Ego and Heart

Episode 9

Scene 1

Aarav door se aati Anaya ko dekh kar ek dilfareb muskurahat deta hai. Uski nazar us par theharti hai, jaise wo kisi khoobsurat manzar ko dekh raha ho. Anaya ke dil ki dhadkane tez ho jati hain. Jab wo uske paas aati hai, toh sharam aur hairani ke milay julay jazbat uske chehre par numayan hote hain.

“Aarav… aap yahan kaise?” Anaya halki si kanpati awaz mein poochti hai, jaise abhi tak uske samne usko dekhne ka yaqeen na ho. Aarav dheere se uski aankhon mein jhankta hai, ek gehri muskurahat uske honton par khelti hai. Anaya jhat se nazar jhuka leti hai, jaise uski nigahon ki garmi ko seh nahi paa rahi ho.

Aarav ek kadam aur uske kareeb aata hai aur halka sa muskara kar ke kehta hai, “Socha tumhe khud chal kar apna phone dekh doon… ab mera phone bilkul charge hai.” Uska lehja halka sa shararat bhara tha, par awaaz mein ek ajeeb si narmi thi.

Anaya ka dil zor se dhadak gaya. Usko subha ke bole huye alfaz yaad aa gaye—

“Woh… woh actually main na… pehle confirm karna chahti thi ke tumhara phone chal raha hai ya nahi…”

Jaise hi ye yaad aya, uska chehra sharam se tamatar ki tarah laal ho gaya. Aarav uske chehre ke udte-badalte rang dekh kar zor se hansa. “Arey yaar, mazak kar raha hoon!” Aarav ne hansi dabate hue kaha. Anaya ne gusse se aankhein uthai aur use dekha. Uska sharminda chehra dekh kar Aarav aur zyada muskuraya.

“Waise sach bataun?” Aarav halka sa jhuk kar uski aankhon mein dekhta hai. “Aaj bohot boring meeting thi, socha kisi achi company mein coffee pee jaaye… toh chalein?”

Anaya ne uski baat sunkar thoda hairat se dekha, lekin uske chehre par ek ajeeb si muskurahat thi. “Achi company?” Woh dheemi si awaaz mein boli.

Aarav ne uski hairani dekh kar ek aur muskurahat di aur bola, “Arey baba, tumhari baat kar raha hoon. Tumhari company mujhe achi lagti hai. Bas yaar, bohat bore meeting se aa raha hoon, chalo chal kar achi si coffee peete hain, phir mein tumhe ghar drop kar dunga.”

Is baar uska lehja aur bhi be-takallufi bhara tha, jaise woh koi purana dost ho. Anaya jo abhi tak ye sab digest nahi kar pa rahi thi, ek robot ki tarah sir haan mein hila kar uske saath chal di. Uska dil ab bhi zor-zor se dhadak raha tha. Yeh sab uske liye naya tha—Aarav ka itna casually usse baat karna, uski teasing, uska confident andaz… Yeh sab uske andar ajeeb si halchal macha raha tha. Lekin ek baat toh sach thi—Aarav ki company usko bhi achi lagti thi… bohot achi.

Scene 2: Pyaar Ka Safar Aur Ek Naya Mod

Din yunhi guzarne lage. Anaya aur Aarav ab roz milne lage the. Pehle sirf ek ajnabi mulaqat thi, phir dosti bani, aur ab… ab yeh dosti kuch aur hi shakal le chuki thi. Anaya ke liye Aarav sirf ek dost nahi raha tha, balke uska dil har waqt usi ka naam lene laga tha. Woh jab bhi uske saath hoti, waqt jaise ruk sa jata. Har mulaqat mein ek naya jadoo, ek naya ehsaas tha jo Anaya ko aur bhi gehriyon mein le ja raha tha.

Aarav ne usko apne hissar ka aadi bana diya tha. Jo larki pehle uski taraf dekhna bhi pasand nahi karti thi, ab usi ki ek jhalak dekhne ke liye bechain rehti thi. Unko yun milte hue teen mahine guzar gaye the. Har din ek naye pyaar bhare lamhe ka izafa karta, aur har raat Anaya ke dil ki gehraiyon mein Aarav ka naam aur bhi gehra hota ja raha tha.

Romantic Dates:
Unki mulaqat kabhi kisi coffee shop mein hoti, kabhi kisi park mein, aur kabhi bus stop ki kisi lambai baithak pe. Aarav har mulaqat mein kuch naya layata—kabhi ek ajeeb sa joke jo sirf usi ko samajh ata, kabhi ek teasing remark jo Anaya ko sharmane par majboor kar deta, aur kabhi bina kuch kahe uski ankhon mein woh baat keh jata jo alfaz se kehna mushkil hota hai.

Ek raat jab barish ho rahi thi, Aarav ne bina soche Anaya ka haath pakad kar use bheegti sarrkon par le gaya. Pani ki bundein unke chehron par gir rahi thi, aur Anaya ka dil tez tez dhadak raha tha. Woh chah kar bhi apna haath chhuda nahi paayi thi. Aarav ne dheere se kaha, “Bheegne ka maza sirf tab ata hai jab saath koi apna ho.”

Anaya ki saansein tez ho gayi. Woh jaanti thi ki yeh sab mazak nahi tha. Is bande ki her harkat, her baat uske dil ka ek tukda aur chura rahi thi.

