Chapter 2- "Mein Tumhe Dekh Raha Hoon"

Raat ke 2 baje.

Clock ki halki si tick-tick poore room me goonj rahi thi. Meher apne bed par seedhi baithi thi, aankhen phone screen par tikki hui. Usse pata tha… call aayega.

Aur jaise hi 2:00 hua—

Phone vibrate hua.

Unknown Number.

Is baar usne ek second bhi waste nahi kiya.

“Tum kaun ho?” usne turant poocha. Awaaz strong thi… lekin uske andar ka darr clearly mehsoos ho raha tha.

Dusri taraf kuch seconds tak sirf saansein sunai di.

Phir…

“Tum intezaar kar rahi thi,” woh awaaz dheere se boli.

Meher ka gala sookh gaya.

“Seedha jawab do. Tum ho kaun?”

Halki si hansi.

“Tumhe sach me lagta hai tum ready ho yeh jaanne ke liye?”

Meher ne teeth bhinch liye. “Try me.”

Silence.

Phir usne dheere se kaha—

“Main tumhe dekh raha hoon.”

Meher ka dil ek second ke liye ruk gaya.

Usne turant apne room me nazar daali. Door band. Window band. Curtains hile tak nahi rahe the.

“Yeh possible nahi hai,” usne almost fusahte hue kaha.

“Pink night suit… left shoulder par thoda sa fold hai,” usne bina rukhe kaha.

Meher ne shock me apne kapdon ki taraf dekha.

Exactly wahi.

Uske haath kaanpne lage.

“Tum… kahan ho?” uski awaaz ab dheemi aur dar se bhari hui thi.

“Close enough,” usne fusahte hue kaha. “Itna close ki agar tum thoda sa bhi dhyaan do… toh mehsoos kar sakti ho.”

Meher turant bed se uthi. Usne door khola—bahar andhera aur khamoshi thi. Sab so rahe the.

Woh wapas aayi, door lock kiya, aur phone ko aur zor se pakad liya.

“Tum mujhe follow kar rahe ho?” usne poocha.

“Main tumhe protect kar raha hoon,” uska jawab turant aaya.

“Protect? Kis se?”

“Un logon se jo tumhe hurt karne wale hain… aur khud tumse bhi.”

Meher confuse ho gayi.

“Main kyun tumhari baat maanun?” usne challenge kiya.

“Kyuki kal jo maine kaha tha… woh sab sach hua,” usne calmly kaha. “Aur kal bhi hoga.”

Meher chup ho gayi.

Uska dimaag keh raha tha ki yeh sab galat hai… lekin dil… us awaaz par trust karne laga tha.

“Kal tumhari training start hogi,” usne dheere se kaha.

“Wahan ek ladka milega… usse door rehna.”

Meher ka heart beat aur tez ho gaya.

“Kaun ladka?”

“Jis par tum sabse pehle trust karogi,” usne bina delay ke kaha.

Room me thandi hawa ka jhonka aaya… ya shayad Meher ko aisa feel hua.

“Tum mujhe control karne ki koshish kar rahe ho?” usne gusse me poocha.

“Main tumhe bachane ki koshish kar raha hoon,” usne thoda soft hote hue kaha.

Phir kuch seconds ka silence.

Meher ne dheere se poocha, “Tum mujhe itna sab kyun bata rahe ho…?”

Dusri taraf se ek gehri saans li gayi.

“Kyuki tum important ho.”

Uska dil halki si dhadkan chhod gaya.

“Kitni important?” usne almost fusahte hue poocha.

Silence.

Phir…

“Utni… jitni meri zindagi.”

Meher ke lips slightly open reh gaye.

Usse samajh nahi aa raha tha ki woh darr rahi hai… ya us awaaz me kho rahi hai.

“Please… mat jao,” usne bina soche keh diya.

Is baar silence thoda lamba tha.

Phir woh dheere se hasa.

“Tumhe meri aadat ho rahi hai, Meher…”

Uska dil aur tez dhadakne laga.

“Good night.”

Call cut ho gaya.

Room phir se bilkul khamosh ho gaya.

Lekin iss baar…

Meher ne dheere se apne piche mud kar dekha.

Curtain halka sa hila.

Aur us moment me…

Usse pehli baar real me laga—

Woh sach me akeli nahi hai.

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