Train phir se raat ke andhere mein daud rahi thi. Riya apni seat par baithi thi aur deep thinking mein thi. Usne ab tak apna past bhi dekha tha aur do different futures bhi.
Uska mind ek hi baat soch raha tha — life mein choices kitni important hoti hain।
Old man ab bhi window ke paas baitha tha aur quietly bahar dekh raha tha।
"Kya har stop meri life se related hoga?" Riya ne pucha।
Old man ne slowly sir hila diya।
"Haan. Har stop tumhe kuch important sikhayega," usne calmly kaha।
Tabhi train dheere-dheere slow hone lagi।
Old man ne apni pocket watch dekhi।
"Yeh stop thoda difficult hoga," usne kaha।
Riya confuse ho gayi।
"Difficult?" usne pucha।
Train ruk gayi।
Doors open hue।
Riya bahar utri।
Is baar scene ek school classroom ka tha।
Students apni seats par baithe hue the aur teacher board par kuch likh rahi thi।
Riya ne dhyan se dekha।
"Yeh toh mera classroom hai," usne surprise se kaha।
Old man ne kaha,
"Dhyan se dekho kya ho raha hai।"
Riya ne classroom ke andar dekha।
Wahan ek familiar scene chal raha tha।
Teacher ek important science project ke baare mein announce kar rahi thi।
"Yeh project competition ke liye hai," teacher keh rahi thi।
"Jo student jeetega usse national level par chance milega।"
Class ke students excited ho gaye।
Tabhi Riya ne apna younger version dekha।
Us waqt Riya ko project idea bhi aaya tha… lekin usne socha tha ki ye bahut difficult hoga।
Isliye usne try hi nahi kiya।
Aur uska friend Aarav ne woh project banaya tha।
Woh competition jeet gaya tha।
Riya ko achanak sab yaad aa gaya।
"Yeh meri mistake thi," Riya ne slowly kaha।
Old man ne calmly jawab diya,
"Sabse badi mistakes woh hoti hain jo hum try hi nahi karte।"
Riya ne classroom scene ko dhyan se dekha।
Usne realize kiya ki agar usne us waqt try kiya hota, toh shayad result different hota।
"Main bahut baar fear ki wajah se chances miss karti hoon," Riya ne sad voice mein kaha।
Old man ne uski taraf dekha।
"Fear normal hai," usne kaha।
"Lekin agar fear tumhe rok de, toh tum apne best future tak nahi pahunch paogi।"
Riya chup ho gayi।
Usne deep breath li।
Usse ab samajh aa raha tha ki life mein risk lena bhi zaroori hota hai।
Tabhi train ka whistle phir se sunai diya।
"Time ho gaya," old man ne kaha।
Riya ne ek last time classroom ko dekha।
Is baar uske mind mein regret nahi tha।
Bas ek determination tha।
"Ab main aise chances miss nahi karungi," usne socha।
Woh train ke andar wapas aa gayi।
Train phir se chalne lagi।
Old man ne uski taraf dekha aur halka sa smile kiya।
"Lagta hai tumne lesson samajh liya," usne kaha।
Riya ne confident voice mein kaha,
"Haan. Main apni life ko better bana sakti hoon।"
Train raat ke andhere mein aage badh rahi thi।
Lekin Riya ko bilkul idea nahi tha…
Ki next stop par woh apni life ka sabse important moment dekhne wali thi।
Woh moment jo decide karega ki uska real future kya hoga।