Chapter -1:Adhuri Kahani (Incomplete Story)
Shaam ka waqt tha. Halki-halki baarish ho rahi thi, aur Neelima sadak ke kinare khadi apne haathon ko rub kar rahi thi. Use baarish hamesha pasand thi, lekin aaj ye baarish uske dil ki bechaini aur badha rahi thi.
Paanch saal pehle, isi din aur isi jagah par uski zindagi badal gayi thi.
"Tum wapas aaoge na?" Neelima ne dheere se poocha tha.
Aarav ne uska haath pakad kar muskuraate hue kaha tha, "Main promise karta hoon, Neelima… main zaroor lautunga."
Lekin wo promise adhura reh gaya.
Aarav apne sapno ke liye shehar chhod kar chala gaya tha. Shuru me roz calls aate the, pyar bhari baatein hoti thi. Phir dheere-dheere calls kam ho gaye, messages chhote ho gaye… aur ek din sab khatam ho gaya.
Neelima ne use dhoondhne ki bahut koshish ki, lekin use sirf khamoshi mili.
Aaj paanch saal baad, wo phir wahi khadi thi. Shayad apne dil ko samjhane ke liye ki sab kuch sach me khatam ho chuka hai.
Tabhi uska phone baja. Unknown number tha.
"Hello?" usne dheere se kaha.
Kuch pal ki khamoshi ke baad awaaz aayi—"Neelima…"
Uska dil zor se dhadka. "Aarav?"
"Haan… main hi hoon," usne kaha.
Neelima ki aankhon me aansu aa gaye. "Tum kahan the itne saal?"
Aarav ne dheere se jawab diya, "Main tumhare layak banne gaya tha… lekin raste me khud ko kho diya."
Neelima halki si hasi, jo dard se bhari thi. "Aur mujhe akela chhod diya?"
"Main har din tumhe yaad karta tha," Aarav bola, "lekin darr tha ki bina kuch bane wapas aaya to tumhe aur dukh dunga."
"Ab kyu aaye ho?" Neelima ne poocha.
"Kyuki ab bhi tumse pyar karta hoon… aur ek mauka chahta hoon," Aarav ne kaha।
Neelima kuch pal chup rahi. Uske dil me purani yaadein aur dard dono laut aaye.
"Tum kahan ho?" usne poocha।
"Wahi jagah… jahan tum ho," Aarav ne jawab diya।
Neelima ne aas-paas dekha. Door ek ladka bina chhatri ke baarish me khada tha.
Wo dheere-dheere uski taraf badhi. Dil zor se dhadak raha tha.
Jab wo paas pahunchi, usne dekha—wo sach me Aarav tha.
Wahi chehra, lekin aankhon me thakan aur pachtawa tha.
"Neelima…" usne dheere se kaha।
Neelima ne use dekha, aur aankhon se aansu behne lage। "Pyar sirf bolne se nahi hota, Aarav… nibhaane se hota hai।"
Aarav ne sir jhuka liya।
"Tumhare jaane ke baad maine khud ko sambhalna seekha," Neelima boli, "maine seekha ki kisi ke bina bhi jee sakte hain।"
"Phir… kya humare liye koi jagah nahi?" Aarav ne poocha।
Neelima ne thodi der socha।
"Jagah hai… lekin pehle jaisi nahi," usne kaha।
Aarav ne umeed bhari nazar se dekha।
"Hum dobara shuru kar sakte hain… dheere-dheere," Neelima boli, "is baar bina promises ke… sirf sach ke saath।"
Aarav ke chehre par halki si smile aa gayi। "Main ready hoon।"
Baarish dheere-dheere rukne lagi।
Dono chup khade rahe, jaise waqt ne unhe ek aur chance diya ho।
Lekin ye kahani abhi bhi adhuri thi।
Kyuki kuch kahaniyan kabhi poori nahi hoti… wo bas chalti rehti hain।
Neelima aur Aarav ki kahani bhi waise hi thi—adhuri, lekin umeed se bhari।
Shayad ek din ye kahani poori ho jaaye…
Ya shayad hamesha adhuri hi rahe।
Lekin ek baat pakki thi—
Is baar, wo ise adhura nahi chhodna chahte theAdhuri Kahani (Part 2)
Baarish ruk chuki thi, lekin mitti ki khushboo abhi bhi hawa me thi. Neelima aur Aarav ab bhi wahi khade the, lekin unke beech ki doori ab pehle jaisi nahi thi—na poori tarah khatam, na hi utni gehri.
"Coffee piyogi?" Aarav ne halki si awkward smile ke saath poocha.
Neelima ne seedha jawab nahi diya, bas dheere se haan me sir hila diya.
Dono paas ke ek chhote se café me chale gaye. Wahi purana café… jahan wo pehle aksar aate the. Sab kuch badal gaya tha, lekin kuch cheezein bilkul waisi hi thi—corner wali table, khidki ke bahar girti boonden, aur un dono ke beech ki khamoshi.
