Do din guzar gaye…
Haya ne Ahaan ko avoid karne ki bohot koshish ki.
Na library jaana…
na uss corner table par baithna…
Lekin kuch cheezein avoid karne se khatam nahi hoti…
Woh aur zyada mehsoos hone lagti hain.
Aaj bhi Haya ne decide kiya ke woh library nahi jaayegi.
Lekin project ke liye zaroori books sirf wahi mil sakti thi.
Woh dheere dheere chalti hui library ke andar gayi…
Dil already fast dhadak raha tha.
Jaise hi woh andar aayi…
Uski nazar seedha usi table par padi.
Aur woh wahan tha.
Ahaan.
Jaise woh uska wait kar raha ho.
Haya ruk gayi.
Ek pal ke liye usne socha ke wapas chali jaye…
Lekin phir usne himmat ki aur andar chali gayi.
Ahaan ne usse dekhte hi halka sa smile diya,
"Mujhe laga tum nahi aogi."
Haya ne seedha jawab diya,
"Mujhe kaam tha."
Ahaan ne sir hilaya,
"Good… warna main soch raha tha ke main itna bura hoon."
Haya ne halki si nazar uthayi,
"Aisa nahi hai…"
Woh uske saamne baith gayi.
Aaj dono ke beech pehli baar ek awkward si khamoshi thi.
Kuch der baad…
Ahaan ne dheere se poocha,
"Maine tumhe uncomfortable kar diya na?"
Haya ne turant mana kiya,
"Nahi…"
Phir ruk kar…
"Bas… mujhe aadat nahi hai."
Ahaan ne uski baat dhyan se suni.
Is baar uski aankhon mein usual confidence ke saath ek softness bhi thi.
"Main samajh sakta hoon," usne dheere se kaha,
"Har kisi ka tareeqa alag hota hai."
Haya ne pehli baar usse thoda calmly dekha.
"Tum hamesha itna seedha bolte ho?"
Ahaan halka sa hansa,
"Zindagi chhoti hai… feel karne wali cheezein delay nahi karni chahiye."
Yeh line seedha Haya ke dil tak gayi…
Lekin uske dil mein ek aur awaaz bhi thi —
Sameer ki khamoshi wali.
Haya ne dheere se kaha,
"Har cheez jaldi keh dena… zaroori nahi hota."
Ahaan ne uski aankhon mein dekhte hue poocha,
"Ya phir darr hota hai?"
Haya chup ho gayi.
Uski aankhon mein halka sa dard ubhar aaya.
"Main kisi ko hurt nahi karna chahti…" usne dheere se kaha.
Ahaan ne softly poocha,
"Kisi ko… ya khud ko?"
Yeh sun kar Haya ki aankhon mein aansu aa gaye.
Usne foran nazar jhuka li.
Ahaan thoda serious ho gaya.
Usne dheere se kaha,
"Hey… I'm sorry. Main tumhe rulana nahi chahta tha."
Haya ne halki si muskurahat ke saath kaha,
"Tumne nahi… bas baat aisi thi…"
Kuch seconds ke liye dono chup rahe…
Phir Ahaan ne dheere se table par apna haath rakha…
lekin touch nahi kiya.
"Main tumse kuch expect nahi karta," usne calmly kaha,
"Na answer… na commitment."
Haya ne dheere se uski taraf dekha.
"Lekin jo feel karta hoon, woh change nahi hoga," Ahaan ne kaha,
"Tumhari simplicity… tumhari khamoshi… mujhe achi lagti hai."
Haya ka dil phir se confuse ho gaya.
Usse samajh nahi aa raha tha ke woh kya kare…
"Main perfect nahi hoon," Haya ne dheere se kaha,
"Main complicated hoon…"
Ahaan ne halka sa smile kiya,
"Good… perfect log boring hote hain."
Is baar Haya ke honton par halka sa genuine smile aa gaya.
Door kahin…
Sameer apne kaam mein busy tha.
Usse abhi bhi kuch pata nahi tha…
Ke Haya ke dil mein kitni uljhan chal rahi hai.
Haya ne diary mein likha us raat:
"Ek dil… do ehsaas. Ek sukoon deta hai… aur ek hila deta hai. Main kis taraf jaun?"
Aur Ahaan…
Usne apne phone par sirf ek line type ki:
"She's not easy… but she's worth it."
Ab kahani aur gehri ho gayi thi…
Yeh sirf love triangle nahi tha…
Yeh dil ka imtehaan ban raha tha.