"kal
Vaishnavi ne dheere se khud se kaha tha
Aur phir vo aage badh gayi
Next day
Subha unusual thi
Na koi heavy feeling..na overthinking
Bas ek ajib si calmness thi
Jaise aaj kuch decide hone wala ho
Vaishnavi balcony me khadi thi ,hath me coffee mug
Uska phone table par pada tha
Screen blank thi
Par uska dimag nahi
Usne deep breath li
"Bas aaj clarity chaiye..." Usne dheere se kaha
Phone vibrate hua
Sumit :
"Aaj free ho..?"
Vaishnavi ne message dekha
Aur thoda smile kiya
Vaishnavi:
"Haan...kyun...?"
Reply instantly aaya
Sumit :
"Bas milna tha.., before evening chaos..."
Vaishnavi halki si hasi
Vaishnavi:
"Only 30 mins...."
Sumit :
"Done ..."
Half an hour
Vaishnavi park ke gate par khadi thi
Simple si jagha ....
Par aaj sab kuch thoda alag feel ho raha thaa
"Right on time..." Sumit ki aawaj aayi
Vaishnavi ne mud ka dekha
Sumit usual hi lag raha tha
Par uski ankhon mai kuch extra tha
"Tum bhi ..." Vaishnavi ne smile ki
Dono walk karne lage
"Tu nervous lag rahi hai..." Sumit ne casually bola
Vaishnavi ne instantly deny Kiya
"Nahi..."
Sumit hansa
"Tu jhoot bhi confidence se bolti hai..."
Vaishnavi ne use lightly push kiya
"Shut up ..."
Dono hanse
Thodi der silence mai chlne ke bad
Sumit suddenly ruk gya
"Vaishnavi..." Usne softly kaha
Vaishnavi ne uski taraf dekha
"Main ek baat bolu...?"
Vaishnavi ne sir hila diya
"Bolo .."
Sumit ne kuch seconds liye
Jese vo words decide kar raha ho
"Tu..... important hai..mere liye..." Usne finally kaha
Vaishnavi freeze ho gyi ek second ke liye
Sumit ne continue Kiya
"Matlab.....as a friend se thoda jyada..."
Silence
Hawa chal rahi thi
Par us moment par sab ruk gaya tha
"Main tuje confuse nahi karna chahta ...." Sumit ne quickly add Kiya --
"Bas sach bolna tha
Vaishnavi ne dheere se kaha
"Sumit..."
Par vo ruk gayi
Sumit ne halki smile di
"Relax, Answer abhi mat de..."
Vaishnavi ne uski taraf dekha
"Bas aaj bol diya .... Sumit ne casually kaha."warna ...mai confuse ho raha tha
Vaishnavi ne deep breath li
"Thank you....honest hone ke liye.."usne softly kaha
Sumit ne sir hila diya
"Always.."
Evening
Same place
Vaishnavi wahan khadi thi
Is bar vo ready thi
Aarav already wahan tha
"Tum aa gayi ...." Usne quietly kaha
Vaishnavi ne sir hila diya
"Tum jldi aa gye ...." Usne casually pocha
Aarav ne half smile di
"Shayad ..."
Thodi awkward silence hui
"Kal..." Aarav ne start Kiya
Vaishnavi ne use roka
"Kal nahi aaj ..."
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha
"Main answers ke liye aayi hu..." Vaishnavi ne clearly bola
Aarav ne deep breath li
"Main btaunga..." Usne dheere se kaha
"Par pehle ek baat
"Clear bolo..." Vaishnavi ne interrupt kiya
Aarav ne uski ankhoon me dekha
"Tum Sumit ne sath thi aaj ....?"
Vaishnavi thoda surprise hui
"Haan....kyun...?
Aarav ne nazar hata li
"Nothing..."
"Jealous ho....?" Vaishnavi ne half tease me poocha
Aarav ne turant uski taraf dekha
"Tumhe kya lagta hai....?"
Vaishnavi thodi chup ho gayi
"Tumhe hona nahi chaiye..." Usne dheere se kaha
Aarav ne halka smrik Kiya
"Kyun...?rule hai kya koi.??"
Vaishnavi ne ankhen narrow ki
"Tum mujhe confuse karte to phir .... expect karte ho ki main clear rahun.."
Aarav ka expression serious ho gya
"Main confuse nahi kar raha.. usne slowly kaha
"main bas....sahi time ka wait kar raha hu...."
"Kitna time...." Vaishnavi ne poocha
Aarav ne jawab nahi diya
Silence
Tabhi phone vibrate hua
Vaishnavi ne screen dekhi
Unknown number
Usne ankhen band ki
"Pick it ...." Aarav ne seriously kaha
Vaishnavi ne uski taraf dekha
"Why....?
"Kyuki shayad woh hi answer hai jo tum dhund rahi ho ..." Aarav ne camly kaha
Vaishnavi ne hesitate kiya
Phir call pick ki
"Hello..?
Doosri side se kuch second tak silence
Phir ek aawaz aayi
"Tum akele ho..?"
Vaishnavi ka heart fast ho gaya
"Tum kaun ho ...?" Usne poocha
"Wahi jo tumhe sach dikhana chahta hai.." aawaj aayi
Vaishnavi ne Aarav ki taraf dekha
Jo ki use hi dekh raha tha
"Direct bolo .." vaishnavi ne thodi strong tone mai kaha
"Sach simple hai..." Aawaj aayi
"Par tum galat jagha answers dhund rahi ho
"Matlab...?" Vaishnavi ne poocha
"Matlab jis par tum trust kar rahi ho ....use ne sab start Kiya tha.."
Vaishnavi ka dimag blank ho gaya
"Clear bolo..." Usne almost demand ki
Par call cut ho gaya
Silence
Vaishnavi ne phone niche kiya
"Enough..." Usne dheere se kaha
Aarav ne poocha
"Kya bola usne ....?"
Vaishnavi ne seedha jawab diya
"Tum batao.."
Aarav freeze ho gaya
"Ab aur nahi.." vaishnavi ne clearly kaha
"No calls....no half truth ....no guesses "
Wo thoda aage badhi
Aarav ke samne
"Main tumse sun na chahti hu ...sab kuch ....." Usne kaha
Aarav ne uski ankhon mai dekha
Aur is bar vo bhag nahi skta tha
Usne dheere se kaha
" Jo Tum soch rahi ho ... vo utna simple nahi hai..."
Vaishnavi ne turant bola
"To complicated bana kaise..?"
Aarav chup ho gaya
Hawa thodi tez chal rahi thi
"Main galat nahi tha...". Usne finally kaha
Vaishnavi ne eyebrow raise ki
"Proof...?"
Aarav ne deep breath li
"Kal ...main sab bataunga..." Usne dheere se kaha
Vaishnavi ne disbelief mai use dekha
"Seriously....?"
Aarav ne sir hila diya
"Kal pakka..."
Vaishnavi ne ek second use dekha
Phir halki hansi
"Tumhe 'kal 'se bhaut pyar hai na.." usne kaha
Aarav kuch nahi bola
Vaishnavi piche hati
"Fine ..." Usne kaha
"Last chance
Aur vo mud gayi
Aarav use jate hue dekhta raha
Words uske pass the par himmat nahi thi
Vaishnavi road par chal rahi thi
Phone uske hath me tha
Sumit ka message tha
"Reach home safe...."
Par usne dimag me ek hi line repeat ho rahi thi
"Jis par tum trust kar rahi ho ....usi ne sb start Kiya tha..."
Usne phone tight pakda
"Kal .." usne dheere se khud se kaha
To be continued...