Ego and Heart

Episode 6

Scene 1 – Coffee Shop Mein Aik Ajeeb Ehsaas

Chalte chalte wo ek chhoti si coffee shop per ruk gaye. Jagah bohot simple thi—chhoti chhoti lakri ki tables, diwaron per purane art pieces aur ek corner mein ek purana radio, jo dheemi aawaz mein koi purana gaana baja raha tha. Coffee ki meethi khushbu hawa mein thi. Yeh jagah Aarav ki shaan o shaukat ke bilkul mutabiq nahi thi, magar usko apne plan par stick rehna tha.

Wo dono andar chale gaye. Aarav ne ek nazar café ka jaiza liya aur mazak bhari muskurahat ke saath bola, “Waise yeh tumhari pasand hai ya sirf budget ka masla hai?”

Anaya ne aankhein choti kar ke usko dekha, “Coffee ki quality dekhi jati hai, interior nahi.”

Aarav ne hasi dabai, “Interesting… matlab tumhe mehngi cheezein pasand nahi?”

Anaya ne shoulder uthaye, “Sirf wo cheezein pasand hain jo asli ho’n.”

Aarav ne uske liye kursi kheench di, uske har harqat mein ek effortless smoothness thi. “Hmm sahi keh rahi ho waise bhi achi jagah ho ya mehngi, bas company achi honi chahiye.” Uski awaaz mein ek garmahat thi, jaise wo yeh baat dil se keh raha ho.

Anaya ke dil mein ek ajeeb si halchal machi. Usko is tarah treat hone ki aadat nahi thi—itana politely, itna attentively. Ek pal ke liye, usne almost maan liya ke Aarav waqai uski parwah karta hai.

Unhon ne coffee order ki, aur jab tak coffee aayi, Aarav halka sa aage jhuka, apni baanhon ko table par tikate hue bola, “Tum hamesha itni serious rehti ho? I mean, kabhi khud ke liye time nahi nikalti?”

Anaya halki si muskurayi, “Mujhe aadat nahi hai. Koi itna poochta bhi nahi kabhi.”

Aarav ne sir ko thoda jhuka kar jaise hairan hone ka natak kiya, “Yeh toh mushkil hai maan’na. Tum jaisi larki se koi baat kyun na kare?”

Anaya ne apni nigahain neeche karli, ek halka si udasi uske chehre par aaya. “Pata nahi… shayad log mujhe interesting nahi samajhte.”

Aarav ne coffee stir karte hue halka sa muskura kar kaha, “Tum khud ko jitna ordinary samajhti ho, utni ho nahi.”

Anaya ka dil ek pal ke liye tez dhadka. Ye uske words the ya uska kehne ka tareeqa? Woh khud bhi samajh nahi paayi, lekin pehli baar usne mehsoos kiya ke koi usko waqai notice kar raha hai.

Aarav, doosri taraf, uski har reaction closely observe kar raha tha. Usko pata tha kya kehna hai, kaise kehna hai, kaise usko yeh ehsaas dilana hai ke wo special hai. Yeh sab uske plan ka hissa tha—uska trust jeetne ka, usko yeh feel karwane tha ke wo uske liye important hai. Aur Anaya ke reactions dekh kar usko samajh aa raha tha… wo apne plan mein successful ho raha hai.

Uske baad conversation bohot aasani se flow hone lagi. Anaya ne mehsoos kiya ke wo aaj usual se zyada smile kar rahi hai, Aarav ki halki halki masti bhari baton par hass bhi rahi hai. Usne chhoti chhoti baatein share ki, kaise uski life mein close friends nahi rahe, kaise wo hamesha kaam mein doobi rehti thi. Aarav uski har baat bohot dhyan se sun raha tha, beech beech mein sir hila kar agree kar raha tha, aur uski aankhon se nigah hata hi nahi raha tha.

Wo sharma nahi rahi thi, par ek ajeeb si garmi mehsoos ho rahi thi andar kahin. Samajh nahi aaraha tha yeh kya ho raha hai.

Aarav ne dheeme lehje mein kaha, “Waise, tum jab muskuraati ho na, toh achi lagti ho. Tumhe zyada muskuraana chahiye.”

Anaya ne jaldi se ek nazar us ko dekha aur phir nazrein jhuka kar boli. “Main waise hi theek hoon.”

Aarav ne thoda jhuk kar mazak bhari aawaz mein kaha, “Tum sure ho? Kyunki abhi toh tumhare gaal bata rahe hain ke tum blush kar rahi ho.”

