Chapter 3 : Realty check

Chapter 3

Reality Check

Subah ki halki dhoop parde ke beech se kamre mein aa rahi thi.

Ha-Yoon ne dheere-dheere aankhen kholi.

Uska sar bhaari lag raha tha.

Kal raat jo kuch hua tha, usne uska dimaag hila kar rakh diya tha.

Kuch pal tak woh seedhi chhat ko dekhti rahi.

Phir usne aankhen band kar li.

"Yeh sab sapna tha..."

Usne dheere se budbudaaya.

"Haan, zaroor sapna tha."

Aakhir koi novel ka character sach mein kisi ke kamre mein thodi aa sakta hai.

Yeh sochkar usne rahat ki saans li.

Lekin phir...

Uski nazar balcony ki taraf gayi.

Aur uski saans atak gayi.

Tae-Hyun ab bhi wahi tha.

Bilkul usi jagah.

Bilkul usi tarah.

Jaise poori raat ek inch bhi na hila ho.

Ha-Yoon ek jhatke se uthkar baith gayi.

"Nahi..."

Tae-Hyun dheere se uski taraf muda.

Uski thandi nazar seedha Ha-Yoon par tik gayi.

Kuch pal tak Ha-Yoon use dekhti rahi.

Bas dekhti rahi.

Jaise uska dimaag ab bhi yakeen karne ko taiyaar na ho.

Phir...

Tae-Hyun ne bhaun chadhayi.

"Tum mujhe aise kyun dekh rahi ho?"

Ha-Yoon ka muh khul gaya.

"Kya?!"

"Tum pichhle do minute se mujhe ghoor rahi ho."

Ha-Yoon aur bhi zyada hairaan ho gayi.

"Tumhe kaise pata chala?"

Tae-Hyun ne seedha jawab diya.

"Kyuki main andha nahi hoon."

Ha-Yoon ne takiya uthakar uski taraf phenka.

"Tum bahut irritating ho."

Tae-Hyun ne aasani se takiya pakad liya.

Uske chehre par halka sa mazaak udaane wala expression tha.

Ha-Yoon kuch bolne hi wali thi ki neeche se awaaz aayi.

"HA-YOON!"

Dono ek saath ruk gaye.

"Breakfast ready hai!"

Soo-Min ki awaaz poore apartment mein goonj gayi.

Ha-Yoon ka chehra safed pad gaya.

"Oh no."

"Ab kya hua?" Tae-Hyun ne poocha.

"Ab mujhe neeche jana padega."

"Toh jao."

Ha-Yoon ne uski taraf dekha.

"Aur tumhara kya?"

"Tumhare kamre mein rahunga."

Ha-Yoon ne gehri saans li.

"Please kisi cheez ko haath mat lagana."

Tae-Hyun ne bhaun uthayi.

"Main bachcha nahi hoon."

"Mujhe pata hai."

"Tumhari baaton se nahi lagta."

Ha-Yoon ne aankhen ghumayi.

Phir jaldi se kamre se bahar nikal gayi.

Neeche dining table par breakfast pehle se laga hua tha.

Soo-Min coffee ka mug lekar baithi thi.

"Finally."

Ha-Yoon uske saamne wali kursi par baith gayi.

"Kya hua?"

Soo-Min ne turant poocha.

"Huh?"

"Tera chehra aisa kyun lag raha hai jaise poori raat bhoot dekh kar aayi ho?"

Ha-Yoon ka dil ek pal ke liye ruk gaya.

"Aisa kuch nahi hai."

"Pakki baat?"

"Haan."

Soo-Min ne shak bhari nazar se use dekha.

Phir kandhe uchka diye.

"Theek hai."

Dono kuch der chupchaap breakfast karte rahe.

Phir Soo-Min ne poocha,

"Waise tumhara woh kadus boss ab pareshan toh nahi kar raha?"

Ha-Yoon ne aankhen ghumayi.

"Mr. Kim?"

"Haan wahi."

"Pareshan nahi kar raha..."

Soo-Min ne bhaun uthayi.

"Sach?"

Ha-Yoon ne toast ka tukda todte hue kaha,

"Bas kal teen logon ka kaam mujhe de diya tha."

"Kya?!"

"Aur bola deadline bhi same rahegi."

Soo-Min ne sir pakad liya.

"Ek din main us office mein jaakar usse khud sunaungi."

Ha-Yoon hans padi.

"Tum har mahine yahi kehti ho."

"Ek din sach mein karungi."

Dono halki si hansi hans diye.

