
Uska past…
aur uska present…
ek hi jagah khade the.
"yeh…"
Uski awaaz halki si atki…
"Krishna hai… mera… college friend."
Friend.
Bas ek word.
Par Krishna ke liye…
yeh word kisi thappad se kam nahi tha.
"oh…"
Ayaan ne haath aage badhaya…
"Ayaan."
Krishna ne uska haath dekha…
phir uski aankhon me dekha…
aur handshake kar liya.
"Krishna."
Par us handshake me…
ek silent war chal raha tha.
Ayaan ne smile ke saath kaha —
"engagement attend karne aaye ho?"
Krishna ne seedha jawab diya —
"late ho gaya na…"
Kanika ne aankhen band kar li…
Ye line fir se…
Ayaan ne thodi der Krishna ko dekha…
phir Kanika ki taraf mudh kar bola —
"tumhe andar bulaya hai… sab wait kar rahe hain."
Kanika ne sir hila diya…
"haan… aati hoon."
Vo jaane lagi…
par uske kadam ruk gaye…
ek second ke liye.
Usne peeche mudh kar Krishna ko dekha…
Vo usse hi dekh raha tha.
Same intensity.
Same pain.
Par iss baar…
Kanika ne kuch nahi bola.
Vo seedha andar chali gayi.
Inside… 💭
Sab normal chal raha tha…
log baatein kar rahe the…
hasi mazaak… photos…
Par Kanika ka focus kahin aur tha.
"tum theek ho?"
Ayaan ne uske paas aakar poocha.
"haan…"
Short answer.
"pakka?"
Kanika ne forced smile diya —
"haan Ayaan… I'm fine."
Ayaan ne uski aankhon me dekha…
aur dheere se bola —
"vo ladka… sirf friend nahi hai na?"
Direct hit.
Kanika kuch seconds tak chup rahi…
phir usne nazar hata li…
"past hai."
Ayaan ne sir hila diya…
"samajh gaya."
Usne aur kuch nahi poocha.
Na scene create kiya…
na doubt show kiya…
Bas ek line boli —
"main wait kar sakta hoon…
par jhoot ke saath nahi."
Kanika ne uski taraf dekha…
pehli baar usse thoda guilt feel hua.
Outside… 🌧️
Krishna ab bhi wahi khada tha…
same jagah.
Jaise usne move karna zaroori hi nahi samjha.
Usne andar jhank kar dekha…
Kanika… Ayaan ke saath khadi thi.
Log unhe perfect couple bol rahe the…
aur vo bas dekh raha tha.
Usne dheere se kaha —
"perfect…"
Aur khud hi halki si hassi.
"late ho gaya Krishna…"
Usne apne aap se kaha.
Back to Kanika… 💔
Kanika ka patience ab break ho raha tha…
Vo excuse dekar wapas balcony me aa gayi…
Same jagah.
Same hawa.
Par iss baar…
sab kuch aur heavy tha.
"tum bhaag rahi ho?"
Krishna ki awaaz fir se.
Kanika ne irritate hoke kaha —
"tum jaa kyu nahi rahe?"
"kyunki abhi tak gaya nahi hoon."
"matlab?"
"matlab… iss baar bina fight ke nahi jaunga."
Kanika gusse me aa gayi…
"fight?"
"tumhe lagta hai yeh koi game hai?"
Krishna ne uski aankhon me dekha…
"mere liye nahi hai."
"toh phir chhod kyu diya tha mujhe?"
Kanika ka control finally toot gaya.
Silence.
Krishna ne dheere se kaha —
"kyunki main khud ko sambhal nahi pa raha tha…"
"aur mujhe tod diya?"
"main khud toot raha tha Kanika!"
Krishna ki awaaz pehli baar loud hui.
Dono chup ho gaye.
"tumhe lagta hai easy tha?"
Krishna ne dheere se kaha…
"har raat tumhari yaad me sona…
har subah regret ke saath uthna…"
Kanika ki aankhon me aansu aa gaye…
par iss baar vo royi nahi.
"par tum wapas nahi aaye…"
Krishna ne uski taraf dekha…
"main aaj aaya hoon."
Kanika ne turant jawab diya —
"der se."
Again silence.
Krishna ne dheere se uska haath pakadne ki koshish ki…
par Kanika ne peeche kar liya.
"don't."
"kyun?"
"kyunki ab tumhara haq nahi hai." 💔
Krishna ne haath wapas le liya…
aur sir jhuka liya.
"toh kya karu?"
Uski awaaz me pehli baar helplessness thi.
Kanika ne dheere se kaha —
"accept kar lo."
"nahi hota."
"mujhe bhi nahi hua tha."
Krishna ne uski taraf dekha…
aur iss baar dono ki aankhon me same pain tha.
Aur iss moment me…
un dono ne feel kiya —
pyaar ab bhi wahi hai…
par zindagi badal chuki hai.
Kabhi-kabhi…
insaan galat nahi hota…
bas uska waqt galat hota hai.
Aur jab waqt sahi hota hai…
tab tak sab kuch badal chuka hota hai… 💔