Ego and Heart

Episode 7 – Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai?

Anaya dheere dheere apne ghar ki taraf barh rahi thi, lekin uske kadam bas chalte ja rahe the… dimagh kahin aur tha, dil kahin aur.

Aarav ki muskurahat, uski garm saansain, uski aankhon ki gehraai—sab kuch ab bhi uske aas paas mehsoos ho raha tha. Jaise wo abhi bhi uski baahon mein thi.

Ghar ka darwaza khola toh samne hi chachi gusse se khadi thi, haath kamar par aur chehre par wohi sakht narazgi.

“Kaha thi itni der tak?” Chachi ka tez lehja goonj gaya.

Magar aaj Anaya ek alag hi duniya mein thi. Pehli baar uska dil itna halka lag raha tha, pehli baar usko kisi baat ki fikr nahi ho rahi thi. Usne sirf ek baar chachi ki taraf dekha, phir bina jawab diye kitchen ki taraf chal padi.

Chachi hairan. Ye ladki aaj jawab kyun nahi de rahi?

Lekin Anaya ko sirf ek hi cheez yaad thi—Aarav.

Jaise hi usne chulha jalaya aur sabzi kaatne lagi, uske haathon ki har harkat automatic si ho gayi. Dimagh toh ab bhi café ki uss table par tha, jahan Aarav uski aankhon mein dekh raha tha.

“Aap hamesha itni serious rehti hain?”

Anaya ke haathon ka motion slow ho gaya. Haan, wo waise hi toh thi.

“Aap khud ko jitna ordinary samajhti hain, utni hain nahi.”

Uske labon par ek chhupi si muskurahat aa gayi. Koi pehli baar usko ‘ordinary’ se zyada keh raha tha.

Khana bana kar aayi, sabko serve kiya, lekin apni plate sirf khaali tak karne ke liye khaayi. Asal mein toh wo sirf ek cheez ‘taste’ kar rahi thi—Aarav ka naam apne dil mein.

Raat ka sannata… aur ek dil jo shor macha raha tha.

Anaya bed par let gayi, magar neend? Aaj usse door door tak koi taluq nahi tha.

Usne pillow apne pairon ke neeche rakha, ek side se dusri side mud gayi, lekin jo pal uska peecha nahi chor raha tha wo sirf ek tha—

Uska slip hona… aur Aarav ka usko mazbooti se thamna.

Ek dum se uska dil tez dhadakne laga. Uski woh strong bahen… uske gird woh garam ahsaas… uska woh intense nazar bhar ke dekhna…

Anaya ne aankhein band kar li, magar ab toh tasavvur aur bhi zyada clear ho gaya.

“Careful.”

Aarav ki soft lekin masti bhari awaaz uske kaanon mein ghoonjne lagi.

Uska chehra ek dum se laal ho gaya. Ye kya ho raha tha? Kyun ho raha tha?

Usne apne haath se apna chehra dhaka, jaise khud se chhup rahi ho. Pehli baar kisi ka touch uske dil ko chu gaya tha.

Pehli baar kisi ki nazar itni gehri mehsoos ho rahi thi.

Usne apne bed ke paas rakha Aarav ka visiting card uthaya. Dheere se card ki smooth surface ko anglio se mehsoos kiya.

Usne uska naam likha tha.
Aarav.

Dil ne ek ajeeb sa mehsoos kiya. Ek ajeeb si garmi, ek ajeeb si halki si kasak… jo pehle kabhi nahi mehsoos hui thi.

Usne card apne chest ke paas rakha aur aankhein band kar li. Dil ki duniya abhi Aarav se bhari hui thi… aur us raat, bas uska naam hi uske saath raha.

Scene 2 – Jeet Ka Nasha

Aarav aaj jeet chuka tha. Uski pehli jeet.

Jo ladki hamesha uski presence ko ignore karti thi, jo usse befiqar thi, jo uske hone na hone se be-asar thi…
Aaj uske baare mein soch rahi thi.

Aur yehi toh chahta tha Aarav.

Anaya ab uske ehsaas mein band chuki thi.

Woh apni favorite coffee shop aaya, wahi jagah jahan usne pehli baar Anaya ko dekha tha. Ek ajeeb si tasalli thi yahan aane mein. Jaise jeet ka maza lene ke liye yahi behtareen jagah ho.

Usne apni usual coffee order ki, phir relaxed hokar apni favorite jagah par baitha. Aaj ka din celebrate karne ka time tha.

Usne coffee ka pehla sip liya. Garm… gehra… aur sukoon bhara. Bilkul us pal ki tarah jo aaj usne jeeta tha.

