Subah Aayan Doctor Salim ke cabin mein baitha tha.
Doctor kuch der tak reports dekhte rahe.
Phir unhone gehri saans lekar Aayan ki taraf dekha.
Doctor Salim: "Aayan... humne har report dobara check ki hai."
"Ania ki bimaari bahut tezi se badh rahi hai."
"Hum ilaaj kar rahe hain... lekin sach ye hai ki is stage par theek hone ki umeed bahut kam hai."
Ye alfaaz sunte hi Aayan ki aankhon se aansu nikal aaye.
Usne toot'ti hui awaaz mein poocha—
Aayan: "Doctor... koi aur raasta?"
Doctor Salim: "Hum koshish chhodenge nahi."
"Lekin ab sabse zyada zaroori hai ki Ania ko sukoon mile."
"Koshish kijiye ki woh khush rahe."
Aayan chup ho gaya.
Uske paas kehne ke liye kuch bhi nahi tha.
Hospital ke corridor mein khade hokar usne apne aansu ponchhe.
Usne khud se ek wada kiya—
"Jitne din bhi Ania mere saath hai... main uski har khwahish poori karunga."
Woh muskuraata hua Ania ke kamre mein gaya.
Ania: "Doctor ne kya kaha?"
Aayan ne uske paas baithkar kaha—
Aayan: "Doctor ne kaha hai ki tum jaldi theek ho jaogi."
Ania uski aankhon ko dekhkar samajh gayi...
Ki woh jhooth bol raha hai.
Lekin usne bhi kuch nahi kaha.
Bas muskura di.
Agle kuch hafton mein...
Aayan Ania ko un sab jagahon par le gaya jahan woh jaana chahti thi.
Kabhi dono shaam ko samundar ke kinare baithte...
Kabhi kisi pahadi par suraj doobte dekhte...
Kabhi sirf ek cup chai ke saath ghanton baatein karte.
Ek din Aayan Ania ko us nadi ke paas le gaya...
Jahan bachpan mein usne gusse mein apni notebook phenk di thi.
Ania kuch der tak us behti hui nadi ko dekhti rahi.
Uski aankhon mein purani yaadein tairne lagi.
Ania: "Pata hai..."
"Us din mujhe laga tha ki maine apni zindagi ka sabse pyara hissa kho diya."
Aayan ne dheere se uska haath thaam liya.
Aayan: "Nahi..."
"Us din sirf ek notebook khoi thi."
"Lekin Allah ne uski jagah tumhe ek nayi kahani di."
"Hamari kahani."
Ania ki aankhon se aansu beh nikle.
Usne dheere se apna sar Aayan ke kandhe par rakh diya.
Ania: "Agar meri zindagi dobara shuru ho..."
"To main phir se tumhe hi apna humsafar chunungi."
Aayan muskura diya.
Lekin us muskurahat ke peeche uska toot'ta hua dil chhupa tha.
Us raat...
Ania ne Aayan ko ek chhoti si diary di.
Ania: "Ye sirf tab padhna..."
"Jab main tumhare saamne na rahun."
Aayan ne foran mana kar diya.
Aayan: "Mujhe ye diary kabhi nahi chahiye."
"Mujhe sirf tum chahiye."
Ania ne halka sa muskura kar diary uske haath mein rakh di.
Ania: "Kabhi-kabhi mohabbat ko alfaaz sambhal kar rakh lete hain..."
"Insaan nahi."
Aayan ne diary ko seene se laga liya.
Uske dil mein ek ajeeb si bechaini thi.
Usse mehsoos ho raha tha...
Ki waqt bahut tezi se uske haathon se phisal raha hai.
Aur shayad...
Unki kahani apne aakhri mod ke kareeb pahunch chuki thi.
To Be Continued...