Woh Ajnabi Mujhe Itna Kaise Jaanta Tha

Us din main bas apne kaam se thaka hua ghar laut raha tha. Metro se utar kar main ek chhoti si gali se guzra hi tha ki ek aadmi ne mujhe rukne ko kaha. Uski age koi 35-40 ke beech hogi, simple kapde, halki daadhi, aur aankhon mein ajeeb si pehchaan. Main pehle toh ignore karne laga, lekin usne mera naam aise bola jaise hum school ke dost ho.

"Tum abhi bhi raat ko chai peena chhod nahi paaye na?" usne muskurate hue kaha.

Main freeze ho gaya. Yeh baat sirf mere ghar ke log jaante the. Main usse pehli baar dekh raha tha, phir bhi uski awaaz mein aisi familiarity thi ki mere body mein goosebumps aa gaye. Maine pucha, "Aap kaun ho? Mujhe kaise jaante ho?"

Woh thoda sa side mein hua, jaise kisi purani yaad ko sambhaal raha ho. Phir bola, "Tumhari first job mein tumne jo blue shirt pehni thi, us din tumne apna interview almost miss kar diya tha. Aur tumhari maa ab bhi tumhare liye extra roti rakhti hai."

Ab mujhe sach mein darr lagne laga. Ye sab details itni specific thi ki coincidence maanna mushkil tha. Main usse dekh raha tha aur dimaag mein ek hi sawaal tha: kya yeh koi prank hai, ya koi mujhe stalk kar raha hai?

Usne phir ek aur line boli jo mujhe andar tak hila gayi. "Tumne ek baar apne best friend ko maaf nahi kiya tha. Us din ke baad tumne khud ko bhi maaf karna bandh kar diya."

Yeh sunte hi meri saans ruk si gayi. Kyunki woh baat kisi ko nahi pata thi. Woh mera sabse personal guilt tha, jise main saalon se andar dabaye baitha tha. Maine usse pakad kar pucha, "Tumhe ye sab kaise pata? Tum kaun ho?"

Woh halka sa smile karte hue bola, "Kabhi-kabhi zindagi mein kuch log aise milte hain jo tumhari kahani ka hissa hote hain, bina bataaye."

Phir usne apni jeb se ek purana sa folded paper nikala aur meri taraf badha diya. Us par meri handwriting mein likha ek address tha. Ek aisa address jahan main bachpan mein rehta tha, aur jise maine kab ka bhula diya tha. Us moment par mujhe laga jaise koi pura purana darwaza achanak khul gaya ho.

Main us paper ko dekh raha tha aur jab dobara utha kar us aadmi ko dekha, woh wahan tha hi nahi. Gali khaali thi. Na koi footstep, na koi awaaz, na koi shadow. Jaise woh hawa mein ghul gaya ho.

Us raat main bahut der tak so nahi paaya. Dimag mein bas wahi chehra, wahi baatein, aur wahi sawal ghoom raha tha: woh mujhe itna kaise jaanta tha? Kya woh koi purana rishtedaar tha, koi bhoola hua dost, ya phir meri zindagi ka aisa sach jo main kabhi samajh hi nahi paaya?

Agli subah maine woh paper dobara dekha. Us par sirf address nahi tha, neeche ek line aur likhi thi: "Jo khud se bhaagta hai, usse ajnabi bhi pehchaan lete hain."

Tab mujhe pehli baar ehsaas hua ki shayad woh aadmi meri identity nahi, meri andar chhupi hui kahani padh raha tha. Aur us din ke baad main har ajnabi ko alag nazar se dekhne laga, kyunki kuch log sirf milte nahi, woh aapki zindagi ka sabse gehra raaz chhod jaate hain.