Shaadi ke baad ki pehli subah aksar sapno jaisi hoti hai.
Kam se kam Anaya ne toh hamesha aisa hi socha tha.
Aankhen khuli toh kamre me halki si roshni faili hui thi. Parde se dhoop ki patli si lakeer andar aa rahi thi. Us lakeer ke saath-saath kal raat ke har pal uske dimaag me ghoom rahe the—shaadi ke rasam, logon ki awaazein, hansi, shor… aur phir Veer ka khamosh chehra.
Anaya ne dheere se apni kalai ghumayi. Laal choodiyan abhi bhi bhari lag rahi thi. Sindoor, mangalsutra—sab kuch naya tha, par dil ke andar jo khali-pan tha, woh aur bhi zyada gehra mehsoos ho raha tha.
Usne bagal ki taraf dekha.
Veer wahan nahi tha.
Dil me halki si ghabrahat hui. Shayad subah-subah walk par gaye honge, usne khud ko samjhaya. Par phir usse yaad aaya—Veer zyada baat nahi karta, zyada kuch batata bhi nahi.
Anaya chupchaap uth kar baith gayi. Kamra bada tha, saaf-suthra, par usme uska koi hissa abhi tak shamil nahi hua tha. Almirah ke ek kone me sirf uska ek chhota sa bag rakha tha, jaise woh abhi bhi mehmaan ho.
Woh bathroom gayi, muh par paani mara. Aaine me apna chehra dekha toh ek pal ke liye khud ko pehchan nahi paayi. Yeh wahi Anaya thi jo hamesha muskuraati rehti thi? Ya koi aur, jo apni hi zindagi me thodi si ghabraayi hui lag rahi thi?
Kitchen se awaaz aayi.
Cup rakhne ki halki si khanak.
Uska dil tez dhadak utha. Shayad Veer wahi ho.
Anaya ne dupatta theek kiya aur dheere-dheere kitchen ki taraf badhi. Veer wahan khada tha—bilkul seedha, bilkul shaant. Coffee machine ke saamne, jaise uska dhyaan sirf ussi par ho.
"Good morning,"
Anaya ki awaaz halki thi, par usme umeed chhupi hui thi.
Veer ne bas gardan ghumayi. Ek pal ke liye uski nazar Anaya par ruki, phir wapas cup par.
"Haan," usne bas itna kaha.
Bas.
Na smile.
Na sawal.
Na koi baat.
Anaya ne kuch kehna chaha—shayad poochna chaha ki raat theek se soye ya nahi, ya phir bas itna ki chai piyenge ya coffee—but shabd gale me hi atak gaye.
Woh chupchaap gas ke paas gayi aur chai banane lagi. Uske haath thode kaanp rahe the, isliye usne jaan-boojh kar dheemi gati se kaam kiya. Jaise waqt ko thoda aur kheench lena chahti ho.
Veer ne coffee ka cup uthaya.
"Office ke liye late ho raha hoon," usne kaha, jaise yeh sirf ek information ho, kisi se baat nahi.
"Main… main lunch bana doon?" Anaya ne poocha.
Veer ne ghadi dekhi.
"Nahi, bahar kha lunga."
Yeh keh kar woh bag uthaane bedroom ki taraf badh gaya.
Anaya wahi khadi rahi. Chai ubal kar thodi bahar aa gayi, par usse ehsaas hi nahi hua. Uske dimaag me sirf ek hi sawal ghoom raha tha—kya yeh shaadi sach me shuru ho chuki hai?
Bedroom me Veer shoes pehanta hua mila. Anaya tray me chai rakh kar andar aayi.
"Chai…" usne dheere se kaha.
Veer ne ek pal ke liye tray dekhi.
"Thanks," bola, par cup nahi uthaya.
Anaya ne tray side table par rakh di. Uska mann kar raha tha ki woh kuch kahe—kuch bhi—bas khamoshi todne ke liye. Par Veer already phone par kisi se baat kar raha tha.
"Meeting cancel nahi ho sakti… haan, main pahunch raha hoon."
Anaya parde ke paas jaakar khadi ho gayi. Bahar sadak par zindagi chal rahi thi—log, gaadiyan, awaazein. Sab kuch normal. Sirf uski zindagi hi jaise ek ajeeb se mod par ruk gayi thi.
Veer ne phone band kiya.
"Mujhe nikalna hoga," usne kaha.
Anaya ne sir hila diya.
"Main gate tak chhod doon?"
Veer ne mana nahi kiya, par kuch kaha bhi nahi.
Gate par pahunch kar Veer ruk gaya.
"Ghar ka khayal rakhna," usne formal si awaaz me kaha.
Anaya ne halki si muskaan ke saath haan keh di.
Gate band hua. Gaadi nikal gayi.
Aur Anaya akeli khadi reh gayi.
Woh dheere-dheere wapas ghar ke andar aayi. Har cheez apni jagah par thi, par uska dil bilkul bikhar chuka tha. Woh sofa par baith gayi aur aankhen band kar li.
"Shaadi ke baad sab theek ho jaata hai," log kehte the.
Par kisi ne yeh nahi bataya tha ki kabhi-kabhi shaadi ke baad tanhaayi aur gehri ho jaati hai.
Anaya ne apne aap se vaada kiya—
Woh himmat nahi haaregi.
Woh is rishte ko mauka degi.
Shayad Veer ke dil ke darwaaze abhi band hain… par woh intezaar karegi.
Kyunki pyaar zabardasti nahi hota.
Aur rishta waqt maangta hai.
Woh uthi, kitchen ki taraf gayi, aur chai ka thanda ho chuka cup sink me rakh diya.
Yeh shaadi ka pehla din tha.
Aur usse lag raha tha—
yeh sirf shuruaat hai.
(Chapter 1 End)