Surbhi Sharma...

24 saal ki Surbhi ko dekhkar koi bhi pehli nazar mein usse ek simple aur khush rehne wali ladki hi samajhta tha. Uski badi-badi aankhon mein ek alag si chamak thi aur chehre par hamesha ek pyari si muskaan.

Use baarish bahut pasand thi, diary likhne ka shauk tha aur akela rehkar chaand ko dekhna uski aadat ban chuki thi. Sabko lagta tha ki Surbhi ki zindagi bilkul perfect hai.

Lekin Surbhi bhi un logon mein se thi jo apne dard ko muskaan ke peeche chhupa lena jaante hain.

Uske paas sab kuch tha—ek achha parivaar, dost aur ek normal si zindagi. Phir bhi uski aankhon mein aksar ek adhoorapan nazar aata tha, jaise woh kisi aise sach ka bojh utha rahi ho jise woh kisi ke saath baant nahi sakti.

Aur shayad isi liye...

Surbhi ki kahani baaki ladkiyon se thodi alag thi.

Kyuki uski zindagi mein kuch aise raaz the, jo use do alag-alag zindagiyan jeene par majboor kar rahe the.🖤 "Har muskurahat ke peeche ek kahani hoti hai... aur Surbhi ki kahani abhi shuru hui thi."

Lekin Surbhi ki sabse ajeeb baat ye thi ki woh kisi ko apne itna kareeb aane hi nahi deti thi. Uske dil mein kuch aise zakhm the, jinke baare mein sirf woh khud jaanti thi.

Kabhi-kabhi woh raat bhar jaagkar purani tasveerein dekhti aur phir chupchaap aansu pochkar muskurane lagti.

Jaise woh kisi ka intezaar kar rahi ho...

Ya phir kisi aise sach se bhaag rahi ho, jo ek din uske saamne zaroor aane wala tha.🖤 Aur shayad, Surbhi ki zindagi ka sabse bada raaz ab khulne wala tha...

24 saal ki Surbhi apni zindagi mein khush thi. Uske paas bahut bade sapne the aur woh apni mehnat se unhe poora karna chahti thi. Uska maanna tha ki zindagi mein kisi par nirbhar hone ke bajaye khud ki pehchaan banana zyada zaroori hai.

Ek din ek business event ke dauran uski mulaqat Aarav Singhania se hui. Aarav shehar ke mashhoor businessmen mein se ek tha. Uske kai branded shoes aur fashion showrooms the aur uska naam business duniya mein kaafi bada maana jata tha.

Pehli hi mulaqat mein Aarav Surbhi ki saadgi aur uski muskaan par dil haar baitha. Surbhi doosri ladkiyon ki tarah Aarav ke paison aur status se impress nahi hui, aur shayad yahi baat Aarav ko uske aur kareeb le aayi.

Dheere-dheere Aarav Surbhi ke liye itna serious ho gaya ki usne apni busy lifestyle tak badal di. Meetings cancel karna, doston se door rehna aur har waqt Surbhi ke baare mein sochna uski aadat ban chuki thi.

Aarav Surbhi ke pyaar mein is kadar pagal ho chuka tha ki poori duniya ko nazarandaaz karke sirf uske saath apna future dekhne laga tha

Waqt ke saath Aarav aur Surbhi ki dosti aur gehri hoti gayi. Aarav har chhoti-badi baat mein Surbhi ka khayal rakhta tha, aur Surbhi ko bhi uske saath ek alag sa sukoon milne laga tha.

Phir aaya 4 December... Surbhi ka birthday.

Us din Surbhi ne kabhi socha bhi nahi tha ki uski zindagi ka sabse khoobsurat pal uska intezaar kar raha hai.

Shaam hote hi Aarav khud uske saamne aaya. Uske haath mein phoolon ka bouquet tha aur aankhon mein beinteha mohabbat.

"Happy Birthday, Surbhi..." Aarav ne muskurate hue kaha.

Uske baad usne himmat karke Surbhi ke saamne apne dil ki baat rakh di.

"Main tumse bahut pyaar karta hoon, Surbhi. Kya tum meri zindagi ka hissa banogi?"

Yeh sab Surbhi ke liye bilkul naya tha. Kisi ne pehle kabhi usse itni sachchi mohabbat ka ehsaas nahi karwaya tha.

Thodi der ki khamoshi ke baad Surbhi ke chehre par halki si muskaan aa gayi.

Usne dheere se kaha—

"Haan, Aarav... main bhi tumhe ek mauka dena chahti hoon."

Bas phir kya tha, Aarav ki khushi ka thikana nahi raha.