Aarav Ka Naya Irada:
Aaj raat Aarav apne bedroom mein gheri soch mein dooba hua tha. Ek haath se phone ghoom raha tha, aur doosre haath se usne apni aankhein band kar ke anaya ka tasavvur kiya. Yeh game ab bore kar raha tha… pehle sab kuch ek mazedar chaal thi, ek chhoti si jeet, ek ego ki satisfaction. Magar ab yeh sirf ek game nahi raha tha. Anaya uske hissar mein thi, lekin woh is rishte ko ek naye mod per le jaana chahta tha.

Uske chehre par ek shaitani muskurahat ubhri. “Tumhe lagta hai yeh bas dosti hai, Anaya? Tumhe lagta hai tum is se nikal sakti ho?”

Aarav ne phone uthaya aur ek naya plan tay kiya. Ab yeh game next level par jaane wala tha… aur Anaya ko iska andaza bhi nahi tha.

Scene 3

Aaj Aarav ne khud aane ke bajaye Anaya ko coffee shop mein directly bulaya tha. Aarav ne kaha tha ke wo meeting se seedha coffee shop aa jayega, toh wo bhi wahi aa jaye. Anaya ko toh bas usse milna tha, isliye jaise hi office ki chhutti ka time hua, wo jaise urti hui bus station ke paas coffee shop mein aa gayi.

Jab usne coffee shop ka darwaza khola, toh uske qadmon ko jaise zameen ne jakar liya. Saamne ka manzar uske hosh uda dene ke liye kaafi tha. Aarav ek ladki ke saath kaafi be-takalluf andaaz mein baitha tha. Uska haath us ladki ke kandhon par tha, aur wo ladki bhi usse bohot apnayat se baat kar rahi thi. Dono be-hisaab hans rahe the, ek doosre ke bohot kareeb.

Anaya ki aankhein ek pal ke liye jhapakna bhool gayi. Dil ki dhadkan ruk si gayi thi. Tabhi Aarav ki nazar us par padi, aur usne apni usual confidence ke saath Anaya ko apne paas aane ka ishara kiya. Anaya dheere-dheere chali gayi, jaise uske qadmon mein jaan na ho.

Uske chehre par dukh aur takleef ke asar saaf nazar aa rahe the. Aankhein laal ho chuki thi, jaise kisi ne uska sab kuch chin liya ho. Aarav, jo uski halat dekh kar dil ki gehraiyon tak sukoon mehsoos kar raha tha, ek beparwah muskurahat ke saath bola,

“Arey Anaya, inse milo. Yeh meri girlfriend Dania hai.”

Girlfriend? Dania?!

Yeh do shabd Anaya ke kaanon mein ek bomb ki tarah phootay. Usne phati-phati nazron se Dono ko dekha. Uska dimag kaam karna bandh kar chuka tha.

Anaya be-ikhtiyaar bol uthi, “Par tum toh mujhe pasand…?”

Uske alfaaz mukammal hone se pehle hi Aarav ka mazak se bhara qehqaha uske samaton se ja takraya.

“Kya kaha? Main… Aarav Kapoor… tumhe pasand karta hoon?”

Uski awaaz mein tamaskhur aur hakarat thi jo Anaya ki izzat ke tukde-tukde kar rahi thi.

“Bhai maine ye kab bola? Tum middle-class ladkiyon ki yehi problem hoti hai. Jahan koi ameer ladka hans kar baat kar le, tumhe lagta hai ke wo tum par mar mit gaya hai!”

Aarav ne beparwahi se aankh mari aur bola,

“Hello! Asli duniya mein aao, Anaya. Main Aarav Kapoor hoon, aur main aise hi kisi bhi airi gairi ladki ko pasand nahi karta!”

Dania mazaak udhane wale andaaz mein hans padi. Anaya ke liye ye zillat ki inteha thi. Lekin Aarav rukne wala nahi tha.

“Sach bolo Anaya, kya tumhe sacchi mein laga tha ke tum jaise ladki ko main pasand karunga?” Aarav ne mazaak udhane wale andaaz mein kaha. “Come on yaar! Tumhari soch bhi tumhari tarah middle class hai.”

Anaya ki aankhon se qatra qatra aansu beh rahe the. Dil itna toot chuka tha ke saansein lena bhi mushkil lag raha tha. Lekin phir bhi, usne himmat juti.

Usne apne behte aansuon ko bedardi se pochha, apne chehre ka dukh chhupaya, aur ek confident lekin dukh bhari nazar Aarav par daali jo abhi bhi maze se hass raha tha.

Phir wo aage badhi aur sakht lekin shant lehje mein boli,

“Bas bohot ho gaya, Aarav Kapoor. Tum samajhte kya ho apne aap ko? Koi bhi ladki tumhare liye sirf ek khilona hai kya? Tum bhool rahe ho, main nahi aayi thi tumhare paas, tum aaye the mere paas!”

Aarav ka qehqaha ek pal mein rukh gaya.

“Coffee peeni thi? Achi company chahiye thi? Aarav Kapoor, Mujhe laga tha tum ek acha insaan ho, lekin mujhe nahi pata tha ke tum insaan kehlane ke bhi laayak nahi ho!”

Aarav, jo abhi tak uski halat se sukoon le raha tha, ab chup tha. Pehli baar kisi ne usse is tarah jawab diya tha.

Lekin Anaya rukne wali nahi thi.

“Aur haan! Tum jaise logon ke liye ek mashwara hai—agar kisi ki feelings se khelne ka itna shauq hai, toh kisi din aise gir jaoge ke uth bhi nahi paoge!”

Ye kehkar Anaya bina rukay, bina peeche dekhe ek toofan ki tarah coffee shop se nikal gayi.

Aarav jo abhi tak maze le raha tha, ab uske yeh alfaaz sunkar ek pal ke liye freeze ho gaya.