"Because ek sach aur hai…"
long pause
"…jo tum dono ko abhi tak nahi pata."
Room ki hawa instantly heavy ho gayi.
Vaishnavi ka heartbeat itna fast tha ki usse literally apni pulse ears me sunayi de rahi thi.
Aarav ka expression dangerous calm tha.
"Kya sach?" usne cold voice me poocha.
Phone ke dusri side silence tha.
Kabir ki breathing halki si audible thi.
Jaise wo decide kar raha ho kitna bolna hai.
Ya shayad…
kitna hide karna hai.
"Kabir." Vaishnavi ki awaaz crack hui.
"Please… aur games mat khelo."
Us side se ek weak laugh aaya.
"Trust me, Vaish…"
pause
"…agar games khelta na, to tum dono kabhi truth tak pahuchte hi nahi."
Aarav ka jaw tighten hua.
"Seedha point pe aao."
Long silence.
Phir—
Kabir dheere se bola:
"Us raat tum dono ka breakup almost ho gaya tha…"
pause
"…but that wasn't the worst part."
Vaishnavi ka chest tighten ho gaya.
"Then what was?"
No answer.
"Aarav…" Kabir suddenly bola.
Aarav instantly still ho gaya.
"What?"
Kabir ki voice low thi.
Heavy.
"Tumhe yaad hai tumne party se nikalne se pehle kya bola tha?"
Aarav ka expression instantly shift hua.
Tiny change.
But noticeable.
Vaishnavi ne turant notice kar liya.
"…Aarav?"
Aarav ne answer nahi diya.
Aur wahi silence dangerous tha.
Flash.
Music.
Lights.
People shouting over loud bass.
Vaishnavi crying.
Aarav frustrated.
"Maybe we need a break."
Vaishnavi ka saans literally ruk gaya.
Uski aankhon me shock aa gaya.
"…you said that?"
Aarav ne finally nazar neeche kar li.
"Haan."
Silence.
Heavy.
Painful.
Vaishnavi ka chest ache kar gaya.
Kyuki suddenly—
sab kuch aur clear hone laga.
Us raat wo already emotionally broken thi.
Aur Aarav ke words ne usse completely shatter kar diya tha.
"I didn't mean it," Aarav instantly bola.
"Kabhi mean nahi kiya."
"Par tumne bola tha," Vaishnavi whisper karti hai.
Uski voice me hurt clear tha.
Aarav kuch seconds tak chup raha.
Phir dheere se bola:
"Haan."
Phone ke dusri side Kabir quietly sun raha tha.
"Uske baad," wo finally bola,
pause
"…Vaishnavi panic me thi."
Flash.
Rain pouring harder.
Vaishnavi shaking.
Phone slipping from wet fingers.
Kabir's car stopping beside her.
"Main sirf usse calm karna chahta tha," Kabir bola.
"Bas itna hi."
Aarav sarcastically laugh karta hai.
"Funny. Situation bilkul calm nahi hui thi."
"Kyunki tum already worst assume kar chuke the," Kabir immediately reply karta hai.
Silence.
Tension instantly room me spread ho gayi.
Vaishnavi ka dimaag fast run kar raha tha.
"Kabir…" usne slowly bola.
"Tumne kaha worst part kuch aur tha."
"Haan."
"Then bolo."
Long pause.
Dangerous pause.
Phir—
Kabir ne dheere se poocha:
"Vaish… tumhe yaad hai next morning tumne kya kaha tha?"
Vaishnavi freeze ho gayi.
Flash.
Morning light.
Head pounding.
Kabir kitchen me.
Coffee smell.
Her shaking hands.
And then—
her own voice.
"Please… mujhe Aarav ke paas mat bhejna."
Vaishnavi ka heartbeat crash kar gaya.
"Oh my God…"
Aarav instantly uski taraf mudta hai.
"Kya yaad aaya?"
Vaishnavi ki aankhon me tears aa gaye.
"I said…"
shaky breath
"…I said I didn't want to see you."
Silence.
A painful, suffocating silence.
Aarav ka expression unreadable ho gaya.
Kabir quietly bola:
"Tum terrified thi."
