Ego and Heart

Episode 8 – Dil ki Awaz ya Dimagh ka Shor?

Scene 1 – Anaya ki Bechaini

Aarav ka phone bajta raha… lekin koi jawab nahi aya.

Anaya ne phone ka screen dekha, “Call Ended.”

Uska dil ek ajeeb si bechaini se bhar gaya. Jaise kisi ne uske andar koi cheez tod di ho.

“Kyun nahi uthaya?” Yeh sawaal uske dimagh mein ek bomb ki tarah phoota.

Phir ek aur, phir ek aur… aur dekhte hi dekhte, dimagh ke andheron mein ajeeb ajeeb sawaalon ka tufan uth gaya:

“Usne dekha bhi hoga ya bina dekhe reject kar diya?”
“Kya wo jaan bujh kar ignore kar raha hai?”
“Uske saath koi aur larki toh nahi thi?”
“Main uske liye sirf ek maze ka khel thi?”
“Ya phir… usko sach mein koi farq nahi padta?”

Anaya ne visiting card uthaya, uska naam ungliyon se trace kiya. Pehli dafa usse mehsoos hua ki shayad wo ek ajeeb si feeling mein ulajh chuki hai. Jo uska dil maanne ko tayar nahi tha, lekin dimagh baar baar keh raha tha:

“Anaya, tum gir rahi ho… bohot bura gir rahi ho.”

Lekin dil?
Dil sirf ek cheez chah raha tha—Aarav ki awaaz sunna. Bas ek dafa.

Usne phone wapis uthaya… kuch dair dekhti rahi… par phir apne aap se haar gayi. Aur aahista se side table par rakh diya.

Scene 2 – Aarav ki Shaitani Muskurahat

Aarav apne bed per tha. Uska phone side per rakha tha, screen per “Missed Call – Anaya” chamak raha tha.

Uske lips pe ek dilchasp magar shaitani muskurahat aayi. Usne jaan boojh kar call pick nahi ki thi.

Usne ek gehri saans li, apne haath apne sir ke neeche rakhe aur chhat ko dekhte hue dheere se bola,

“Tumne mujhe ignore kiya tha na, Anaya?”
“Ab mehsoos karo… ignore karna kitna dard deta hai.”

Uska dil ek ajeeb sukoon mehsoos kar raha tha. Ek jeet ka ehsaas.

Lekin ye sirf shuruaat thi. Aarav ki muskurahat aur gehri ho gayi.

“Abhi toh shuruaat hai, meri jaan… ab dekhna, tumhari mujh se befiqri ki kya saza deta hoon.”

Usne phone uthaya, screen per Anaya ka naam ab bhi tha. Lekin wo bas dekhta raha… bina koi call wapis kiye.

Aarav ko aaj jeet ka nasha mehsoos ho raha tha. Lekin saath hi… kahin andar ek ajeeb sa ehsas bhi ho raha tha.

Wo haarne ka nahi… par kuch aur…
Ek ajeeb si garmahat… ek ajeeb si soch… jo abhi usne apne andar daba rakhi thi.

Lekin aaj nahi. Aaj ki raat sirf jeet ki thi.

Scene 2 – Dil Ki Halat, Dimagh Ka Bahana

Subah ki pehli roshni kamre ke parde se andar aa rahi thi, magar Anaya ki aankhein ab bhi raat ki nami apne andar samaaye hue thi. Jo aansu raat ko tootay dil ka saboot ban kar beh gaye the, unka asar ab bhi uski laal aankhon mein tha.

Jaise hi uthne ki koshish ki, sir ek dum bhaari lagne laga. Kal raat ka har lamha phir se dimaagh mein ghoom gaya. Aarav ka call na uthana… woh bechaini jo uske har cell mein bhar chuki thi.

Uska bilkul mann nahi tha office jaane ka. Bas kisi tareeke se chhup jana chahti thi… lekin nayi job thi, chhutti lena risk tha.

“Agar chhutti ki aur nikal diya toh?”

Yeh soch kar majboori mein usne apne thake qadmon se washroom ka rukh kiya.

Dusri Taraf – Aarav Ki Jeet Ka Naya Subah

Aarav ki subah ek dum fresh thi. Raat ki jeet ka sukoon ab bhi uske chehre par tha. Usne phone uthaya, screen per ab bhi “Missed Call – Anaya” ki notification chamak rahi thi.

Ek lambi muskurahat uske lips pe aayi.

“Chalo jaan… tumhe itna bhi nahi tarpata.”

Usne bina soche call milai.

Anaya Ki Dhadkan Aur Aarav Ki Awaaz

Jaise hi Anaya washroom se bahir aayi, uska phone ring karne laga.

Ek pal ke liye dil ek dham se ruk sa gaya. Jaise jaise screen ki taraf dekha, ek pal ko laga shayad koi sapna dekh rahi ho. Aarav Calling…

Dil ne ek zor ka dhadka liya. Ungliyon mein halka sa compulsion aya, par phir dharakte dil se call receive kar li.

“Hi Anaya… kaisi ho?”

Aarav ki awaaz mein ek halki si naram si fikar thi, jo bas sunne wale ka dil pighla de.

“Sorry, raat ko jaldi so gaya tha… phone silent pe tha, isliye tumhari call nahi uthai. Koi urgent baat thi?”

Aarav bilkul casually, jaise sab normal ho, wazahat de raha tha. Magar Anaya?

