Kabir ki baat ab bhi Aanya ke dimaag mein goonj rahi thi.
"Shayad yeh tumhara hissa hai."
Nahi. Yeh possible nahi tha. Aanya room ke kone mein baithi thi, dono haathon se apna sir pakde hue. Uski saansein uneven thi.
"Main pagal nahi hoon..." woh dheere-dheere baar-baar bol rahi thi.
Kabir usse kuch distance par khada tha. Woh uske paas jaana chahta tha... par ab har cheez dangerous lag rahi thi.
"Aanya, meri baat suno."
"NO!" Aanya ki cheekh poore room mein goonj gayi.
Uski aankhon mein aansu bhar aaye. "Mat bolo aisa... woh mera hissa kaise ho sakta hai?!"
Room instantly thanda ho gaya. Jaise kisi ko yeh baat pasand nahi aayi. Kabir ne notice kiya. Aur shayad Aanya ne bhi. Usne dheere-dheere deewar ki taraf dekha. Wahi andhera. Wahi shape.
Bas is baar— saaya pehle se zyada calm lag raha tha. Jaise woh wait kar raha ho. Jaise usse pata ho— Aanya eventually sach accept kar legi.
Aanya ka gala sukh gaya.
"Please..." uski awaaz toot gayi. "Bas mujhe akela chhod do..."
Complete silence. Aur phir— room ke mirror mein movement hui. Aanya ne darr kar udhar dekha. Mirror mein woh khud thi. Kabir bhi tha.
Par... Saaya nahi tha. Jabki real room mein woh deewar par clearly khada tha.
Aanya ki heartbeat fast ho gayi. "Kabir..."
usne dheere se mirror ki taraf point kiya. Kabir ne dekha. Uska expression instantly serious ho gaya. Mirror mein Aanya ka reflection dheere-dheere apna head tilt karta hai. Par real Aanya bilkul still thi.
Agla second— reflection muskuraaya. Cold. Unnatural smile. Aanya ka khoon jam gaya.
"Nahi..." Mirror wali Aanya dheere se apne lips move karti hai.
Aur bina awaaz ke ek sentence bolti hai— "Tum mujhe jaanti ho."
Aanya cheekh padi. Mirror suddenly crack ho gaya.
CRACK!
Kabir turant uske paas aaya. "It's okay. Look at me."
Par Aanya ka body uncontrollably shake kar raha tha.
"Main pagal ho jaungi..." woh toot chuki awaaz mein boli.
Kabir ne bina soche usey tightly hug kar liya. Aanya ek second ke liye freeze ho gayi. Phir dheere-dheere usne bhi Kabir ko pakad liya. Us warmth mein... us chaos ke beech... usey thodi der ke liye safe feel hua.
Par ussi pal— room ka temperature freezing level tak gir gaya. Kabir ne instantly feel kiya. Saaya. Gussa.
Aanya ne dheere se apni aankhein kholi. Aur Kabir ke shoulder ke upar se usne deewar ki taraf dekha. Saaya wahi khada tha. Still. Silent.
Par uski safed aankhein ab pehle se zyada bright thi. Jaise woh un dono ko dekh raha ho. Judge kar raha ho.
Aur phir— Aanya ke dimaag mein woh awaaz phir goonji.
Is baar dangerous calmness ke saath— "Usse itna paas mat aane do."
Aanya ka jism kaanp gaya. Par usne Kabir ko chhoda nahi.
Aur shayad... yeh pehli baar tha— jab usne Saaya ke against jaana choose kiya. Room mein ek halki si vibration hui. Jaise andhera khud gusse mein saans le raha ho.
Aur phir— Kabir ke peeche deewar par ek sentence dheere-dheere ubharne laga. Kaale nishaanon mein.
Jaise kisi invisible cheez ne likha ho— "Woh sirf meri hai."
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