“Woh kehta tha, mohabbat lafzon mein nahi hoti… par uske har lafz mein sirf mohabbat thi.”

Kabhi kabhi kuch alfaaz dil ke itne kareeb hote hain ki unmein chhupi har khamoshi, har saans, har theherav apna sa lagta hai. Us din, jab main usse pehli baar mili thi, mujhe nahi pata tha ki uske lafz mujhe yun qaid kar lenge… jaise kisi purani ghazal ke misre hoon main, aur woh meri pehli sargam.

Shuruat ek aam subah se hui thi. Main, Aashi, ek simple si ladki, jise kitabein pasand thi, coffee ke bina din shuru nahi hota tha aur jo apne routine mein ghul ke zindagi ko ek shaant si diary jaise jeeti thi. Mumbai ki bheed mein apni chhoti si duniya leke chal rahi thi main, jab woh meri zindagi mein aaya—Aarav.

Us din main book café mein bethi apna laptop khol kar clients ke liye copywriting ka kaam kar rahi thi. Barish ki boondein kaanch ke sheeshe se takra rahi thi, aur Arijit Singh ki ‘Raabta’ background mein baj rahi thi. Har cheez perfect thi—except that mere saamne ki table par koi aadmi chhup chhup ke mujhe dekh raha tha. Pehli nazar mein ajeeb laga, par uski aankhon mein kuch tha... jaise har nazar kuch keh rahi ho, kuch dard, kuch afsana.

Main usually strangers se baat nahi karti, par jab waiter uske liye ek cappuccino aur mere liye ek hot chocolate le kar aaya, toh usne casually kaha, “Tumhe barish ke din chocolate pasand hai? Mazaa aa gaya. Tum waise hi ho jaise main sochta tha.”

Mujhe laga, “Sochta tha?” Main hairaan thi, “Aap mujhe jaante ho?”

Usne muskurate hue jawab diya, “Nahi. Par aise hi kisi din milne ka khwab zaroor dekha tha.”

Us waqt uski baat cheesy lagi, par uski aankhon mein ek ajeeb si sacchai thi. Jaise usne ye line kisi pick-up ke liye nahi, dil se boli ho. Jaise mohabbat uski zubaan pe nahi, uske nazar mein basti thi.

Hum dono ne us din pehli baar baat ki thi, lekin lagta tha jaise sau janmon ki baatein thi. Usne mujhe meri favorite book “The Little Prince” ke baare mein poocha, aur main uske jawaabon se hairaan thi. Usne kaha, “Jab tum kisi ko pehli baar dekhte ho aur lagta hai ki tum usse hamesha jaante ho... woh ya toh pichle janam ki yaadein hoti hain, ya kisi khaas mohabbat ki pehchan.”

Main hansi, “Aap kaafi filmy ho.”

“Main bas asli hoon,” usne kaha, “aur asli log thoda filmy hote hi hain.”

Us din ke baad main har bar us café mein jaane lagi, bina kisi wajah ke. Shayad kisi wajah ke saath. Aarav se baatein routine ka hissa ban gayi. Woh kabhi khud se mohabbat ka izhaar nahi karta, par uski har baat, har silence mein ek ehsaas chhupa hota. Jaise:

“Tumne baal khule chhode hain aaj, achha lag raha hai.”

Ya,

“Tum jab coffee mein do baar cheeni daalti ho, toh chehra zyada meetha lagta hai.”

Ya phir sirf woh ek lamha, jab main thak ke aankhon ko band karti aur uska haath mere haath pe hota, bina kuch kahe.

Woh kehta tha, “Mohabbat lafzon mein nahi hoti,” par mujhe har roz uske lafzon mein, uske andaz mein, uske theherav mein sirf mohabbat dikhai deti thi.

Par mohabbat ke saaye hamesha roshni nahi laate. Kabhi kabhi woh itne gehre hote hain, ke unmein kho jaane ka darr rehta hai.

Us din jab Aarav ne pehli baar mujhe goodbye kaha, kuch alag tha. Woh muskura raha tha, lekin uski aankhen bol rahi thi. Main samajh gayi thi, kuch baatein tootne wali thi. Par tab tak... main uske lafzon se mohabbat kar baithi thi.

Aur yahi meri kahaani ka pehla saaya tha… mohabbat ka, khamoshi ka, aur un lafzon ka jo kabhi kahe nahi gaye, par har roz mujhe kuch keh jaate the.

Us din jab Aarav ne goodbye kaha, kuch alag tha.

Café ke kone wali table par baith kar hum dono waise hi coffee pee rahe the jaise har baar peete the. Lekin uski aankhon mein woh chamak nahi thi… woh halki si muskurahat thi, lekin jaise uske peeche dard chup gaya ho. Usne mujhe dekha, thoda sa thehra, aur bola, “Kal se kuch din ke liye shaayad main na aa paun.”

Maine casually poocha, “Trip pe ja rahe ho?”

Woh sirf haan mein sir hila kar reh gaya. Lekin us haan mein ek khaamoshi thi, jaise uske peeche sau baatein ho, jo kehna chahta ho, par keh nahi raha. Mere dil ne ek pal ke liye theher ke socha, "Kya main kuch poochhun?" Par uske chehre ka sukoon dekh kar main chup ho gayi.

Phir bhi, maine halka sa muskurate hue kaha, “Jaana hai toh jao, waapas aane ka vaada toh kar lo.”

Aarav ne kuch nahi kaha. Sirf ek lambe se nazar se mujhe dekha. Jaise aankhon ke raaste yaad rakh lena chahta ho. Jaise uss ek pal ko mehsoos kar ke jeena chahta ho.

Fir usne kaha, “Tum jaanti ho na... main lafzon ka aadmi nahi hoon. Par tum samajh jaati ho.”

Maine us pal mein bas sir hila diya. Jaise kuch toot raha tha andar. Par uske samne main muskurayi.

Woh chala gaya.

Aur main... wahi bethi reh gayi.

Uske baad kuch din toh café jaana chhod diya maine. Har jagah uska hona mehsoos hota tha. Woh table, woh kursi, uska coffee ka mug, aur uske baat karne ka tareeka. Jaise har kona uski yaadon se bhara ho. Jaise hawa bhi uski baatein dohra rahi ho.

Main sochti rahi, kya ye sirf ek chhoti si doori hai, ya ek lambe faasle ka shuruat?

Ek hafte baad uska ek message aaya:

> “Tumhara favorite quote yaad aaya—‘What is essential is invisible to the eye.’ Shayad isiliye tumhari muskurahat sabse zyada dard chhupati hai. Take care, Aashi.”

Bas itna hi. Koi location nahi, koi vada nahi, koi wapas aane ka din nahi. Sirf ek ehsaas, ek hint, ek dard jo usne mere liye likh diya tha. Uski baatein phir se wahi thi—lafzon mein mohabbat nahi kehna... par unke har harf mein sirf mohabbat bhar dena.

Aur main? Main har din us message ko padh ke, uski yaadon ke saath ek nayi diary likhne lagi. Har page mein woh tha. Har raat mein uski aahat.

Woh gaya nahi tha. Woh bas mere aaspaas zyada mehsoos hone laga tha.....

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this time I wanted to write something new although I'm not good at urdu and hindi as I'm from marathi background. I tried hard to make it more readable .I hope this will be of your liking. And it's been a long since I have wrote something since my previous books has been copied so I request everyone not to copy my work. Because I work very hard to plot everything. Please love this work it won't disappoint you.