Jo dikhta hai, vo sach nai hota

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.

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