4 January.
Shayad us din mujhe dating app open hi nahi karna chahiye tha.
Screen par ek naya match aaya tha —
Anuvardhan.
Naam thoda alag tha, par profile simple thi. Same city nahi, same state bhi nahi. Distance almost 400 kilometers.
Normally main left swipe kar deti.
Par pata nahi kyun, us din ungli ruk gayi.
"Hi," uska message aaya.
Simple. Polite. Thoda sa hesitant.
"Hi," maine reply kar diya.
Bas wahi se shuru hua sab kuch.
Anuvardhan baaton me alag tha.
Over-smart nahi. Flirty bhi nahi.
Kabhi-kabhi reply late karta, jaise soch ke likh raha ho.
Aur main…
Main Yasha.
Overthinking me expert. Par uske saath baat karte waqt dimag oddly calm ho jata tha.
Din bhar ke random messages.
Good morning.
Late night talks.
Kabhi hasi, kabhi silence.
Par ek cheez ajeeb thi.
Uski photo.
Usne jo pic bheji thi…
Perfect lag rahi thi.
Too perfect.
Angles. Lighting. Expression.
Sab kuch jaise kisi stock image se uthaya ho.
Maine Google search ki.
Reverse image search.
Aur wahi tha jo mujhe darr lag raha tha.
Fake.
Mera chest heavy ho gaya.
Mujhe gussa kam, disappointment zyada thi.
5 January ki raat thi.
Maine seedha message kiya.
"Why did you send me a fake picture, Anuvardhan?"
Reply aane me time laga.
Kaafi zyada time.
Phir ek long text aaya.
"I was nervous.
I didn't think you'd talk to me if you saw the real me."
Mujhe gussa aa gaya.
"Tumhe laga jhoot se connection banega?"
"Tumhe idea hai trust kya hota hai?"
Us raat bahut ladai hui.
Har word me frustration tha.
Uske messages me guilt tha.
Mere messages me hurt.
Ek point par maine likh diya:
"Let's stop talking."
Message send karte hi
aankhon me paani aa gaya.
Par usne give up nahi kiya.
"Please," uska message aaya.
"Ek chance. Main sach bata dunga. Sab."
Aur us raat, pehli baar,
usne apni real photo bheji.
Perfect nahi thi.
Par real thi.
Aur sach bolu to…
Us moment me mujhe face se zyada
uski honesty ki zarurat thi.
Dheere-dheere sab thoda normal hua.
Roz baat hone lagi.
Kabhi call.
Kabhi video call.
Distance fir bhi 400 km hi tha,
par connection strong hota ja raha tha.
Mahine beet gaye.
Aur phir April aaya.
"Main tumse milna chahta hoon,"
Anuvardhan ne bola.
Mera dil zor se dhadka.
Main dar gayi thi.
Bahut zyada.
Main bahar jaane se darti thi.
Crowds. Unknown places. Unknown people.
"Toh hum car me hi mil lenge,"
usne calmly bola.
"Jab tak tum comfortable na ho."
Us din mujhe laga —
shayad ye ladka sirf bolta nahi, samajhta bhi hai.
April ki ek shaam.
Main apni city ki ek quiet road par khadi thi.
Door se ek car aayi.
White color.
Car rukki.
Window dheere se neeche hui.
Aur pehli baar
maine Anuvardhan ko samne se dekha.
Dil itna tez dhadak raha tha
ki mujhe laga usse awaaz aa rahi hogi.
Wo car se bahar nahi aaya.
Main bhi nahi.
Bas…
hum dono car ke andar baithe rahe.
Saamne-saamne.
Silence me.
Aur us silence me
hazaar sawaal the.
Mujhe nahi pata tha
ye meeting kahaan le jaayegi.
Par mujhe itna zaroor pata tha —
ye sirf ek match nahi tha.
Ye shuruat thi
ek aisi kahani ki
jisme jhoot, darr, pyaar
aur bahut saare raaz the.
Aur ye sab abhi shuru hi hua tha…
Par mujhe kya pata tha,
ki is car ke andar hone wali agle kuch baatein
meri zindagi ka sabse bada decision banne wali thi…....