Gate ke saamne khadi Yasha ki saans tez ho rahi thi.
Ek taraf phone screen chamak rahi thi — unknown number ka warning.
Aur doosri taraf gate ke bahar Anuvardhan ki awaaz.
"Yasha… please.
Gate kholo."
Us awaaz me koi zabardasti nahi thi.
Bas concern.
Bas wait.
Yasha ne aankhen band ki.
Uske dimaag me Kushagra ke shabd ghoom gaye —
"Tum meri ho."
Aur fir teesre insaan ke messages —
"Tum zinda ho kyunki main hoon."
Control.
Obsession.
Aur protection — teenon ek saath uski zindagi me ghus chuke the.
Usne dheere se phone uthaya.
Yasha:
"Agar tum sach me mujhe protect karte ho,
to saamne kyun nahi aate?"
Reply aane me thoda waqt laga.
Unknown:
"Saamne aa gaya
to tum mujhe kabhi ignore nahi kar paogi."
Yasha ka dil thoda aur bhaari ho gaya.
Tabhi gate ke bahar se fir awaaz aayi —
"Yasha, dar lag raha hai tumhe.
Main samajh sakta hoon.
Par main tab bhi yahin khada hoon."
Usne peephole se dekha.
Anuvardhan sach me wahin tha —
same jacket, same calm face,
haathon me coffee ka cup jo thanda ho chuka tha.
Yasha ne latch dheere se khola.
Gate khula.
Anuvardhan ne jaise hi usse dekha,
uske chehre pe relief aa gaya.
"Tum theek ho?"
usne turant poocha.
Yasha ne sirf haan me sir hila diya.
Wo bol nahi pa rahi thi.
Anuvardhan ne ek kadam aage badhaya,
phir ruk gaya —
jaise use yaad ho ki Yasha ko space chahiye.
"Tum ready ho to batao,"
usne softly kaha,
"warna main bas yahin khada reh sakta hoon."
Ye line Yasha ke dil me chubhi…
is baar achhe tareeke se.
"Main confuse hoon,"
Yasha ne aakhir bol hi diya.
"Mujhe nahi pata kis par bharosa karun."
Anuvardhan ne uski taraf dekha —
gehri, seedhi nazar.
"Tumhe mujh par bharosa karna zaroori nahi,"
wo bola.
"Bas itna yaad rakho…
main tumhe dar ke saath kabhi nahi chhodunga."
Tabhi Yasha ke phone pe ek aur message aaya.
Unknown:
"Dekha?
Tumne wahi kiya jo mujhe pata tha."
Yasha ka haath kaanp gaya.
"Wo phir se message kar raha hai,"
usne Anuvardhan ko phone dikhaaya.
Anuvardhan ne screen dekhi.
Uski jaw tight ho gayi.
"Yasha,"
wo thoda slow bola,
"ye banda tumhari routine jaanta hai.
Iska matlab hai…
ye sirf online nahi hai."
Yasha ka khoon thanda pad gaya.
"Tum keh rahe ho—"
"Haan,"
Anuvardhan ne baat poori ki.
"Ye tumhare aas-paas hi hai."
Usi pal light chali gayi.
Poora ghar andhere me doob gaya.
Yasha ki saans atak gayi.
Anuvardhan ne turant apna phone torch on kiya
aur Yasha ke paas aa gaya —
iss baar bina soche.
"Main hoon,"
usne dheere se kaha.
"Yahin."
Tabhi Yasha ke phone pe ek final message flash hua.
Unknown:
"Lights ka switch mujhe pasand hai.
Tumhara dar aur bhi zyada real lagta hai."
Yasha ka sharir freeze ho gaya.
"Ye ghar ke andar kaise jaanta hai?"
uski awaaz kaanp rahi thi.
Anuvardhan ne idhar-udhar dekha.
Window.
Curtains.
Aur fir uski nazar balcony ke darwaaze par gayi.
Wahan latch…
thoda sa khula hua tha.
"Yasha,"
Anuvardhan ne dheere par firm kaha,
"tumne balcony lock ki thi?"
Yasha ne sir hilaya — haan.
Dono ki nazar ek dusre se mili.
Is baar dar sirf Yasha ki aankhon me nahi tha.
Tabhi phone ring hua.
Unknown number.
Anuvardhan ne kaha,
"Mat uthana."
Par Yasha ne call receive kar li.
"Hello?"
uski awaaz mushkil se nikli.
Doosri taraf se awaaz aayi —
bahut shaant, bahut familiar.
"Yasha,"
wo bola,
"school ke baad tum library me baitha karti thi.
Mujhe yaad hai."
Yasha ka dil zor se dhadka.
"Tum kaun ho?"
usne chillate hue poocha.
Saamne se ek halki si hansi aayi.
"Jo tumhe tab bhi pyaar karta tha…
aur ab bhi karta hai."
Call cut ho gayi.
Andhere me sirf ek awaaz reh gayi —
Yasha ki tez saans.
Anuvardhan ne uska haath pakad liya.
Is baar Yasha ne haath nahi chhudaya.
"Ab ye game khatam karna hoga,"
Anuvardhan ne kaha.
"Kyuki ye sirf tumhara darr nahi…
tumhari safety ka sawaal hai."
Balcony se hawa tez aayi.
Curtains hile.
Aur kahin door…
koi khush ho kar muskura raha tha.
Balcony ke sheeshe pe
ungliyon se likha hua ek naam tha —
"AARAV."
Yasha ne padhte hi aankhen band kar li.
Kyuki ab
teesra chehra
sirf messages nahi…
naam ke saath aa chuka tha.