Lekin dono ko nahi pata tha ki unki is pyaar bhari kahani ke peeche ek aisa raaz chhupa tha, jo ek din sab kuch badal dene wala tha....

Aarav aur Surbhi ki zindagi ab pehle se kaafi badal chuki thi. Dono ek-doosre ke saath waqt bitane ke naye bahaane dhoondhte rehte the. Kabhi coffee date, kabhi long drive aur kabhi bas bina kisi wajah ke ghanton phone par baatein karna... ye sab unki roz ki aadat ban chuka tha.

Aarav ko lagta tha ki usne apni zindagi ka sabse khoobsurat hissa paa liya hai. Aur Surbhi... woh bhi dheere-dheere Aarav ke pyaar mein khud ko bhoolne lagi thi.

Lekin ek baat thi jo Aarav ko aksar pareshan karti thi.

Jab bhi woh Surbhi se uske past ke baare mein poochta, Surbhi baat ko hanskar taal deti.

"Har insaan ka ek past hota hai, Aarav... aur kuch baatein bhool jaana hi behtar hota hai," woh muskurakar keh deti.

Ek raat Aarav ne Surbhi ko dinner ke liye apne favourite restaurant mein bulaya tha. Sab kuch bilkul perfect tha. Lekin achanak Surbhi ke phone par ek call aayi.

Screen par naam dekhte hi uske chehre ka rang ud gaya.

Usne turant call cut kar di.

"Sab theek hai?" Aarav ne poocha.

"Haan... bas ek office ka call tha," Surbhi ne zabardasti muskurate hue jawab diya.

Lekin Aarav ne pehli baar mehsoos kiya ki Surbhi usse kuch chhupa rahi hai.

Us raat ghar pahunchte hi Surbhi ne apna kamra band kar liya aur kaampte haathon se wahi number dobara milaya.

Dusri taraf se ek aadmi ki awaaz aayi—

"Wapas aa jao, Surbhi... tum apni purani zindagi se zyada der tak bhaag nahi sakti."

Surbhi ki aankhon se aansu nikal aaye.

"Please... meri nayi zindagi ko barbaad mat karo," usne rote hue kaha.

Lekin saamne se sirf ek baat sunai di—

"Sach kabhi chhupta nahi, Surbhi. Aur bahut jald Aarav ko bhi sab pata chal jayega."

Call cut hote hi Surbhi zameen par baith gayi.

Uske saamne rakhi purani diary khuli hui thi, jiske pehle panne par ek naam likha tha—

Diary ke andar ek purani tasveer rakhi thi.

Tasveer mein Surbhi ke saath ek aur shakhs khada tha...

Aur us tasveer ko dekhte hi Surbhi ki saansen tez ho gayi.

Kyuki woh shakhs koi anjaan insaan nahi tha...

Balki Aarav ki zindagi se juda hua ek aisa naam tha, jise dekhkar sab kuch badal sakta tha...

Agli subah Surbhi ne jaise kuch hua hi na ho, waise hi Aarav se baat ki. Lekin Aarav ko mehsoos ho raha tha ki Surbhi ki muskaan ke peeche kuch badal gaya hai.

Pichhle kuch dino se Surbhi pehle jaisi nahi rahi thi. Woh aksar khoyi-khoyi si rehti, phone aate hi ghabra jaati aur kai baar bina bataye call cut kar deti.

Ek din Aarav ne usse seedha pooch hi liya—

"Surbhi, kya tum mujhse kuch chhupa rahi ho?"

Surbhi ek pal ke liye chup ho gayi.

"Nahi Aarav, aisi koi baat nahi hai."

Lekin uski aankhen kuch aur hi keh rahi thi.

Usi shaam Aarav ke office mein ek courier aaya.

Uske naam ka ek brown envelope.

Aarav ne envelope khola to uske andar kuch photos aur ek chhota sa note tha।

Photos dekhte hi uska chehra badal gaya.

Har photo mein Surbhi thi...

Lekin woh Surbhi nahi jise Aarav jaanta tha.

Tasveeron mein Surbhi ek alag naam ke saath nazar aa rahi thi. Kuch tasveerein live events ki thi, kuch award functions ki aur kuch aisi jagah ki jahan Aarav ne use kabhi dekha hi nahi tha.

Note mein sirf ek line likhi thi—

"Jise tum Surbhi samajh rahe ho, woh sirf uski aadhi sachchai hai."

Aarav ka dil zor se dhadakne laga.

Usne turant Surbhi ko phone kiya, lekin phone switch off aa raha tha.

Ghabraya hua Aarav seedha Surbhi ke ghar pahunch gaya.

Lekin wahan jaakar uske pairon tale zameen khisak gayi.

