Woh Aakhri Mulakaat – Sad Story

Hum dono ki pehli mulaqat graduation ke pehle din hui thi. Class me itni bheed thi ki baithne ki jagah bhi mushkil se mil rahi thi. Main akela ek bench par baitha tha, tabhi wo aayi aur dheere se boli,
“Yahan koi baitha hai?”
Maine muskurate hue kaha, “Nahi.”
Aur bas wahi se hamari kahani shuru ho gayi.

Pehle hum sirf classmates the, phir dost bane, aur dheere-dheere ek dusre ki aadat ban gaye. College khatam hone ke baad bhi hum ghanto tak campus me ghoomte rehte. Kabhi canteen me samosa khate, kabhi chai peete hue future ke sapne dekhte. Har chhoti baat ek dusre se share karte. Agar ek din bhi baat na ho, to lagta tha jaise din adhura reh gaya.

Log aksar hume sath dekhkar kehte, “Tum dono ki jodi achhi lagti hai.”
Hum bas hans dete the… par dil me shayad dono hi kuch aur mehsoos karte the.

Sab kuch bahut achha chal raha tha. Lekin phir dheere-dheere sab badalne laga.

Ek din usne bataya ki uski life me koi aa gaya hai. Wo bahut khush lag rahi thi, aur main… main bas uski khushi me khush hone ka natak kar raha tha. Us din ke baad jaise sab kuch dheere-dheere badalne laga.

Pehle hum roz baat karte the, phir hafte me ek baar, aur phir kabhi-kabhi. Uske paas ab mere liye waqt kam hone laga. Jab bhi main message karta, reply der se aata. Calls bhi jaldi khatam ho jati. Aur ek din to aisa bhi aaya jab usne mera message dekha hi nahi… ya shayad dekh kar ignore kar diya.

Main samajh raha tha ki wo mujhse door ho rahi hai, lekin phir bhi dil maan ne ko tayyar nahi tha.

Ek din achanak uska message aaya,
“Kal mil sakte ho? Shayad aakhri baar.”

Ye padhkar dil zor se dhadakne laga. Samajh nahi aa raha tha khush hoon ya darr raha hoon.

Agli shaam hum wahi mile jahan hum aksar baithte the. Wahi purani bench, wahi chai ki dukaan… par sab kuch alag lag raha tha. Wo mere saamne baithi thi, lekin pehle jaisi baat nahi thi. Dono chup the.

Kuch der baad usne dheere se kaha,
“Shayad ab hume kam milna chahiye… use achha nahi lagta.”

Maine muskurane ki koshish ki aur bola,
“Haan, samajh sakta hoon.”

Par sach to ye tha ki main kuch bhi samajhna nahi chahta tha.

Humne us din bhi chai mangwayi, lekin wo chai pehle jaisi nahi thi. Na usme wo hasi thi, na wo baatein. Bas khamoshi thi.

Jate waqt usne kaha,
“Apna khayal rakhna.”

Main bas itna hi keh paya,
“Tum bhi.”

Wo mudkar chal di… aur main wahi khada use jate hue dekhta raha. Dil kar raha tha use awaaz du, rok lu… par pair jaise jam gaye the.

Us din ke baad hum kabhi nahi mile.

Kabhi-kabhi aaj bhi main usi jagah chala jata hoon. Wahi bench par baithta hoon, chai mangwata hoon… aur sochta hoon,
kaash us din main use bata deta ki wo mere liye kya thi.

Shayad kuch badal jata…
Ya shayad nahi.

Par wo hamari aakhri mulaqat thi…
Aur kuch mulaqatein sach me aakhri hi hoti hain.