Sana poori raat so nahi paayi.
Aliyar ka last message uske dimaag me baar-baar ghoom raha tha—Last time.
Ye shabd heavy the. Jaise koi cheez khatam hone wali ho, ya phir sach me shuru.
Subah school pahunchi to Aliyar normal dikh raha tha. Na zyada chup, na zyada serious. Par Sana ne notice kiya—wo har thodi der me gate ki taraf dekh raha tha. Jaise time ka intezaar kar raha ho.
Classes khatam hui.
"Ready?" Aliyar ne poocha.
Sana ne bag shoulder par daala. "Haan. Par agar ye wahi jagah hui…"
Aliyar ne baat poori nahi hone di. "Wahi nahi."
Auto ek residential area me ruka. Clean roads, streetlights, aur ek park jahan shaam ki walk chal rahi thi. Sana thoda relax hui.
"Yahan kyun?" usne poocha.
Aliyar ne park ke gate ki taraf ishara kiya. "Is jagah ko hum dono avoid karte rahe."
Park ke andar ek purani library building thi—chhoti si, par maintained. Sana ko yaad aaya—school ke project ke time yahin aayi thi. Aliyar tab bhi saath tha, par dono zyada baat nahi kar paaye the.
"Yahin?" Sana ne kaha.
"Haan," Aliyar ne reply diya. "Yahin mujhe pehli baar laga tha ki main bol sakta hoon."
Library almost khaali thi. Ek corner table par dono baith gaye. Window se soft light aa rahi thi.
Aliyar ne saans li. "Rayan yahan aaya tha. Incident ke baad."
Sana straight ho kar baithi. "Kya chahata tha?"
"Closure," Aliyar ne kaha. "Par apne tareeke se."
Aliyar ne apna phone table par rakha aur ek audio clip play ki. Rayan ki awaaz thi—thandi, measured.
'Sach bol de, Aliyar. Warna main bol dunga. Aur is baar koi tumhe bachaane nahi aayega.'
Audio khatam hote hi silence aa gayi.
Sana ne dheere se poocha, "Tumne police ko ye diya?"
"Haan," Aliyar ne kaha. "Par wo sirf warning tha. Proof nahi."
"Phir hum yahan kyun hain?" Sana ne poocha.
Aliyar ne uski aankhon me dekha. "Kyuki mujhe tumhe ek cheez batani thi—jo main kisi aur se nahi keh sakta."
Sana ne haan me sir hila diya.
"Main Rayan se nafrat nahi karta," Aliyar ne kaha. "Main khud se karta hoon. Kyuki main us din strong nahi tha."
"Strong hona matlab akela ladna nahi hota," Sana ne kaha.
Aliyar ne halka sa smile kiya. "Isliye to tum yahan ho."
Usi waqt library ke door par halki si awaaz hui. Sana ka dil skip kar gaya.
Aliyar ne calmly mud kar dekha. "Relax. Librarian."
Par Sana ko ek aur cheez mehsoos hui—unke table ke paas ek note pada tha. Pehle nahi tha.
Folded paper. Plain.
Sana ne uthaya.
Sirf ek line likhi thi:
'Tumne sahi jagah chuni. Ab sahi waqt.'
Aliyar ka chehra hard ho gaya. "Wo yahin hai."
Sana ne poocha, "Ab kya?"
Aliyar ne phone uthaya aur type kiya.
Aliyar:
'Agar bolna hai to saamne aakar bolo.'
Reply turant aaya.
Rayan:
'Saamne hi hoon.'
Sana ne aas-paas dekha. Library, park—sab normal. Koi suspicious nahi.
Phir Sana ki nazar window ke bahar padi.
Park ke dusre end par ek ladka bench par baitha tha. Cap neeche ki taraf, phone haath me. Jaise kisi ka wait kar raha ho.
Aliyar khada ho gaya. "Main jaa raha hoon."
Sana ne uska haath pakad li. "Akela nahi."
Aliyar ruka. Phir dheere se bola, "Thank you."
Wo dono bahar nikle. Shaam thodi dark ho chuki thi. Streetlights on ho rahi thi.
Bench ke paas pahunch kar Aliyar ne seedha kaha, "Batao. Kya chahte ho?"
Ladka utha. Cap hatayi.
Rayan.
"Bas ye," Rayan ne kaha. "Sach."
"Sach already police ke paas hai," Aliyar ne kaha.
Rayan hans diya. "Poora nahi."
Usne Sana ki taraf dekha. "Tumhe pata hai Aliyar ne kya choose kiya tha?"
Aliyar beech me aaya. "Bas karo."
Rayan ne shrug kiya. "Theek hai. Main bol deta hoon."
Rayan ne phone nikala. Screen on ki.
"Exam ke baad principal ke paas jo envelope gaya tha," Rayan ne kaha, "wo main le gaya tha. Proof jala diya."
Sana ka saans ruk gaya.
"Par kyun?" Sana ne poocha.
Rayan ne bina emotion ke kaha, "Kyuki mujhe laga wo mujhe chhod dega. Aur chhod diya."
Aliyar ne dheere se kaha, "Tumne meri zindagi ka ek saal chura liya."
Rayan ne aankhen jhuka li. "Isliye aaj yahan hoon."
"Maafi maangne?" Sana ne poocha.
Rayan ne sir uthaya. "Sach bolne."
Usi pal police ki gaadi park ke gate par ruki. Lights flash hui.
Rayan ne ek kadam peeche liya. "Lagta hai tum jeet gaye."
Aliyar ne shaanti se kaha, "Jeet-haar nahi. Sirf end."
Police aage badhi. Rayan ne koi resistance nahi ki. Bas jaate-jaate Sana ki taraf dekha.
"Choice tumhari thi," usne kaha. "Aur tumne sahi ki."
Gaadi chali gayi.
Park phir se normal ho gaya.
Aliyar ne Sana ki taraf dekha. Uski aankhon me relief tha, par saath hi thakaan.
"Ab?" Sana ne poocha.
Aliyar ne saans li. "Ab hum normal honge."
Sana ne halka sa smile kiya. "Normal overrated hota hai."
Aliyar bhi hansa.
Par jaate waqt Sana ko bench ke neeche ek aur folded paper dikha.
Usne uthaya.
Is baar handwriting alag thi.
'Sach kabhi ek hi din me khatam nahi hota.'
Sana ne paper Aliyar ko dikhaya.
Aliyar ne sir hila diya. "Lagta hai… abhi final chapter baaki hai."
Aur Sana ko mehsoos hua—
kahani apne end ke kareeb hai,
par last twist abhi aana baaki hai.