Rubi ne apne aap ko samjhane ki koshish ki…
"Bas ek normal incident tha… itna sochne ki zarurat nahi…"
Par phir bhi…
us ajnabi ki aankhen baar-baar uske dimaag me aa rahi thi
Deep… cold… aur kuch ajeeb sa tha unme…
College…
"Hello madam! Kahan khoi hui ho?"
Uski friend Neha ne uske saamne haath hila hilake bola
"Huh? Nahi… kuch nahi…" Rubi ne jaldi se nazar chura li.
"Sach bata, kisi se takra gayi kya?" Neha ne tease kiya
Rubi ne aankhen ghumayi, "Haan… bas ek aadmi se… aur kuch nahi."
"Bas?" Neha muskuraayi, "Face dekh ke to kuch aur hi lag raha hai…"
Rubi ne baat ko ignore kar diya…
par dil me halka sa darr ab bhi tha
Shaam ka waqt…
Classes khatam hone ke baad Rubi akeli ghar laut rahi thi…
Aaj wo phone par bhi baat nahi kar rahi thi…
Jaise use khud se hi kuch chupana ho…
Tabhi…
Usse mehsoos hua…
Koi uske peeche hai.
Usne apne kadam tez kar liye…
Par footsteps bhi utne hi tez ho gaye
Rubi ka dil zor se dhadakne laga…
"Kaun hai?" usne darr ke saath peeche mudkar dekha—
Aur wo jam si gayi.
Aarav.
Wahi aadmi…
Wahi aankhen…
Wahi dangerous presence
Aarav dheere-dheere uski taraf badha…
"Tum…" Rubi ke hoth halki si awaaz me bole.
Aarav ruk gaya…
Uski nazar seedha Rubi ki aankhon me thi.
"Tum phir mil gayi…"
Uski awaaz calm thi… lekin usme ek ajeeb si intensity thi
Rubi ne thoda peeche hatne ki koshish ki…
"Aap… mera peecha kar rahe the?"
Aarav ke hoth par halki si smirk aayi
"Peecha?"
Wo aur paas aaya…
"Main sirf wahi leta hoon… jo mujhe chahiye hota hai."
Rubi ka saans ruk sa gaya…
"Matlab…?"
Aarav ne uski taraf jhuk kar dheere se kaha—
" tum… mujhe chahiye ho."
Rubi ka dil zor se dhadak raha tha…
Ye koi normal insaan nahi tha…
Aur shayad…
wo galti se uski zindagi me nahi aaya tha.
Wo jaanboojh kar aaya tha.