Rohan us sookhe, kaale-laal seb ko seedha takta raha.
Woh bilkul ordinary nahi lag raha tha.
Uski surface me halki si crack thi, jisme se halka blood-red glow nikal raha tha.
Par sabse darrane wali baat yeh thi—
Seb bilkul still nahi tha.
Woh… halki dhadkan de raha tha.
Jaise koi chhoti si heartbeat.
Rohan ne haath lagaya—thoda sa tremor mehsoos hua.
"Ye… kaise possible hai?"
Usne seb ko uthaya aur apne kaan ke paas le gaya.
Thump… thump… thump…
Rohan ne jhat se haath piche kheech liya.
Uska dil tez ho gaya—wahi hawa, wahi silence, jaise orchard uske kamre me ghus aaya ho.
Usi waqt baarish shuru ho gayi.
Window par boondein pad rahi thi, par uske kamre ke andar… sab kuch dead silent.
Jaise mausam ki awaaz bhi yaha aa kar chup ho jaati ho.
Raat ka wo moment
Rohan ne seb ko desk par rakha aur woh kuch seconds tak usse door se dekhta raha.
Par phir usne notice kiya—
Seb crack se thoda aur chamak raha tha.
Glow dheere-dheere badh raha tha.
Aur phir, us crack ke beech se ek halki si aasmani roshni ki line nikli.
Bilkul seedhi… bilkul unnatural.
Rohan ka dimag ghoom gaya.
"Yeh koi fruit nahi ho sakta…
Yeh orchard se…
ya us aurat se connected hoga."
Usne window ke bahar dekha—
Orchard ke pedon ki outlines dhund me bilkul saaf dik rahi thi.
LIGHTNING nahi thi.
Par orchard ke upar ek ajeeb sa white haze aa raha tha.
Jaise koi usse dekh raha ho.
Jaise orchard ki nazar seedhi uske window par ho.
Door ki khadbad
Suddenly —
Tok… tok… tok…
Koi uske kamre ka darwaza dheere se thap thapa raha tha.
Rohan ka saans atak gaya.
Ghar me sab so rahe the.
Is waqt koi bhi nahi aata.
Thap-thapana ruka nahi.
Dheere se intense hota gaya.
Tok… tok… TOK.
Rohan ne himmat jodi aur darwaza khola.
Hall me koi nahi tha.
Bas ek cheez…
Floor par se orchard ki mitti ki halki si line seedhi uske kamre ki taraf ja rahi thi.
Jaise koi geela pair le kar andar aaya ho.
Par waha koi bhi nahi tha.
Aur usi pal Rohan ne us humming ko mehsoos kiya—
Wahi silent humming.
Wahi jo orchard me hoti thi.
Woh awaaz nahi hoti… bas feel hoti hai.
"Wapas aa jao…"
Rohan ne seedha apne peeche darwaza band kar diya.
Uska dimag chillane laga:
Main sapna dekh raha hoon kya?
Ya orchard sach me zinda hai…?
Back to the apple
Rohan ne palat kar dekha—
Seb ab glow nahi kar raha tha.
Woh bilkul sookha pad tha.
Pehle jaisa.
Jaise kuch hua hi nahi.
Par Rohan ko pata tha—
Woh dhadkan… woh roshni… woh hawa…
sab real tha.
Usne seb ko uthaya aur fir kaan ke paas lekhar dekha.
Iss baar koi heartbeat nahi thi.
Par uske andar se ek halki si coldness feel hui.
Jaise orchard ki thandi saans iske andar band ho.
Rohan ne usko dabaa kar pakda.
Uski ungli par thandi lakeer reh gayi.
Aur tab usko ek flash yaad aaya—
Woh laal dress wali aurat.
Woh phusphusahat: "Mat aana…"
Aur orchard ka bulawa: "Wapas aa jao…"
Dono ulta bol rahe the.
Par dono orchard se hi aa rahe the.
Rohan ne jor se gulp kiya.
"Yeh orchard mujhe chhod kyun nahi raha…?"