Next din school ka atmosphere thoda alag tha.
Jaise hawa me hi koi baat atki hui ho.
Sana apni seat par baithi thi, par uska dhyaan notebook par nahi tha.
Uski nazar baar-baar last bench ki taraf ja rahi thi.
Aliyar aaj bhi wahi baitha tha.
Khidki ke paas.
Par is baar wo baahar nahi dekh raha tha.
Wo Sana ko dekh raha tha.
Nazrein mili.
Aliyar ne turant nazar hata li.
Sana ka dil tez dhadakne laga.
Kal raat ke messages abhi bhi uske dimaag me goonj rahe the.
Tumhe Aliyar se door rehna chahiye.
Usne phone bag me aur andar kar liya.
Lunch break me Sana washroom ja rahi thi jab usse kisi ne peeche se awaaz di.
"Sana."
Wo ruk gayi.
Aliyar.
Canteen ke shor se door, staircase ke paas khade the dono.
Yahan hamesha thoda andhera rehta tha.
"Tumne mujhe kal avoid kyun kiya?" Sana ne seedha poocha.
Aliyar ne kuch seconds tak kuch nahi kaha.
Phir bola, "Kyunki main tumhe us jagah le ja raha hoon jahan mujhe khud jaana nahi chahiye."
Sana ne use dekha.
"Tum decide nahi kar sakte mere liye."
Aliyar ki aankhon me kuch toota hua sa tha.
"Tumhe darr nahi lagta?"
"Lagta hai," Sana ne kaha.
"Par tumse door rehkar zyada lagta hai."
Aliyar chup ho gaya.
Bell baj gayi.
Par dono me se koi hila nahi.
"School ke baad," Aliyar ne dheere se kaha.
"Terrace."
Sana ne sir hila diya.
Shaam ko school almost khaali ho chuka tha.
Terrace par hawa tez thi.
Aliyar railing ke paas khada tha.
Sana dheere-dheere uske paas aayi.
"Yahan se girna aasaan hai," Aliyar bola.
"Bas ek galat kadam."
Sana ka dil thoda sa ruk gaya.
"Tum aisa kyun bol rahe ho?"
Aliyar ne uski taraf dekha.
"Kyuki kisi ne pehle bhi yahi kiya tha."
Sana ne uska haath pakad li.
"Aliyar…"
Usne haath wapas nahi kheencha.
"Kabhi-kabhi," Aliyar bola,
"Sach chupana bhi crime lagta hai."
Sana ne dheere se poocha,
"Tumne kuch chhupaya hai?"
Aliyar ne jawab nahi diya.
Bas neeche school ground ki taraf dekhta raha.
Tabhi Sana ke phone par vibration hui.
Unknown number.
Message sirf ek line ka tha:
"Terrace safe jagah nahi hoti."
Sana ne phone Aliyar ko dikhaya.
Uski aankhon ka rang badal gaya.
"Tumhe yahan nahi aana chahiye tha," usne kaha.
Us pal Sana ne mehsoos kiya—
ye sirf warning nahi thi.
Ye ek nazar thi.
Jo unhe dekh rahi thi.
Terrace ke gate ke paas kisi ke footsteps sunayi diye.
Aur Sana ko pehli baar laga—
shayad unke pyaar se pehle,
unhe apni jaan bachani hogi.