Phir Ha-Yoon ne poocha,

"Aur tumhari bank?"

"Ab sab theek chal raha hai?"

Soo-Min ne rahat ki saans li.

"Pichhle mahine jo audit tha na, woh finally khatam ho gaya."

"Thank God."

"Seriously."

Soo-Min ne coffee ka sip liya.

"Mujhe lag raha tha meri jaan hi nikal jayegi."

Ha-Yoon ne muskurakar sir hila diya.

Lekin uska dhyan phir bhi upar kamre mein tha.

Achanak uske dimaag mein ek khayal aaya.

Uski aankhen phail gayi.

"Tae-Hyun!"

Woh raat se bhooka hoga.

Na usne kuch khaaya tha.

Na paani piya tha.

Ha-Yoon ko achanak guilt mehsoos hua.

"Tum theek ho?" Soo-Min ne poocha.

"Haan! Bilkul!"

Usne itni jaldi jawab diya ki Soo-Min aur bhi zyada shak karne lagi.

Ha-Yoon ne jaldi se ek bread uthaya.

Phir ek boiled egg.

Aur coffee ka ek mug.

"Main abhi aati hoon."

"Ruko."

Ha-Yoon jam gayi.

Soo-Min ne bhaun chadhayi.

"Coffee lekar kahan ja rahi hai?"

Ha-Yoon ne jaldi se jawab diya.

"Novel ke liye inspiration chahiye."

Soo-Min kuch pal use dekhti rahi.

Phir sir pakad liya.

"Tu sach mein ajeeb hai."

Ha-Yoon ne muskurakar tray uthayi.

Aur seedhiyon ki taraf badh gayi.

Uska dil phir se tez dhadakne laga.

Kyuki upar uske kamre mein...

Ek aisa mehmaan uska intezaar kar raha tha...

Jo asal mein maujood hi nahi hona chahiye tha.

Ha-Yoon ne jaldi se kamre ka darwaza band kiya.

"Tae-Hyun?"

Uski nazar balcony ki taraf gayi.

Tae-Hyun ab bhi wahi khada tha.

Jaise poori raat ke baad bhi usne apni jagah na badli ho.

Ha-Yoon ne tray table par rakhi.

"Tumne kuch khaaya nahi."

Tae-Hyun ne tray ki taraf dekha.

Phir Ha-Yoon ki taraf.

"Kya hai yeh?"

Ha-Yoon hairaan reh gayi.

"Bread."

Tae-Hyun chup raha.

"Boiled egg."

Phir bhi koi reaction nahi.

"Tumhari duniya mein log khaate kya the?"

"Jo mil jaye."

Ha-Yoon ne gehri saans li.

"Theek hai. Aaj se tum modern duniya ka pehla lesson shuru kar rahe ho."

Tae-Hyun ne bhaun uthayi.

"Khana."

Usne bread uski taraf badhaya.

Tae-Hyun ne use haath mein lekar kuch pal dekha.

Jaise woh kisi ajeeb cheez ka adhyayan kar raha ho.

Phir usne ek chhota sa bite liya.

"Hmm."

"Bas hmm?"

"Tum isse zyada reaction ki umeed kar rahi thi?"

Ha-Yoon ne aankhen ghumayi.

"Chhodo."

Usne boiled egg uski taraf badhaya.

Tae-Hyun ne bina kuch kahe use bhi kha liya.

Phir uski nazar coffee ke mug par gayi.

"Yeh kya hai?"

Ha-Yoon ke chehre par muskaan aa gayi.

"Coffee."

"Coffee?"

"Haan. Is duniya ke aadhe log isi ki wajah se zinda hain."

Tae-Hyun ne shak bhari nazar se mug uthaya.

Aur ek sip li.

Agle hi pal uska chehra thoda sa sikud gaya.

Ha-Yoon ki aankhen chamak uthi.

"Tumhe pasand nahi aayi!"

Tae-Hyun ne turant apna expression theek kar liya.

"Main aisa nahi bola."

"Lekin tumhara chehra toh kuch aur keh raha tha."

"Yeh kadwi hai."

Ha-Yoon zor se hans padi.

Pehli baar.

Kal raat ke baad pehli baar.

Aur Tae-Hyun bas use dekhta raha.

Uski hansi kamre mein goonj rahi thi.

Ek pal ke liye...

Sab kuch ajeeb tarah se normal lagne laga.

Lekin dono hi nahi jaante the...

Ki unki asli mushkilein abhi shuru bhi nahi hui thi.

End of Chapter 3…..

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