Wada Ya Maa

Engagement ki date aa chuki thi aur kuch hi dino baad Aarav aur Surbhi ki engagement bhi bahut dhoom-dhaam se ho gayi. Dono ki khushi dekhkar lag raha tha jaise unki saari duaayein poori ho gayi ho.

Ab sirf shaadi ki date fix hona baaki tha.

Har raat ki tarah us din bhi raat 10 baje Surbhi apne room mein aa gayi. Ye uski aadat ban chuki thi. Woh bas Aarav ke call ka wait karti aur phir dono ghanton baat karte.

Thodi der baad phone baja.

Surbhi ke chehre par smile aa gayi.

"Hello..."

Lekin aaj Aarav ki awaaz mein pehle jaisi khushi nahi thi.

"Surbhi... ek issue ho gaya hai."

"Kya hua Aarav?"

Aarav ne gehri saans li aur bola,

"Meri maa is shaadi se khush nahi hai... Tumhe kya lagta hai, mujhe ye shaadi karni chahiye?"

Ye sunte hi Surbhi ekdum chup ho gayi.

"Achanak aisa kya ho gaya? Aunty toh pehle maan gayi thi na?"

Aarav ke paas koi jawab nahi tha.

Us raat dono baat karte rahe... kabhi khamoshi, kabhi aansu, kabhi umeed.

Baaton-baaton mein pata hi nahi chala kab subah ho gayi.

Subah Surbhi ke chehre ki udaasi uski maa se chhupi nahi.

"Kya hua beta? Itni gumsum kyun ho?"

Surbhi ne muskurane ki koshish ki.

"Kuch nahi maa... Bas kal Aarav ki baatein sun kar ajeeb sa lag raha hai. Samajh nahi aa raha woh kya kehna chahta hai."

Usi waqt Surbhi ne faisla kar liya.

"Mujhe Aarav se milna hoga."

Agle hi din Surbhi Delhi pahunch gayi.

Aarav ne apna driver airport bheja tha.

Driver ne Surbhi ko pick kiya aur us hotel le gaya jahan woh hamesha rukti thi.

Thodi der baad Aarav ka call aaya.

"Maine room book kar diya hai. Mere naam se check-in kar lo aur thoda rest karo... Main bas thodi der mein aa raha hoon."

Kuch der baad door bell baji.

Surbhi ne darwaza khola.

Samne Aarav khada tha.

Dono kuch pal tak sirf ek dusre ko dekhte rahe.

Phir Aarav ne Surbhi ka haath pakad liya.

"Main tumhare bina nahi reh sakta. Agar tumse shaadi nahi hui... toh main kisi aur se bhi shaadi nahi karunga."

Surbhi ki aankhon mein aansu aa gaye.

"Tum shaadi kar lena Aarav... Main apni zindagi sambhal lungi."

Aarav ne turant uske hothon par ungli rakh di.

"Aisi baat dobara mat kehna. Main sirf tumse hi shaadi karunga... Har haal mein."

Us raat dono apne jazbaaton ko rok nahi paaye.

Unke beech ka pyaar aur bharosa unhe aur kareeb le aaya.

Jaane se pehle Aarav ne Surbhi ko gale lagaya aur uske kaan mein dheere se kaha,

"I promise... Har haal mein tumse hi shaadi karunga. Chahe poori duniya mere khilaaf kyun na ho."

Surbhi ne uss waade par aankhen band karke yakeen kar liya.

Aakhir woh din bhi aa gaya...

Shaadi ka din.

Surbhi laal jode mein kisi pari se kam nahi lag rahi thi.

Wahin Aarav maroon sherwani pehne mandap mein uska intezaar kar raha tha.

Dono mandap mein baith gaye.

Pandit ji ne mantra shuru hi kiye the ki achanak...

"Ruko!"

Pura mandap ekdum khamosh ho gaya.

Aarav ki maa gusse mein aage badhi aur sabke saamne boli,

"Aarav... Aaj isi waqt faisla kar lo. Ya toh main... ya ye ladki. Agar isse shaadi ki, toh aaj ke baad mujhe apni maa mat kehna."

Aarav ka chehra safed pad gaya.

Surbhi ki saansein tham si gayi.

Aur poora mandap Aarav ke faisle ka intezaar karne laga...

Pura mandap khamosh tha.

Sabki nazrein sirf Aarav par tik gayi thi.

Ek taraf uski maa thi...

Aur doosri taraf Surbhi...

Woh Surbhi jisse usne har haal mein shaadi karne ka wada kiya tha.

Aarav ki maa gusse se boli,

"Aarav... jawab do. Maa ya ye ladki?"

Aarav ki aankhon mein aansu aa gaye.

Usne ek baar Surbhi ki taraf dekha.

Surbhi ki aankhon mein sirf ek hi sawaal tha...

"Kya tum apna wada nibhaoge?"

Kuch pal baad Aarav ne dheere se Surbhi ka haath chhod diya.

Ye ehsaas hote hi Surbhi ka dil toot gaya.

Aarav ne nazrein jhuka kar kaha,

"I'm sorry Surbhi... main apni maa ke khilaaf nahi ja sakta."

Ye shabd Surbhi ke kaanon mein zehar ki tarah utar gaye.

Usse laga jaise uski saansein hi ruk gayi ho.

Usne rote hue Aarav ko dekha.

"Toh Delhi mein jo waade kiye the... woh sab jhooth tha?"

Aarav ke paas koi jawab nahi tha.

Bas uski aankhon se aansu beh rahe the.

Surbhi ki aankhon se bhi aansu ruk nahi rahe the.

Usne apne gale ka mangalsutra aur varmala utar kar Aarav ke haath mein rakh di.

"Aaj sirf meri shaadi nahi tooti, Aarav... mera bharosa bhi toot gaya."

Itna kehkar Surbhi mandap se uth gayi.

Uske maa-baap bhi uske peeche chale gaye.

Poora mandap sann reh gaya.

Sab log Aarav ko hi dekh rahe the.

Lekin Aarav ek bhi kadam Surbhi ke peeche nahi badha saka.

Us raat...

Aarav apne kamre mein akela baitha tha.

Har jagah sirf Surbhi ki yaadein thi.

Hotel ki woh raat...

Uski hansi...

Uska haath...

Aur woh wada...

"Har haal mein sirf tumse shaadi karunga."

Aarav zor-zor se rone laga.

Usne phone uthaya aur Surbhi ko call kiya.

Ek baar...

Do baar...

Das baar...

Lekin har baar call cut ho gaya.

Aakhir mein Surbhi ka sirf ek message aaya...

"Aaj ke baad kabhi call mat karna. Jis din tumne mera haath chhoda tha, usi din mera pyaar bhi mar gaya."

Message padhte hi Aarav ki duniya andheri ho gayi.

Usse tab ehsaas hua...

Usne apni maa ko toh paa liya...

Lekin jis ladki se woh sabse zyada pyaar karta tha...

Use hamesha ke liye kho diya.

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