Police ki gaadi gate ke paas ruk chuki thi, par Sana ke kaanon me sirf apni saanson ki awaaz goonj rahi thi. Sab kuch itni jaldi hua tha ki use samajhne me waqt lag raha tha—darwaza khula, Rayan ka bhaagna, aur phir ek achanak si shaanti.
Aliyar uske paas hi chal raha tha. Pehli baar uski chal me hichkichahat nahi thi.
"Tum theek ho?" usne poocha.
Sana ne haan me sir hila diya. "Bas thoda numb."
Guard ne un dono se kuch basic sawaal pooche. Sana ne calmly jawab diya. Aliyar chup raha, par is baar wo khamoshi bhaagti hui nahi lag rahi thi—wo sambhli hui thi.
Ghar pahunchte hi Sana ki Maa ne use gale laga liya. "Phone pe sirf location aayi thi," Maa ki awaaz kaanp rahi thi. "Kuch samajh hi nahi aaya."
"Sab theek hai," Sana ne dheere se kaha. "Ab."
Raat ko Sana ne phone silent par rakha. Unknown number se koi message nahi aaya. Pehli baar us screen par khamoshi thi—aur ye khamoshi scary nahi, comforting lag rahi thi.
Subah school pahunchi to environment alag tha. Whispers the, par unme darr kam aur curiosity zyada thi. Teachers strict the, guards zyada. Rayan ka naam kisi ne openly nahi liya, par uski presence jaise hawa me atki hui thi.
Aliyar class me last bench par nahi baitha. Aaj wo middle row me tha.
Sana ne notice kiya aur khud bhi ek row peeche aa kar baith gayi. Jab Aliyar ne mud kar dekha, dono ki nazrein mili. Is baar koi corridor wali silence nahi thi—sirf ek chhota sa, samjha hua smile.
Lunch break me Sana library ja rahi thi jab Aliyar ne uska naam liya. "Sana."
Wo ruki. "Haan?"
"Thanks," usne kaha. "Kal ke liye. Aur… sab ke liye."
Sana ne kandhe ucha kar kaha, "Tumne bhi to sach bola. Wo bhi aasaan nahi hota."
Aliyar ne ek pal socha. "Tum jaanti ho, main kal bhi bhaag sakta tha."
"Par tum bhaage nahi," Sana ne seedha kaha.
Wo dono library ke steps par baith gaye. Saath, par thode distance ke saath. Jaise dono apni-apni boundaries samajh rahe ho.
"Rayan phir aayega?" Sana ne poocha.
Aliyar ne honestly jawab diya. "Pata nahi. Par agar aaya, to is baar main chup nahi rahunga."
Sana ne uski taraf dekha. "Aur main akeli nahi rahungi."
Bell baji. Par is baar dono turant nahi uthe.
"Ek baat poochun?" Aliyar ne kaha.
"Poocho."
"Kal jab tumne police ko involve kiya… tumhe mujh par bharosa tha, ya bas situation par control chahiye tha?"
Sana ne kuch seconds liye. "Dono. Tum par bharosa isliye, kyuki tumne sach maana. Aur control isliye, kyuki pyaar ya dosti ke naam par darr normal nahi hona chahiye."
Aliyar ne halka sa saans chhoda. "Shayad mujhe ye pehle samajhna chahiye tha."
School ke baad Sana apni cycle ke paas ruki. Aliyar bhi wahi tha.
"Kal coffee?" Sana ne casually poocha. "Normal jagah. Public."
Aliyar hansa—pehli baar khul kar. "Deal."
Raat ko Sana ke phone par ek naya notification aaya. Unknown number nahi tha. School group ka message. Routine. Normal. Usne phone side me rakh diya.
Khidki se bahar dekhte hue usne socha—raaz khatam nahi hote, bas shape badalte hain. Par ab uske paas choice thi. Aur saath bhi.
Do din baad principal ne announcement ki. "Abandoned building incident ki investigation ho rahi hai. Students ko wahan jaana strictly mana hai."
Aliyar ne Sana ki taraf dekha. Sana ne aankhon se hi jawab diya—hum nahi jaayenge.
Weeks beetne lage. Story slow ho gayi, par deep ho gayi. Aliyar bolne laga—thoda-thoda. Sana sunne lagi—judge kiye bina. Dono ke beech romance loud nahi tha, par steady tha.
Ek shaam coffee ke baad Sana ne poocha, "Agar Rayan kabhi maafi maange?"
Aliyar ne cup rakh diya. "Maafi aur bharosa alag cheezein hoti hain. Main pehle wali de sakta hoon. Doosri nahi."
Sana ne uski baat samjhi.
Us raat Sana ne diary me likha—Kuch log toofan laate hain, par kuch log toofan ke baad ka aasman.
Phone silent raha.
Aur kahani…
ab ek naye phase me enter kar chuki thi—
jahan darr se zyada, choices important the.