Aarav apni ungli se coffee ka cup ghumata raha, jaise apni soch se khel raha ho.

“Anaya…” Usne dheere se apne aap se kaha, “Tumne mujhe ignore karna chaha tha na? Meri presence tumhe koi effect nahi karti thi na?”

Ek egoistic muskurahat uske chehre par aayi.

“Par ab tum soch rahi ho na, Anaya?”

“Ab tumhara dil maan raha hai na ke main sirf ek usual ladka nahi hoon?”

Aarav ko wo pal yaad aaya… jab Anaya uske haathon mein thi. Woh bechaini jo uski aankhon mein thi, wo halki si sharm jo uske chehre pe thi…

Usne jeet liya tha us moment ko.

Usne apna phone nikala, us visiting card ka doosra copy dekha jo usne Anaya ko diya tha.

“Usne rakh liya hoga, mujhe pata hai. Kyunki ab main uski soch mein hoon. Ab toh usk call ka intezaar hai”

Ek aur sip coffee ka… aur ek aur sukoon bhari muskurahat.

Magar…

Kahin andar ek aur ajeeb sa ehsaas bhi jaag raha tha.

Ek ajeeb si halchal… jo sirf ego ki jeet ki wajah se nahi thi.

Ek mehsoos hoti hui bechaini… jo bas ek game ka hissa nahi lag rahi thi.

Aarav ne apni aankhein band ki, aur ek tasveer saamne aa gayi—
Anaya ki aankhein… wo pal jab wo slip hui thi… wo halka sa larazta hua saath…

“Mujhe sirf ek game jeetni thi… toh phir yeh ajeeb si kasak kyun mehsoos ho rahi hai?”

Usne apni muskurahat dabaai, coffee ka akhri sip liya aur phone wapas rakh diya.

Bas. Koi fuzool soch nahi.

Par jaate jaate, ek chhoti si halki si awaaz andar se uthti rahi—

“Jeet toh tumhari ho gayi, Aarav… par agar yeh sirf ek game hai, toh tumhari jeet ka sukoon adhoora kyun lag raha hai?”

Usne sir ko jhatka aur coffe shop se bahir nikal aya.

Scene 3 – Dil Ki Majboori

Anaya har din bus stop par jaati, magar Aarav nahi aata.

Pehle wo bas ek nazar idhar udhar karti, lekin jab roz wohi natija hota, toh uska dil bechain hone laga.

“Kahan gaya?”
“Kya woh mujhe bhool gaya?”

Shaam ko jab ghar jaati, toh wohi visiting card uthati. Dheere se uske naam par ungli pherti, jaise kisi mehboob ki yaad ko mehsoos kar rahi ho. Phir sharmate hue usse apne seene se laga leti… jaise koi chhupi hui tamanna ho jo uske dil ke andar pal rahi ho.

Rozana raat ko woh sirf ek baat sochti thi—

“Kya mujhe call karni chahiye?”

Magar agle hi pal dil ek naya sawaal uthata—

“Agar usne mujhe judge kiya toh?”
“Agar usne samjha ke main usmein zyada interested hoon?”

“Agar usne samjha ke main uske peeche hoon?”

Yehi sochte sochte din guzarte gaye…

Lekin aaj… aaj Anaya ne himmat karli thi.

Office se nikalti waqt usne apne dil ko samjhaya, “Bas! Aaj sochna nahi, sirf call karni hai.”

“Mujhe usse sirf baat karni hai… sirf uski awaaz sunni hai… bas.”

Dosri taraf—

Ek hafta guzar gaya tha. Aarav ne na Anaya ko dekha, na uski koi call aayi.

Ajeeb si haalat ho gayi thi. Woh banda jo hamesha apni jeet ka maza leta tha, aaj khud ek ajeeb si kashmakash mein tha.Uski jeet, haar lagne lagi thi.

Bed par letkar apna sar crown headboard se tika diya, aankhein band kiye bas ek hi cheez soch raha tha—

“Kya mujhe galat fehmi thi?”
“Kya main bas ek pal ke liye uske dil mein tha?”

Aarav ki ungliyon ne apne phone ko halke se ghooma… shayad bas yeh dekhne ke liye ke koi message toh nahi aaya…

Aur tabhi—

Phone ring hua.

Screen par ek number chamka. Ek ajeeb si chamak uski aankhon mein bhi aayi.

Woh number…
Jiska intezaar tha.

Uske lips par ek victory smile aayi. “Finally…”

Aarav ne dheere se phone uthaya… magar jawab nahi diya. Chup chaap, ek halki si muskurahat ke saath, bas call bajne di.

Kyunki jeet ka maza tabhi aata hai jab doosri taraf ki bechaini mehsoos ho.