Delhi ki garmiyon ka last week tha. Hawa bhari hui thi, aasman badalon se dhaka hua tha, jaise kuch bada hone wala ho. Log apne-apne kaamo me busy the, par nature apni kahani likhne ki tayari kar raha tha. Ek ladka tha jiska naam arav tha.
Aarav office se ghar ja raha tha. Uske haath me laptop bag tha aur dimag me deadlines. Uska din thoda stressful tha. Wo Connaught Place ke bus stop par khada tha, soch raha tha bas ghar pahunch jaaun, phir chai banaunga aur thoda relax karunga.
Tabhi achanak tez hawa chalne lagi.
Aasman me bijli chamki.
Aur bina warning ke baarish shuru ho gayi.
Wo normal baarish nahi thi. Wo monsoon ki pehli baarish thi — zor se, poori energy ke saath. Log bhaagne lage, dukaan wale plastic cover daalne lage, aur bus stop ke neeche jagah kam padne lagi.
Aarav bhi bhaag ke chhote se shade ke neeche aa gaya. Tabhi uski nazar us par padi.Ek ladki thodi door khadi thi, apni umbrella ko control karne ki koshish kar rahi thi. Hawa ne uski umbrella ko ulta kar diya tha. Par gusse hone ke bajaye, wo has rahi thi.
Sach me has rahi thi.
Jaise baarish uski dushman nahi, dost ho.
Aarav ko ajeeb sa laga. Aaj tak usne kisi ko baarish me itna khush nahi dekha tha.
Wo dheere se uske paas gaya.
"Help kar doon?" usne pucha.
Ladki ne upar dekha. Uski aankhen gehri brown thi, aur unme ek alag hi chamak thi.
"Agar aap is umbrella ko seedha kar sakte ho, toh please hero ban jao," usne muskura kar kaha.
Aarav halka sa hasa aur umbrella ko pakad kar dhyan se seedha kar diya. Thodi mehnat lagi, par ho gaya.
Lo ji, monster control me aa gaya," Aarav bola.
"Thank you…?" ladki ne poocha.
"Aarav."
"Meera" naam sunte hi jaise hawa thodi aur naram ho gayi.
Bus late thi. Baarish rukne ka naam nahi le rahi thi. Dono ek hi shade ke neeche khade the. Pehle thodi awkward silence thi, phir baat shuru ho gayi.
"Aap kya karte ho?" Meera ne pucha.
"Architect hoon. Logon ke ghar design karta hoon, phir wo complain karte hain ki balcony chhoti hai," Aarav ne halka sa mazaak kiya.
Meera hans padi. "Main classical dance teacher hoon. Bachchon ko dance sikhati hoon, aur wo complain karte hain ki main strict hoon."
"Strict ho?" Aarav ne tease kiya.
"Thoda sa. Perfection pasand hai."
Baarish aur tez ho gayi. Road par pani bharne laga. Par dono ko jaise time ka pata hi nahi chal raha tha.
Meera ne kaha, "Mujhe baarish pasand hai."
"Kyun?"
"Kyuki baarish sab kuch saaf kar deti hai. Sadken, ped, hawa… aur kabhi-kabhi dil bhi."
Aarav uski baat sun kar chup ho gaya. Usne kabhi is angle se nahi socha tha.
Thodi der baad bus aayi, par itni bheed thi ki chadh pana mushkil tha. Meera ne koshish ki, par jagah nahi mili.
Aarav ne kaha, "Lagta hai next bus ka wait karna padega."
Meera ne shoulders ucha diye. "No problem. Mujhe jaldi nahi hai."
Us waqt hawa me thandi si khushboo thi — mitti ki, baarish ki, aur naye shuruat ki.
"Coffee?" Aarav ne achanak poocha.
Meera ne surprise se dekha. "Abhi? Itni baarish me?"
"Wahi toh maza hai."
Thodi der ke hesitation ke baad Meera maan gayi.
Dono paas ke ek chhote se cafe me chale gaye. Cafe ke glass par baarish ki boondein lagatar tap-tap kar rahi thi. Andar soft music chal raha tha.
Aarav ne do coffee order ki.
Baatein phir shuru ho gayi. Is baar thodi personal.
Meera ne bataya ki uska sapna hai ek din apna dance academy kholna hai. Aarav ne bataya ki wo modern buildings design karta hai, par secretly use purani architecture pasand hai.
"Tumhe pata hai," Meera ne coffee stir karte hue kaha, "Har insaan ki life me ek aisi baarish aati hai jo sab badal deti hai."
"Jaise?" Aarav ne pucha.
"Jaise aaj ki baarish."
Aarav muskura diya. Shayad sach me kuch badal raha tha.
Us din ke baad dono ka milna routine ban gaya. Kabhi cafe, kabhi India Gate ki walk, kabhi random phone calls late night tak.
Aarav ko Meera ki hasi pasand thi. Meera ko Aarav ka calm nature.
Ek din Meera ne Aarav ko apni dance practice dekhne bulaya. Aarav pehli row me baith kar use dance karte hue dekh raha tha. Uski movements me grace thi, emotions the, aur ek kahani thi.
Performance ke baad Aarav ne dheere se kaha, "Tum sirf dance nahi karti… tum kahani sunati ho."
Meera ne halka sa sharmate hue kaha, "Aur tum sirf building design nahi karte… tum sapne banate ho."
Time ke saath dono aur close ho gaye. Par life hamesha simple nahi hoti.
Ek din Meera ko Mumbai se offer aaya — ek bada dance institute me teaching position. Ye uske career ke liye perfect opportunity thi.
Par iska matlab tha Delhi chhodna.
Meera confused thi. Aarav bhi.
"Tumhe jana chahiye," Aarav ne kaha, dil dabate hue.
"Par tum?" Meera ki awaaz halki si toot gayi.
Aarav ne muskura kar kaha, "Main yahin hoon. Agar hum sach me ek dusre ke liye bane hain, toh distance kuch nahi bigaad sakta."
Meera chali gayi.
Shuru ke din mushkil the. Calls, messages, video chats — sab tha, par saamne milna alag hota hai.
Ek shaam phir Delhi me tez baarish hui. Aarav wahi bus stop ke paas khada tha jahan wo pehli baar mile the. Usne aankhen band ki aur socha — kya wo wapas aayegi?
Tabhi usne peeche se ek awaaz suni.
"Hero, umbrella control karoge?"
Aarav ne palat kar dekha.
Meera khadi thi.
Wahi hasi. Wahi chamak.
"Tum… yahan?" Aarav ne hairani se pucha.
Meera muskuraayi. "Mumbai acha tha. Opportunity bhi great thi. Par maine realize kiya — career important hai, par kuch log usse bhi zyada important hote hain."
Baarish phir shuru ho gayi.
Is baar Aarav ne umbrella nahi khola.
Usne Meera ka haath pakad liya.
"Har insaan ki life me ek baarish aati hai jo sab badal deti hai," Aarav ne dheere se kaha.
Meera ne haan me sir hilaya. "Aur meri wo baarish tum the."
Baarish girti rahi.
Par ab dono ko bheegne ka darr nahi tha.
Kyuki jab pyaar saath ho, toh har baarish khoobsurat lagti hai.
The End ❤️