Aliyar ne Sana ka phone haath me pakad rakha tha, jaise wo sirf screen nahi balki uske peeche chhupi poori kahani padh raha ho. School gate ke paas shor tha, par un dono ke beech ek ajeeb si khamoshi thi—bhaari, dabav bhari.
"Tum ghar kaise jaati ho?" Aliyar ne achanak poocha.
Sana thodi confused hui. "Auto… kabhi kabhi Maa lene aa jaati hain."
"Aaj auto mat lena," Aliyar ne kaha. Tone soft tha, par words me command chhupi thi. "Main chhod deta hoon."
Sana ne uski taraf dekha. "Tum kab se itne concerned ho gaye?"
Aliyar ne jawab nahi diya. Usne phone Sana ko wapas pakdaya aur gate ki taraf chal pada. Sana kuch seconds ruki, phir uske peeche chal di. Dil me sawal the, par unse zyada ek feeling—jaise aaj kuch galat hone wala ho.
Auto me baithte waqt Aliyar ne driver ko address bataya. Sana ne notice kiya—usne exact lane number tak bataya, bina pooche.
"Tumhe kaise pata?" Sana ne dheere se poocha.
Aliyar ne khidki se baahar dekha. "Tumne pehle bataya tha."
Sana ne bhola sa haan kaha, par usse yaad nahi aa raha tha ki kab.
Raaste bhar silence raha. Sirf auto ke engine ki awaaz aur Sana ke phone ki screen par wohi unknown number chamakta hua. Uska mann ho raha tha phir se message check kare, par darr lag raha tha.
Auto rukte hi Aliyar pehle utra. Sana bhi neeche aayi.
"Kal school aana," Aliyar ne kaha.
"Tum bhi to aaoge?" Sana ne poocha.
Aliyar ne uski taraf dekha. Is baar uski aankhon me wo normal seriousness nahi thi. Kuch aur tha—jaise guilt.
"Main hamesha aata hoon," usne kaha. "Bas dikhayi nahi deta."
Sana kuch keh paati, usse pehle Aliyar mud kar chala gaya.
Ghar ke andar Sana ne door band kiya aur seedha apne room me chali gayi. Uska phone vibrate hua.
Unknown number.
"Tumne galti kar di."
Sana ka haath kaanp gaya.
"Usse trust nahi karna chahiye tha."
Sana ne himmat karke reply type kiya.
"Tum kaun ho?"
Reply almost turant aaya.
"Jo Aliyar ko tumse zyada jaanta hai."
Sana bed par baith gayi. Dimaag me Aliyar ke saare moments ek saath ghoomne lage—uski khamoshi, uski aankhon ka bojh, uska har baar topic change kar dena.
Phone phir vibrate hua.
"Usne tumhe apna naam bataya?"
Sana confused hui.
"Aliyar hi to hai."
Message aaya.
"Ye poora naam nahi hai."
Sana ka dil zor se dhadka.
"Uska ek aur naam hai."
Sana ne type kiya.
"Kya?"
Kuch seconds tak typing indicator dikhta raha. Phir message aaya.
"Wo naam jise sun kar uski zindagi badal gayi thi."
Sana ne phone side me rakh diya. Uska dimaag overload ho chuka tha. Itna suspense, itni baatein—sab ek saath.
Raat ko jab wo sone ki koshish kar rahi thi, usse kisi ke kadmon ki awaaz lagi. Khidki ke bahar. Uska room first floor par tha.
Sana uth kar khidki ke paas gayi. Neeche streetlight ke neeche ek shadow khada tha. Chehra clearly dikh nahi raha tha, par posture pehchaan me aa gaya.
Aliyar.
Sana ne turant khidki kholi. "Tum yahan kya kar rahe ho?"
Aliyar ne upar dekha. "Tum safe ho?"
"Tum pagal ho gaye ho?" Sana ne dheere se kaha. "Aise raat me—"
"Phone check kiya?" Aliyar ne beech me poocha.
Sana chup ho gayi.
"Usne tumhe kuch bataya?" Aliyar ki awaaz tight ho gayi.
"Tumhara… doosra naam," Sana ne kaha.
Aliyar ka chehra jaise patthar ka ho gaya.
"Usne ye bhi bataya," Sana ne aage kaha, "ki wo tumhe mujhse zyada jaanta hai."
Aliyar ne ek kadam peeche liya.
"Tumhe ye sab nahi jaanna chahiye tha," usne kaha.
"To phir mujhe involve kyun kiya?" Sana ne poocha. "Mujhe door kyun nahi rakha?"
Aliyar ne khidki ki taraf dekha, phir dheere se kaha,
"Kyuki is baar… main akela nahi rehna chahta tha."
Ye words Sana ke dil me seedha lage.
"Wo kaun hai, Aliyar?" Sana ne almost request ki tarah poocha.
Aliyar ne gehri saans li.
"Wo mera past hai."
"Past log message nahi bhejte," Sana ne kaha. "Wo mujhe dekh raha hai."
Aliyar ne sir jhukaya.
"Main jaanta hoon."
Sana ne dekha—Aliyar ke haath kaanp rahe the.
"Kal school ke baad," Aliyar ne kaha, "tum mere saath chalogi?"
"Kahan?" Sana ne poocha.
"Jahan se ye sab shuru hua tha."
Sana ka dil phir tez dhadakne laga. "Aur agar main mana kar doon?"
Aliyar ne upar dekha. Uski aankhon me pehli baar darr tha.
"Phir wo tumhe akela pakad lega."
Sana ne kuch seconds tak socha. Phir haan me sir hila diya.
Aliyar ne relief ki saans li.
Wo jaane ke liye mud hi raha tha ki Sana ka phone phir vibrate hua.
Unknown number.
Aliyar ruk gaya. Sana ne screen dekhi.
Message sirf ek line ka tha.
"Kal sach bolega… ya main bol doon?"
Sana ne Aliyar ki taraf dekha.
Aliyar ne message padh liya.
Uske chehre se saara rang chala gaya.
"Wo mera naam bolega," Aliyar ne dheere se kaha. "Aur jab wo naam suna jaata hai…"
Sana ne poocha, "To kya hota hai?"
Aliyar ne khamoshi se jawab diya—
"Phir kahani sirf school tak limited nahi rehti."
Aur us pal Sana ko samajh aa gaya—
kal jo sach saamne aane wala hai, wo un dono ki zindagi badalne wala hai.
— To be continued (Part 11)