The Night They First Truly Spoke

Author Line:

Raat ka waqt tha. Sadak lagbhag khaali thi. Thandi hawa chal rahi thi aur street lights ki halki roshni zameen par padh rahi thi. Roohi apne college se late nikal rahi thi.

Author Line:

Suddenly usse road ke kone par ek aadmi dikha — black shirt, khoon se bhiga hua… aur aankhon mein ajeeb sa khauf aur gussa.

Roohi:

"Hey Bhagwan… aapko chot lagi hai!"

(Oh God… you're injured!)

Author Line:

Woh aadmi dheere se sir uthata hai. Uski aankhen itni teekhi thi ki Roohi ek pal ke liye darr gayi.

Augustya:

"Door raho… warna tumhe problem ho jayegi."

(Stay away… or you’ll get into trouble.)

Author Line:

Roohi ne uski baat ignore kar di. Woh uske paas baith gayi aur apne bag se first aid nikal liya.

Roohi:

"Problem mujhe tab hogi jab aap yahan khoon behate hue mar jayenge."

(The problem will be when you bleed to death here.)

Author Line:

Augustya thoda sa hairaan ho gaya. Log usse dekh kar bhaag jaate the… lekin yeh ladki uski jaan bachane ki koshish kar rahi thi.

Augustya (slow voice):

"Tumhe pata bhi hai main kaun hoon?"

Roohi:

"Ek injured insaan."

(An injured person.)

Author Line:

Roohi uske zakhm par bandage baandh rahi thi. Augustya usse bas dekhta raha… jaise pehli baar kisi ne usse insaan samjha ho.

Augustya:

"Tum darr nahi rahi?"

Roohi (slightly smiling):

"Darr lag raha hai… par kisi ko marne ke liye chhodna usse bhi zyada darawna hota hai."

(I am scared… but leaving someone to die is scarier.)

Author Line:

Augustya Raichand — India ka sabse khatarnak mafia leader — us raat pehli baar chup ho gaya.

Aur usse samajh nahi aa raha tha ki ek simple si ladki uske dil mein itni jagah kaise bana rahi hai.

Author Line:

Roohi abhi-abhi Augustya ki chot par bandage baandh kar khadi hui hi thi ki usne dekha… Augustya ka chehra achanak safed padne laga.

Author Line:

Uske kadam ladkhadaye… aur agle hi pal—

THUD.

Augustya zameen par gir gaya.Roohi (shocked):

"Augustya!"

Author Line:

Roohi turant uske paas ghutno ke bal baith gayi. Usne uska chehra halka sa hilaya.

Roohi:

"Augustya… aankhen kholo!"

"Please wake up!"

Author Line:

Lekin koi response nahi aaya. Khoon ab bhi uski shirt se beh raha tha.

Roohi ke haath kaanp rahe the.

Roohi (panic):

"Oh God… yeh behosh ho gaye!"

Author Line:

Roohi ne jaldi se apna phone nikala aur ek taxi call ki.

Kuch minutes baad ek taxi rukti hai.

(Outside the Taxi)

Taxi Driver:

"Kya hua madam?"

Roohi (urgent):

"Please help! Inhe hospital le jana hai… abhi!"

Author Line:

Driver aur Roohi milkar mushkil se Augustya ko taxi ke back seat par bithate hain.

Roohi uske paas baith jaati hai aur uska sir apni taraf sambhal leti hai.

(Inside the Taxi)

Author Line:

Taxi tez speed se hospital ki taraf ja rahi thi. Roohi baar-baar Augustya ki taraf dekh rahi thi.

Uska dil zor se dhadak raha tha.Roohi (soft, worried):

"Augustya… tumhe kuch nahi hoga… okay?"

"You can't die like this."

Author Line:

Usne uska haath pakad liya.

Pehli baar usse mehsoos hua ki yeh aadmi jo itna strong lagta hai… iss waqt kitna helpless hai.

Roohi (almost whisper):

"Tumne mujhe abhi tak bataya bhi nahi… tum ho kaun."

Author Line:

Taxi hospital ke saamne rukti hai.

Roohi jaldi se bahar nikalti hai aur doctors ko bulati hai.

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