Chapter 1:Woh Mulakaat
Us din baarish kuch zyada hi khamosh thi…
jaise shehar bhi meri tarah kisi jawab ka intezar kar raha ho.
Platform par logon ka shor tha,
par mere andar ek ajeeb si chup basi hui thi.
Haath mein pakdi ticket bheeg chuki thi,
shayad baarish se zyada meri ungliyon ki ghabrahat ki wajah se.
Train ke aane ka announcement hua,
aur mere dil ki dhadkan tez ho gayi.
Tabhi…
woh awaaz.
"Tum yahin rehogi?"
Main palti,
aur waqt jaise wahi tham gaya.
Woh saamne khada tha—
bilkul waisa hi,
jaise meri yaadon mein tha.
Aankhon mein wahi gehri khamoshi,
chehre par wohi adhoori si muskaan
jo hamesha mujhe kamzor kar deti thi.
Usse dekh kar mujhe yaad aaya
ke kuch log zindagi se door chale jaate hain,
par dil se kabhi nahi.
"Main sirf ek safar par ja rahi hoon,"
maine khud ko sambhalte hue kaha.
Awaaz normal lag rahi thi,
par dil jaanta tha
yeh jhoot sirf usse nahi,
khud se bhi bola ja raha hai.
Woh kuch pal chup raha.
Phir dheere se bola,
"Safar… ya phir mujh se bhagna?"
Uske alfaaz mere dil par kisi chot ki tarah lage.
Main kuch kehna chahti thi,
par train ke horn ne har jawab ko adhoora kar diya.
Darwaze khul gaye.
Log chadhne lage.
Main ek kadam aage badhi,
phir ruk gayi.
Kya main is train mein chadh kar
usey peeche chhod doon?
Ya phir ek baar phir
usi kahani mein laut jaoon
jahan mohabbat aur dard
saath-saath chalte the?
Train chal padi…
aur main abhi bhi sakti hain.
Woh Sawal
Train platform se nikal chuki thi…
aur main ab bhi wahi khadi thi,
jaise mere pairon ne aage badhne se inkaar kar diya ho.
"Tum nahi ja rahi?"
uski awaaz is baar zyada kareeb thi.
Mainne gehri saans li.
"Ja rahi hoon… bas thoda waqt chahiye."
Waqt.
Wohi to hum dono ke beech sabse bada masla tha.
Na tab mila,
na aaj.
Woh mere paas aaya.
Itna kareeb
ke mujhe uska perfume mehsoos hua—
bilkul waisa hi
jaisa pehle hota tha.
"Kab tak bhaagti rahogi?"
usne dheere se poocha.
Maine nazar jhuka li.
"Main bhaag nahi rahi…
bas khud ko sambhal rahi hoon."
Uske chehre par halki si muskaan aayi,
lekin aankhon mein dard tha.
"Tumhein aaj bhi lagta hai
ke humne jo chhoda tha
woh aasaan tha?"
Mere dil mein jaise kisi ne purani tasveerein khol di ho.
Adhoori baatein,
tooti hui umeedein,
aur woh raat
jab humne bina alvida kahe
ek dusre ko chhod diya tha.
"Sab kuch badal chuka hai,"
maine himmat jod kar kaha.
"Hum bhi."
Woh kuch pal chup raha.
Phir bola,
"Badalne ke baad bhi
kya kuch jazbaat
waise hi rehte hain?"
Maine uski taraf dekha.
Pehli baar.
Seedha aankhon mein.
Aur us pal mujhe samajh aa gaya
kuch sawal
sirf pooche nahi jaate,
mehsoos kiye jaate hain.
Announcement phir hua.
Aakhri train.
Mere paas sirf do raaste the
ya to main is safar ko chunti
ya phir us sach ka saamna karti
jisse main saalon se bhaag rahi thi.
"Tum kya chahte ho?"
maine poocha.
Woh muskuraya…
"Sach."
Aur sach
kabhi bhi aasaan nahi hota.
Woh Yaadein
Usne mujhe dekha…
jaise meri aankhon mein koi purani kahani dhoondh raha ho.
"Tum badal gayi ho,"
usne dheere se kaha.
Shayad woh sahi tha.
Ya shayad main sirf thak chuki thi
hamesha mazboot banne se.
"Badalna zaroori hota hai,"
maine jawab diya.
"Warna log toot jaate hain."
Woh halki si muskaan ke saath hansa.
"Tum pehle bhi toot chuki thi…
par tab bhi mujhe sambhaal leti thi."
Uski baat ne mujhe bechain kar diya.
Mere dil ke kisi kone mein
woh din phir se zinda ho gaye
jab hum ghanton chup baith kar
sirf ek-dusre ki maujoodgi mehsoos kiya karte the.
"Tumhein yaad hai,"
usne poocha,
"woh chai ki dukaan…
jahaan humne pehli baar
future ke sapne dekhe the?"
Maine aankhen band kar li.
Yaadein wapas aa rahi thi—
uska bina pooche mera intezaar karna,
mera har darr samajh lena,
aur phir…
achanak sab khatam ho jaana.
"Sab yaadein yaad rakhna zaroori nahi hota,"
maine dheere se kaha.
"Warna aage badhna mushkil ho jaata hai."
Woh kuch pal chup raha.
Phir bola,
"Par kuch yaadein hi toh hoti hain
jo batati hain
ke hum kabhi sach-mein zinda the."
Meri nazar uske haath par gayi.
Wohi haath
jo kabhi mera sahara tha,
aaj mere aur uske beech
faasla naap raha tha.
"Kya tum khush ho?"
usne achanak pooch liya.
Yeh sawal…
main khud se bhi nahi pooch paayi thi.
Mainne dheere se muskuraya.
"Seekh rahi hoon."
Woh kuch kehna chahta tha,
par phir ruk gaya.
Jaise kuch sach
abhi kehna theek na ho.
Baarish phir tez ho gayi.
Aur mere dil mein
ek khayal ne janam liya
shayad yeh mulaqat
sirf yaadon ka silsila nahi,
balki kisi naye imtihaan ki shuruaat hai.
(To be continued…)