Zindagi aksar humein un modon par laakar khada kar deti hai jahan hum sirf aage badhne ka sochte hain, peeche mudkar dekhne ka waqt nahi hota. Main bhi aisa hi tha. Naam Aarav, umar pachees saal, shehar ki bheed mein reh kar bhi khud se alag-thalg sa. Main logon ke beech rehta tha, par unka hissa kabhi nahi ban paaya. Shayad isliye kyunki main zyada mehsoos karta tha, aur kam bolta tha. Shayad isliye kyunki main apni zindagi ko shabdon mein likh leta tha, aur logon ko padh nahi paata tha.
Us din shaam thodi alag thi. Mausam mein thandak thi, par hawa mein ek ajeeb si garmi ghoom rahi thi. Railway station par log hamesha ki tarah bhaag rahe the, koi kisi se milne ke liye, koi kisi se door jaane ke liye. Main platform number teen par baitha tha, haath mein apni diary pakad kar. Ye diary meri sabse badi sachchai thi. Isme likhe lafz jhooth nahi bolte the, kyunki inhe padhne wala koi aur nahi tha.
Train late thi, par mujhe koi shikayat nahi thi. Kabhi-kabhi late hona bhi zaroori hota hai, taaki zindagi apna khel khel sake. Main bench par baitha hua aas-paas dekh raha tha, jab meri nazar bheed ke beech us par padi. Wo ladki bheed ka hissa hokar bhi bheed se alag lag rahi thi. Jaise uske paas khud ka ek daayra ho, jismein sirf wo aur uski khamoshi rehti ho.
Safed rang ki kurti, halka sa neela dupatta, aur chehre par aisi shaanti jaise usne duniya se ladna seekh liya ho. Uski aankhon mein kuch tha, jo saaf dikh raha tha, par samjha nahi ja raha tha. Shayad dard, shayad thakaan, ya shayad umeed. Wo mere saamne wali bench par baith gayi, bina kisi ko dekhe, bina kisi se baat kiye.
Kuch pal hum dono chup rahe. Sirf announcements, chai ki awaaz, aur train ke engine ki door ki gurr gurr. Phir hawa tez chali aur uska dupatta udkar meri diary par aa gira. Maine diary band ki, dupatta uthaya, aur thoda hichkichate hue bola, "Excuse me, shayad aapka hai." Usne meri taraf dekha. Us pal mujhe laga jaise waqt ne apni saans rok li ho.
Uski aankhein gehri thi, jaise unmein kahaniyan bhari hon. Usne dupatta lete hue halka sa muskuraya aur kaha, "Thank you." Sirf do shabd the, par unmein itna asar tha ki mera dil bina wajah tez dhadakne laga. Usne khud hi baat aage badhai, "Gaon ja rahe ho?" Main thoda chaunka. "Aapko kaise pata?" Wo halki si hasi, "Shehar ke log jab gaon jaate hain, to aankhon mein thoda bojh hota hai."
Main muskuraya, bina kuch bole. Shayad wo sahi keh rahi thi. Usne apna naam bataya, Ananya. Naam simple tha, par uske jaise hi gehra. Hum dheere-dheere baat karne lage. Shehar, padhai, kaam, sapne. Wo bolti kam thi, par jab bolti thi, to lagta tha jaise har lafz soch samajh kar nikla ho. Usne bataya ki wo apne shehar wapas ja rahi hai, sab kuch chhod kar. Maine poocha nahi kyun, kyunki kuch sawalon ke jawab waqt khud de deta hai.
Train aane ki awaaz hui. Dono ki train wahi thi. Andar jaakar hum aamne-saamne baithe. Raat hone lagi thi. Bahar andhera badh raha tha, aur andar humari baatein. Usne meri diary ki taraf dekh kar poocha, "Tum likhte ho?" Maine haan mein sir hilaya. "Sirf apne liye," maine kaha. Wo boli, "Jo log apne liye likhte hain, wo sabse sachcha likhte hain." Uski baat mere dil ke andar tak utar gayi.
Safar ke dauran humne zyada sawal nahi pooche, par zyada mehsoos kiya. Train ki halki jhulahat, uski awaaz, aur beech-beech mein khamoshi. Phir achanak usne kaha, "Kal subah meri zindagi badal jayegi." Maine poocha, "Achhe ke liye?" Wo kuch der chup rahi, phir boli, "Ye main bhi nahi jaanti."
Train ek chhote station par ruki. Wo uth khadi hui. "Mera station aa gaya," usne kaha. Mere dil mein ajeeb sa khali pan mehsoos hua. Maine bina soche pooch liya, "Kya hum dobara milenge?" Usne meri taraf dekha, jaise mere sawaal ko apni aankhon mein sambhal rahi ho. "Agar kismat ne chaha," kehkar wo utar gayi.
Train chal padi. Main window se bahar dekhta raha, jab tak wo nazar se ojhal nahi ho gayi. Mujhe nahi pata tha ki wo kaun thi, kahan se aayi thi, aur kahan ja rahi thi. Par itna zaroor pata tha ki us din main pehli baar kisi anjaan ko jaanta mehsoos kar raha tha. Shayad ye sirf ek mulakaat nahi thi. Shayad ye us kahani ki shuruaat thi, jo dheere-dheere meri zindagi likhne wali thi.