> "Main kaun hoon?"
Ye sawaal har raat mere sapno mein gunjta hai. Jaise kisi locked memory ka darwaza baar-baar khatkhatata ho... lekin khulta nahi.
Raat hoti hai... har baar wahi jagah... wahi sapna.
Ek purana, toota-phoota ghar. Cracked deewarien, faded painting, aur ek aangan jahan waqt ruka sa lagta hai.
Main wahan hoon — ek chhota ladka.
Maa kitchen mein hai, roti sek rahi hai.
Papa meri taraf muskurate hue ek chhoti si lakdi ki chidiya bana rahe hain.
> Papa (halki awaaz mein): "Haku... jab gir jao, toh yaad rakhna — chidiya sabse upar tab hi udti hai jab usse lagta hai ke wo gir rahi hai."
Main hasa, aankhon mein chamak thi.
> "Main kabhi nahi girunga, papa!"
Maa hansi — jaise ek aisi awaaz jo sirf dil mehsoos kar sakta hai.
Woh moment... perfect tha.
Bas ek pal... jo main hamesha ke liye jeena chahta tha.
---
BOOM!
Ek loud blast.
Poora ghar hil jaata hai. Deewarien tootne lagti hain.
Aag... dhuaan... log chillate hain.
> "MAA! PAPA!"
Main cheekhta hoon… lekin koi awaaz nahi aati.
---
[Scene Shift – Sapne ki duniya]
Sab kuch blur hai. Main akela hoon.
Kahin door se ek rone ki awaaz aa rahi hai… kamzor, lekin jaani-pehchaani.
Main bhaagta hoon us taraf.
Ek chhoti si ladki — zameen par baithi, kaanp rahi hai.
Uska chehra clear nahi hai… bas uski aankhein.
Udasi se bhari, par ek roshni jhalakti hai unmein.
Main uska haath pakadta hoon…
> "Main tumhe kabhi akela nahi chhodunga..."
Uski aankhon mein halki si neeli roshni chamakti hai...
Aur phir — sab kuch black ho jaata hai.
---
🌅 [Real World – Uthna]
Main hosh mein aata hoon. Pasina se bheega hua hoon.
Kamre mein thandi hawa hai. Bahar kahin door siren baj raha hai.
Main dheere se uthta hoon, shelf se woh chidiya uthata hoon — wahi lakdi ki chidiya jo sapne mein papa ne di thi.
Ab purani hai, thodi tedi hai, lekin zinda hai.
Main use dekhta hoon… fir khud se kehta hoon:
> "Main abhi tak zinda hoon... kyunki mujhe yaad hai ke main kaun hoon."
"Aur main use zaroor dhoondhunga... jo har sapne mein mujhe bulaati hai."
Main khidki kholta hoon. Pehli roshni ki ek halki kiran meri aankhon par padti hai.
Aasman mein thoda sa neela rang utra hai…
---
⚫ End of Episode 1
To be continued...