Do din baad tha doosra paper — Science. Subah se hi dil beqaraar tha. Pehle din ke baad main har waqt sochti rehti thi: kya woh aaj bhi aayegi? Kya same centre? Kya same hall? Admit card check kiya baar-baar, jaise usmein clue milega.
Centre pahunchi toh pehli nazar mein usko nahi dekha. Dil thoda sa dhak gaya. Line mein lagi, andar gayi, aur seat pe baithi. Aaj meri seat thodi peeche thi, window side hi. Invigilator ne paper baante, time shuru hua. Maine pen uthaya, par focus zero.
Phir aankh lagi uspe — aaj woh meri taraf se almost saamne, do rows aage, left side. Same black hoodie, hood peeche gira hua, short messy hair jo subah ki hawa se thoda aur udd rahe the. Aaj red-checkered shirt nahi thi, sirf plain grey tee ke upar hoodie. Jeans same, aur haath mein wohi silver bracelet chamak raha tha.
Main chupke se dekh rahi thi. Woh paper pe focus thi — seriously likh rahi thi, kabhi formula check karti, kabhi pen ka cap mooh mein daal ke sochti. Par ek baar usne stretch liya, haath upar kiye, aur peeche mudkar hall ko dekha. Hamari nazrein phir mili. Is baar smile nahi roki usne — ek chhoti si, half-smile, jaise "tu phir dekh rahi hai?"
Paper khatam hone mein abhi time tha. Main nervous ho gayi. Socha, aaj kuch toh bolna hai. Bell bajne se pehle hi maine decide kar liya — bahar jaake try karungi.
Bell baji. Sab uthne lage. Main jaldi bag pack kiya aur uske peeche-peeche chali. Gate ke bahar crowd tha, par woh thodi alag khadi thi, cycle stand ke paas, phone check kar rahi thi.
Main saans leke gayi paas. Dil itna zor se dhadak raha tha ki laga shayad woh sun legi.
"Hi..." maine dheeme se bola.
Usne phone neeche kiya, mujhe dekha. Ek second confuse, phir pehchaan liya. "Hey," usne bola, awaaz thodi husky, par soft.
Main nervous smile di. "Main... pehle din bhi yahin thi. Tumhe dekha tha."
"Haan, pata tha," usne kaha, aur ek eyebrow uthaya. "Tu baar-baar dekh rahi thi."
Chehra laal ho gaya mera. "Sorry... bas... curious thi."
"Curious kis cheez ke baare mein?" woh seedha poochhi, bilkul confident.
Maine himmat karke bola, "Tum... aise boy ki tarah kyun rehti ho? Matlab, hair, hoodie, sab kuch... bilkul tomboy vibe."
Woh hans di — chhoti si, genuine laugh. "Boy ki tarah? Arre, main boy nahi hoon. Bas aise hi comfortable feel hota hai."
"Par... log toh bolte hain na, ladkiyon ko aise nahi hona chahiye," maine kaha, thoda awkward.
Usne shoulder shrug kiya. "Log bahut kuch bolte hain. Mujhe aise rehna pasand hai. Short hair easy hai, hoodie warm aur cool dono, jeans comfortable. Aur haan... feelings bhi thodi alag hain kabhi-kabhi. Ladkon jaisi sochti hoon, ladkon jaisi feel karti hoon. Jaise crush ho toh seedha bol deti hoon, drama nahi karti. Simple."
Main shocked thi, par impressed bhi. "Toh... tumhe ladkiyon se...?" maine poocha, dheeme se.
Usne aankhein mili, seedha. "Haan. Ladkiyon se zyada attract hoti hoon. Boys se bhi kabhi-kabhi, par mostly girls. Kyun, problem?"
"Nahi-nahi!" maine jaldi mana. "Bas... pehli baar itna openly suna."
Woh muskuraayi. "First time bol rahi hoon kisi ko itna jaldi. Par tu... cute lag rahi thi exam hall mein, nervous-nervous dekh rahi thi. Socha bol doon."
Mera dil zor se dhadka. "Mera naam Ruma hai."
"Main Aaru," usne bola. "Short for Aarushi, par sab Aaru bolte hain."
"Aaru..." maine repeat kiya, jaise taste kar rahi hoon.
Tabhi uski friend aayi, "Chal na, late ho raha hai!"
Aaru ne mujhe dekha. "Kal last paper hai na? Wahan milte hain?"
"Haan," maine bola, smile nahi ruk rahi thi.
Woh cycle uthaake chali gayi, par palat ke ek baar phir dekha. "Aur haan... zyada nervous mat hona paper mein. Tu ache se likh leti hai, dikha tha."
Main wahan khadi reh gayi, sochti rahi. Aaru. Usne khud bataya — uski feelings ladkon jaisi hain, par dil se ladkiyon ki taraf. Aur main... main uske liye kuch feel kar rahi thi jo pehle kabhi nahi hua.
Exam hall se bahar nikalte waqt pehli baar laga — yeh boards sirf marks ke liye nahi, kuch aur bhi de rahe hain.