Subah hone se pehle hi Kashika ne faisla kar liya tha.
Sach chahe jitna bhi darawna ho… ab wo peeche nahi hategi.
Usne diary ko apne bag me rakha, phone uthaya aur ek baar phir us unknown number ko dekha—
"Papa"
Dil fir se zor se dhadakne laga.
"Ya to sach milne wala hai… ya sab kuch tootne wala hai," usne dheere se kaha.
Kashika ne sabse pehle internet par "Aarav" search kiya.
Hazaaron results.
Koi actor, koi student, koi businessman…
"Yeh impossible hai," usne frustrate hoke kaha.
Tabhi usse diary ki ek line yaad aayi—
"Aarav hamesha wahi hoga jahan tumhari kahani shuru hui thi…"
"Kahani shuru hui thi?" Kashika ne repeat kiya.
Uska dimaag turant ek jagah par ruk gaya—
Anath Ashram.
Wo jagah jahan se usse "adopt" kiya gaya tha…
Ya shayad… jahan se usse chhupaya gaya tha.
Kashika bina kisi ko bataye ghar se nikal gayi.
Raasta usse ajeeb tarah se yaad tha, jaise wo kabhi bhooli hi nahi thi.
Kuch ghanton baad wo us purane anath ashram ke saamne khadi thi.
Deewar purani thi, paint utra hua… par gate abhi bhi wahi tha.
Usne dheere se gate khola.
Creaaaak…
Awaaz ne uske dil ki dhadkan aur tez kar di.
Andar jaate hi usse ek ajeeb si feeling aayi… jaise koi usse dekh raha ho.
"Kaun hai?" Kashika ne awaaz lagayi.
Koi jawab nahi.
Tabhi peeche se ek awaaz aayi—
"Tum wapas aa hi gayi…"
Kashika jhat se palti.
Uske saamne ek ladka khada tha.
Lagbhag usi ki umar ka. Aankhon me ajeeb si gehraai… jaise wo sab jaanta ho.
"Tum… Aarav ho?" Kashika ne poocha.
Ladka halka sa muskuraya.
"Tumhe already jawab pata hai, Kashika."
Uska naam sunte hi Kashika ka khoon jam gaya.
"Tum mujhe jaante ho?" usne hairani se kaha.
Aarav dheere-dheere uske kareeb aaya.
"Main sirf tumhe nahi jaanta… main tumhari kahani jaanta hoon," usne shant awaaz me kaha.
Kashika ka patience tootne laga.
"Phir batao na! Main kaun hoon? Yeh sab kya hai?" usne almost chilla kar kaha.
Aarav ki aankhon me ek pal ke liye dard dikhayi diya.
"Sach utna simple nahi hai, Kashika," usne dheere se kaha.
"Sach kabhi simple nahi hota…"
Aarav ne gehri saans li.
"Tumhe yahan se adopt nahi kiya gaya tha…"
Kashika ki aankhen phat gayi.
"…tumhe yahan se nikala gaya tha."
"Matlab?" uski awaaz kaanp rahi thi.
Aarav ne uski aankhon me seedha dekhte hue kaha—
"Tumhe bachaya gaya tha."
"Bachaya? Kis se?" Kashika ne pucha.
Aarav kuch pal ke liye chup raha.
Phir dheere se bola—
"Tumhare asli parivaar se."
Jaise hi yeh words nikle… Kashika ka poora world hil gaya.
"Mera… asli parivaar?"
Toh jinke saath wo reh rahi thi… wo uska parivaar nahi the?
Ya phir… wo log hi usse bachane wale the?
Kashika kuch aur pooch paati… usse pehle hi uska phone phir se vibrate hua.
Usne turant screen dekhi.
Wahi number.
Wahi naam.
"Papa"
Message aaya—
"Us par bharosa mat karo… Aarav tumhe jhooth bata raha hai."
Kashika ka dimaag freeze ho gaya.
Usne dheere se Aarav ki taraf dekha…
Aarav bhi uske phone ki taraf dekh raha tha.
Aur phir… usne ek aisi baat kahi jo sab kuch badal degi—
"Ab tumhe decide karna hai… mujh par bharosa karogi… ya us insaan par jisne tumse tumhari pehchaan chhupaayi?"
"Sach do log bata rahe the… par jhooth kaun bol raha tha.
"Aarav ka Chhupa Sach"
Hawa me ek ajeeb sa sannata tha.
