Terrace ka gate dheere se khula.
Sana ka dil zor se dhadak utha.
Usne instinctively Aliyar ka haath pakad li.
Footsteps paas aa rahi thi.
Par jab koi saamne aaya, to Sana ne thodi si saans li.
School ka peon tha.
"Terrace band hone wala hai," usne casually kaha.
"Jaldi niche jao."
Aliyar ne sir hila diya.
Peon chala gaya.
Par jo tension hawa me thi, wo nahi gayi.
Aliyar ne gate band kiya aur Sana ki taraf dekha.
"Tumne message dekha," usne kaha.
"Iska matlab hai… koi hume follow kar raha hai."
"Rehan?" Sana ne poocha.
Aliyar ne shoulder ucha diye.
"Ho sakta hai. Ya koi aur."
"Tum mujhe sab kuch kyun nahi batate?" Sana ki awaaz soft thi, par usme dard tha.
"Tumhe lagta hai main sambhaal nahi paungi?"
Aliyar ne railing par haath rakh diya.
"Nahi," usne dheere se kaha.
"Mujhe lagta hai… tum sach jaan logi."
Sana uske paas aa gayi.
"Shayad mujhe wahi chahiye."
Kuch seconds dono chup rahe.
Phir Aliyar bola,
"Last year ke baad se mujhe lagta hai jaise main observe ho raha hoon.
Phone calls. Blank messages. Kabhi-kabhi sirf silence."
"Tumne kisi ko bataya?" Sana ne poocha.
"Trust nahi tha kisi par," Aliyar bola.
"Ab bhi nahi hona chahiye."
Usne Sana ko dekha.
Par phir bhi wo bolta raha.
"Bas tum par hai."
Sana ka dil heavy ho gaya.
Ye sirf confession nahi tha.
Ye ek zimmedaari thi.
Tabhi terrace ke door ke neeche se ek paper slide hokar andar aaya.
Dono freeze ho gaye.
Sana ne paper uthaya.
Sirf teen shabd likhe the:
"STOP DIGGING, SANA."
Ink fresh thi.
Aliyar ne paper haath se cheen li.
Uski jaw tight ho gayi.
"Naam pata hai," Sana ne kaha.
"Aur jagah bhi."
Aliyar ne dheere se kaha,
"Iska matlab hai… wo bahut paas hai."
Neeche corridor se kisi ke hansne ki halki si awaaz aayi.
Jaise koi maza le raha ho.
Sana ka phone phir vibrate hua.
Is baar call tha.
Unknown number.
Aliyar ne Sana ko dekha.
"Pick mat karna."
Par Sana ne call receive kar li.
Dusri taraf se sirf ek saans lene ki awaaz aayi.
Phir ek awaaz—
"Aliyar sach bol raha hai…
par poora nahi."
Call cut ho gayi.
Sana aur Aliyar ek dusre ko dekhte reh gaye.
"Poora sach kya hai?" Sana ne dheere se poocha.
Aliyar ne jawab dene ke liye muh khola…
par words nahi aaye.
Bell ki awaaz door se aayi.
Evening bell.
Par Sana ko pata tha—
ye warning bell thi.
Aur kahani ka sabse khatarnak hissa
ab shuru hone wala hai.