Raat bohot gehri ho chuki thi…
Lekin Ahaan ke dimagh mein sirf ek hi cheez ghoom rahi thi —
woh band room… aur woh tasveer.
Sab so chuke the.
Ghar mein khamoshi thi.
Ahaan dheere se apne room se nikla…
Aur seedha usi corridor ki taraf badha.
"Ammi ne mana kiya hai…" usne khud se kaha,
"lekin mujhe jaana hoga."
Woh phir se us darwaze ke saamne khada tha.
Is baar uska dil thoda tez dhadak raha tha…
Lekin curiosity zyada strong thi.
Usne darwaza khola…
Aur dheere se andar chala gaya.
Room bilkul waisa hi tha…
Khamosh.
Jaise waqt yahan ruk gaya ho.
Ahaan seedha us tasveer ke paas gaya.
Usne dheere se kaha,
"Rasama…?"
Naam usne bas andaza se bola…
Lekin phir uski nazar neeche padi.
Table par ek purani si diary rakhi thi.
Ahaan ne diary uthayi…
Us par dhool ki halki si layer thi.
Jaise saalon se kisi ne use chhua hi na ho.
Usne diary kholi…
Pehla page…
Aur wahan likha tha:
"Rasama"
Ahaan ek pal ke liye freeze ho gaya.
"Toh tumhara naam Rasama hai…" usne dheere se kaha.
Usne pages palatne shuru kiye.
Handwriting bohot khoobsurat thi… simple, bilkul us tasveer wali ladki jaisi.
Ek page par likha tha:
"Kuch log zindagi mein aate hain… aur phir chalay jaate hain. Lekin unki yaadein kabhi nahi jaati."
Ahaan ka expression serious ho gaya.
Usne aur pages dekhe…
Phir ek jagah ruk gaya.
Wahan likha tha:
"Mujhe khamoshi pasand hai… kyunki isme main apni feelings chhupa sakti hoon."
Ahaan ne dheere se kaha,
"Bilkul Haya jaisi…"
Usne diary band ki…
Lekin uska dil ab aur zyada heavy ho gaya tha.
"Tum kaun thi Rasama…?" usne dheere se poocha,
"aur tumhe yahan kyun chhupa kar rakha gaya hai?"
Tabhi…
Hawa ka jhonka aaya.
Diary ke pages khud hi palat gaye…
Aur last page par ruk gaye.
Ahaan ne dheere se dekha…
Wahan likha tha:
"Agar kabhi koi meri diary padhe… toh samajh lena ke main sirf ek kahani nahi thi… main kisi ki mohabbat thi."
Ahaan ke dil mein ajeeb si feeling aayi.
Usne tasveer ki taraf dekha…
Aur dheere se kaha:
"Main tumhari kahani jaan kar rahunga, Rasama."
Tabhi…
Darwaze ke paas halki si awaaz hui.
Ahaan ne jaldi se diary band ki…
Aur room se bahar nikal gaya.
Raat ke andhere mein…
Ab ek naya raaz uske saath tha.
Dusri taraf…
Haya apne kamre mein diary likh rahi thi:
"Kuch kahaniyan shayad humari nahi hoti… lekin phir bhi hum unse jud jaate hain."
Aur Sameer…
Abhi bhi anjaan tha…
Ke sirf mohabbat hi nahi…
Ek purani kahani bhi un sab ki zindagi badalne wali hai.
To Be Continued…