Chapter— Roshiyon ke peeche

Concert hall ke bahar hazaron log qatar mein khade thay, unke haathon mein light sticks, unki awazon mein josh jo Anaya ne pehle kabhi nahi dekha tha. Woh thodi der ke liye ruk gayi, is manzar ko dekhte hue — itni mohabbat, itna junoon, sirf chand logon ke liye jo stage par gaane ke liye aate hain.

Usne apna phone nikala aur Zara ko call kiya.

"Dekh rahi ho?" Anaya ne poocha, camera phra kar bheed dikhate hue.

Zara ki cheekh phone ke doosri taraf se aayi, itni tez ke Anaya ko hansna pada. "ANAYA MAIN ROO RAHI HOON! Yeh sach mein ho raha hai?!"

"Haan, pagal," Anaya hansi. "Tumhare liye. Chalo ander jaate hain."

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Concert shuru hua, aur poora hall roshniyon aur awazon se jagmaga gaya. Anaya apni jagah par khadi, apna phone Zara ki taraf tane hue, is manzar ko live dikha rahi thi.

"Yeh dekh rahi ho? YEH DEKH RAHI HO?" Anaya chillayi, awaaz music ke shor mein kho rahi thi.

"ANAYA MAIN—" Zara ki awaaz phone mein crack ho gayi, itni khushi mein ke woh theek se bol bhi nahi pa rahi thi. "Main kabhi nahi bhoologi yeh pal. Kabhi nahi."

Stage par, Obsidian ke members perform kar rahe thay, unki energy poore hall ko jhoom raha thi. Bade LED screens ke upar, camera crew bari bari se bheed ki tasveerein live dikha rahe thay — fans ke chehre, unke signs, unka josh, jo poore hall mein aur bhi zyada junoon paida kar raha tha.

Seo-Jun apna part gaate hue, stage ke ek kone se doosre tak move kar raha tha, jab uski nazar side screen par gayi jahan crew abhi bheed ka ek naya angle dikha raha tha.

Aur wahan, ek pal ke liye, ek chehra tha jo baaki sab se alag tha.

Niqab. Roshan ankhein jo screen ki roshni mein chamak rahi thi. Phone upar taane hue, kisi aur ke liye yeh pal capture karti hui, bilkul bekhabar ke woh khud screen par aa chuki thi.

Seo-Jun ka lafz ek pal ke liye ruk gaya — itna chhota waqfa ke shayad kisi ne notice nahi kiya, siwaye uske jo stage par uske paas khada tha.

*Yeh wahi hai.*

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Baaki performance ke dauran, Seo-Jun ka zehan do jagah baant gaya — ek hissa apne kaam mein, doosra hissa us sawaal mein jo baar baar uske dimagh mein aata: *Kya woh yahan meri wajah se aayi hai? Ya woh sach mein nahi jaanti ke main kaun hoon?*

Jitna woh sochta, utna hi confuse hota. Us raat gali mein, jab usne apna naam bataya tha — Kang Seo-Jun — Anaya ne koi khaas reaction nahi diya tha. Koi hairaniyat nahi, koi excitement nahi, jaisa har koi deta hai jab woh yeh naam sunta hai. Us waqt Seo-Jun ne socha tha ke shayad woh sirf udaas thi, ya thaki hui.

Lekin ab, usse yahan dekh kar, screen par uska chehra dekh kar, ek naya khayal aaya: *Shayad woh sach mein nahi jaanti thi. Shayad abhi bhi nahi jaanti.*

Yeh khayal ajeeb tarah se usse pareshan kar raha tha — aur ajeeb tarah se, usse achha bhi lag raha tha.

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Concert khatam hone ke baad, backstage mein Seo-Jun apna mic neeche rakh raha tha jab Jae-Won uske paas aaya.

"Kaisa laga aaj?" Jae-Won ne poocha, apne tablet par kuch check karte hue.

"Achha," Seo-Jun ne kaha, lekin uski awaaz mein kuch aur bhi tha.

Jae-Won ne uski taraf dekha, foran bhaanp gaya. "Kya hua?"

Seo-Jun ne ek pal soch kar kaha, "Maine usse dekha. Screen par. Bheed mein."

"Kise?"

"Woh gali wali... woh jisne meri madad ki thi."

Jae-Won ki bhaun uthi. "Yahan? Tumhare concert mein?"

"Pata nahi kyun aayi," Seo-Jun ne kaha, halka sa confuse hote hue. "Shayad koi fan hai. Shayad sirf itfaaqan yahan thi. Mujhe nahi maloom."

"To jaake poocho," Jae-Won ne seedha kaha, jaise yeh sabse aasan baat ho.

Seo-Jun khamosh raha ek pal, phir sar hilaya. "Fan interaction ke liye jaa sakta hoon, thodi der ke liye. Shayad woh abhi bhi bheed mein ho."

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Seo-Jun security ke saath bheed mein utra, "fan interaction" ke naam par, apni nazrein har taraf ghumate hue — har niqab, har scarf par ruk kar, har baar mayoosi hoti jab woh chehra Anaya ka nahi nikalta.

"Sir, sirf paanch minute hain," officer ne yaad dilaya.

Seo-Jun ne bheed ko dekha — hazaron log, sab exit ki taraf ja rahe thay, dhakka-mukki, shor. Kahin bhi woh khaas sukoon nazar nahi aa raha tha jo sirf Anaya mein tha.

Paanch minute guzar gaye. Fans ke saath photos, chhoti si baat-cheet, lekin Seo-Jun ki nazrein poore waqt kisi aur cheez ko dhoondti rahi.

"Sir, humein jaana hoga," officer ne aakhir mein kaha.

Seo-Jun ne aakhri baar bheed ko dekha, ek gehri saans li, aur security ke saath wapas backstage ki taraf mud gaya — khali haath, lekin zehan mein wohi sawaal liye:

*Kya woh sach mein mujhe nahi jaanti thi?*

Woh bohat pehle hi exit se nikal chuki thi, taxi mein baithi apne hotel ki taraf ja rahi thi, apna phone Zara ko final message bhejte hue: *"Ghar pohanch kar call karti hoon, sab bataungi!"*

Uske zehan mein Seo-Jun ka koi khayal nahi tha — na uska chehra, na uski awaaz. Uske liye woh raat sirf ek concert ki raat thi jo usne apni dost ke liye jee thi.

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