"Of what?" Aarav sharply poochta hai.
Kabir ne instantly answer nahi diya.
Aur wahi cheez sabse zyada dangerous thi.
"Because," Kabir finally bola,
pause
"…usne socha tum usse hate karoge."
Vaishnavi ka chest painfully tighten ho gaya.
Kyuki wo true tha.
Us morning usse sirf guilt feel ho raha tha.
Itna guilt ki wo khud ko dekh nahi pa rahi thi.
Aarav ko face karna impossible lag raha tha.
"Par maine kuch kiya hi nahi tha…" Vaishnavi whisper karti hai.
"I know," Kabir softly bola.
"Par us waqt tumhe nahi pata tha."
Flash.
Mirror reflection.
Smudged mascara.
Red eyes.
Panic.
"What if I ruined everything?"
Vaishnavi ne instantly aankhein band kar li.
Usse literally wo feeling wapas feel ho rahi thi.
Fear.
Shame.
Confusion.
Aarav slowly chair se uthta hai.
Uski eyes directly floor par fixed thi.
"Tumne mujhe call kyu nahi kiya?" usne quietly poocha.
Vaishnavi uski taraf dekhti hai.
"Kya?"
"Next morning."
pause
"Tumne mujhe call kyu nahi kiya?"
Uski voice calm thi.
Lekin us calmness ke neeche years ka hurt clearly visible tha.
Vaishnavi ka throat tighten ho gaya.
"Because I thought I lost you."
Aarav instantly uski taraf dekhta hai.
Vaishnavi ke tears continuously fall ho rahe the.
"You said we needed a break…"
pause
"…and I thought maybe you finally gave up on me."
Room silent ho gaya.
Completely silent.
Kyuki finally—
years ki misunderstanding words me saamne aa rahi thi.
Aarav weakly laugh karta hai.
Broken.
"Vaish…"
Wo dheere se uske kareeb aata hai.
"I spent months thinking you chose someone else."
Vaishnavi ka heartbeat stop jaisa feel hua.
"No—"
"And you spent months thinking I stopped loving you."
Silence.
Painful realization slowly dono ke beech settle hone lagi.
Kabir quietly bolta hai:
"See why I didn't want this truth coming out?"
No one answered.
Kyuki ab sabko samajh aa raha tha.
Truth simple tha.
But damage huge tha.
"Ek minute," Sumit suddenly bola.
Sab uski taraf mud gaye.
"Something still doesn't make sense."
Aarav frowned.
"Kya?"
Sumit ka expression tense ho gaya.
"Kabir city suddenly kyu chhod ke gaya?"
Silence.
Instant silence.
Vaishnavi ka heartbeat suddenly fast ho gaya.
Haan.
Ye question abhi bhi unanswered tha.
"Kabir?" Vaishnavi slowly boli.
Phone ke dusri side complete silence tha.
"Kabir answer me."
No response.
Aarav ki eyes dangerous narrow ho gayi.
"Tumne humse aur kya hide kiya?"
Long pause.
Phir—
Kabir quietly bola:
"Because things got worse after that morning."
Vaishnavi freeze ho gayi.
"…what?"
Kabir ki breathing uneven thi.
Jaise usse ye conversation physically hurt kar rahi ho.
"Vaish… tumhe yaad hai us din afternoon me kya hua tha?"
Afternoon?
Vaishnavi confused ho gayi.
"Nahi."
"Try."
Flash.
Blurred sunlight.
Phone vibrating repeatedly.
Doorbell.
Fear.
And then—
someone shouting.
Vaishnavi sharply inhale karti hai.
"Aarav came there."
Room silent.
Aarav instantly still ho gaya.
"Haan," wo quietly bola.
Flash.
Apartment door opening.
Aarav angry.
Kabir standing in front of him.
Tension.
Shouting.
"Oh my God…"
Vaishnavi ka chest tighten ho gaya.
"Tum dono fought."
Kabir weak laugh karta hai.
"Yeah."
Aarav bitterly add karta hai:
"Fight se zyada tha."
Vaishnavi confused usse dekhti hai.
"Kya matlab?"
