Aaj library unusually zyada khamosh thi…
Haya ek corner table par baithi thi, apni books ke saath.
Aaj woh akeli thi — na Aliza, na Sameer.
Uska dil bhi aaj ajeeb sa halka lag raha tha…
jaise kuch naya hone wala ho.
Woh apni notes likh rahi thi jab achanak kisi ne uske saamne chair kheench kar baith gaya.
"Excuse me… yeh seat free hai ya already reserved for someone special?"
Haya ne hairani se sar uthaya…
Aur usne usse dekha.
Ahaan Mirza.
Sharp features, confident smile, perfectly styled hair…
aur aankhon mein wohi charm jo kisi ko bhi confuse kar de.
Haya thodi si ghabra gayi,
"Ji… free hai."
Ahaan halka sa muskuraya,
"Good. Mujhe crowded jagah pasand nahi… aur aap bhi waise hi lagti hain."
Haya ne kuch nahi kaha.
Uski baatein ajeeb thi… lekin unmein ek flow tha.
Kuch seconds ke liye khamoshi chha gayi.
Phir Ahaan ne uski notebook ki taraf dekhte hue kaha,
"Tum bohot likhti ho…"
Haya ne dheere se kaha,
"Bas… aadat hai."
Ahaan ne halki si smirk ke saath kaha,
"Ya phir dil mein bohot kuch chhupa ke rakhti ho?"
Yeh sun kar Haya ek pal ke liye ruk gayi.
Jaise usne uska raaz pakad liya ho.
"By the way… main Ahaan hoon."
"Haya…"
"Acha naam hai… simple, lekin asar chhodne wala."
Haya ka dil halka sa dhadak gaya.
Ahaan usse continuously dekh raha tha… lekin uski nazar uncomfortable nahi thi.
Woh confident tha… lekin zyada nahi.
Jaise woh aadat se hi logon ko samajh leta ho.
"Tum yahan roz aati ho?" usne poocha.
Haya ne sirf itna kaha,
"Mostly…"
Ahaan thoda sa jhuk kar bola,
"Good… phir toh main bhi aana start karunga."
Haya ne foran uski taraf dekha.
Uski aankhon mein halka sa shock tha.
Ahaan ne seedha kaha,
"Main seedha bolta hoon… mujhe tum interesting lagi ho."
Haya ka saans ruk gaya.
"Main normally itni jaldi kisi se baat nahi karta… lekin tum different ho."
Haya kuch bol nahi paayi.
Uska dil confuse ho gaya tha.
Yeh sab bohot jaldi ho raha tha…
Ahaan ne dheere se table par ungli se tap kiya,
"Relax… main tumhe force nahi kar raha."
Phir halka sa smile karte hue bola,
"Lekin haan… agar tumhe bura nahi lage toh main tumhe jaana chahta hoon."
Haya ne dheere se kaha,
"Main… aise comfortable nahi hoon."
Ahaan ne turant sir hilaya,
"Fair enough."
Phir thoda ruk kar…
Usne dheere se kaha,
"Lekin ek baat kehna chahta hoon…"
Haya ne uski taraf dekha.
"Main tumhe pasand karta hoon."
Seedha.
Haya ke haath thande ho gaye.
Usne kabhi expect nahi kiya tha ke koi itni jaldi… itni seedhi baat karega.
"Tum mana bhi kar sakti ho… ignore bhi kar sakti ho," Ahaan ne calmly kaha,
"Lekin main jhoot nahi bolta."
Haya khamosh thi.
Uska dil Sameer aur Ahaan ke beech ulajh gaya.
Ek taraf khamosh sukoon…
Dusri taraf bold ehsaas.
Ahaan khada hua.
"Main wait karunga… answer ke liye nahi," usne muskurakar kaha,
"tumhari aadat ke liye."
Aur woh chala gaya.
Haya wahan baithi reh gayi…
Uski diary khuli thi… lekin alfaaz kho gaye the.
Door kahin…
Sameer us din university aaya hi nahi tha.
Usse kuch bhi pata nahi tha…
Ke Haya ki zindagi mein koi naya mod aa chuka hai.
Haya ne dheere se diary mein likha:
"Kuch log dheere dheere dil mein utarte hain… aur kuch ek pal mein sab kuch badal dete hain."
Ab kahani aur dangerous ho gayi thi…
Ek taraf Sameer ki khamosh mohabbat
Aur dusri taraf Ahaan ka seedha izhaar