Kabir ka haath ab bhi Aanya ki ungliyon mein tha. Weak. Thanda. Kaamp raha tha.
Aanya ki aankhon se aansu ruk hi nahi rahe the. "Kabir... please aankhein band mat karo."
Kabir ne mushkil se halki si smile di. "Tum roti hui achhi nahi lagti..."
Aanya ka dil aur toot gaya. Itni pain mein bhi... woh usse calm karne ki koshish kar raha tha.
Room ke kone mein saaya chup-chaap khada tha. Watching. Always watching.
Aanya dheere se Kabir ke aur kareeb aayi. Usne uska face dono haathon se pakda.
"Tum pagal ho..." uski awaaz toot rahi thi. "Mere liye khud ko hurt mat karo."
Kabir ne dheere se uski aankhon mein dekha. "Too late."
Aanya ka saans atak gaya. Un dono ke beech ki distance ab almost khatam ho chuki thi.
Aur shayad... saaya ne yeh notice kar liya. Room phir se thanda hone laga. Lights flicker. Walls par shadows hilne lagi.
Par is baar— Aanya peeche nahi hati. Usne dheere se Kabir ke forehead ko touch kiya.
"Kabir..."
Kabir ne uska naam itni softness se suna jaise woh uska last comfort ho.
Aur phir— Aanya ne apni aankhein band ki... aur dheere se uske lips ko kiss kar liya. Soft. Emotional. Broken.
Jaise woh usse keh rahi ho— "Please mat jao."
Ek second ke liye poora room bilkul silent ho gaya. Complete stillness.
Phir— sab kuch toot gaya.
CRASH!
Saare sheeshe ek saath toot gaye. Lights explode hone lagi. Ceiling se kaala andhera neeche girne laga. Aanya darr kar Kabir se alag hui.
Aur usne dekha— Saaya violently shake kar raha tha. Jaise woh control lose kar chuka ho. Poore room mein uski rage feel ho rahi thi.
"Nahi."
Awaaz pehli baar itni loud hui. Male voice. Filled with anger.
"Woh tumhe chhoo nahi sakta." Kabir mushkil se khada hua.
Usne Aanya ko apne peeche kiya. "Tum use control nahi kar sakte."
Saaya instantly uski taraf muda. Room ki saari shadows Kabir ke pairon ke paas jama hone lagi. Jaise andhera usse nigalne wala ho.
Aanya ka dil panic se bhar gaya. "STOP!"
Uski cheekh room mein goonji. Aur shockingly— saari shadows ek second ke liye freeze ho gayi. Kabir ne bhi notice kiya.
Aanya ne heavy breaths lete hue saaye ki taraf dekha. "Bas... please."
Saaya dheere-dheere calm hone laga. Jaise woh sirf Aanya ki awaaz sun raha ho. Kabir ka expression serious ho gaya.
Usne dheere se kaha— "Yeh tumhari baat maanta hai..."
Aanya ne confuse hokar uski taraf dekha. "Matlab?"
Kabir ne jawab dene se pehle room ke kone ki taraf dekha. Wahi purana andhera. Wahi safed aankhein.
Aur phir— Kabir ne woh baat kahi jisne Aanya ka khoon jama diya.
"Shayad..." uski awaaz heavy thi. "...yeh tumse attached nahi hai."
Aanya ka saans ruk gaya.
Kabir ne dheere se uski taraf dekha. "Shayad yeh tumhara hissa hai."
Complete silence. Aanya ka dimaag blank ho gaya.
"Nahi..."
Par uske andar kahin... ek ajeeb si feeling hui. Jaise usne yeh baat pehle bhi kabhi suni ho. Room ke andhere mein saaya bilkul still khada tha. Jaise woh wait kar raha ho. Jaise woh already jaanta ho— Aanya sach ke kareeb aa rahi hai.
Write a comment ...