Kiran ko bhaagte hue mehsoos ho raha tha jaise uske pair zameen ko chhoo hi nahi rahe.
Sheher uske aage failta ja raha tha—lamba, khali, bejaan. Buildings wahi thi jo wo roz dekhta tha, par unme jeevan ka koi nishaan nahi tha. Na awaaz, na hawa, na waqt.
Aur phir…
achanak sab ruk gaya.
Ek car jo tez raftaar se uski taraf aa rahi thi, hawa me hi jam gayi. Uske tyres ghoom rahe the, par aage badhne ka naam nahi le rahe the. Sadak par chalti hui ek aurat ka paanv aadha utha hua tha—na neeche, na upar.
Kiran ka dil zor se dhadak utha.
"Ye… ye kya ho raha hai?"
uski awaaz sheher me goonj kar wapas aa gayi.
Tabhi usne peeche kadmon ki awaaz suni.
Dheemi, par pakki.
Doosra Kiran uske paas aa kar khada ho gaya. Is baar uske chehre par koi muskurahat nahi thi. Sirf thakaan… aur kuch chhupaya hua dar.
"Tumhe lagta tha sapna rukega?"
wo bola.
"Tumhare chalne se yahan waqt toot raha hai."
Kiran ne aasman ki taraf dekha.
Badal hil nahi rahe the. Suraj aadha dooba hua tha, jaise kisi ne pause button daba diya ho.
"Main bas bhagna chahta hoon,"
Kiran ne kaha,
"wapas normal hone ke liye."
Doosra Kiran ne halki si hansi chhodi.
"Normal kab tha?"
Wo aage badha aur ek khidki ke sheeshe ko chhoo liya. Sheesha wave ki tarah hil gaya, jaise paani ho.
"Yahan time tumhare liye slow hota ja raha hai,"
wo bola.
"Aur real world me… tumhara time fast ho raha hai."
Kiran ka seena tight ho gaya.
"Matlab?"
Doosra Kiran ne uski taraf dekha—seedha aankhon me.
"Matlab jab tum yahan ghante bita rahe ho,"
wo dheere bola,
"wahaan log samajh rahe hain ki tum khud se door hote ja rahe ho."
Kiran ko apni maa ka chehra yaad aaya.
Ravi ki awaaz.
Uska kamra.
"Main yeh sab nahi chahta,"
usne gusse me kaha.
"Tumne mujhe yahan bulaya hi kyun?"
Is baar jawab turant nahi aaya.
Doosra Kiran ne sheher ke beech ki taraf ishara kiya.
Wahan ek badi si daraar pad chuki thi—zameen dheere-dheere phat rahi thi.
"Kyuki jab pehli baar tumne sapna dekha tha,"
wo bola,
"tumne wapas jaagne ki jagah… rukna chuna tha."
Kiran chup ho gaya.
Us raat ka sapna uske dimaag me flash hua—
jab use lag raha tha ki ye jagah use samajhti hai.
"Tumhara man yahan tik gaya,"
doosra Kiran bola,
"aur jab koi yahan tik jata hai… to waqt usse apna bana leta hai."
Zameen dobara kaanpi.
Door kahin ek ghadi ki tick-tick sunai di—
bahut tez.
"Ab kya hoga?"
Kiran ne poocha.
Doosra Kiran ne dheere se kaha,
"Ab ya to tum waqt ke saath tootoge…
ya waqt tumhare saath."
Ussi pal sheher me ek tez crack ki awaaz goonji.
Aasman me ek patli si lakeer khinch gayi—
jaise kisi ne reality ko blade se kaat diya ho.
Kiran ne dekha,
aur pehli baar usse dar laga—
sapne se nahi,
jaagne se.