Waiter ne aakar order liya—"Do coffee."
Kuch der tak dono chup baithe rahe।
"Tum badal gayi ho," Aarav ne finally kaha।
Neelima halki si muskurayi, "Haan… waqt sabko badal deta hai।"
"Par tum pehle se zyada strong lag rahi ho," Aarav ne kaha।
"Majboori thi," Neelima ne seedha jawab diya, "jab koi saath chhod deta hai na, to strong banna padta hai।"
Aarav ke paas is baat ka koi jawab nahi tha।
Coffee aa chuki thi. Dono ne cup uthaya, lekin baat abhi bhi adhoori thi।
"Tumhari life me koi aur hai?" Aarav ne dheere se poocha।
Neelima ne uski taraf dekha, phir nazar jhuka li। "Nahi… lekin iska matlab ye nahi ki main ab bhi wahi hoon।"
Aarav ne sir hila diya, jaise wo samajh raha ho।
"Main bhi akela hoon," Aarav ne kaha, "bahut log mile, lekin tum jaisa koi nahi mila।"
Neelima ne halka sa sigh liya। "Aarav, har baar past ko yaad karke present nahi jee sakte।"
"Main past me nahi rehna chahta," Aarav bola, "main future banana chahta hoon… tumhare saath।"
Neelima ne uski aankhon me dekha। Is baar usme jhooth nahi tha… sirf sach aur pachtawa tha।
"Future banana itna easy nahi hota," Neelima boli, "trust toot jaye na, to use jodne me time lagta hai।"
"Main wait karunga," Aarav ne turant kaha।
Neelima thodi surprise hui। "Kitna?"
Aarav muskuraaya, "Jitna tumhe zarurat ho।"
Ye sun kar Neelima ke dil me ek ajeeb si feeling aayi—na poori khushi, na poora dard।
Café ke bahar raat ho chuki thi। Lights chamak rahi thi, aur hawa thodi thandi ho gayi thi।
Dono café se bahar nikle।
"Main tumhe ghar chhod doon?" Aarav ne poocha।
Neelima ne mana nahi kiya।
Raaste bhar dono zyada kuch nahi bole, lekin khamoshi ab uncomfortable nahi thi।
Ghar ke bahar pahunch kar Neelima ruk gayi।
"Thanks," usne dheere se kaha।
Aarav ne sir hilaaya। "Kya main tumhe phir call kar sakta hoon?"
Neelima ne kuch pal socha… phir kaha, "Haan… lekin is baar bina gayab hue।"
Aarav halka sa hasa, "Promise… oh sorry, bina promise ke… lekin is baar sach me rahunga।"
Neelima ke chehre par halki si smile aa gayi।
Wo ghar ke andar chali gayi, lekin uska dil ab pehle jaisa heavy nahi tha।
Aarav wahan kuch der tak khada raha, phir dheere se wapas mud gaya।
Us raat dono ne bahut dino baad chain ki neend li।
Lekin kahani abhi bhi khatam nahi hui thi।
Agla din ek nayi shuruaat lekar aaya।
Aarav ka message aaya—
"Good morning, Neelima."
Neelima ne phone dekha, aur halki si smile ke saath reply kiya—
"Good morning."
Chhoti si baat thi… lekin shayad isi se ek nayi kahani shuru ho rahi thi।
Dheere-dheere dono phir baat karne lage—messages, calls, kabhi-kabhi milna।
Lekin is baar sab kuch alag tha।
Na jaldi thi, na expectations… bas ek doosre ko samajhne ki koshish thi।
Ek din Aarav ne poocha, "Kya tum mujhe maaf kar paogi?"
Neelima ne kaha, "Maaf to kar diya… lekin bhoolna mushkil hai।"
Aarav ne sirf itna kaha, "Main tumhe kabhi majboor nahi karunga।"
Samay beetta gaya।
Dono ke beech ka rishta dheere-dheere phir se ban raha tha—lekin is baar zyada mature, zyada sachha।
Phir ek din Aarav ne Neelima ko wahi jagah bulaya… jahan sab kuch shuru hua tha।
Neelima wahan pahunchi।
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha aur kaha—
"Is baar main kuch bhi adhura nahi chhodna chahta… na apni baatein, na apna saath।"
Neelima chup rahi।
"Main tumse phir se pyar karta hoon… lekin is baar main tumhare saath rehkar dikhana chahta hoon," Aarav ne kaha।
Neelima ke aankhon me aansu aa gaye… lekin is baar wo dard ke nahi, balki halka sa sukoon ke the।
"Main bhi try karna chahti hoon," usne dheere se kaha।
Aarav ke chehre par ek sachchi smile aa gayi।
Dono ek saath khade the—na poori tarah se naye, na poori tarah se purane।
Unki kahani ab bhi "adhuri" thi…
Lekin shayad, isi adhurepan me hi uski khoobsurti thi।