Anaya ke gaal halka sa gulabi hue. Usne jaldi se nazar churai aur apni coffee ka ek sip liya. “Shayad aapko filmy dialogues bolne ki aadat hai.”

Aarav zor se hansa, sir hilate hue bola, “Filmy nahi, bas jo sach hai woh keh raha hoon.”

Anaya ko samajh nahi aya ke kya jawab de. Woh kabhi aise meethi baton mein nahi aayi thi, magar ab… yeh jo ajeeb sa ehsaas ho raha tha, yeh jo naya naya sa lag raha tha… ye kya tha?

Anaya ne foran dupatta theek karte hue kaha, “Aisa kuch nahi hai!”

Aarav ne ek teasing si muskurahat di. Uska plan kaam kar raha tha. Wo jaanta tha ke jo baatein wo keh raha hai, wo sirf Anaya ko apne jaal mein phasane ka tareeqa hai. Uske liye yeh sirf ek game tha. Magar Anaya?

Uske dil ki dhadkan tez ho rahi thi. Yeh banda waqai itna acha hai ya bas uska dil bekar ki umeedein laga raha hai?

Scene 2 – Ek Lamha Jo Tham Gaya

Abhi wo dono baatein kar hi rahe the ke Anaya ne apni kalai par bani ghari dekhi. Jaise hi time dekha, ek dum ghabra gayi aur foran khari ho gayi.

Aarav ne usko aise achanak khara hote dekha toh hairat se bola, “Itni jaldi? Kya hua?”

Anaya ne darte hue kaha, “Itni der ho gayi hai… ab toh doosri bus bhi nikal gayi hogi!” Uske dil mein chachi ki gusse bhari baton ka dar phailne laga.

Aarav ne uski tension ko mazaq mein udane ke bajaye, ek halka sa muskurahat bhara tasalli dene wala look diya aur dheere se bola, “Don’t worry, I’ll drop you.”

Anaya ek pal ke liye jhijhki. Lekin agle hi pal chachi ki aawaz dimagh mein ghoonjne lagi—“Agle baar late hui toh ghar mein ghusne nahi dungi!” Ye soch kar uske andar ka darr jeet gaya.

Usne jaldi se kaha, “Toh phir chalo, jaldi chalo, mujhe ghar jaana hai!”

Jab Aarav dheeme andaaz mein uthne laga, toh Anaya ne impatience mein uska haath pakad kar literally kheench liya, “Utho na, Aarav!”

Aarav ek dum se chok gaya. Uske haath ki naram ungliyan uski kalai ke gird thi. Ek ajeeb si garmi ka ehsas hua jo pehle kabhi mehsoos nahi kiya tha. Lekin Anaya toh bas dari hui thi, jaldi mein thi, aur bina kisi aur baat ka ehsaas kiye uska haath pakad kar bahar ki taraf bhaag gayi. Aarav sirf uske saath khechta chala gaya.

Wo dono café se bahar nikle, Anaya jaldi mein thi. Uske dil mein sirf ek soch thi—ghar kaise pahuchegi? Aarav ne casually kehna shuru hi kiya tha, “Are aram se, Anaya—”

Lekin uske alfaz poore hone se pehle hi Anaya ka paon entrance per slip ho gaya!

Jaise hi wo neeche girne lagi, ek tez par mazboot haath ne uski kamar thami. Uska pura wajood ek dum hawa mein ruk gaya.

Aarav ne usko itni mazbooti se pakda tha ke ek inch bhi neeche girne nahi diya. Anaya ki aankhein dar se band ho gayi thi, par jab usne mehsoos kiya ke wo neeche nahi ja rahi, toh dheere se usne apni palkein uthai.

Aur jaise hi usne dekha… uska dil ek pal ke liye ruk gaya.

Aarav sirf ek inch door tha. Itna kareeb ke uski garam saansain Anaya ke chehre se takra rahi thi. Uski dark brown aankhein Aarav ki intense nazron se mili aur ek ajeeb si halchal uske andar mach gayi.

Ek gehri saans… ek lamha jo ruk gaya.

Aarav ki ungliyan ab bhi uski kamar ke gird thi. Usk ke haathon ki grip tight ho gayi. Aarav ne pehli baar Anaya ki aankhon mein itna kareeb se dekha. Un gehri brown aankhon mein ek ajeeb si masoomiyat thi, ek ajeeb si bechaini bhi. Uske ek ek palak jhapakne ka ehsaas Aarav ko mehsoos ho raha tha.

