Raat ke 2:47 AM the.
Hostel so chuka tha.
Par mera phone… jaag raha tha.
She was online.
Bas ek green dot.
Par us ek dot ne meri neend chura li.
Hum mile nahi the.
Kabhi saamne se dekha bhi nahi tha.
Par roz raat ko baat hoti thi—
chhoti si, bekaar si…
phir bhi zaroori.
"Tum itni raat ko kyun jaagte ho?"
Uska message aaya.
Main likhne hi wala tha
"aadat hai"
par sach likh diya—
"Kyunki is waqt main khud jaisa hota hoon."
Usne reply nahi kiya.
Seen bhi nahi.
Dil thoda sa baith gaya.
Mess ke khane se lekar zindagi tak
sab adhoora lagta tha.
Paise kam the.
Future unclear tha.
Aur pyaar… risky.
Par jab uska message aaya—
"Tum likhte ho na… aaj kya likh rahe ho?"
Main ruk gaya.
Kisiko farq padna
sabse dangerous cheez hoti hai.
Library ke kone mein baith ke likh raha tha—
hero aur heroine
ek hi shehar mein hote hue bhi
ek dusre se door.
Bilkul hum jaise.
Aur likhte-likhte
mujhe samajh aaya—
Main kahani uske liye nahi likh raha,
main khud ko uske saamne khol raha hoon.
Raat ko usne voice note bheja.
Uski awaaz halki si neend mein doobi hui—
"Tum agar kabhi famous ho gaye na…
toh mujhe bhool mat jana."
Dil ek second ke liye ruk gaya.
Main hasa, par type karte waqt
ungli kaanp rahi thi—
"Aur agar kabhi kuch nahi ban paaya…
toh?"
Uska reply turant aaya—
"Tab bhi… main yahin rahungi."
Us raat
₹143 balance tha,
future zero tha,
par dil… poora bhara hua tha.
Main terrace par khada tha,
aasman dekhte hue.
Socha—
shayad pyaar success ke baad nahi,
success se pehle aata hai.
Phone uthaya.
Chapter ka title likha.
Aur uske naam ke pehle akshar ke saath
publish kar diya.
Kuch rishtay mile bina hi
zindagi badal dete hain.