Surbhi ghar par nahi thi.

Aur uski maa ki ek baat ne Aarav ko aur bhi zyada hairan kar diya—

"Beta, Surbhi to kal raat hi Delhi ke liye nikal gayi. Usne kaha tha ki ek zaroori kaam hai."

"Delhi?" Aarav ne hairani se poocha.

Kyuki Surbhi ne usse is baare mein ek shabd tak nahi bataya tha.

Usi waqt Aarav ke phone par ek Unknown Number se message aaya—

"Agar Surbhi ke baare mein sach jaana hai, to kal shaam 6 baje Delhi ke Royal Crown Hotel aa jana. Aur haan... Surbhi ko is baat ka pata nahi chalna chahiye."

Message padhte hi Aarav samajh gaya...

Jis pyaar ko woh ek khoobsurat kahani samajh raha tha, uske peeche ek bahut bada raaz chhupa hua tha.

Aur shayad...

Uski Surbhi waise thi hi nahi, jaisi woh dikhai deti thi.

Uske saamne ek ladka baitha tha. Jaise hi Aarav ne uska chehra dekha, usne mehsoos kiya ki Surbhi buri tarah ghabra gayi hai.

"Sur... Surbhi, ye kaun hai?" Aarav ne hairani se poocha.

Surbhi ki aankhon mein aansu aa gaye. Kuch pal tak woh chup rahi, phir dheere se boli—

"Ye Kabir hai... meri purani company ka boss."

Kabir halka sa muskuraya, lekin uski muskaan mein ek ajeeb sa junoon tha.

Do saal pehle Surbhi ek badi company mein kaam karti thi. Wahi uski mulaqat Kabir se hui thi. Shuruaat mein Kabir uska khayal rakhta tha, lekin dheere-dheere woh Surbhi ko lekar zarurat se zyada possessive ho gaya.

Kabir Surbhi se shaadi karna chahta tha, lekin Surbhi ke dil mein uske liye kabhi aisi feelings nahi thi. Jab Surbhi ne uska proposal thukra diya, tab Kabir ne uska peecha karna shuru kar diya.

Uski har movement par nazar rakhna, baar-baar call karna aur zabardasti uski zindagi mein rehne ki koshish karna Surbhi ke liye ek daravna sapna ban gaya tha.

Aakhirkaar Surbhi ne sab kuch chhod diya. Apni job, apna shehar aur apni purani zindagi...

Woh wapas apne ghar aa gayi aur ek normal job karne lagi.

Ye sach usne aaj pehli baar Aarav ko bataya.

Surbhi rote hue boli—

"Mujhe darr tha Aarav... kahin tum bhi mujhe galat na samajh lo."

Aarav ne bina kuch kahe uska haath pakad liya.

"Tumhari koi galti nahi hai, Surbhi. Ab tum akeli nahi ho."

Us din ke baad Aarav ne Surbhi ko job chhodne ke liye mana liya. Woh chahta tha ki Surbhi bina kisi darr ke apni zindagi jee sake.

Aarav uski har zarurat ka khayal rakhta. Surbhi ki pasand, uski family aur uski khushiyon ko woh apni zimmedari samajhne laga tha.

Dheere-dheere waqt beetne laga.

Dono roz milte, ghanton baatein karte aur apne aane wale future ke sapne dekhte.

Kyuki ab dono ne faisla kar liya tha...

Bahut jald woh apne ghar walon se baat karke shaadi karne wale the.

Ek din Aarav aur Surbhi ek private room mein mile. Dono ne milkar apni shaadi ki planning shuru ki.

"Main chahta hoon ki tum hamesha aise hi muskuraati raho," Aarav ne pyaar se kaha.

Surbhi muskurate hue uske kandhe par sir rakhkar boli—

"Mujhe lagta hai Bhagwan ne tumhe meri zindagi mein sirf mere liye bheja hai."

Us pal Surbhi bahut khush thi.

Usse ek aisa insaan mila tha jo uski izzat karta tha, uska khayal rakhta tha aur uski family ko bhi apni family ki tarah maanta tha.

Lekin shayad kismat ko unki khushiyan manzoor nahi thi...

Kyuki usi raat Kabir ne door khade hokar Surbhi aur Aarav ko saath dekh liya.

Aur uski aankhon mein ek khatarnak junoon saaf nazar aa raha tha.

Usne apne phone ko zor se pakadte hue dheere se kaha—

"Surbhi sirf meri hai... agar woh meri nahi hui, to kisi aur ki bhi nahi hogi..."

Aur yahin se unki zindagi ka sabse khatarnak mod shuru hone wala tha...🖤 To Be Continued...