Uska dimagh sun, aur dil behosh ho chuka tha.

Wo chup rahi… bas uski awaaz sun rahi thi, jaise kisi trance mein kho gayi ho.

Dusri taraf, Aarav uske bechaini ko mehsoos kar raha tha. Usne chal hi aisi chali thi. Dil churana koi usse seekhe.

Halki si muskurahat lekar phir bola, “Hello Anaya… are you there?”

Anaya ek jhatke se reality mein aayi, samajh nahi aya kya kahe. Kuch bolna zaroori tha, warna aur sharminda hoti.

“Umm… wo… haan… actually… main… main bas yeh kehna chahti thi k…”

Aarav shaitani muskuraya.

“Haan? Kya kehna chahti thi?”

“Woh… woh actually main na… pehle confirm karna chahti thi k tumhara phone chal raha hai ya nahi… kyunki… kal raat ko pick nahi kiya tha na, toh laga shayad… battery dead ho gayi ho?”

Aarav ek dum se hans para.

“Battery? Really Anaya?”

Anaya ne aankhein band ki. “Yeh kya keh diya maine?! Stupid! Stupid!”

Dusri taraf, Aarav ki muskurahat aur gehri ho gayi.

“Acha… toh tum isliye call kar rahi thi?”

Anaya jaldi se boli, “Haan… nahi… mera matlab… haan… matlab… nahi… uff! Choro!”

Aarav ki hassi ab chup nahi sakti thi. “Tum waqai cute ho, Anaya.”

Anaya ka dil ek dum tezi se dhadak gaya.

Usne jaldi se keh diya, “Main late ho rahi hoon… bye!” aur bina suna call cut kar di.

Par phir… jaise hi call kata, uske lips pe khud ba khud ek chhoti si muskurahat aagayi.

Aarav ne wapas phone dekha, sar hilaya aur halka sa hansa.

“Game on, Anaya.”

Scene 3 – Dil Ki Raahon Mein Aarav Ka Intezaar

Aarav ki awaaz sunte hi jaise Anaya ka poora din chamak utha tha. Jo dil abhi raat bhar udaas tha, ab woh halki halki dhadkanon mein ek naya geet gaa raha tha. Har cheez jaise ek nayi roshni mein dikhne lagi thi.

Jo qadam ab tak bhaari lag rahe the, wo ab zameen par tik hi nahi rahe the. Dil kisi bache ki tarah khush tha, jaise koi badi jeet mil gayi ho. Par jab mirror dekha toh aankhein laal thi, raat bhar jo aansu aaye the, unka nishaan ab bhi wahan tha.

“Ye kya haal bana liya hai maine?” Woh halki si muskurayi, jaise khud se keh rahi ho, “Pagal ho chuki ho Anaya!”

Lekin phir bhi, andar ek ajeeb si roshni jag chuki thi.

Nashta banate waqt…

Chai overboil ho gayi! Usne gas band ki aur sir pakad liya.
Toast jal gaya! Woh haste haste phenkne lagi.
Phone dhoondhne lagi aur dekha… haath mein hi tha!

Woh sharm se aankhein band kar ke apne hi haath ki peeth par zor se maara. “Focus Anaya, focus!”

Par kaise? Dil toh kisi aur raaste chal pada tha.

Tayaar hote waqt apni favorite perfume lagayi, mirror mein dekha aur phir bina wajah muskurane lagi. Jaise koi bachpana wapas aa gaya ho.

Aur phir… waqt aaya office jaane ka.

Office mein bhi mood zabardast tha. Kaam bhi aise ho raha tha jaise kisi ne turbo mode on kar diya ho. har chehra achha lag raha tha, aur har baat funny lag rahi thi. Jahan kal tak office boring lagta tha, aaj woh jagah ek naya rang le chuki thi.

Aankhon ke samne ek hi chehra baar baar aa raha tha.

Aur phir… chhutti ka waqt ho gaya.

Bus Stop Par Ek Anokha Manzar

Anaya jaise hi bus station par pohonchi, uske saamne ek manzar tha jo uske dil ki saari dhadkanon ko ek pal ke liye rukwa gaya.

Aarav.

Woh door khada tha. Jaise kisi hero ki entry hoti hai.

Wohi confident style, haath pockets mein, lekin chehre par ek ajeeb si shaitani muskurahat. Jaise keh raha ho, “Haan, main hoon yahan. Aur tumhare liye hoon.”

Anaya ke qadam ek dum ruk gaye.

Dil ka ek zor ka dhadkan, aur phir ek dum silence.

Jaise poori duniya ruk gayi ho.

Uski aankhein sirf ek cheez dekh rahi thi—Aarav.

Aur phir achanak…

Beep! Beep!

Ek tez horn bajta hai.

Anaya ek jhatke se reality mein aayi… Woh road cross kar rahi thi!

Ek second ke liye samajh hi nahi aaya ki woh kya kar rahi thi. Yeh kaun sa nasha tha jo hosh udaa raha tha?

Woh khud se ghabra gayi. Apni ajeeb si halat par sharm aane lagi. Agar kisi ne dekh liya toh?

Par phir usne bas ek nazar Aarav ko dekha…

Aur jaise qadam khud ba khud uski taraf chalne lage.

Jaise koi anjaan taqat usko kheench rahi ho.

Jaise uske dil ki raahon mein ab sirf ek manzil ho—Aarav.