Station ki bheed dheere dheere khatam ho rahi thi…
Train ja chuki thi.
Lekin Ayaan aur Zoya ab bhi wahi khade the—
ek dusre ke paas… lekin aane wale waqt se anjaan nahi.
"Ayaan…" Zoya ne dheere se kaha,
"Ab sach me problem shuru hogi."
Ayaan ne halka sa smile kiya,
"Main ready hoon."
Zoya ne turant jawab diya,
"Tumhe lagta hai… lekin tum nahi ho."
Ayaan ne uski aankhon me dekha,
"Toh bana do mujhe ready."
Zoya kuch bol nahi paayi.
Dono station se bahar aaye.
Road par aate hi Zoya ruk gayi.
"Mujhe ghar jaana hoga…" usne kaha.
Ayaan confuse hua,
"Tumne abhi kaha tum nahi jaogi?"
"Main shaadi ke liye nahi jaungi," Zoya ne clarify kiya,
"Lekin ghar jaana padega… warna wo log khud yahan aa jayenge."
"Main tumhare saath chalunga," Ayaan ne turant kaha.
"NO!" Zoya almost chilla di.
Log unki taraf dekhne lage.
"Tum nahi jaante mera family kaisa hai," Zoya ne dheere se kaha,
"Wo log… simple nahi hain."
Ayaan ne calmly bola,
"Main bhi itna weak nahi hoon."
Zoya ne sir hila diya,
"Ye strength ka game nahi hai Ayaan… ye control ka game hai."
"Phir kya plan hai?" Ayaan ne pucha.
Zoya ne thoda socha… phir kaha—
"Ek last chance try karte hain… main ghar jaake baat karti hoon."
"Aur agar wo log mana kar dein?" Ayaan ne seedha pucha.
Zoya ne aankhen jhuka li—
"Toh phir… hume bhaagna padega."
Ye word sunte hi Ayaan serious ho gaya.
"Tum ready ho iske liye?"
Zoya ne uski taraf dekha—
"Sirf tumhare liye."
Silence.
Ayaan ne uska haath pakda,
"Main wait karunga."
Zoya ne halka sa smile kiya…
lekin us smile me darr chhupa hua tha.
"Kal… isi jagah… same time," usne kaha.
Ayaan ne haan me sir hila diya.
Aur phir…
Zoya chali gayi.
Is baar Ayaan ne usse roka nahi.
Kyuki ab game change ho chuka tha.
🕯️ SAME DAY – ZOYA KA GHAR
Ek bada sa house.
Heavy gate.
Security.
Sab kuch ekdum strict.
Zoya dheere dheere andar enter karti hai.
Uska dil zor zor se dhadak raha hai.
"Zoya."
Ek heavy awaaz aayi.
Wo ruk gayi.
Samne uske father khade the.
Unki aankhon me gussa clearly dikh raha tha.
"Kahan thi tum?" unhone thande tone me pucha.
Zoya ne himmat jodi,
"Main… college me thi."
"Jhoot."
Sirf ek word.
Aur hawa heavy ho gayi.
"Tumhe lagta hai hume kuch pata nahi?" unhone aage badhte hue kaha,
"Us ladke ke saath thi na tum?"
Zoya ka dil ruk gaya.
"Ayaan…" usne dheere se socha.
"Naam kya hai uska?" unhone gusse me pucha.
Zoya chup rahi.
"MAIN POOCH RAHA HOON!" unki awaaz gunj uthi.
Zoya ne aankhon me aansu ke saath kaha—
"Ayaan."
Ek second ka silence…
Phir—
THAPPAD
Zoya side me gir gayi.
Uski aankhon me aansu aa gaye… lekin usne awaaz nahi nikali.
"Tumhe sharam nahi aati?" unhone gusse me kaha,
"Shaadi fix hai tumhari… aur tum kisi aur ke saath ghoom rahi ho?"
Zoya dheere se khadi hui…
Aur pehli baar…
Usne aankhon me aankhen daal kar kaha—
"Main usse pyaar karti hoon."
Room me silence chha gaya.
Unke father ka face aur dark ho gaya.
"Pyaar?" wo hase… lekin wo hasi dangerous thi,
"Tumhe lagta hai ye filmon jaisa hota hai?"
Zoya ne seedha jawab diya—
"Mere liye hota hai."
"Kal tumhari engagement hai," unhone cold tone me kaha.
Zoya ka dil toot gaya.
"Kya…?" usne shock me kaha.
"Everything is fixed," unhone kaha,
"Tum kahin nahi ja rahi."
"Main ye shaadi nahi karungi!" Zoya ne himmat karke kaha.
Unke father uske paas aaye…
Aur dheere se bole—
"Tum karogi."
"Ya phir…"
Wo thoda rukke…
"Ayaan karega."
Zoya ka khoon jam gaya.
"Matlab?" uski awaaz kaanp rahi thi.
"Us ladke ko hum easily gayab bhi kar sakte hain," unhone thande tone me kaha,
"Tumhe lagta hai tumne kya choose kiya hai?"
Zoya ke haath kaanpne lage.
"Aaj raat tak decide kar lo," unhone last warning di,
"Family… ya wo ladka."
Zoya apne room me daud gayi.
Door band kiya.
Aur zameen par baith kar ro padi.
"Main kya karun…" wo baar baar keh rahi thi.
Usne phone nikala…
Ayaan ka number open kiya…
Call karne lagi…
Phir ruk gayi.
"Main usse danger me nahi daal sakti…" usne dheere se kaha.
Us raat…
Zoya ne ek decision liya.
🌙 NEXT DAY – SAME PLACE
Ayaan time se pehle aa gaya.
Uske face par tension thi… lekin hope bhi.
"Zoya aayegi…" wo khud se bol raha tha.
Time beetne laga.
5 minute…
15 minute…
30 minute…
Zoya nahi aayi.
Ayaan ka dil dheere dheere heavy hone laga.
"Impossible…" usne kaha,
"Wo promise karke gayi thi…"
Tabhi…
Uska phone vibrate hua.
Message.
Zoya ka.
Ayaan ne turant open kiya.
"Please mujhe mat dhundhna."
"Main tumhari life se ja rahi hoon."
"Aur haan… main tumse pyaar nahi karti."
Ayaan ka dimaag blank ho gaya.
"Ye jhoot hai…" usne dheere se kaha.
Usne call kiya.
Phone switched off.
Ayaan wahi khada reh gaya…
Jaise uski duniya uske saamne toot gayi ho.
Usse samajh nahi aaya—
Kal tak jo ladki uske liye sab kuch chhodne ko ready thi…
Aaj wo itni easily kaise chali gayi?
Lekin usse ye nahi pata tha—
Ye decision pyaar ki kami se nahi…
uski protection ke liye liya gaya tha.