"us din..."
Sumit ke muh se nikle ye word hawa mai ruk gye,
Teenon ek dusare ki taraf dekh rahe the jese koi purani file khol di ho....jise sabne jan bhooj kar band rakha tha .
"Kya jarurt hai us sab ko wapis lane ki..?" Aarav ne thoda harsh tone me kaha
Vaishnavi ne uski taraf dekha aur kaha
"Jarurt hai. kyuki koi aur already usse use kar raha .."
Sumit ne dheere se sir hila diya
"Humne kabhi properly baat hi nahi ki .." usne kaha,
"Bas ignore ...kar diya jese kuch hua hi nahi.."
Silence
Is bar uncomfortable nhi.. heavy tha
Vaishnavi ne softly pucha
"Exactly...hua ky tha us din..?
Aarav ne turant jawab nahi diya
Usne ankhen band ki ek second ke liye, jese use yad karna bhi mushkil ho.
"Sports day tha..." Sumit ne start Kiya
Uski voice slow thii.
"Sab normal tha... teenon sath me the ..,aur Naina bhi.."
Vaishnavi ne dhyan se suna
"Naina tab bhi tumhare close thi..?
Sumit ne short me kaha,
"Haan ..bohot.."
Aarav ne dheere se add Kiya
"Actually.... Wo hum sab me sabse jyada involved rehti thi.."
Sumit ne continue Kiya
"Us din race thi ...aur Naina participate kar rahi thi.."
Flashback jese dheere dheere open ho raha tha
Flashback
Ground par crowd tha ,sab cheer kar rahe the
Sumit aur Aarav side me khade the
"Tu dekhna ..Naina hi jeetegi . Aarav ne confident tone me kaha
Sumit ne smile kiya
"Obviously.."
Race start Hui
Sab log bhagne lage
Naina aage thi
Phir ek second
Us ek second mai sab change ho gaya
Naina ka balance bigda
Aur vo gir gayi
Hard.
Crowd me halki si gasp hui
Sumit ek step aage badha
Aarav bhi
Par dono ...ruk gye.
"Uth jayegi .." Aarav ne kaha
"Yeah ..." Sumit ne agree Kiya
Naina khud uthne ki koshish kar rahi thi
Par vo properly khadi nahi ho pa Rahi thi
Kuch log aage badhe par vo , teachers the... friends nhi
Sumit ne us moment me vaishnavi ko dekha
Vaishnavi thodi dur khadi thi
Wo confused lag rahi thii
Aur bas us ek second me ...focus shift ho gya
Race khatam ho gyi
Winners announce ho gye
Log disappeare hone lage.
Naina bench par baithi thi
Uske ghutne par chot thi...aur ankhoon me kuchh aur
Sumit aur Aarav uske pass gaye
"Tu theek hai..?" Sumit ne casually pucha
Naina ne un dono ko dekha
Kuch seconds tak
Phir kaha
"Haan .."
Par vo haan normal nahi tha
Back to present
"Bas ..." Vaishnavi ne slowly poocha
Use laga kuch missing hai
Sumit ne ankhen niche kar li
"Nahi .." usne kaha
"Bas itna simple nahi tha.."
Aarav ne deep breath li
"Iske bad wo badal gayi..."usne kaha
Vaishnavi ne poocha
"Matlab..?"
Sumit ne jawab diya
"Wo humse distance banane lagi .."
Aarav ne add Kiya
"Pehle jaise baat nahi karti thi... Message ignore...plans cancel.."
Vaishnavi ne dheere se kaha
"Par ye sab sirf girne ki wajah se to nahi ho skta.."
Silence
Is bar dono boys ne ek dusare ki taraf dekha.
Sumit ne finally kaha
"Kyuki vo sirf ...girne ki baat nahi thii.."
Aarav ne ankhen band ki
"... Ussse laga hum uske liye wahan nahi the"
Usne dheere se kaha
Vaishnavi ka expression serious ho gaya
Sumit ne softly kaha
"Hum the ...par actually nahi the.."
Aarav ne turant answer diya
"Kyuki hme laga wo manage kar legi.."
Vaishnavi ne uski ankhoon me dekha,
"Ya tum log kisi aur cheez mai busy the..?
Aarav chup ho gaya
Sumit ne kuch nahi kaha
Vaishnavi ne dheere se kaha
"Us moment me ...use tumhari jarurt thii..."
Silence
Sumit ne finally accept Kiya.
".....haan.."
Aarav ne bhi sir hila diya
Vaishnavi ne slowly kaha,
"Shayd uske liye wo sirf ek fall nahi tha... vo realisation tha.."
Sumit ne repeat Kiya
"Realization..??
Vaishnavi ne uski ankhoon mai dekhte hue kaha,
"Ki wo tumhare liye priority nahi hai.."
Ye line sidha hit hui
Aarav ne ankhen hata li
Sumit ne jawab tighten ki.
Phone vibrate hua
Teenon ne ek sath screen dekhi
Naina ka message
"Ab yaad aaa raha hai..ya aur help chaiye..??
Sumit ne dheere se kaha,
"Use saab yaad hai .."
Vaishnavi ne camly reply type Kiya,
"Hume sab yaad hai."
Few seconds....
Reply aaya :
"Good...to ab next part ke liye ready ho jao.."
Aarav ne confused hokar pucha
"Next part.."
Message:
"Jo tum log bhulan chahte thee...vo sirf yahi tak nahi tha..."
Vaishnavi ne dheere se kaha,
"Matlab..aur kuch bhi hai..?
Sumit ne seedha jawab diya,
"..haan..."
Ending
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha ,
"Tumhe pata hai..?"
Sumit ne ankhen band ki
"Thoda..."
Vaishanavi ki heartbeat fast ho gayi
"Phir bolo..." Usne softly kaha.
Sumit ne ankhen kholi
Aur kaha--
"Us din ke bad .....humne ek badi galti ki thii...."
To be continued...