Subah ke 6 baj rahe the.
Yasha ki aankh khuli to sir dard se bhara hua tha.
Raat ka har ek scene dimag me replay ho raha tha —
unknown messages, Kushagra ka zehr bhara tone,
aur sabse zyada…
wo teesra insaan.
Jo saamne nahi aaya.
Par jo sab jaanta tha.
Usne side table se phone uthaya.
Anuvardhan ke 4 missed calls the.
Uska dil halka sa shaant hua.
Kam se kam wo real tha.
Saamne tha.
Chhupa hua nahi.
Yasha ne call back ki.
"Good morning,"
Anuvardhan ki awaaz me raat wali tension abhi bhi thi.
"Tum theek ho?"
"Physically haan,"
Yasha ne dheere se kaha,
"par dimag… thoda uljha hua hai."
"Kyunki tum akeli sab kuch handle karne ki koshish kar rahi ho,"
Anuvardhan ne seedha bola.
"Aur ab tum akeli nahi ho."
Yasha chup ho gayi.
Ye line uske dil me kahin gehra chali gayi.
"Sun,"
Anuvardhan bola,
"aaj college mat jaana.
Main shaam ko tumse milna chahta hoon."
Yasha thoda hesitant hui.
"Log sawal karenge…"
"Toh karne do,"
wo calmly bola.
"Tumhari safety zyada important hai."
Call cut karne se pehle Anuvardhan ne ek aur baat kahi —
"Yasha…
agar koi tumhe silently dekh raha hai na,
toh yaad rakhna —
use sabse zyada darr tab lagta hai
jab tum strong hoti ho."
Yasha ne phone rakh diya.
Par uske haath kaanp rahe the.
Shaam hone se pehle ek aur cheez hui.
Instagram pe ek naya message request aaya.
Fake ID. No DP. No posts.
Message sirf ek line ka tha:
"Tum aaj bhi blue kurti pehenti ho…
jaise school ke last day pe pehni thi."
Yasha ka dil ruk sa gaya.
School.
Ye baat sirf do log jaante the.
Wo din…
jab usne sabke saamne smile ki thi,
par dil ke andar kuch aur hi toota tha.
Usne turant reply kiya:
"Tum kaun ho?"
Reply aane me thoda waqt laga.
Phir typing dots aaye.
Aur phir message —
"Jo tab bhi tumhe dekh raha tha…
aur aaj bhi."
Yasha ka gala sookh gaya.
Flashback jaise aankhon ke saamne aa gaya —
school corridor,
assembly ground,
library ke stairs…
Hamesha ek feeling hoti thi
ki koi hai
jo bina bole uske paas hi kahin hai.
Us waqt usne importance nahi di.
Aaj…
wo feeling dar ban chuki thi.
Doorbell baji.
Yasha almost jump kar gayi.
Usne peephole se dekha.
Anuvardhan tha.
Relief ne uske andar jagah bana li.
Darwaza kholte hi Anuvardhan ne usse dekha,
jaise check kar raha ho
ki wo sach me theek hai ya nahi.
"Tum pale lag rahi ho,"
wo bola.
Yasha ne phone uske saamne kar diya.
"Ye dekho."
Anuvardhan ka expression change ho gaya.
"School se jaanta hai,"
wo dheere se bola.
"Matlab ye obsession naya nahi hai."
"Anuvardhan,"
Yasha ki awaaz halki thi,
"mujhe lag raha hai meri zindagi ke kuch hisson pe
mera control hi nahi raha."
Anuvardhan ne uske haath apne haath me le liye.
"Control tumhara hi hai,"
wo firmly bola.
"Bas tumhe yaad dilane ki zarurat hai."
Yasha ki aankhen bhar aayi.
Us waqt wo strong nahi banna chahti thi.
Wo sirf safe feel karna chahti thi.
Raat ko, jab Anuvardhan ja chuka tha,
Yasha ne diary kholi.
School ke pages palatne lagi.
Aur tab uski nazar ek naam pe ruk gayi.
Class 10 – Seating Chart
Uske bench ke bilkul peeche likha tha:
Aarav S.
Uska dimaag ghoom gaya.
Aarav.
Wo ladka jo hamesha chup rehta tha.
Jo kabhi directly baat nahi karta tha.
Jo har group photo me kahin kone me hota tha.
Aur jo…
hamesha Yasha ki taraf dekhta tha.
Uska phone vibrate hua.
Unknown number se naya message.
"Finally yaad aaya?"
Yasha ka haath kaanp gaya.
"Tum Aarav ho?"
usne likha.
Message ka reply turant aaya.
"Naam se zyada,
meri feeling important hai."
Pause.
Phir ek aur message —
"Aur ab tum meri ho…
ya phir Anuvardhan ki?"
Yasha ka saans atak gaya.
Screen pe last line blink kar rahi thi —
"Decide kar lo, Yasha.
Kyuki is baar…
main peeche nahi rehne wala."
Raat aur gehri ho gayi.
Aur Yasha samajh chuki thi —
ye kahani ab sirf pyaar ki nahi rahi.
Ye possession ki kahani ban chuki thi.
Yasha ne phone bed pe rakh diya,
par screen apne aap off nahi hui.
Front camera ON ho chuka tha.
Aur usi reflection me…
usne ek shadow dekhi
jo uske bilkul peeche khadi thi.
Saans ruk gayi.
Aur tab screen pe ek final line flash hui —
"Tum mujhe dekh rahi ho…
ya main tumhe?"