School ke baad ka waqt hamesha alag hota hai.
Corridors khaali, awaazein dheemi, aur har cheez thodi zyada sach lagti hai.
Sana ne Aliyar ko gate ke paas dekha.
Usne kaha tha akela aayega.
Par Sana ka rukna namumkin tha.
Aliyar ne use dekhte hi samajh liya.
"Tum yahan kyun ho?" uski awaaz low thi, par gussa nahi… darr tha.
"Tum akele nahi jaoge," Sana ne seedha kaha.
"Jo bhi hai, hum dono milke face karenge."
Aliyar kuch seconds chup raha.
Phir bina kuch bole basement ki taraf chal diya.
Basement ka gate thoda sa khula tha.
Andar se thandi hawa aa rahi thi.
Jaise purani yaadein saans le rahi ho.
Lights kaam nahi kar rahi thi.
Sirf emergency bulb jal raha tha.
Rehan already wahan tha.
Wall ke sahare khada.
Bilkul relaxed.
"Expected nahi tha tum aaogi," usne Sana ko dekh kar kaha.
"Par shayad yahi better hai."
Aliyar aage badha.
"Mujhe jo kehna hai, keh do."
Rehan ne phone nikala.
Par is baar video nahi chalayi.
"Sach batao, Aliyar," usne kaha.
"Us raat kya hua tha?"
Sana ka dil zor se dhadak utha.
"Kaunsi raat?" usne poocha.
Aliyar ne aankhen band kar li.
Jaise wo pal wapas aa gaya ho.
"Last year," Aliyar bola.
"Isi basement me."
Uski awaaz kaanp rahi thi.
"Ek ladka tha," usne kaha.
"Same class ka. Sab use bully karte the."
Sana samajh gayi—
ye sirf kahani nahi hai.
"Us raat wo yahan aaya," Aliyar ne kaha.
"Akela. Toota hua."
Rehan ne beech me kaha,
"Tum bhi wahan the."
Aliyar ne sir jhuka liya.
"Haan. Main bhi."
Sana ne uski taraf dekha.
"Phir?"
Aliyar ne saans li.
"Wo ladka gir gaya. Stairs se."
Silence.
"Accident tha," Aliyar ne kaha.
"Par kisi ne nahi maana."
Rehan aage aaya.
"Kyuki tum wahan the. Aur tum zinda bach gaye."
Sana ka dimaag ghoomne laga.
"Tumne kisi ko nahi dhakka diya?" usne dheere se poocha.
Aliyar ne seedhi nazar us par daali.
"Nahi."
Us pal Sana ne us par bharosa kiya.
Rehan ne hansi dabayi.
"Par sach ye hai… main bhi wahan tha."
Aliyar aur Sana dono freeze ho gaye.
"Us raat maine sab dekha," Rehan ne kaha.
"Aur kisi ne mujhe chup rehne ke liye paisa diya."
"Kaun?" Sana ke muh se nikla.
Rehan ne Aliyar ki taraf dekha.
"Tumhare father."
Aliyar ke chehre se rang udd gaya.
"Impossible," usne kaha.
"Tumhara phone," Rehan ne kaha.
"Jo Sana ke haath me aaya… usme record hai sab."
Sana ne shock me Aliyar ko dekha.
"Mere paas tumhara phone kaise aaya?"
Aliyar kuch bol hi nahi paaya.
Rehan ne basement door ki taraf dekha.
"Police ko sirf ek call chahiye."
Phir usne kaha—
"Ya phir tum dono ek choice lo."
Sana ne Aliyar ka haath pakad li.
Basement ki light flicker hui.
Andhera gehra ho gaya.
Aur Sana ko laga—
ye kahani ab sirf past ka raaz nahi rahi.
Ye unke future ko todne wali hai.