Meerut ke ek chhote se mohalla mein rehta tha Aarav — ek simple sa ladka, jiske sapne bahut bade the, lekin zindagi bahut seedhi thi. Uski duniya uski maa aur uski padhai tak simit thi.
Phir ek din uski zindagi mein aayi Siya...
Siya, ek hasi jaisi ladki. Uski aankhon mein ek ajeeb si chamak thi, jaise wo har dard ko chupana jaanti ho. Dono ki mulaqat ek library mein hui — ek kitaab ke liye jhagda karte hue.
"Yeh book mujhe chahiye," Siya ne kaha.
"Par main pehle aaya tha," Aarav ne jawab diya।
Dono muskura diye… aur wahi se shuru hui ek khoobsurat kahani।
Dheere dheere wo dono roz milne lage। Library, chai ki dukaan, aur phir lambe walk — sab kuch jaise ek routine ban gaya tha।
Aarav ko Siya se pyaar ho gaya tha… lekin wo kehne se darta tha।
Aur Siya? Shayad wo bhi usse pyaar karti thi… lekin uske dil mein koi raaz tha।
Ek din, baarish ho rahi thi… dono ek chhat ke niche khade the।
"Tum kabhi mujhe chhod ke to nahi jaoge na?" Siya ne poocha।
Aarav ne hans kar kaha, "Pagal ho kya? Main hamesha tumhare saath rahunga।"
Siya ne bas halka sa muskura kar sir jhuka liya… jaise usse sach pata ho।
Phir achanak ek din Siya aana band ho gayi।
Na phone, na message… Aarav pareshan ho gaya। Usne har jagah dhoonda, lekin Siya ka koi pata nahi chala।
Mahino baad, usse ek chitthi mili…
"Aarav, agar tum yeh padh rahe ho, to shayad main ab tumhare paas nahi hoon…
Mujhe ek bimaari thi, jiska ilaj mushkil tha। Main tumhe batana nahi chahti thi, kyunki main tumhe dukhi nahi dekh sakti thi।
Tumse pyaar karna meri zindagi ka sabse khoobsurat hissa tha।
Par kuch kahaniyan poori nahi hoti… phir bhi wo sabse yaadgaar hoti hain।
– Tumhari Siya"
Aarav ki aankhon se aansu ruk nahi paaye।
Usne samjha — Siya ne use chhoda nahi tha… balki apne dard se bachaya tha।
Aaj bhi Aarav wahi library jaata hai… usi kitaab ko haath lagata hai… aur chupke se muskurata hai।
Kyuki usse pata hai —
kuch mohabbat kabhi khatam nahi hoti… wo bas kahani ban jaati hai।
Aarav har roz ki tarah library gaya… lekin aaj kuch alag tha।
Usne wohi purani kitaab uthayi… aur jaise hi usne usse khola, ek purani si photo neeche gir gayi।
Woh photo Siya ki thi… lekin uske peeche kuch likha tha—
"Agar tum yeh padh rahe ho, to shayad kismet ne hume dobara milane ka faisla kiya hai…
Kal shaam 5 baje, wahi purani jagah."
Aarav ka dil zor se dhadakne laga।
"Yeh kaise ho sakta hai… Siya to…"
Uske dimaag mein hazaar sawaal chal rahe the, lekin dil ne kaha — ek baar zaroor jaana chahiye।
Agli shaam…
Wahi purani chai ki dukaan… wahi kursi… wahi mausam।
Aarav wahan khada tha, har guzarte chehre mein Siya ko dhoond raha tha।
Tabhi…
"Tum abhi bhi late aate ho, Aarav…"
Yeh awaaz…
Aarav ne dheere se mud kar dekha…
Aur saamne Siya khadi thi।
Zinda… lekin pehle se zyada kamzor।
Aarav ki aankhon se aansu turant nikal aaye।
"Tum… tum zinda ho?" usne toot te hue kaha।
Siya halki si muskuraayi, "Haan… par zindagi ne thoda waqt udhaar diya hai bas…"
Pata chala — Siya ka treatment chal raha tha। Doctors ne use ek naya chance diya tha… lekin wo sure nahi thi ki wo bach payegi ya nahi।
Isliye wo chali gayi thi… bina bataye।
"Main tumhe dard mein nahi dekh sakti thi, Aarav," Siya ne kaha।
Aarav ne uska haath pakad liya —
"Par tumhare bina jeena bhi koi jeena tha?"
Us din ke baad…
Dono ne har pal ko jeena shuru kar diya।
Chhoti chhoti khushiyan — chai, baarish, hasi, photos…
Jaise wo dono waqt ko rok lena chahte ho।
Aarav ab darrta nahi tha…
Aur Siya ab chupti nahi thi।
Ek din hospital ke room mein…
Siya ne Aarav se kaha—
"Agar main chali gayi… to mujhe bhool jaana…"
Aarav ne turant kaha—
"Mohabbat bhooli nahi jaati, Siya…
Wo bas zinda rehti hai… kisi na kisi roop mein…"
Kuch mahine baad…
Doctors ne ek khushkhabri di —
Siya ka treatment successful ho gaya tha।
Wo bach gayi thi।
Aaj…
Aarav aur Siya ek saath hain।
Kabhi library jaate hain… kabhi wahi chai peete hain…
Aur har baar ek dusre ko dekh kar muskura dete hain—
Kyuki unhe pata hai…
Zindagi ne unhe doosra mauka diya hai…
Aur is baar wo apni kahani adhoori nahi chhodenge।
Aarav aaj phir usi library mein tha, jahan har cheez usse Siya ki yaad dilati thi। Usne ek purani kitaab uthayi, aur jaise hi usse khola, ek photo neeche gir gayi। Photo Siya ki thi… aur peeche likha tha—
"Kal shaam 5 baje, wahi purani jagah."
Aarav ka dil zor se dhadakne laga। Siya… zinda?
Agli shaam, Aarav wahi chai ki dukaan par khada tha। Har aane-jaane wale chehre mein wo Siya ko dhoond raha tha। Tabhi ek awaaz aayi—
"Tum abhi bhi late aate ho, Aarav…"
Aarav ne mudkar dekha… Siya uske saamne khadi thi। Thodi kamzor, lekin wahi muskaan।
"Tum zinda ho…" Aarav ke aansu ruk nahi rahe the।
Siya ne dheere se kaha, "Main tumhe batakar jaana nahi chahti thi… main nahi chahti thi ki tum dard se guzro।"
Aarav ne uska haath pakad liya—
"Tumhare bina rehna hi sabse bada dard tha।"
Pata chala Siya ka treatment chal raha tha, aur ab use ek naya chance mila hai। Dono ne decide kiya ki ab wo har pal saath jeeyenge—bina darr ke, bina kuch chhupaye।
Din beetne lage… chai, baarish, hasi, aur chhoti chhoti khushiyan unki zindagi ban gayi।
Ek din hospital mein Siya ne pucha—
"Agar main phir chali gayi to?"
Aarav muskuraaya—
"Mohabbat kabhi nahi jaati… wo bas yaadon mein zinda rehti hai।"
Kuch mahino baad, doctors ne good news di—Siya ab theek thi।
Aaj Aarav aur Siya saath hain। Wahi jagah, wahi yaadein… lekin is baar kahani adhoori nahi।
Kyuki sachha pyaar, agar ek baar mil jaye… to kismet bhi use alag nahi kar paati।
Kya agar Siya sach bata deti, to Aarav usse kabhi jaane deta?