Kashika ke haath abhi bhi phone par jamay hue the. Screen par "Papa" ka message chamak raha tha—
"Us par bharosa mat karo… Aarav tumhe jhooth bata raha hai."
Usne dheere se phone neeche kiya… aur Aarav ki taraf dekha.
Aarav ki aankhon me pehli baar halka sa tension dikh raha tha.
"Tum kuch chhupa rahe ho, hai na?" Kashika ne seedha sawaal kiya.
Aarav kuch pal chup raha. Jaise wo decide kar raha ho ki sach bataye ya nahi.
Phir usne aankhein band ki… aur gehri saans li.
"Har sach ek saath nahi bataya ja sakta, Kashika," usne dheere se kaha.
"Bas! Mujhe aadha sach nahi chahiye," Kashika ki awaaz tez ho gayi, "Mujhe sab jaana hai—abhi!"
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha… is baar uski aankhon me softness nahi thi.
"Tum sach jhel nahi paogi," usne thande tone me kaha.
"Try me," Kashika ne turant jawab diya.
Do pal ke liye dono ke beech khamoshi chha gayi.
Phir Aarav halka sa hasa.
"Thik hai… tumhe sach chahiye?"
"Main tumhe sach deta hoon."
Aarav dheere-dheere uske kareeb aaya.
"Tum soch rahi ho main tumhari madad kar raha hoon…"
"Par sach yeh hai…"
Usne thoda ruk kar kaha—
"Main tumhe dhoond raha tha."
Kashika ka dil ek pal ke liye ruk gaya.
"Mujhe… dhoond rahe the?"
"Kyun?"
Aarav ki aankhon me ek ajeeb si chamak thi.
"Kyuki tum sirf ek ladki nahi ho, Kashika," usne dheere se kaha,
"Tum ek raaz ho."
"Kaunsa raaz?" Kashika ne gusse aur darr ke beech poocha.
Aarav ne apni pocket se ek purani photo nikali… aur uske saamne rakh di.
Photo me ek chhoti si ladki thi—Kashika.
Par uske saath do aur log the… jo usne kabhi nahi dekhe.
"Yeh… kaun hain?" uski awaaz halki si toot gayi।
Aarav ne seedha jawab diya—
"Tumhare asli parents."
"Tumhare parents koi normal log nahi the," Aarav ne kaha।
"Wo log ek aise raaz ke paas the… jiske liye log jaan le bhi sakte hain… aur de bhi sakte hain."
Kashika ka dimaag ghoom gaya।
"Kaunsa raaz?"
Aarav thoda sa muskuraaya।
"Yeh wahi sawal hai jiska jawab main bhi dhoond raha hoon…"
Kashika ka gussa phoot pada—
"Matlab tum meri madad nahi kar rahe… tum apna fayda dekh rahe ho?!"
Aarav ne seedha jawab diya—
"Exactly."
Ek pal ke liye sab kuch thand ho gaya।
"Main tumhe sach tak le jaunga… par kyunki mujhe bhi wo sach chahiye," Aarav ne calmly kaha।
"Tum mere liye ek key ho, Kashika."
Kashika ki aankhon me aansu aa gaye।
"Toh yeh sab… jo tum keh rahe the… meri help… sab jhooth tha?"
Aarav ne thoda sa sir jhukaaya।
"Jhooth nahi… aadha sach."
"Main tumhe hurt nahi karna chahta… par main ruk bhi nahi sakta."
Tabhi Kashika ko ek aur baat yaad aayi।
"Tumhe mera naam kaise pata?" usne poocha।
Aarav ne seedha uski aankhon me dekha—
"Kyuki main us raat wahan tha…"
Kashika ka dil zor se dhadakne laga।
"Kaunsi raat?"
Aarav ne dheere se kaha—
"Jis raat tumhari zindagi badli thi…"
"Tumne dekha tha sab kuch?" Kashika ne halki si awaaz me poocha।
Aarav ne sirf ek line kahi—
"Main sirf gawah nahi tha…"
"…main us raaz ka hissa hoon."
Kashika ek kadam peeche hat gayi।
Ab sab kuch aur zyada dangerous lag raha tha।
Papa jhooth bol rahe hain…
Aarav sach chhupa raha hai…
Aur wo khud ek raaz hai.
"Agar Aarav sach me us raaz ka hissa tha… to kya main uski madad kar rahi thi… ya apni barbaadi?"