Episode 2: Unfamiliar Comfort

Subah ki halki si thand abhi bhi hawa mein thi.

Sadak dheere-dheere zinda ho rahi thi—cycle ki ghanti, chai ki tapri se uthti bhaap, aur log apne routine mein ghul rahe the.

Arjun lodge ke bahar khada tha.

Haath mein ek garam chai ka cup… jise wo samajhne ki koshish kar raha tha.

Usne ek sip li.

Aur turant halki si bhaunhen sikod di.

“Kadvi hai?”

Wo awaaz.

Arjun ne side dekha.

Meera.

Aaj bhi uske haathon par paint laga hua tha—jaise wo kabhi poora saaf nahi hota.

“Thodi,” Arjun ne seedha jawab diya.

Meera halki si hansi. “Tum logon ko aadat nahi hoti na. Yahan ki chai strong hoti hai.”

“Tum logon?” Arjun ne repeat kiya.

“Haan… outsiders,” usne casually kaha. Phir uski taraf dekhkar add kiya, “Aur tum clearly yahan ke nahi ho.”

Arjun ne cup ko thoda aur tight pakad liya.

Ek second ke liye uski nazar ground par tik gayi—jaise wo kuch calculate kar raha ho.

“Relax,” Meera ne shoulders utha diye. “Mujhe farq nahi padta tum kahan se aaye ho.”

Wo uske paas aa kar khadi ho gayi.

Itni close… jitna usually strangers nahi hote.

“Waise tum karte kya ho?” usne poocha.

Simple sawal.

Par Arjun ke liye… ek trap.

“Bas… kaam karta tha,” usne dheere se kaha.

“Kaisa kaam?”

Arjun ne ek second ke liye aankhen band ki.

Flash.

Bright stage lights. Cheering crowd. Loud music.

Phir… silence.

“…Music se related,” usne finally kaha.

Meera ki aankhon mein interest chamka. “Ohh, musician?”

“Something like that.”

“Guitar? Singer? Ya sad songs likhne wale?”

Arjun ke lips pe ek halki si muskaan aayi.

“Tum har kisi ko judge karti ho?”

“Haan,” Meera ne bina soche jawab diya. “First impression important hota hai.”

“Achha… toh mera kya impression hai?”

Meera ne usse dhyaan se dekha.

Is baar thoda zyada der tak.

Uski aankhen Arjun ke chehre par tik gayi—jaise wo uske words nahi, uske beech ke gaps padh rahi ho.

“Tum thode lost ho.”

Arjun ka smile dheere se fade ho gaya.

Usne aankhen side kar li.

“Lost?” usne halka sa repeat kiya.

“Haan,” Meera ne softly kaha. “Jaise tum bhaag ke aaye ho… par abhi tak pata nahi kahan rukna hai.”

Silence.

Door se ek truck guzra—uski awaaz kuch seconds ke liye hawa ko bhar gayi.

Arjun ne cup ko lips tak le jaakar rok liya.

Sip nahi li.

“Tum overthink karti ho,” usne finally kaha.

“Maybe,” Meera ne shrug kiya. “Par main galat nahi hoon.”

Usne topic change kar diya—jaise wo uski limit samajh gayi ho.

“Chalo.”

“Kahan?”

“Town tour,” Meera ne smile ki. “Guide free hai aaj.”

“Maine nahi bola—”

“Par tumhe chahiye,” wo beech mein bol padi. “Aur mujhe boredom se bachna hai.”

Arjun ne usse dekha.

Kuch seconds.

Phir halka sa sigh kiya.

“…Fine.”

Town chhota tha.

Par zinda tha.

Har gali mein koi na koi kahani chal rahi thi.

Aur har dusre step par—

“Meera!”

“Arre artist madam!”

“Kal wali painting amazing thi!”

Arjun quietly observe kar raha tha.

“Tum yahan famous ho,” usne casually kaha.

Meera hansi. “Famous? Nahi. Bas log mujhe jaante hain.”

“Difference?”

“Simple,” usne turant bola. “Famous logon ko log dekhte hain… par samajhte nahi.”

Arjun ruk gaya.

Us line ne seedha uske andar kuch tod diya.

Par usne kuch nahi bola.

Bas chalne laga.

“Yeh meri favourite jagah hai,” Meera ne aage rukte hue kaha.

River side.

Shaant. Hawa thodi thandi. Paani sunlight mein chamak raha tha.

“Kabhi-kabhi yahan aake bas paint karti hoon,” Meera ne kaha. “Sab kuch simple lagne lagta hai.”

Arjun ne aas paas dekha.

No cameras. No noise.

Sirf hawa… aur paani ki halki si awaaz.

Usne dheere se saans li.

“Accha hai,” usne kaha.

“Bas accha?” Meera ne tease kiya.

“…Bahut accha.”

Wo dono kuch der chup rahe.

Par yeh silence uncomfortable nahi tha.

Yeh… safe tha.

“Tum wapas jaoge?” Meera ne achanak poocha.

Arjun ne uski taraf dekha.

“Kahan?”

“Jahan se aaye ho.”

Pause.

Arjun ne river ki taraf dekha.

“…Pata nahi.”

Meera ne halka sa sir hilaaya.

“Log ‘pata nahi’ tab bolte hain jab answer hota hai… par accept nahi karte.”

Arjun ne halki si hansi nikali.

“Tum psychologist ho kya?”

“Part-time,” wo muskura di.

Phir usne uski taraf seedha dekha—

“Jab tak yahan ho… normal rehna try karo.”

“Normal…”

“Haan. Yahan koi tumhe dekh nahi raha. Koi expect nahi kar raha.”

Arjun ne aankhen band ki.

Ek second ke liye.

Jaise wo us feeling ko hold karna chahta ho.

“Try karunga,” usne dheere se kaha.

Shaam dhal rahi thi.

Orange sunlight poore town ko soft glow de rahi thi.

“Kal aana,” Meera ne casually bola. “Main shop pe rahungi.”

“Free advice ke liye?”

“Haan,” wo hansi. “Aur shayad thodi aur bakwaas ke liye.”

Arjun ne halka sa smile kiya.

“Dekhenge.”

“Matlab aaoge,” Meera ne confidently bola.

Arjun ne kuch nahi kaha.

Par is baar…

Usne mana bhi nahi kiya.

Raat.

Chhota sa room.

Dim light.

Arjun bed par leta hua tha.

Usne phone uthaya.

Screen jagi—

Hundreds missed calls.

Messages.

News alerts.

“Aiden Park Still Missing”

Uska angutha screen par ruk gaya.

Ek second…

Do second…

Phir—

Ping.

Ek naya message.

Unknown number.

Arjun ka heartbeat thoda fast ho gaya.

Usne message open kiya.

…

“You really thought you could disappear?”

Uski saansein halki si ruk gayi.

Screen par agla message pop hua—

“We know where you are.”

Room ki khamoshi achanak heavy lagne lagi.

Arjun seedha baith gaya.

Uski grip phone par tight ho gayi.

Aur pehli baar…

Usse mehsoos hua—

Shayad wo itna door nahi aaya jitna usne socha tha.

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