Title: “Kya Main Uski Thi?”
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Part 1: Vo pehli baar…
Main usse pehli baar apne favourite café mein mili thi. Nahi, koi dramatic entry nahi thi. Na slow motion, na music. Bas woh aaya… ek plain black hoodie mein, thoda thaka hua, par aankhon mein ajeeb si clarity thi.
Mujhe laga tha, main sirf usse ignore karne wali hoon. Jaise har naye ladke ko karti hoon. Par us din, pata nahi kyun, uski aankhon mein ruk gayi main.
Woh meri table ke paas aaya aur bola, “Yeh chair free hai?”
Main ne bas haan mein sir hila diya.
Baith gaya. Aur silence ke beech mein hum dono ne coffee pee. Bina naam jaane, bina formalities ke.
Lekin jaate jaate usne bola,
"Waise… tum uncomfortable ho toh sorry. But… tumhaare aas paas ek shaanti si hoti hai."
Aur main uske baad pehli baar... raat bhar so nahi payi.
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Part 2: Naam tha uska Abeer
Ek week baad woh fir mila — wahi café, wahi table.
Main hans ke boli, “Aap roz yahin aate ho?”
Usne bola, “Nahi. Bas jab lagta hai tum mil jaogi.”
Naam uska Abeer tha. Aur woh kisi aur duniya ka lagta tha. Uski baatein simple thi, lekin unmein weight hota tha.
Woh mujhe sunta tha. Pura ka pura. Bina interrupt kiye, bina judge kiye.
Jab maine usse bataya ke mujhe logon se darte dar lagta hai — ke log use karke chale jaate hain — toh usne bas itna bola:
“Main jaane walo mein se nahi hoon. Jab tak tum mujhe khud nahi bhejogi.”
Aur uss raat… main sach mein ro padi thi. Kyuki mujhe yaad nahi tha, kisne mujhe aakhri baar itne pyar se dekha tha bina kuch chaahe.
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Part 3: Kuch tha humare beech
Hum kabhi couple nahi the. Humne kabhi "I love you" nahi bola.
Par woh mujhe har important din yaad dilata tha — bina calendar ke. Exam ke pehle ek handwritten note chhodta tha —
"Tum sirf achhi student nahi, tum achhi insaan bhi ho."
Woh meri maa ke liye bhi chocolates laata tha, just because “she raised someone so wonderful.”
Par mujhe darr lagta tha. Mujhe pyaar ka concept hamesha heavy laga hai. Kyuki mere past ne mujhe yahi sikhaya: jo pyaar karta hai, woh chhod ke chala jaata hai.
Phir bhi, main usse roz milti thi. Apne sab fears ke saath. Woh tha. Steady. Calm. Real.
Par ek din… sab khatam ho gaya.
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Part 4: Aur woh chala gaya
Us din Abeer ne mujhe dekha, fir seedha bola,
“Tum mujhse door ja rahi ho, Aanya.”
Main ne kuch nahi kaha.
Main bas chup thi.
Kyuki main ready nahi thi.
Pyaar… itna safe kabhi laga hi nahi tha. Aur safe cheezein… scary hoti hain.
Woh gaya nahi tha, maine usse jaane diya tha.
Usne last baar poocha,
“Agar kahu ki main tumse pyaar karta hoon, toh kya tum bhaag jaogi?”
Main ne aankhon mein aansu lekar kaha,
“Pyaar ki wajah se hi toh bhaag rahi hoon.”
Aur woh chala gaya. Bina gusse ke, bina dard dikhaye. Sirf ek chhoti si muskaan ke saath. Jaise jaanta ho, main usse deserve nahi karti.
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Part 5: Saal baad…
Aaj 2 saal ho gaye hain.
Main us café jaati hoon kabhi kabhi. Wahi table, wahi kursi. Shayad uski yaad chhod ke gaya tha.
Main successful hoon. Naye log, naye circle, naye dreams.
Par jab raat ko mirror mein dekhti hoon apne aap ko… toh sirf ek sawal hota hai:
“Kya main uski thi?”
Shayad nahi.
Par ek cheez jaanti hoon.
Usne mujhe woh pyaar diya jo maine kabhi maanga nahi.
Woh chala gaya, par usne mujhme ek khaali jagah chhod di — ek khud pe bharosa, ek ajeeb sa sukoon… aur ek itna gehra dard… jo shayad kabhi bhar nahi sakta.
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"Woh aaya tha bina kisi wajah ke… aur chala gaya bina kisi shikayat ke. Shayad isiliye usse bhool paana… kabhi mumkin nahi hua."
