Raat ke dhal rahe do baje the. Poore shehar par ek gehra, khamosh sannata chaya hua tha. Lekin Kabir ki aankhon mein neend ka ek qatra bhi nahi tha. Wo apne kamre ki khidki ke paas khada tha, jahan se thandi hawa uske chehre ko chhu kar guzar rahi thi. Uske haath mein ek purani diary thi, jiske panno par waqt ki dhool jami hui hai. Kabir ne ek gehri saans li aur aasman ki taraf dekha, jahan badalon ke piche chand chupne ki koshish kar raha tha. Usne dheere se diary ka pehla panna palta. Us panna par ek hi line likhi thi—"Udaas chhod gaya wo har ek raat mujhe... Jo kehta tha hum tumhe kabhi rone nahi denge..." ⏳🥀

​Yeh shabda sirf kagaz par bikhri hui siyahi nahi the, yeh Kabir ke dil par lage wo zakhm the jo aaj bhi taze the. Yeh shabda Aarav ne kahe the. Aarav, jo kabhi Kabir ki zindagi ka sabse bada sahara hua karta tha, aaj kahan tha? Kisi ko nahi pata tha. Wo ek aisi raat thi jab sab kuch badal gaya. Do saal pehle, aisi hi ek tufani raat mein Aarav bina kuch kahe, bina koi wajah bataye sabko chhod kar chala gaya tha. Tab se lekar aaj tak, Kabir har ek raat isi sawal ke sath jagta hai ki aakhir us raat aisa kya hua tha?

​Kamre ki khamoshi ko achanak Kabir ke phone ki vibration ne toda. Kabir ne chounk kar table par rakhe phone ki taraf dekha. Itni raat ko kiska phone ho sakta hai? Usne phone uthaya, toh screen par ek unknown number chamak raha tha. Kabir ne thoda hichkichate hue call receive kiya, "Hello?"

​Doosri taraf se pehle toh sirf saans lene ki aawaz aayi. Ek aisi aawaz jo bohot bhari thi, jaise koi bohot roya ho. Kabir ne phir se poocha, "Kaun hai? Kuch bolte kyun nahi?"

​Tabhi doosri taraf se ek kaampte hue gale se aawaz aayi, "Kabir... mujhe maaf kar dena."

​Yeh aawaz sunte hi Kabir ke haath se diary chhut kar zameen par gir gayi. Uske jism mein ek janjahat si doud gayi. Yeh aawaz kisi aur ki nahi, balki Aarav ki thi! Do saal baad, wahi aawaz jise sunne ke liye Kabir taras gaya ttha, aaj achanak uske kaano mein goonj rahi thi. Kabir ke gale se shabda nahi nikal rahe the, usne khud ko sambhalne ki koshish ki aur chilaya, "Aarav! Tum kahan ho? Do saal tak kahan the tum? Tumhe andaza bhi hai ki main kis dour se guzra hoon?"

​Lekin call par Aarav ne uske kisi sawal ka jawab nahi diya. Wo bas roti hui aawaz mein bola, "Kabir, mere paas waqt bohot kam hai. Jo tum sochte ho, sach wo nahi hai. Mujhe jana nahi tha, mujhe majboor kiya gaya tha. Agar tum sach janna chahte ho, toh kal subah purani mill ke piche wale godown mein aao. Lekin yaad rakhna, kisi ko sath mat lana. Agar tumne kisi ko bataya, toh tum sach kabhi nahi jaan paoge... aur shayad mujhe bhi kho doge."

​Isse pehle ki Kabir kuch aur pooch pata, call cut ho gaya. Kabir ne turant us number par wapas call lagane ki koshish ki, lekin number switch off aane laga. Kabir ka dil tezi se dhadak raha tha. Uske dimaag mein hazaron sawal ek sath ghoomne lage. Majboor kiya gaya tha? Kisine Aarav ko blackmail kiya tha? Ya phir baat kuch aur hi thi? Kabir ne zameen par giri diary ko uthaya. Uske dimaag mein Aarav ke kahe wo shabda goonj rahe the—"Adhuri baatein, poora dard." 🖤 Waise hi aaj ki baat bhi adhuri reh gayi thi, aur dard pehle se kahin zyada badh gaya tha.

​Kabir ko pata tha ki kal ki subah uski zindagi ki sabse badi subah hone wali hai. Wo is raaz ke piche chup ke sach ko jaan kar hi rahega. Usne khidki se bahar dekha, ab badal chhat chuke the aur subah ki pehli kiran aane hi wali thi. Kabir ne ek gehra faisla kar liya tha—wo jayega, akela jayega, aur apni is adhuri kahani ko poora karega. Chahe iske liye use kisi bhi khatre se kyun na guzarna pade.