...."us din ke bad....humne ek galti aur ki thii..."
Sumit ki aawaj dheemi thi ,par usme weight thaa.
Aarav ne seedha uski taraf dekha
"Kya matlab..?
Vaishnavi ka focus bhi usi par tha
Sumit ne kuch seconds liye,jaise vo decide kar raha ho ki kitna bolna hai
"Hum uske pass gaye hi nahi.." usne finally kaha
Aarav ne turant react Kiya
"Hum Gaye thee.."
Sumit ne uski baat kaat di
"Next day.."
Silence
"Same day nahi... Usne clearly bola
"Jab use jarurt thi....tab nahi
Aarav chup ho gaya
Vaishnavi ne dheere se poocha
"Why..?"
Aarav ne ankhen side mai kar li
"Kyuki .." vo ruk gaya,
"Kyunki hum avoid kar rahe the.."
"Usse ...?" Vaishnavi ne poocha
Sumit ne sir hila diya
"Situation ko.."
Vaishnavi ne harsh tone mai kaha
"Diffrence.?
Sumit ne seedha jawab diya
"Koi nahi.."
Silence
Sumit ne continue Kiya
"Us din ke bad Naina ne message Kiya tha.."
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha
"....haan.."
Vaishnavi ne poocha
"Kya likha tha usne ..?"
Sumit ne yaad karte hue kaha
"She asked ....'tum log the na waha..?
Vaishnavi ka expression change hua
Aarav ne dhere se add Kiya
"Humne reply Kiya --
"...haan , obviously.."
Sumit ne thoda bitter hokar kaha
"Par hum actually waha the hi nahi..."
Vaishnavi ne confuse home poocha
"Matlab...?
Sumit ne slowly kaha:
"Hum physically wahan the par... mentally nahi.."
Aarav ne ankhen band ki
"Humne use ignore Kiya phir.... pretend kiya ki sab normal hai.."
Vaishnavi ne softly kaha
"Usne phir kya bola..?"
Sumit ne answer diya:
"Good .." bs itna
Silence
Vaishnavi ne dheere se kaha
"Ye 'good' wala answer kabhi Good nahi hota.."
Aarav ne halka sa bitter smile kiya
"Exactly.."
Sumit ne deep breath li .
"Next day hum us se milne gaye ..."
Flashback continues
College ka same campus
Naina ek bench par baithi thi
Uske hath me ek bandage thi
Sumit aur Aarav uske pass gaye
"Tu theek hai ab...??" Aarav ne casually pucha.
Naina ne un dono ki taraf dekha
Is bar uski ankhoon mai kal wali softness nahi thi
"Mai kal bhi theek thi..."usne seedha jawab diya
Sumit thoda awkward ho gaya
"Hum bas busy ho gaye the.. "usne excuse diya.
Naina ne sirf dekha
"Hmm.."
Silence
Aarav ne topic change karne ki koshish ki
"Waise race mai ...tu aage thi ...tu Jeet sakti thi..."
Naina ne seedha jawab diya
"Par mai gir gayi thi..."
Sumit ne turant bola
"Wo ..to ho jata hai.."
Naina ne uski ankhoon mai dekha
"Sabke sath nahi hota ..." Usne camly kaha
Aarav ne situation handle karne ki koshish ki
"Chill yaaar..." Itna serious mat le
Naina ne halka sa smile kiya
Par vo smile fake thi
"Mai serious hoon.." usne kaha
"Mai bas yaad rakh Rahi hu ..."
Sumit aur Aarav usko dekhte hi reh gaye
Back to present
"Uske bad usne distance bana liya ..
" Aarav ne slowly kaha
Sumit ne add Kiya
"Gradually....bina drama ke..."
Vaishnavi ne quietly kaha
"Kyuki use clouser mil gaya thaa..."
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha
"Clouser...?"
Vaishnavi ne sir hila diya
"Haan ...use ye samajh aa gaya tha ki wo tumhare liye important nahi hai .."
Sumit ne ankhen niche kar li
Phone phir vibrate hua
"Good tum log ab sach ke kareeb aa rahe ho..."
Aarav ne irritate hokar type Kiya
"Tumhe kya chaiye exactly..?"
Reply turant aaya
"Acceptance.."
Vaishnavi ne dheere se repeat Kiya
"Acceptance...?"
Sumit ne poocha
"Acceptance of what..?
Message:
"Ki tum log galat thee..."
Silence
Aarav ne phone tight pakda
"Humne already accept kar liya...." Usne dheere se kaha
Reply aaya
"NAhi tumne sirf admit Kiya..."
Vaishnavi ne confused ho kar poocha
"Diffrence..?"
Sumit ne dheere se kaha
"Admit karna easy hota hai..lekin accept karna mushkil..."
Aarav ne uski taraf dekh
Message phir aaya..
"Agar accept karte ....to aaj bhi ignore nahi karte..."
Vaishnavi ka expression change hua
"Wo tumhari current situation ki baat kar rahi hai.." usne slowly kaha
Sumit ne sir hila diya
"Exactly.."
Aarav ne poocha
"Matlab ...?"
Vaishnavi ne uski ankhoon mai dekhte hue kaha..
"Matlab hum ab bhi same mistake repeat kar rahe hai..."
Silence
Heavy
Sumit ne dheere se kaha
"Hum baat nahi kar rahe ...hum avoid kar rahe hai..."
Aarav ne kuch nahi kaha
Kyuki vo janta tha --ye Hi sach hai..
Phone par last message aaya
"Ab last part baki hai..."
Vaishnavi ne softly kaha
"Ab kya baki hai...."
Reply
"Jab tum logo ne decide Kiya ki use apni.... life se nikal dena easy hai,"
Sumit ki heartbeat fast ho gayi
Aarav ne dheere se kaha
"Humne asa decide nahi Kiya tha.."
Phone screen par typing aaya
"Sach me..?
Silence
Sumit ne ankhein band
"Shyd indirectly..." Usne finally kaha
Vaishnavi ne shock mai poocha
"Kya matlab...?"
Sumit ne dheere se kaha
"Humne try hi nahi kiya....use wapis lane ka..."
Aarav ne sir jhuka liya
Phone par last line aayi
"Exactly...tum logo ne choose Kiya..... ki mai important nhi ..."
Screen silent ho gayi
Teenon waha khade the
Par ab situation clear ho rahi thi
Vaishnavi ne dheere se kaha
"Ye baat sirf us din Ki hi nahi .."
Sumit ne complete Kiya
"Us din ke bad har din ki baat hai .."
To be continued..