"Time bahut kam hai…"
Anand ke pair jaise zameen me jam gaye the।
Phir bhi… wo dheere-dheere darwaze ke bahar kadam rakhne laga।
Jaise hi wo bahar aaya…
wo parchai dheere se peeche hatne lagi…
jaise use kisi jagah le ja rahi ho।
Ghar ke bahar thandi hawa chal rahi thi…
par Anand ke sharir me ab bhi wahi jalan thi।
Phone fir se vibrate hua—
"Jo tumhe lagta hai… wo sirf aadha sach hai."
Anand ne gusse aur darr ke beech likha—
"Seedha batao kya ho raha hai!"
Is baar reply aane me thoda waqt laga…
Phir screen par dheere se words likhe aaye—
"Tumhari kidney problem… sirf shuruaat thi."
Anand ka saans ruk gaya।
Usne turant type kiya—
"Matlab?"
Kuch second… koi jawab nahi।
Phir…
"Tumhari body me jo ho raha hai… wo reversible nahi hai."
Anand ke haath se phone lagbhag gir gaya।
"Reversible… nahi?" usne dheere se dohraya।
Uske dimaag me pichhle kuch mahino ki saari baatein ghoomne lagi—
jalan… khujli… kamzori… reports… medicines…
Sab kuch ek dusre se judta hua lag raha tha।
Phone fir se chamka—
"Ye condition… dheere-dheere badhegi."
"Aur… ye life time rahegi."
Anand ki aankhon ke saamne andhera chha gaya।
"Ye… possible nahi hai…"
usne khud se kaha… par uski awaaz me hi yakeen nahi tha।
Tabhi…
wo parchai jo uske saamne chal rahi thi…
achanak ruk gayi।
Anand bhi ruk gaya।
Dheere se… wo parchai uski taraf mudne lagi…
Uska chehra abhi bhi andhere me tha…
Par ek baat clear thi—
wo muskurra rahi thi।
Phone me last message aaya—
"Tumhe abhi bhi lagta hai… tumhe sab pata hai?"
Anand ka dil zor se dhadka…
Aur jaise hi wo us chehre ko dekhne ke liye ek kadam aage badha—
wo parchai achanak gayab ho gayi।
Hawa ekdum thandi ho gayi…
Aur Anand akela khada tha।
Usne turant phone check kiya—
Unknown number… completely disappear ho chuka tha।
Na koi message… na koi call history…
Jaise wo kabhi tha hi nahi।
Anand ne dheere se apni file ko zor se pakda…
Aur usi waqt…
uske sharir me phir se wahi tez jalan shuru ho gayi…
Is baar… pehle se zyada।
Aur uske dimaag me sirf ek hi sawal ghoom raha tha—
"Agar ye life time hai… to asli wajah kya hai…?"