City ki raat bohat khamosh thi lekin aaj mosam kuch alag hi lag raha tha. Aasman pe gehre kale badal chaye hue thay aur tez barish lagatar ho rahi thi. Thandi hawa tez tez chal rahi thi jo khirki ke sheeshon se takra rahi thi. Ali apni khirki ke paas betha bahar dekh raha tha. Wo aksar akela hota tha lekin aaj us ki tanhai aur bhi zyada heavy feel ho rahi thi, jaise kuch ghalat hone wala ho.

Achanak darwaze pe zor zor se dastak hui.

Ali foran uth gaya. Itni raat ko koi nahi aata tha. Us ka dil tez tez dhadak raha tha. Us ne dheere se darwaza khola.

Samne ek larki khari thi. Wo bilkul bheegi hui thi, us ke baal chehre se chipke hue thay, wo kaanp rahi thi aur us ke haath mein ek chota sa purana sa bag tha. Us ki aankhon mein dar bhi tha aur thakan bhi.

Us ne dheemi awaaz mein kaha, “please… mujhe sirf thori der yahan rukne do…”

Ali ne kuch seconds usay dekha phir bina zyada sawal kiye usay andar le aaya.

Wo larki seedha corner mein ja kar beth gayi aur apne bag ko bohat tightly pakar liya, jaise us bag mein us ki puri zindagi ho.

Ali ne narmi se poocha, “tum kon ho? aur is mosam mein yahan kaise aayi?”

Wo kuch der chup rahi, phir boli, “mera naam Mehr hai… aur main wahan se bhag kar aayi hoon jahan mujhe kabhi azaadi nahi mili.”

Ali confuse ho gaya lekin chup raha.

Barish ki awaz aur tez ho gayi thi, jaise har boond kuch keh rahi ho.

Mehr ne aage bataya, “mujhe hamesha band rakha gaya, meri baat koi nahi sunta tha. Aaj mujhe ek purani diary mili jisme meri maa ke bare mein ek aisa sach likha tha jo sab se chhupa hua tha. Wo sach mujhe yahan tak le aaya.”

Ali thora paas aya aur poocha, “is bag mein kya hai?”

Mehr ne dheere se bag khola.

Andar ek purani diary, ek tooti hui chain aur ek purani tasveer thi.

Ali ne jaise hi tasveer dekhi us ka chehra bilkul change ho gaya. Us ke haath thande ho gaye.

Wo tasveer us ke apne ghar ki thi.

Ali ne kanpti awaaz mein poocha, “ye tumhein kahan se mili?”

Mehr ne us ki aankhon mein dekh kar kaha, “main jis sach ki talash mein hoon… wo tumhare ghar se connected hai…”

Itni baat hotay hi achanak bijli chamki aur kamra andheray mein doob gaya.

Thori dair baad jab light wapas aayi to Mehr wahan nahi thi.

Sirf wo bag zameen par para tha.

Ali ne jaldi se bag khola. Andar ek aakhri letter tha.

Us par likha tha:

“Sach kabhi chup nahi rehta… wo waqt ke sath saamne aa jata hai… aur jab aata hai to sab kuch badal deta hai… aur kabhi kabhi us ka saamna karna insan ki puri zindagi badal deta hai.”

Ali khirki ke paas khara bahar barish ko dekh raha tha. Ab barish normal nahi lag rahi thi, balkay har boond jaise koi purana raaz le kar gir rahi ho.