Raat ke 11:55.
Aryan terrace par pehle se khada tha.
Is baar darr kam tha…
Aur intezaar zyada.
"Kal 12 baje…" Meher ki awaaz uske dimaag me goonj rahi thi.
Clock ne 12 strike kiya.
Hawa achanak thandi ho gayi.
Aur bina kisi sound ke…
Meher uske saamne thi.
"Tum aa gaye…" usne dheere se kaha.
Aryan halka sa muskura diya,
"Is baar main bhaagunga nahi."
Meher ne usse dekha…
Uski aankhon me kuch badla hua tha.
"Good," usne softly kaha.
Kuch seconds tak dono chup rahe.
"Tum theek ho?" Aryan ne pucha.
Meher ne halka sa head tilt kiya…
"Tumhari wajah se hoon."
Aryan ka dil halka sa warm feel hua.
"Main tumhari help karna chahta hoon," usne seedha kaha,
"Tumhe yahan se free karna hai."
Meher ka expression change ho gaya.
"Free?" usne dheere se repeat kiya.
"Ha… tumne kaha na tum yahan atki ho," Aryan bola,
"Toh koi reason hoga… main usse solve karunga."
Meher kuch seconds tak usse dekhti rahi…
Phir usne dheere se kaha—
"Sab kuch itna simple nahi hota…"
"Try toh kar sakte hain," Aryan ne insist kiya.
Meher ne aankhen band ki…
Jaise wo decide kar rahi ho kitna batana hai.
Phir usne aankhen kholi…
Aur dheere se kaha—
"3 rules hain."
Aryan serious ho gaya.
"Kaunse rules?"
Meher uske kareeb aayi…
Hawa aur thandi ho gayi.
❄️ RULE 1
"Tum kisi ko mere baare me nahi bataoge."
Aryan ne turant pucha,
"Kyun?"
"Kyuki jo log sach ke kareeb aate hain…"
Meher ki awaaz thodi dark ho gayi—
"Wo safe nahi rehte."
Aryan ka heartbeat fast ho gaya.
"Matlab danger hai?"
Meher ne seedha jawab diya—
"Bahut zyada."
🌑 RULE 2
"Tum mujhe touch nahi karoge… jab tak main allow na karu."
Aryan confuse hua—
"Par kal toh…"
"Wo meri choice thi," Meher ne kaha,
"Har baar nahi hogi."
"Kyuki agar tumne galat waqt par touch kiya…"
Wo thoda ruk gayi…
"Toh tum mere jaise ban sakte ho."
Aryan ka gala sookh gaya.
⏳ RULE 3
"Tum mujhe subah ke baad yaad nahi karoge."
"WHAT?" Aryan shock ho gaya,
"Ye kaise possible hai?"
Meher ne dheere se kaha—
"Main sirf raat ka hissa hoon…"
"Din me… main exist nahi karti."
Aryan confused + disturbed.
"Par main kaise bhool jaunga?"
Meher ne uski aankhon me dekha…
Aur dheere se kaha—
"Main bhula dungi."
Silence.
Aryan ke andar ek ajeeb sa darr uthne laga.
"Ye sab… dangerous lag raha hai," usne kaha.
Meher ne halki si smile di…
Is baar thodi sad.
"Main khud dangerous hoon…"
💔 MOMENT
Aryan uske kareeb aaya…
Is baar dheere se.
"Par tum akeli ho…" usne softly kaha.
Meher ki aankhon me ek second ke liye halka sa emotion aaya…
"Ab nahi…" usne dheere se kaha.
Hawa thodi calm ho gayi.
"Main tumhe chhodunga nahi," Aryan ne kaha.
Meher ne uski taraf dekha…
Aur dheere se poocha—
"Sach me?"
Aryan ne haan me sir hilaya.
"Chahe main kuch bhi hoon…"
Aryan ne bina soche jawab diya—
"Chahe tum ghost ho… ya kuch aur…
Mujhe farq nahi padta."
Silence.
Aur phir…
Meher ne pehli baar…
Sach me smile kiya.
Ek soft… warm smile.
"Tum stupid ho…" usne dheere se kaha.
Aryan hansa,
"Ho sakta hai…"
⚠️ WARNING
Meher ka face phir serious ho gaya.
"Ek aur baat…" usne kaha.
Aryan attentive ho gaya.
"Main akeli nahi hoon…"
Room suddenly cold ho gaya.
"Matlab?" Aryan ne pucha.
Meher ne dheere se terrace ke corner ki taraf dekha…
"Aur bhi hain…"
Aryan ka heart skip.
"Kaun??"
"Jo atke hue hain…" Meher ne dheere se kaha,
"Par wo mere jaise nahi hain…"
"Wo kya chahte hain?"
Meher ki awaaz thodi heavy ho gayi—
"Wo… tumhe chahte hain."
Silence.
"Aur agar unhe pata chal gaya… ki tum mujhe dekh sakte ho…"
Wo uske kareeb aayi…
"Toh wo tumhe kabhi nahi chhodenge."
Aryan ka body stiff ho gaya.
"Phir main kya karu?" usne dheere se pucha.
Meher ne uska haath almost touch kiya…
Lekin ruk gayi.
"Sirf mujhe follow karo…"
Hawa ekdum heavy ho gayi.
Door se halki si awaaz aayi…
Jaise koi aur terrace par chal raha ho.
thak… thak… thak…
Aryan ne darr ke saath us direction me dekha…
"Mat dekho!" Meher ne turant kaha.
"KYUN??"
"Kyuki agar tumne unhe dekh liya…"
uski awaaz kaanp rahi thi—
"Wo tumhe dekh lenge."
Aryan ne turant nazar hata li.
Uska heartbeat control se bahar.
"Ye sab… real hai…" usne dheere se kaha.
Meher ne sirf ek line boli—
"Ab tum meri duniya me ho."
Hawa aur tez…
Awaazein aur kareeb…
Aur Aryan…
Ab sirf ek love story me nahi…
Ek andheri duniya me ghus chuka tha.