📖 Chapter 1: ek kahani aisi bhi...Jahan khamoshi bolti hai.
Log kehte hain, khamosh rehne wale log sabse zyada mazboot hote hain.
Shayad isliye, kyunki unka dil andar hi andar bol-bol kar thak chuka hota hai.
Jab baar-baar samjhaane ke baad bhi koi samajhne wala na ho, tab khamoshi aadat ban jaati hai… aur dheere-dheere taaqat ban jaati hai.
Pratiksha bhi unhi logon mein se ek thi.
Class ke pichhle bench par baith kar chup-chaap apni studies par focus karna, bina wajah kisi se ulajhna nahi, sabke saath barabar aur sweet behaviour rakhna — ye sab uski roz ki routine ka hissa tha.
Wo sirf 17 saal ki thi, par uski aankhon mein abhi se hi ek alag si thakaan, ek akelapan, aur ek chhupa hua dard saaf dikh jaata tha.
Aisa dard jo shabdon mein bayaan nahi hota… bas mehsoos hota hai.
School ke corridors mein haste-bolte chehre the, par Pratiksha unmein shamil hote hue bhi kahin door lagti thi.
Logon ke saamne hamesha muskurane wali Pratiksha, andar se na jaane kab aur kitni baar toot chuki thi — is baat ka andaza sirf use hi tha.
Ghar aate hi wo apna bag ek kone mein rakh deti, uniform change karti, aur bina kisi awaaz ke kaam mein lag jaati.
Kabhi kitchen, kabhi room, kabhi dadi ki dawa — sab kuch jaise uski hi zimmedari ho.
Par ek sawal… jo kabhi kisi ne usse nahi poocha:
"Tum thak gayi ho kya?"
Shaam dhal jaati, raat aa jaati, par Pratiksha ke din ka bojh halka nahi hota.
Dinner ke baad wo apni books kholti, notes banati, kal ke liye prepare karti.
Marks uske liye sirf result nahi the; wo ek wajah the — khud par bharosa banaye rakhne ki.
Raat ke andhere mein, jab poora ghar so jaata, tab Pratiksha ki aankhon se neend door bhaag jaati.
Wo bed par leti rehti, ceiling ko dekhti rehti, jaise wahan likhe kisi jawab ko padhne ki koshish kar rahi ho.
Sochon ka shor uske dimaag mein hota, par awaaz bahar nahi aati.
Kabhi-kabhi wo apni saans tak ginne lagti, bas isliye taaki dimaag shaant ho jaaye.
Par aksar yaadein beech mein aa jaati — purani, adhoori, bina jawab wali.
School mein kabhi uski ek dost hua karti thi — bachpan ki pakki saheli.
Jiske saath wo bina dare hans sakti thi, ro sakti thi, bol sakti thi.
Jiske saamne use strong banne ki zarurat nahi padti thi.
Par waqt ke saath log badal jaate hain… aur kuch rishte chup-chaap peeche chhoot jaate hain.
Uski dost bhi badal gayi thi.
Aur Pratiksha ne poochna band kar diya.
Ab school mein wo break ke time bhi akeli baithti thi.
Notes revise karti, ya bas khidki se bahar dekhti rehti.
Akela rehna uske liye ab naya nahi tha — wo uski aadat ban chuka tha.
Khali-khali se lamhon mein hi use thodi si shanti milti thi.
Ghar ki zimmedariyan, padhai ka pressure aur ye akelapan — sab milkar use dheere-dheere mature bana rahe the.
Ya shayad… uska bachpan kahin peeche chhoot chuka tha.
Itna peeche, ki ab yaad bhi mushkil ho gaya tha ki carefree hona kaisa lagta hai.
Aur phir… ek din.
Sab kuch bilkul normal tha. Jaise roz hota tha, waise hi.
Raat ke waqt, jab Pratiksha ne apna phone side table par rakha, achanak uske dimaag mein ek dhundhla sa chehra ubhar aaya.
Dil ki dhadkan tez ho gayi.
Wo chehra poora saaf nahi tha — bas ek ehsaas tha.
Bachpan ka. Jhagde ka. Hansi-mazaak ka.
Koi jo kabhi uske aas-paas raha ho, par phir kahin kho gaya ho.
Uske dil mein ek ajeeb sa connection mehsoos hua — jaise koi purana rishta bina dastak diye laut aaya ho.
Pratiksha ne phone uthaya.
Screen ki roshni kamre mein fail gayi.
Ungliyaan thodi kaanp rahi thi.
Use khud nahi pata tha ki wo kya dhoondh rahi hai.
Par fir, kahin se… ek contact number mil gaya.
Kaise mila — ye use khud bhi yaad nahi.
Shayad kisi purane register mein, ya kisi aur ke phone mein dekha ho.
Bas itna yaad tha ki dil keh raha tha: yeh wahi hai.
Usne message box khola.
Sirf ek shabd type kiya:
"Hi."
Send karne se pehle usne saans roki.
Dimag ne kaha: mat bhejo.
Dil ne kaha: ek baar.
Ghabrahat mein usne turant message delete kar diya.
Par der ho chuki thi.
Phone ko side mein rakh kar wo bed par let gayi.
Aankhein band ki, par neend nahi aayi.
Dimaag baar-baar usi ek shabd par atak jaata.
Shayad saamne wala reply hi na kare.
Shayad pehchaan bhi na paye.
Shayad ye baat yahin khatam ho jaaye.
Do din guzar gaye.
Zindagi phir se apni purani raah par chal padi.
School, ghar, padhai, khamoshi.
Pratiksha ne almost bhool hi jaana chaha tha us message ko.
Fir, ek shaam, jab wo chai bana rahi thi, phone vibration se table par halka sa hila.
Unknown message.
Usne phone uthaya.
Dil zor se dhadak utha.
Message short tha. Simple:
"Mera number tumhe kahan se mila?"
Ye padhte hi Pratiksha ki dhadkan tez ho gayi.
Uski ungliyaan screen par ruk gayi.
Use khud samajh nahi aa raha tha ki ye sab kya ho raha hai.
Dil aur dimaag ke beech ek anjaani si ladayi shuru ho gayi thi.
Uske dil se ek awaaz aayi:
Kya jawab dena zaroori hai?
Ya phir khamoshi mein hi bhalai hai?
Wo jaanti thi, agar usne jawab diya, to baat aage badhegi.
Aur agar chup rahi… to shayad ye sab yahin ruk jaaye.
Par Pratiksha ko ye nahi pata tha
ki is ek chhote se message ke peeche
kai aise raaz chhupe the
jo waqt ke saath uski zindagi ko poori tarah badal dene wale the.
Aur shayad…
use khud ko bhi.
To be continued…🕯️