Piyush se baat karne ke baad mere dil mein ek ajeeb si halchal mach gayi thi… jaise meri zindagi dheere-dheere badal rahi ho. Mujhe khud samajh nahi aa raha tha ki main itni bechain kyun ho rahi thi.
10 baje ka waqt jaise meri zindagi ka sabse important moment ban gaya tha.
Har minute main ghadi ki taraf dekhti… phone ko baar-baar unlock karti… jaise uska ek message meri poori duniya badal dega.
Main khud se hi sawal kar rahi thi— Kya yeh sirf baat karne ki excitement hai… ya kuch aur? Kya yahi pyaar hai… jo bina bataye, bina pooche, dheere-dheere dil mein apni jagah bana leta hai?
Dooriyan bahut thi… par phir bhi Piyush mujhe sabse kareeb lagne laga tha.
Jaise hi raat ke 10 baje, mera dil aur tez dhadakne laga. Phone mere haath mein tha… screen baar-baar on karke dekh rahi thi.
10:01… 10:02…
Har ek minute bahut lamba lag raha tha.
Sach yeh tha ki main uske ek message ke liye bechain thi.
Phir achanak… phone vibrate hua.
Mera dil ek pal ke liye ruk gaya.
Screen par naam tha — Piyush.
Mere chehre par apne aap ek halki si muskaan aa gayi. Maine jaldi se call receive kiya, lekin awaaz nikalne mein ek second lag gaya.
"Hello…" usne dheere se kaha.
Uski awaaz mein ek alag hi sukoon tha… jaise main poore din isi moment ka intezaar kar rahi thi.
"Hello…" maine bhi halki si muskaan ke saath jawab diya.
Kuch seconds tak hum dono chup rahe… lekin woh khamoshi bhi ajeeb si sukoon bhari thi.
Phir usne halki si hansi ke saath poocha, "Tum wait kar rahi thi na?"
Main thodi si sharma gayi, "Nahi to… bas aise hi."
"Achha?" usne tease karte hue kaha, "Toh main hi zyada soch raha tha shayad…"
Uski baaton mein ek warmth thi, jo seedha dil tak ja rahi thi. Dheere-dheere baat shuru hui… chhoti-chhoti baatein, hasi, mazaak… aur phir main achanak thodi serious ho gayi.
Maine pucha, "Tum shaadi kab kar rahe ho?"
Sach kahun to mujhe nahi pata tha ki woh mujhe sirf dost maanta hai ya kuch aur feel karta hai.
Usne turant jawab diya, "Mujhe shaadi nahi karni."
Main hairaan ho gayi, "Kyu?"
Woh thodi der chup raha, phir bola, "Kyuki jisse main pasand karta hoon… woh mujhse door ho jaati hai."
Mera dil zor se dhadakne laga.
Maine dheere se pucha, "Koi pasand thi kya?"
Woh thoda hichkichaaya, "Koi bura maan jayega…"
Maine halka sa muskura kar kaha, "Abhi to sirf tum aur main hi baat kar rahe hain…
kaun bura manega? Batao na…"
Phir usne ek aisi baat kahi jo sun kar meri saansein ruk si gayi.
"Ek baat bataun… jab hum saath mein kaam karte the, main sirf tumhare saath kaam karne ke liye aata tha. Baar-baar tumhe hi dekhta tha. Kabhi jaanbujh kar sticker kharab karke laata tha… sirf tumhari ek smile dekhne ke liye."
Main bilkul chup ho gayi.
Woh bolta raha, "Maine tum jaisi simple, seedhi-saadhi, apne kaam se kaam rakhne wali ladki kabhi nahi dekhi…"
Mera chehra sharam se laal ho gaya tha. Dil itna zor se dhadak raha tha ki jaise woh bhi sun sakta ho.
Phir maine halki si nakhre wali awaaz mein kaha, "Tum kitne bure ho…"
Woh hansa, "Kyu? Maine kya kiya?"
Maine dheere se kaha, "Tumhe sab pata hai… main ek sant swabhav ki ladki hoon, kisi ladke se baat nahi karti… aur aaj 10 baje tak kisi ladke ka intezaar kar rahi hoon… to kuch to hai na…"
Woh thoda confuse ho gaya, "Kya? Mujhe samajh nahi aaya…"
Ab meri baari thi.
Maine himmat juti aur kaha, "Main bhi tumhe notice karti thi… jabse hum takraaye the, tabse… aaj tak tumhe bhool nahi paayi."
Main ruk kar boli, "Yaad hai jab hum auto se kaam par jaate the… tumhara auto aage aur mera peeche…"
Woh hans pada, "Seedha-seedha bolo na… kya kehna hai?"
Mera dil ab control mein nahi tha.
Main dheere se boli, "143…"
Woh hansa, "Yeh kya hai? Kitne words ka hai?"
Maine sharma kar kaha, "3…"
"Jab pata hai to bol do…"
Maine kaha, "Tum bolo…"
Woh bola, "Theek hai… main video call par bolunga."
Main ghabra gayi, "Arey, papa ko pata chal gaya to?"
Usne kaha, "Mujhe samne dekhkar bolna hai… please ek baar."
Main chup ho gayi… phir dheere se haan kar di.
Main angan mein chali gayi, phone silent kiya… aur video call ki.
Do saal baad maine use pehli baar dekha.
Sab kuch ek pal ke liye ruk gaya.
Meri dhadkanein tez ho gayi… aur woh bhi mujhe bas dekhta hi reh gaya.
Phir usne dheere se kaha, "I love you."
Mera dil jaise phatne wala tha. Main kuch bol nahi pa rahi thi.
Woh muskuraya, "Ab tum bhi bol do…
mujhse wait nahi ho raha."
Maine aankhein jhuka kar, sharma kar kaha, "I… love… you…"
Woh khush ho kar bola, "Hayeee… I love you too."
Sab kuch ek sapne jaisa lag raha tha.
Meri zindagi ka shayad yeh sabse khoobsurat pal tha.
Phir achanak woh thoda emotional ho gaya, "Tum wapas kyun chali gayi… aa jao na…"
Mujhe tumse gale lag ke rona hai..
Meri aankhon mein aansu aa gaye.
Maine kaha, "Mera bas chale to main abhi aa jaaun… par main maa-papa ke khilaaf nahi jaa sakti. Pehle unhe manayenge… phir hi shaadi karenge."
Usne chup chaap meri baat maan li.
Humne aur bhi bahut si baatein ki… aur pata hi nahi chala waqt kab nikal gaya.
Phir usne kaha, "Chalo, bahut raat ho gayi… ab so jaate hain. Good night."
"Good night…" maine bhi dheere se kaha.
Call cut hone ke baad main bas ek hi baat soch rahi thi— Kya koi sach mein itna pyaar kar sakta hai? Kya yeh ladka sach mein mera hai?
Kab meri aankh lag gayi, mujhe pata hi nahi chala.
Us raat mujhe bahut hi sukoon bhari neend aayi.
Dosto… yeh woh pal tha jisne meri zindagi badal di.
Ab mujhe lag raha tha ki meri zindagi mein sirf khushiyan hi khushiyan aane wali hain.
Lekin… kya sach mein sab itna perfect rahega?
Kya hum kabhi ek ho paayenge… ya zindagi hamesha ki tarah sab kuch cheen legi?
Aur sabse bada sawaal…
Agle subah kya hone wala tha?