Baarish us din bhi ho rahi thi… lekin Ayaan ke andar kuch aur hi chal raha tha.
Usne kabhi kisi ke liye wait nahi kiya tha. Lekin ab… wo roz karta tha.
Zoya ke liye.
Agla din college ka.
Ayaan unusually jaldi pahunch gaya. Kabir ne usse dekhte hi tease kiya,
"Bhai aaj suraj west se nikla kya?"
Ayaan ne ignore kiya, lekin uski nazar gate par thi.
Aur phir…
Wo aayi.
Zoya.
White kurti me… baal halki si bheegi hui… haath me wahi diary.
Ayaan ka dil ajeeb sa feel karne laga.
"Tu officially gaya," Kabir ne dheere se bola.
Ayaan muskura diya, "Shayad…"
Class ke baad Ayaan seedha Zoya ke paas gaya.
"Aaj tum late nahi ho," usne casually kaha.
Zoya ne dekha, "Tum jaldi ho."
Ayaan hansa, "Fair enough."
Kuch seconds ke liye silence raha.
Phir Ayaan ne pucha,
"Tum hamesha akeli kyun rehti ho?"
Zoya ne seedha jawab diya,
"Kyuki aadat hai."
"Aadat badli ja sakti hai," Ayaan ne turant kaha.
Zoya ne uski taraf dekha… thoda gehra.
"Har aadat nahi."
Us din Ayaan ne decide kar liya…
Wo Zoya ko samjhega.
Chahe jitna time lage.
Canteen me…
"Bhai tu serious ho gaya hai kya?" Rohan ne pucha.
Ayaan ne sirf ek line boli,
"Wo alag hai."
Kabir hansa, "Sabko pehle aisa hi lagta hai."
Ayaan ne sir hila diya,
"Nahi… tum samjhoge nahi."
Us din ke baad Ayaan ne ek chhoti si routine bana li:
Subah gate par Zoya ka wait
Classes ke beech usse baat karne ki koshish
Aur shaam ko uske saath thoda walk
Zoya pehle resist karti thi… lekin dheere dheere wo mana nahi karti thi.
Ek din…
Campus ke garden me dono baithe the.
Hawa halki si chal rahi thi.
Zoya diary me likh rahi thi.
Ayaan usse dekh raha tha.
"Tum seriously har waqt likhti rehti ho?" usne pucha.
"Har waqt nahi… jab kuch feel hota hai."
"Aur abhi kya feel ho raha hai?"
Zoya ruk gayi.
Phir dheere se boli,
"Confusion."
Ayaan hansa,
"Mere saath rehkar?"
"Tumhare bare me."
Ayaan thoda shock hua,
"Mere bare me kya?"
Zoya ne diary band ki,
"Tum itne ache kyun ho?"
Ayaan kuch seconds ke liye chup ho gaya.
Phir usne halka sa smile kiya,
"Shayad kyuki tum itni difficult ho."
Zoya ne pehli baar thoda zyada smile kiya.
Aur wo moment…
Ayaan ke liye special ban gaya.
Lekin har story me twist hota hai…
Aur yahan bhi tha.
Ek din Ayaan ne dekha…
Zoya kisi se phone par baat kar rahi thi.
Uska face serious tha… thoda dara hua bhi.
"Main wapas nahi aungi…" wo dheere se bol rahi thi.
Ayaan door se dekh raha tha.
Usne pehli baar Zoya ko itna tense dekha.
Call cut hone ke baad…
Ayaan uske paas gaya.
"Sab thik hai?"
Zoya ne turant normal hone ki koshish ki,
"Haan."
"Jhoot," Ayaan ne seedha bola.
Zoya ne uski taraf dekha,
"Tumhe har cheez jaanne ki zarurat nahi hai."
Ayaan thoda hurt hua,
"Main bas help karna chahta hoon."
Zoya ne thoda gusse me kaha,
"Mujhe kisi ki help nahi chahiye."
Aur wo wahan se chali gayi.
Us raat Ayaan ko samajh nahi aaya…
Wo kya galat kar raha hai.
"Main sirf uske kareeb aana chahta hoon…" usne khud se kaha.
Agla din…
Zoya college nahi aayi.
Na uske baad wala din.
Na uske baad.
Teen din tak…
Koi contact nahi.
Ayaan restless ho gaya.
Usne admin office me jaake pucha.
"Zoya? Wo to emergency leave pe gayi hai," unhone kaha.
"Kaunsi emergency?"
"Personal reason."
Ayaan ka dil doob gaya.
"Bina bataye chali gayi…" usne dheere se kaha.
Chautha din.
Shaam ka time.
Wahi baarish.
Wahi road.
Ayaan phir se khada tha.
Lekin is baar…
Koi nahi aaya.
Usne aasman ki taraf dekha…
"Tum itni easily chali jaogi?" usne dheere se kaha.
Tabhi…
Uska phone vibrate hua.
Unknown number.
"Hello?"
Dusri taraf se awaaz aayi…
Zoya ki.
"Ayaan…"
Uska dil ek second me tez dhadakne laga.
"Zoya? Tum kaha ho? Tum thik ho?"
Dusri taraf kuch seconds tak silence raha…
Phir Zoya ne kaha,
"Main tumse milna chahti hoon… aakhri baar."
Ayaan ka dil sunk gaya.
"Aakhri baar? Matlab?"
Zoya ki awaaz halki si toot rahi thi…
"Please… kal shaam… wahi jagah."
Call cut.
Ayaan wahi khada reh gaya…
Baarish me bheegta hua…
Aur uske dimaag me sirf ek line ghoom rahi thi—
"Aakhri baar…"
Usse ab samajh aa raha tha…
Zoya sirf mysterious nahi hai…
Wo kuch chhupa rahi hai.
Kuch bada.
Kuch aisa…
Jo unki kahani ko shayad shuru hone se pehle hi khatam kar de.