I Wish We Never Met You 6th chapter

Chapter 6 — Falling Without Realizing

"Pyaar aksar awaaz karke nahi aata..."

"Woh dheere-dheere aadaton mein ghul jaata hai."

"Aur jab tak humein samajh aata hai..."

"Tab tak dil uska ho chuka hota hai."

Raat ke 9:40 baj rahe the.

Station par bheed thi.

Announcements lagataar ho rahe the.

Log apne bags sambhal rahe the.

Kisi ko ghar pahunchne ki jaldi thi.

Kisi ko kisi apne se milne ki.

Aur Aarav...

Platform number 4 par khada tha.

Uske saamne Naina thi.

Haath mein ticket.

Kandhe par bag.

Aur chehre par woh muskaan...

Jo aaj poore din uske saath rahi thi.

Poora din.

Sirf kuch ghante.

Lekin Aarav ko lag raha tha jaise woh usse saalon se jaanta ho.

"Toh..."

Naina ne dheere se kaha.

"Toh?"

"Main chalti hoon."

Aarav ne muskurane ki koshish ki.

"Haan."

Bas ek shabd.

Lekin us ek shabd ke peeche kitni baatein chhupi thi...

Ye dono jaante the.

Train aane ki announcement hui.

Aur pata nahi kyun...

Aarav ka dil achanak bhaari sa ho gaya.

Subah jab woh mila tha...

Tab usne socha bhi nahi tha ki shaam itni jaldi aa jayegi.

"Kya hua?"

Naina ne poocha.

"Kuch nahi."

"Jhooth."

Aarav hans diya.

"Tum har baat pakad leti ho."

"Tum har baat chhupate ho."

Dono kuch second tak ek dusre ko dekhte rahe.

Phir train platform par aa gayi.

Log chadhne lage.

Naina ne bag sambhala.

"Achha suno."

"Hmm?"

"Diary mein aaj mere baare mein accha likhna."

Aarav hans pada.

"Guarantee nahi de sakta."

"Pata tha."

Dono phir hans diye.

Aur phir...

Woh pal aa gaya.

Naina train mein chadh gayi.

Darwaze ke paas khadi hokar usne haath hilaya.

Aarav bhi muskura diya.

Lekin jaise hi train chalne lagi...

Uske dil mein ajeeb sa khaali-pan bharne laga.

Jaise koi cheez peeche chhoot rahi ho.

Jaise shehar wahi ho.

Raat wahi ho.

Log wahi ho.

Lekin phir bhi sab badal gaya ho.

Train dheere-dheere door chali gayi.

Aur Aarav bahut der tak wahi khada raha.

Usne phone nikala.

Ek message aaya tha.

Naina:

"Miss kar rahe ho?"

Aarav muskura diya.

Aarav:

"Train ko ya tumhe?"

Naina:

"Dono mein se jo zyada important ho."

Aarav ne screen ko dekha.

Kuch seconds tak.

Phir sirf itna reply kiya:

"Tumhe."

Naina ne koi reply nahi kiya.

Bas ek heart emoji bhej diya.

🤍

Aur us chhote se emoji ne poori raat Aarav ko sone nahi diya.

Us raat ghar lautkar Aarav apne kamre mein aaya.

Sab kuch pehle jaisa hi tha.

Table.

Books.

Lamp.

Diary.

Lekin woh pehle jaisa nahi tha.

Usne diary kholi.

Aur likha:

"Aaj woh chali gayi."

"Aur mujhe samajh nahi aa raha..."

"Ki sirf ek din ki mulaqat itni yaad kyun aa rahi hai."

Kuch second baad usne ek aur line likhi:

"Shayad isliye kyunki kuch log milkar nahi..."

"Dil mein rehkar jaate hain."

Din guzarne lage.

Lekin ab sab kuch badal chuka tha.

Pehle dono sirf raat mein baat karte the.

Ab subah uthte hi message.

College pahunchkar message.

Lunch ke time message.

Class boring ho to message.

Raat ko call.

Aur phir call par neend.

Aarav ab college mein bhi zyada muskuraane laga tha.

Uske dost bhi notice karne lage.

"Bro, kya scene hai?"

"Kuch nahi."

"Kisi se baat chal rahi hai?"

"Nahi."

Lekin dil ke andar ek awaaz aati:

"Shayad."

Ek shaam Naina ne video call kar di.

"Hello boring aadmi."

"Tumhara ye naam kab khatam hoga?"

"Kabhi nahi."

Dono hans pade.

Naina apne room mein baithi thi.

Peeche books rakhi thi.

Ek chhota sa lamp.

Khidki ke paas hawa se hilte parde.

Aur uski aankhon mein wohi thakaan thi...

Jo kabhi-kabhi call par mehsoos hoti thi.

"Tum thak gayi ho?"

Aarav ne poocha.

Naina kuch seconds chup rahi.

Phir muskurayi.

"Thoda."

Aarav ne mehsoos kiya.

Woh kuch chhupa rahi hai.

Lekin usne poocha nahi.

Kyunki har raaz ka ek waqt hota hai.

Aur shayad abhi woh waqt nahi tha.

Waqt ke saath dono aur kareeb hote gaye.

Itne kareeb ki kabhi-kabhi bina bole bhi samajh jaate the.

Aarav ko Naina ki favourite chai pata thi.

Uski favourite movie.

Uska favourite gaana.

Uski aadat ki jab woh udaas hoti thi to achanak topic change kar deti thi.

Aur Naina ko pata tha...

Ki Aarav stress mein ho to diary likhta hai.

Khush ho to khidki ke paas baithta hai.

Aur udaas ho to "I'm fine" bolta hai.

Dono sab samajhne lage the.

Bas ek cheez nahi samajh pa rahe the.

Ya shayad samajhkar bhi maan nahi rahe the.

Ki dosti kab ki pyaar ban chuki thi.

Ek raat call ke baad Aarav ne diary mein likha:

"Aaj usse baat kiye bina poora din ajeeb laga."

"Aur mujhe lagta hai..."

"Ye normal nahi hai."

Usne pen rok diya.

Kuch second socha.

Phir dheere se likha:

"Ya shayad..."

"Yehi pyaar hota hai."

Lekin agle hi pal usne woh line kaat di.

Kyunki kuch sachchaiyan dil sabse pehle samajh leta hai...

Aur dimaag sabse aakhir mein maanta hai.

Chapter End

"Hum dono ne kabhi 'I Love You' nahi kaha..."

"Lekin har din ek dusre ko dhoondte rahe."

"Har khushi mein ek dusre

ko yaad kiya..."

"Har dard mein ek dusre ko pukara."

🌙

"Shayad pyaar izhaar se nahi hota..."

"Shayad pyaar woh hota hai..."

"Jab kisi ka naam notification mein dikhe..."

"Aur poora din thoda behtar lagne lage." ❤️

"Hum pyaar mein kab pade..."

"Ye humein nahi pata chala."

"Bas itna pata chala..."

"Ki ab ek dusre ke bina din poore nahi lagte." 💔📖