Raipur ki subah aaj thodi alag thi.
Halka sa thanda hawa ka jhonka khidki ke parde hila raha tha, aur main… yaani Aradhana… bed par baithi apne haathon ko dekh rahi thi. Dil normal se thoda zyada tez dhadak raha tha.
Aaj mera pehla din tha Lotus Valley College mein.
"Maa… main late toh nahi ho rahi na?" maine thodi ghabrahat mein poocha.
Maa kitchen se awaaz lagati hain, "Nahi Aaru, 8 baje tak pahuchna hai. Tension mat lo. Sab theek hoga."
Papa mere room mein aate Hain aur newspaper fold karke mujhe dekhte hain.
"Confidence ke saath jana. Padhai par dhyaan rakhna. College dosti ke liye theek hai, par limit yaad rakhna."
Unki baat mein ek hidden warning hoti hai.
Love word directly nahi bola, par matlab clear tha.
Main halki si smile kar deti hoon. "Ji Papa."
Sach kahu toh main love shabd se zyada kabhi comfortable nahi rahi. School mein ladkon se zyada baat bhi nahi ki. Main hamesha last bench wali, chup rehne wali, marks average par dil saaf wali ladki thi.
Par aaj… aaj kuch naya start ho raha tha.
College ke gate ke bahar khadi thi toh dil aur tez dhadakne laga.
Lotus Valley College ka white building morning light mein bohot khoobsurat lag raha tha. Campus mein groups mein students hass rahe the. Kuch log already friends ban chuke the shayad.
Main apna bag thoda tight pakad kar andar chal padi.
"Relax Aaru… bas first day hai," maine khud se kaha.
Corridor mein thodi bheed thi. Main classroom ka number dekhte hue chal rahi thi tabhi…
Dhadaam!
Mera shoulder kisi se takra gaya.
Mere haath se file gir gayi aur papers floor par spread ho gaye.
"Tumhe dikhta nahi kya?" ek deep aur thoda annoyed voice aayi.
Maine upar dekha.
Samne ek ladka khada tha. Black shirt, casual jeans, wrist watch… aur face par woh typical confident expression.
Uski aankhon mein irritation tha… par saath mein kuch aur bhi.
"Excuse me? Aap bhi dekh kar chal sakte the," maine dheere par clear tone mein kaha.
Usne bhauen utha di. "Oh really? First year?"
"Aapko kaise pata?" maine thoda attitude se kaha.
Woh halka sa smirk karta hai. "Because seniors se takrana first years ki hi hobby hoti hai."
Mujhe uski baat thodi chubh gayi.
"Main jaan bujh kar nahi takraayi thi."
Woh jhuk kar ek paper uthata hai, mujhe deta hai.
"Relax. College hai, battlefield nahi."
Uska tone serious tha… par end mein thoda funny.
Maine paper le liya. "Thank you… aur aap bhi thoda side dekh kar chal sakte hain."
Woh ek second ke liye rukta hai.
"Interesting."
"Excuse me?"
"Nothing."
Aur woh chala gaya.
Bas itna hi.
Par mujhe pata nahi kyun… mera mood thoda disturb ho gaya tha.
Kaun tha woh?
Aur itna confident kyun tha?
Class mein jaake main last bench ke paas baith gayi.
Teacher introduction start karte hain. Sab apna naam, hobby, background batate hain.
Sab aapna intro dete Hain fir, meri baari aayi toh maine slowly kaha,
"Good morning everyone, my name is Aradhana .
I am from Raipur. I have completed my schooling from Holy Angels School.
Currently, I am pursuing B.Com because I am interested in business and management.
My hobbies are reading, basketball and learning new things. I am a positive and dedicated person and I want to learn new skills during my college journey.
Thank you."
Class khatam hone ke baad main canteen ki taraf gayi.
Aur wahan… wahi ladka phir dikh gaya.
Is baar woh akela nahi tha. Uske around 4–5 log the. Sab usse baat kar rahe the.
"Kya Grv, aaj phir late?"
"Bhai attendance ka kya karega?"
Grv?
Toh iska naam Gaurav hai.
Maine thoda side se dekhna chaha… par galti se uski nazar mujh par pad gayi.
Woh seedha mujhe dekhne laga.
Main turant nazar hata leti hoon.
"Seriously Aaru? Tum usse kyun dekh rahi thi?" maine khud ko scold kiya.
Par next second… woh mere saamne khada tha.
"Tum phir se?"
Maine awkward face banaya. "Canteen public place hai."
Uske friends hansi rok rahe the.
"Naam kya hai tumhara?"
Maine ek second hesitate kiya.
"Aradhana."
"Full naam?"
"Mujhe laga introduction class mein hota hai, interrogation nahi."
Uske friends ab openly hasne lage.
Gaurav ne mujhe dekha… phir halka sa smile kiya.
"Attitude bhi hai."
"Mujhe unnecessary baatein pasand nahi."
Woh thoda close aaya. "Good. Mujhe bhi nahi."
Ek second ke liye hum dono chup ho gaye.
Mujhe laga woh kuch aur bolega… par usne sirf itna kaha:
"Next time takrana ho toh pehle bata dena."
"Next time aap raste mein aaye toh main side ho jaungi."
Woh hansa.
"Dekhte hain."
Aur phir woh wapas apne group mein chala gaya.
Mera dil ajeeb sa behave kar raha tha.
Gussa bhi aa raha tha.
Aur thoda… curiosity bhi.
Par ek baat clear thi —
Usne mujhe seriously nahi liya.
Aur mujhe ignore kiya jaana bilkul pasand nahi.
Shaam ko ghar aakar Maa ne poocha,
"Pehla din kaisa tha?"
"Normal," maine kaha.
Papa ne poocha, "Koi problem?"
"Nahi."
Par mere dimaag mein wahi black shirt wala ladka ghoom raha tha.
Grv.
Normal but popular.
Confident.
Aur thoda irritating.
Main balcony mein khadi Raipur ki shaam dekh rahi thi.
Aaj bas ek takraar hui thi.
Bas ek chhoti si argument.
Par pata nahi kyun…
Mujhe lag raha tha yeh story yahin khatam nahi hogi.
Aur shayad…
Yeh bas shuruaat thi.
End Hook Line:
"Mujhe us waqt nahi pata tha… ki jis ladke ko main sirf ek arrogant senior samajh rahi thi, wahi dheere dheere meri zindagi ka sabse important chapter banne wala tha."