Ego and Heart

Episode 2: Pehli Jeet

Scene 1: Aarav’s Search

Aarav grocery store ke darwaze par khara tha, uski nazar kisi ko dhoond rahi thi—woh larki jisne uske dil mein itne dino se halchal macha rakhi thi.

Uska mann usse keh raha tha, “Main yeh sab kyun kar raha hoon? Yeh larki koi khaas nahi hai. Main, Aarav Kapoor, apna waqt ek mamooli si larki ke liye zaya nahi kar sakta.”

Lekin phir uska dimaag cheekh kar bolta, “Lekin usne tujhe ignore kiya hai! Aarav Kapoor ko ignore? Yeh to kabhi nahi hua! Iska badla lena hoga.”

Ek pal ka liye Aarav apni ego aur curiosity ke beech jhoolta raha. Phir usne ek gehri saans li, apne jacket ka collar uthaya, aur grocery store ke andar chala gaya.

Scene 2: Pehli Nazar

Jab uski nazar anaya par padi, toh woh ek pal ke liye ruk gaya. Woh bina kisi fikr ke apne kaam mein masroof thi. Anaya ki aankhon mein ek ajeeb si beparwahi thi, jaise is duniya ki koi perwah hi na ho. Woh shelves se kuch items chunti, phir soch kar wapas rakh deti. Uski har ek harkat Aarav ko ajeeb si attraction de rahi thi.

“Yeh larki alag hai,” Aarav ne socha, “Baaki sab ki tarah nahi, jo sirf meri ek jhalak paane ko bechain hoti hain.”

Woh dheere se apna phone nikalta hai aur bina kisi ko pata chale Anaya ki ek photo le leta hai. Ek ajeeb si sukoon uske dil mein utar aati hai.

Scene 3: The Call

Usi waqt uska phone ring hota hai. Ye us k PA ka call tha. Aarav ne ek irritated si saans li aur phone utha liya.

PA: “Sir, meeting ka time ho raha hai. Aap kahan hain?”

Aarav (bina dhyan diye): “Haan… main aa raha hoon.”

Phone par baat karte karte woh store se bahar nikal gaya, lekin uska mann ab bhi store ke andar hi atka hua tha. Uske haath mein ab ek ajeeb si jeet ki feeling thi.

Anaya ki tasveer—woh cheez jo itne dino se uske dimaag mein chali aa rahi thi—ab uske paas thi.

Uske chehre par ek shaitani muskurahat aayi, jaise uska mission poora ho gaya ho.

Aarav (apne aap se): “Khel ab shuru hua hai, Anaya. Dekhte hain tum kab tak mujhe ignore karti ho.”

Woh apne dark black baalon mein haath pherta hai, ek confident smile ke saath apni gaadi ki taraf badhta hai. Lekin ab uski dilchaspiyan sirf ek tasveer tak simit nahi rahengi…

Scene 4 – Aarav Kapoor’s World

Kapoor Enterprises – The Empire of Power

Aarav apni luxury black car se utarta hai. Jis moment uske leather shoes ne Kapoor Enterprises ki gleaming marble flooring ko chhua, wahan ek aura spread ho gaya—power ka, authority ka.

Kapoor Enterprises—ek empire jo sirf ek company nahi, ek legacy thi. Office ka entrance, jismein golden initials “KE” chamak rahe the, uski shaan ka ek chhota sa part tha. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows se dhoop andar aati thi, jo Italian-designed interiors ko aur bhi royal banati thi. Har cheez perfection ka ek misaal thi, jaise yahaan sirf wohi log kaam karte jo sirf jeetne ke liye bane ho.

Jabhi Aarav enter hota hai, har staff member foran apni seat se uthta hai aur respectfully greet karta hai—

“Good Afternoon, sir!”

Lekin Aarav bina kisi ko ek nazar diye seedha apne private office ki taraf badhta hai. Uske strong footsteps uski power ka ehsaas dilate hain. Yahaan koi bhi uske raaste mein nahi aata, kyunki sab jaante hain—Aarav Kapoor ki duniya mein interruptions ki koi jagah nahi.

Aarav’s Command

Jese hi woh apne office mein aata hai, ek deep breath leta hai. Uska office ek modern fortress se kam nahi tha—black and grey interiors, ek expansive mahogany desk, aur floor-to-ceiling windows jo pure city ka nazara deti thi.

Aarav apni chair par baithta hai, ek moment ke liye apne fingers se desk par tap karta hai, phir apne khaas guard ko call karta hai—wohi jo sirf uske secret tasks handle karta tha.

Phone ki doosri taraf ek authoritative awaaz sunai deti hai.

Guard: “Yes, sir?”

Aarav (calm but powerful tone mein): “Main tumhe ek picture bhej raha hoon. Is larki ke baare mein mujhe poori information chahiye—naam, pata, family background… sab kuch. Aur haan, aaj raat tak.”

Guard: “Understood, sir.”

Aarav bina ek second waste kiye Anaya ki tasveer apne phone se forward karta hai. Phir woh apni chair se peeche tak jhuk kar ek gehri soch mein chala jata hai.

Uske mind mein sirf ek thought ghoom raha tha—

“Itni din wait karaya tumne, ae larki… Tumhari koi tasveer tak nahi thi mere paas, warna main kab ka tumhe sabak sikha chuka hota…”

Phir ek shaitani muskurahat uske chehre par aayi.

“Lekin ab… ab tumhe pata chalega ki Aarav Kapoor ko ignore karna kitna mehnga padta hai.”

Scene 5: Anaya’s Home – A Middle-Class Reality

Anaya apne haath mein grocery bags uthaye apne ghar ke chhoti si gate se andar dakhil hoti hai. Yeh ek aam middle-class ghar tha—simple si light blue walls, ek chhoti si drawing room jismein ek purani sofa set aur corner mein rakhi ek wooden almari jismein chacha ke papers aur kuch purane magazines the. Ghar ki chhat par pani girne ke kuch purane nishan bhi dikhai dete the, jo yeh batate the ke maintenance ki zaroorat thi.

Jese hi Anaya ghar mein enter karti hai, uski chachi ki tez aur chirchiraahat bhari awaz uske kano mein gunjti hai.

Chachi (tez awaaz mein): “Itna time laga diya? Kab se khane ka wait kar rahi hoon! K maharani ab ghoom phir kar ayengi aur tab hum khana khaenge?”

Anaya ne unki baat ko andekha kar diya. Yeh roz ka drama tha. Wo bina kuch kahe seedha kitchen ki taraf chali gayi aur groceries rakhne lagi. Usne stove on kiya aur sabzi aur masale nikalne lagi, magar uske chachi ki awaz phir se sunai di.

Chachi (buri nazron se dekhte hue): “Oh maharani, haath chalao jaldi! Ab ghanta mat laga dena khana banane mein! Tumhare chacha bhi agaye hain. Aaj kal ki larkiyan bas nazuk andam hain, kaam ka naam nahi!”

Anaya ne phir bhi koi jawab nahi diya. Uske chacha bhi living room mein baith kar TV dekh rahe the, magar unhone bhi ek baar bhi na poocha ke wo itni thak ke ayi hai.

Usne bas ek gehri sans li, apna phone nikala aur headset connect kiye. Jaise hi music on kiya, sab awazen dheere dheere peeche reh gayin.

Ab wo sirf apne khayalon ki duniya mein thi—jahan na chachi ka chillana tha, na ghar ki masail. Sirf ek sukoon bhari duniya, jismein wo sirf apni pasandeeda dhun sun rahi thi.

Woh apni haqeeqat se door, sirf apne khwabon ki dunya mein kho gayi thi…