Raat ke 2:17 baj rahe the. Phone screen ki halki si roshni Aarohi ke chehre par seedhi pad rahi thi. Aankhon ke neeche halka sa sujan… shayad zyada sochne ki wajah se, ya phir rone ki.
Screen par sirf ek chat open thi.
"Last seen 9 days ago…"
Aarohi ne dheere se screen scroll ki… upar… aur upar… aur aur upar. Har message ek yaad ban chuka tha. Har line ek chhoti si story thi jo ab sirf uske dimag mein hi repeat ho rahi thi.
"Tu soyi nahi abhi tak?"
"Pagal hai kya tu 😂"
"Call karu?"
Ek second ke liye uske lips par halki si smile aayi… phir turant gayab.
"Ab call kyu nahi karta…" usne dheere se khud se kaha.
Room bilkul khamosh tha. Fan ki awaaz bhi ajeeb lag rahi thi — jaise woh bhi usse judge kar raha ho.
Usne phone lock kiya.
Phir 3 second baad… dubara unlock.
Yeh cycle pichle 9 din se chal raha tha.
9 Din Pehle…
10 March.
Subah 11:32.
Aarohi ka phone vibrate hua.
"Hey…"
Sirf ek word. Bas ek "Hey".
Lekin uske liye… jaise kisi ne dil ke darwaze par zor se knock kiya ho.
Is baar usne turant reply nahi kiya.
Nahi. Is baar woh strong rehna chahti thi.
5 minute… 10 minute… 20 minute…
Phir usne reply kiya —
"Hmm?"
Cool banne ki koshish.
Andar se? Dil already fast chal raha tha.
Conversation normal shuru hui. Thodi hasi-mazaak, thodi casual baatein.
Par phir…
Ek message aaya.
"Tu itni attach kyu ho jati hai?"
Aarohi ka haath wahi ruk gaya.
Jaise time freeze ho gaya ho.
"Attach?" usne dheere se khud se repeat kiya.
Uska dimag turant pichle 2 mahine rewind karne laga…
Har call. Har late night baat. Har "I care for you".
"Toh woh sab kya tha…" usne socha.
Back to Present (19 March)
9 din ho chuke the.
Na koi message. Na call. Na explanation.
Aarohi bed par seedhi lete hue ceiling ko dekh rahi thi.
"Shayad main hi zyada ho gayi…"
"Shayad main hi galat thi…"
"Shayad… main hi enough nahi hoon…"
Yeh "shayad" usse andar se tod raha tha.
Usne side table se apni CA Final ki book uthayi.
"Accounts – Volume 2"
Page khola.
5 second tak dekha.
Kuch samajh nahi aaya.
Page band.
"Main padh kyu nahi pa rahi…" usne frustrate hoke book side mein rakh di.
Sach simple tha —
Problem books nahi thi.
Problem dimag mein chal raha storm tha.
Same Raat – 3:05 AM
Phone fir se unlock.
Chat open.
Aarohi ne type kiya…
"Hi…"
Ruki.
Delete.
Phir type kiya…
"Tu theek hai?"
Phir ruki.
Delete.
Phir type kiya…
"I miss you…"
Is baar uski aankhon mein aansu aa gaye.
Usne message ko 10–15 second tak dekha…
Aur phir…
Send.
Message chala gaya.
Ab wait start.
1 minute.
2 minute.
5 minute.
10 minute.
Blue tick bhi nahi.
Aarohi ne phone apne chest par rakh liya.
Aankhen band ki.
Aur sirf ek thought…
"Main itni weak kyu hoon…"
Next Morning
Subah 9 baje.
Sunlight directly uske face par pad rahi thi.
Phone uthaya.
Chat open.
Still single tick.
Dil ek second ke liye bilkul neeche gir gaya.
"Block toh nahi kar diya…" usne turant check kiya.
Profile pic abhi bhi thi.
Status bhi.
"Toh phir reply kyu nahi…"
Yeh "kyu" sabse dangerous hota hai.
Answer nahi milta… aur dimag khud ki kahaniyaan banata rehta hai.
Afternoon – 1:20 PM
"Mummy! Lunch kar le!"
"Ha aa rahi hu!" Aarohi ne zor se bola.
Par woh gayi nahi.
Woh bas bed par baithi rahi.
Phone haath mein.
Screen blank.
Dimag full.
Usne ek baar mirror mein dekha.
Aankhen suji hui.
Hair messy.
Face dull.
"Ye main hoon?" usne khud se poocha.
Woh Aarohi jo confident thi…
Jo sabko advice deti thi…
Jo strong thi…
Woh kahaan gayi?
Evening – 6:45 PM
Phone vibrate.
Aarohi literally uchal gayi.
Chat open.
Heart racing.
Par…
Koi random notification.
Usne phone zor se bed par phek diya.
"Bas! Ab nahi!" usne gusse mein bola.
Par 30 second baad…
Phir uthaya.
Raat – 11:58 PM
9 din complete.
Aarohi ne finally khud se ek sawal poocha…
"Main apni life kisi aur ke reply par kyu depend kar rahi hoon?"
Silence.
Koi answer nahi.
Par ek ajeeb si feeling aayi…
Jaise andar kuch change ho raha ho.
Usne phone uthaya.
Chat open ki.
Is baar…
Kuch type nahi kiya.
Bas ek kaam kiya.
Mute.
Par kahani yahin khatam nahi hoti.
Kyuki us raat…
Jab Aarohi finally sone ja rahi thi…
Uska phone ek baar fir vibrate hua.
Unknown number.
Message:
"Tu itni easily give up kar degi, maine socha nahi tha."
Aarohi ka dil ek second ke liye ruk gaya.
"Yeh kaun hai…"
Aur sabse important…
Isse meri life ke baare mein kaise pata…?
To be continued…