Raat ke 9 baj chuke the.
Yasha bed ke kone me baithi thi, phone haath me liye.
Screen baar-baar on ho rahi thi…
par wo kisi notification ko open karne ki himmat nahi juta paa rahi thi.
Unknown number.
Kushagra.
Aur beech me ek naam jo use bina bole hi sukoon deta tha — Anuvardhan.
Tabhi phone vibrate hua.
Anuvardhan calling…
Is baar Yasha ne ignore nahi kiya.
"Hello?"
uski awaaz halki si kaanp rahi thi.
"Tum theek ho?"
Anuvardhan ne bina time waste kiye pucha.
Uski awaaz me panic nahi tha…
sirf care thi.
Yasha kuch seconds chup rahi.
Phir dheere se boli,
"Pata nahi… par main strong banne ki koshish kar rahi hoon."
Anuvardhan ne gehri saans li.
"Tum strong ho, Yasha.
Bas kabhi-kabhi strong log bhi thak jaate hain."
Ye sunte hi Yasha ki aankhon se aansu nikal aaye.
"Sab kuch itna confusing ho gaya hai,"
usne kaha.
"Kabhi lagta hai main galat hoon,
kabhi lagta hai sab mere saath galat ho raha hai."
Anuvardhan ne thodi der chup reh kar kaha,
"Jo tumhari family ko disrespect kare,
jo tumhe dar ke saath pyaar de…
wo kabhi sahi nahi hota."
Yasha ne aankhen band kar li.
"Tumhe dar lag raha hai na?"
Anuvardhan ne softly pucha.
"Haan,"
Yasha ne sach bol diya.
"Par yaad rakhna,"
wo bola,
"jahan dar ho, wahan pyaar nahi hota.
Aur jahan main hoon…
tum akeli nahi ho."
Yasha ke liye ye line kaafi thi.
Kisi ne use promise nahi diya,
bas presence di.
Call khatam hone se pehle Anuvardhan ne kaha,
"Jo bhi ho… mujhe bina soche call karna.
Main uthunga."
Call cut ho gayi.
Yasha ne pehli baar thoda safe mehsoos kiya.
Par ye sukoon zyada der ka nahi tha.
Exactly 9:21 PM.
Phone vibrate hua.
Kushagra calling…
Yasha ka haath kaanp gaya.
Usne call reject kar di.
Turant message aaya—
"Tum mujhe ignore nahi kar sakti."
Phir ek aur—
"Mujhe sab pata hai.
Tum Anuvardhan se baat kar rahi ho."
Yasha ka dil zor se dhadakne laga.
"Ye tumhara matter nahi hai."
usne reply kiya.
Typing…
typing…
Fir message aaya—
"Tum meri ho, Yasha."
Uske body me thandi si lehar daud gayi.
"Ye sab khatam ho chuka hai, Kushagra."
Reply instantly aaya—
"Tum decide nahi karti."
Yasha ne phone bed pe rakh diya.
Saans tez ho rahi thi.
Tabhi ek aur message—
"Main wapas aa raha hoon."
Yasha ke pairon tale zameen khisak gayi.
"Mat aana."
"Tum mujhe rok nahi sakti."
"Tum meri life se bahar ho."
Kushagra ka last message uski rooh hila gaya—
"Life se bahar?
Tum bhool rahi ho…
tumhe main hi life me laaya tha."
Yasha ne phone band kar diya.
Wo bed se uth kar balcony ke paas gayi.
Curtains hataane ki himmat nahi hui.
Uska dimaag sirf ek sawal pooch raha tha—
Ye sab kaise itna control se bahar chala gaya?
Tabhi door bell baji.
Yasha freeze ho gayi.
Is waqt?
Kaun?
Door bell fir baji.
Yasha ne dheere se peephole se dekha.
Koi nahi.
Usne chain ki saans li.
Par tabhi phone on hua.
Unknown number se message:
"Darwaza kholne ki zarurat nahi hai."
Yasha ka dil jaise ruk sa gaya.
"Main sirf yaad dilane aaya hoon…"
Next message—
"…ki tum mujhe chhod kar kahin nahi ja sakti."
Aur last line—
"Kal milte hain, Yasha."
Yasha ne turant Anuvardhan ko call kiya.
Phone sirf ek ring me uth gaya.
"Wo aa raha hai,"
Yasha ne roti hui awaaz me kaha.
"Kaun?"
"Kushagra."
Doosri taraf awaaz bilkul serious ho gayi.
"Sun meri baat,"
Anuvardhan ne firmly kaha,
"Tum kal kahin akeli nahi jaogi.
Aur jo tumhe dar de…
uske saamne main khada hoon."
Yasha ki aankhon se aansu behne lage,
par is baar dar ke nahi…
relief ke.
Par usse ye nahi pata tha…
Kushagra ka wapas aana sirf shuruaat thi.
Aur agla kadam…
aur bhi zyada dangerous hone wala tha....