Ghar ke andar jaate hi ek khushbu ne mujhe ghera, kuch purani kitabon aur freshly washed kapdon jaisi. Ghar bhi bilkul unke jaise tha, simple, saaf, lekin kahin-kahin tanha. Main seedha AC ke paas gaya, aur check karte waqt dekha ki sirf switch loose tha.
Jaise hi button dabaya, meri nazar un par pad gayi. Wo red cotton saree mein thi, halki si paseene se bheegi hui, pallu shoulder se halka sa fisla hua tha. Collarbone se kamar tak ek ajeeb si chamak thi. Garmi aur unki body ki warmth ek sath mehsoos ho rahi thi.
Main kuch seconds ke liye ruk gaya. Unki aankhon mein kuch tha, tanha sa, lekin aisa jo dil kheench leta hai. Unhone kaha, “Bahut garmi ho rahi hai,” aur pallu se gardan pochne lagi. Meri nazar unke hathon ke is motion pe thi aur unke wet skin par bhi.
Unhone meri taraf dekha, thoda muskurayi, “Tumhara naam Manav hai na?” Maine haa mein sir hila diya. Fir unhone paani offer kiya. Hum thoda baith kar baat karne lage. Us din laga jaise bas dosti shuru hui ho. Bahut normal, lekin andar hi andar kuch shift ho raha tha.
Agle kuch hafton mein hamari mulaqatein badh gayi. Kabhi grocery lene chale jaate, kabhi unka beta jab so jata to unhe bore lagta to mujhe bula leti. Chai banati aur hum baatein karte. Main sunta tha, wo bolti thi, kabhi apne college ke dino ke baare mein, kabhi us shehar ke baare mein jahan unka sasural tha.
Kayi baar unka chehra bejaan ho jata, par fir wo khud hi us moment se nikal aati thi. Jaise apne dard ko chhupa lene ka hunar aata ho. Ek baar jab unhone apna hath meri taraf badhaya aur kaha, “Thoda sugar pass kar doge?” Us chhoti si baat mein bhi ek intimacy thi.
Mujhe unka intezaar rehta tha. Har subah, har shaam. Unki muskurahat meri neend ban gayi thi, unka “Hi” mera din. Main jaanta tha ki wo shaadi-shuda thi, unka ek beta tha, ek family thi. Lekin dil kya jaane, boundaries nahi samajhta.
Ek din maine unse keh diya, “Shreya, mujhe tum achi lagti ho. Aur main sirf tumhe dekh kar nahi, tumse baat karke bhi wahin feel karta hu jo ek ladka kisi ladki ke liye karta hai.”
Unhone pehle to kuch nahi kaha, sirf aankhon mein dekhti rahi. Fir ek gehri saans lekar boli, “Mujhe tumhare sath time bitana acha lagta hai. Aur main bhi kabhi-kabhi kuch mehsoos karti hu.”
Uske baad cheezein badal gayi. Hamari conversations lambi hone lage. Raat mein unka message aata, “So gaye?” Main turant reply karta, “Nahi, tumhari awaaz ki aadat ho gayi hai.” Unka hasna, unka “Crazy ho tum” kehna, sab kuch mere dil mein ghar karta jaa raha tha.
Unke ghar ka ek kona mera favourite ho gaya tha, drawing room ki khidki ke paas wali kursi, jahan se unki kitchen dikh jati thi. Kabhi-kabhi wo mujhe wahin se dekh ke hath hilati thi, jaise keh rahi ho “Bas thoda sa ruk jao, main aa rahi hu.”
Ek shaam maine unhe coffee pe bulaya. Hum ek quiet cafe mein gaye, jahan light slow jazz chal raha tha. Unhone white kurti pehni thi, baal khule the. Main sirf unhe dekhta hi raha. Unki aankhon mein wo gehra-pann tha, jaise kuch unsaid kehna chaahti ho. Coffee ke baad hum unke ghar aaye.
Beta so chuka tha. Unhone kaha, “Thoda ruk jao.” Maine kaha, “Agar main ruk gaya to ho sakta hai main khud ko control na kar pau.” Unhone meri taraf dekha aur kaha, “Kabhi-kabhi kisi ko sirf mehsoos kiya jata hai. Zaroorat nahi hoti har cheez kehne ki.”
Main sofa par baitha tha. Pallu unka dheere se shoulder se slide hua. Unka neck mujhe clear dikh raha tha. Unka hath mere hath par tha, aur hum dono sirf ek-doosre ki aankhon mein dekh rahe the. Maine dheere se unka hath pakda, aur poocha, “Shreya, agar main tumhe choo lu, to kya tum rokogi?”
Unhone sir hila kar mana kiya. Maine unka face apne dono hatho mein lekar dheere se unke lips ko chhua. Unka touch naram tha. Unka response natural tha. Unhone aankh band karke kiss return kiya. Hum dono ke beech ek slow intense silence tha, jisme sirf hum the.
Unka hath meri chest pe aaya. Unki saanse tez thi. Maine unke lips par kiss diya aur fir dheere se unki kamar ko pakda. Unka saree ka pallu dheere se aur slide ho gaya, aur hum dono ek-doosre ke bahut paas aa gaye. Us pal mein koi hosh nahi tha, bas ehsaas tha.
Unki aankhon mein kuch to tha, ek darr, ek khushi ka mixture. Maine unka chehra apne paas kiya aur kaha, “Mujhe tum poori chahiye, tumhare jazbaat, tumhara dard, tumhari tanhayi aur tumhara pyaar, sab kuch.” Uske baad waqt jaise ruk sa gaya.
Apko ye kahani kaisi lagi please mail karke response dena fnxkd11@gmail.com
Next part jaldi leke aaunga main.