Anaya ka dil tez tez dhadakne laga. Uske haathon ne Aarav ki shirt ko halka sa pakad rakha tha taake gir na jaye. Uska dil keh raha tha ki yeh ek ajeeb si ehsaas se bhara moment hai… magar dimagh keh raha tha “Control Anaya!”

Aarav ab bhi usko ghoor raha tha. Uska chehra itna kareeb tha ke Anaya ko uski saans bhi mehsoos ho rahi thi. Uski nazar Anaya ke khoye hue chehre par ja rahi thi—uski halki si parted lips, uska laal hota chehra, uski saans ka tez hona—sab kuch Aarav ko ek ajeeb si gehraai mein kheench raha tha.

Anaya ne thoda conscious hote hue halki si aawaz mein kaha, “Aarav…”

Aarav jaise is trance se nikla. Usk ke labon par ek dheemi si muskurahat aayi. Lekin uske andar ek ajeeb si uljhan thi. Yeh kya tha? Kyun uska dil bhi utni hi tez dhadak raha tha jitna Anaya ka?

Usne dheere se, bina uski aankhon se nazar hataye kaha, “Hamesha itni jaldi mein rehti ho ya sirf mujhe test karne ke liye?”

Anaya ke chehre ka rang aur bhi gehra ho gaya. Usne foran apni nazar neeche kar li, lekin ab bhi uska dil control mein nahi tha.

Anaya ne embarrassed hote hue jaldi se seedha hona chaha, “Woh… woh bas slip ho gaya tha.”

Aarav ne dheere se uski kamar se apne haath hataye, lekin jaise hi Anaya seedhi hone lagi, wo phir thoda hil gayi. Is baar Aarav ne uska haath thaam liya. Uske thande haathon ko apne garam haathon mein lete hi ek ajeeb sa jhatka mehsoos hua.

“Careful,” Aarav ne halki si muskurahat ke saath kaha, uska lehja ab bhi mazakia tha par uski nazrein kuch aur keh rahi thi.

Anaya ne apna haath jaldi se chhuda liya, jaise uske touch ne uske andar kuch badal diya ho. Uska chehra ab sirf blush nahi kar raha tha, balki uski aankhon mein ek ajeeb si chamak thi, jo pehle kabhi nahi thi.

“Chalo…” usne jaldi se kaha, apni awaaz ko normal banane ki koshish karte hue.

Aarav ne sirf usko dekha. Wo jeet raha tha.

Lekin… yeh jo ajeeb si garmi uske apne dil mein mehsoos ho rahi thi, yeh kya thi?

Scene 3: Poore raste dono ne ek bhi baat nahi ki.

Anaya apni khidki se bahar dekh rahi thi, magar uska dimagh sirf ek chehre ka tasavvur kar raha tha—Aarav. Uski nazar, uska muskurana, uska touch… Sab yaad aata ja raha tha.

Aarav bhi apni gari chala raha tha, magar har thodi der baad uski nazar Anaya ki taraf jati. Uski bechaini Aarav ko clearly dikh rahi thi, aur yeh dekh kar uske chehre par ek ajeeb si muskurahat aa rahi thi.

Jaise hi ghar ka mohallah aaya, Aarav ne gari slow ki. Anaya ne bina kuch kahe door khola aur nikalne lagi. Lekin jaise hi wo aage badhi, Aarav ki awaaz ne uske kadam rok diye.

“Anaya.”

Anaya ne dheere se mud kar dekha.

Aarav ki aankhon mein ek ajeeb si softness thi. Uska aaj ka aakhri stroke…

“Thank you… aaj ki coffee mujhe yaad rahegi.” Aarav ne dheeme lekin gahray lehje mein kaha.

Anaya ek pal ke liye chup rahi. Phir usne bas halki si nazar jhuka di, jaise uski dil ki halat ab lafzon se bayaan nahi ho sakti thi.

Aarav ne dheere se apni pocket se ek visiting card nikala aur uski taraf barhaya. “In case kabhi phir coffee peene ka mann kare.”

Anaya ne card dekh kar ek pal hesitation ki, lekin phir bina kuch kahe usko le liya.

Aarav ke lips par ek chhupi si victorious smile aayi. Wo jeet chuka tha.

Bina kuch aur kahe, usne gari start ki aur dheere dheere wahan se chala gaya… magar Anaya ka dil uske saath ja chuka tha.