Aarav instantly answer nahi deta.
Aur wahi moment dangerous tha.
"Kabir ne mujhe sach batane ki try ki thi," Aarav finally bola.
Vaishnavi shocked.
"What?"
"Haan."
Aarav ki eyes dark ho gayi.
"Par maine uski baat suni hi nahi."
Flash.
Aarav grabbing Kabir's collar.
"Stay away from her."
Kabir angry.
"You're misunderstanding everything!"
Aarav furious.
"Then why was she with you?!"
Vaishnavi ka heartbeat painfully fast ho gaya.
"Stop…"
Usse literally wo scene imagine karke panic ho raha tha.
"Uske baad kya hua?" Sumit quietly poochta hai.
Silence.
Kabir aur Aarav dono chup.
Aur wahi silence terrifying tha.
"KYA hua tha?" Vaishnavi louder boli.
Kabir finally answer karta hai.
Low.
Heavy.
"He hit me."
Vaishnavi completely freeze.
Uski eyes instantly Aarav ki taraf gayi.
Aarav ne nazar hata li.
Aur wahi answer tha.
"Oh my God…"
Vaishnavi whisper karti hai.
Aarav ka jaw tighten hua.
"I thought—"
"I know what you thought," Kabir interrupt karta hai.
"Par us waqt tum kisi ki sunne ready hi nahi the."
Silence.
Aarav kuch seconds tak kuch nahi bolta.
Phir finally—
"I was angry."
"Yeah," Kabir bitterly laugh karta hai.
"I noticed."
Vaishnavi ka chest ache kar raha tha.
Everything was becoming too real now.
Too human.
Too painful.
"Par ye reason nahi ho sakta city chhodne ka," Sumit suddenly bola.
Aur instantly—
silence wapas aa gaya.
Dangerous silence.
Kabir ki breathing audible thi.
Aarav ka expression dark.
Vaishnavi ka heartbeat fast.
Kyuki clearly—
there was still something else.
"Kabir…"
Vaishnavi slowly boli.
fear
confusion
dread
"…what happened after the fight?"
No answer.
"Kabir."
Long pause.
Phir—
uski voice finally aayi.
Broken.
"After Aarav left…"
pause
"…you woke up."
Vaishnavi freeze.
Flash.
Bedroom door opening.
Head still hurting.
Voices outside.
Anger.
Fear.
And then—
Kabir bleeding.
Vaishnavi ka saans ruk gaya.
"Oh my God…"
Flash.
Her rushing toward him.
Hands shaking.
"What happened?!"
Kabir trying to smile.
"Nothing."
Present me Vaishnavi literally tremble kar rahi thi.
"Kabir…"
Uski voice break ho gayi.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because you were already blaming yourself."
Tears instantly Vaishnavi ki eyes se fall ho gaye.
Aarav slowly bolta hai:
"I regretted it immediately."
Kabir quiet raha.
Aarav continued:
"I went back next day to apologize…"
pause
"…but you were already gone."
Vaishnavi freeze.
"…gone?"
"Haan," Kabir softly bola.
"I left that night."
"Why?"
No answer.
"KABIR WHY?"
Silence.
Long.
Heavy.
And then—
Kabir finally whispered:
"Because someone saw you there."
Room instantly still ho gaya.
Vaishnavi ka heartbeat stop jaisa feel hua.
"…what?"
Kabir ki voice dangerously low ho gayi.
"And that person threatened to tell everyone."
Aarav instantly straight khada ho gaya.
"Who?"
No answer.
"Kabir WHO?"
Phone ke dusri side silence.
Phir—
sirf ek naam.
Ek naam jisne poori room ki hawa change kar di.
FINAL CLIFFHANGER
Kabir dheere se bolta hai—
"…Rhea."
Vaishnavi ki aankhon se color completely disappear ho gaya.
Kyuki Rhea sirf koi random person nahi thi
And the one person who always hated
Vaishnavi.
Phone ke dusri side Kabir ki next line aayi—
Low.
Dangerous.
"Aur usne sirf dekha nahi tha…"
pause
"…usne photos li thi."
To be continued.....