Jaipur ki subah hamesha shaant lagti hai.
Jaise sheher khud apni purani kahaniyon ko neend me sulaye rakhta ho.
Shekhawat Haveli ki jali hui jharokhon se jab pehli dhoop andar girti hai, toh wo sirf roshni nahi hoti—
wo yaadein hoti hain.
Khoon se likhi hui, par muskurahat me chhupi hui.
Ishika Shekhawat apni balcony me khadi thi, haath me coffee ka mug aur aankhon me neend ke bache hue tukde. Neeche courtyard me guards ka routine chal raha tha—par usne uss taraf dekha bhi nahi.
Uski nazar hamesha sheher par tikti thi.
Us sheher par, jahan uski college, uske sapne, aur ek normal zindagi bas thodi si door thi.
“Good morning, princess.”
Peeche se aayi awaaz pe Ishika muskuraye bina reh nahi paayi.
Veer.
Wo bina palte hi boli,
“Tumhare good morning bolne ka matlab hota hai main late ho chuki hoon.”
Veer Shekhawat—safed kurta, sleeves folded, aankhon me wahi gehra shaantpan.
Uske chehre par emotions kam dikhte the, par Ishika jaanti thi—yeh insaan duniya se zyada uski fikr karta hai.
“College driver neeche khada hai,” Veer ne casually kaha.
“Par tumhari coffee abhi bhi full hai.”
Ishika ne mug uthaya.
“Kyuki mujhe zindagi enjoy karni hai, Veer bhai. Sirf bhaagna nahi.”
Veer kuch bolna chahta tha… par chup reh gaya.
Hamesha ki tarah.
Breakfast table pe poora Shekhawat parivaar maujood tha—
jaise koi royal portrait zinda ho gaya ho.
Devraj Shekhawat apni chair par bilkul seedhe baithe the. Akhbaar ekdum sahi angle par, chai bina cheeni ke.
Gayatri Devi unke paas, shaant par satark—jaise maa hona unka ek silent mission ho.
Aarav laptop ke peeche chhupa hua tha, fingers keyboard par chal rahi thi.
Rudra phone par kisi se behes kar raha tha—college ka hi koi mamla lag raha tha.
“Ishika, presentation hai na aaj?” Gayatri Devi ne pyaar se poocha.
“Ji maa,” Ishika ne kaha,
“Media ethics.”
Rudra ne turant phone side me rakh diya.
“Media ethics?” usne eyebrow utha ke kaha,
“Humare ghar me reh ke?”
Gayatri Devi ne use ek nazar me chup kara diya.
Veer ne sirf ek glance diya—aur Rudra samajh gaya, aaj zyada bolna safe nahi.
Devraj Shekhawat ne akhbaar neeche rakha.
“Ishika,” unki awaaz bhaari thi,
“College ke baad seedha ghar.”
Ishika ne sir hila diya.Par uski aankhon me sawaal tha—
Kab tak?
College campus me Ishika bilkul alag lagti thi.
Na koi Shekhawat, na koi Rajput, na koi mafia—
sirf ek normal ladki.
Canteen ke corner me wo apni best friend ke saath baithi hasi-mazaak kar rahi thi, jab kisi ki nazar us par thodi zyada der tak ruk gayi.
Kabir Mehta.
Notebook haath me, calm si smile, aur aankhon me woh curiosity jo Ishika ko hamesha thoda nervous kar deti thi.
“Tum hamesha mujhe aise kyun dekhte ho?” Ishika ne ek din pooch hi liya tha.
Kabir muskuraya tha.
“Kyuki tum baaki logon jaisi nahi lagti.”
Aaj bhi, jab unki nazar mili, Ishika ne pehle hi nazar jhuka li.
Usse pata tha—
agar bhaiyon ne dekh liya, toh sawaalon ki baarish shuru ho jaayegi.
Shaam hote hi haveli ka rang badal jaata tha.
Rudra apni bike ki keys ghoomata hua lounge me aaya.
“Aaj late ho jaunga,” usne casually kaha.
Veer ne bas itna poocha,
“Kis ke saath?”
“Tara,” Rudra ne bina dare kaha.
Ek pal ke liye kamre me khamoshi aa gayi.
Aarav ne laptop band kiya.
Gayatri Devi ne gehri saans li.
“College ki ladkiyaan dangerous hoti ja rahi hain,” Aarav ne mazaak me kaha, par uski aankhon me concern tha.
Veer ne kuch nahi kaha.
Bas ek rule yaad dila diya—
“Phone on.”
Raat ko Ishika apne kamre me thi, diary khuli hui.
Wo likh rahi thi—Main apne bhaiyon se pyaar karti hoon.Par kya main apni zindagi bhi chah sakti hoon?
Neeche haveli ke ek kamre me, Devraj Shekhawat ek secret meeting ke liye taiyaar ho rahe the.
Guns table par thi, awaazein dheemi.
Par upar, Ishika ki duniya bilkul alag thi.Soft lights, fairy bulbs, aur ek ladki jo sirf itna chahti thi—ki uski zindagi uske naam se ho, uske surname se nahi.
Aur isi tarah,
Shekhawat haveli me ek aur din khatam hua—
bina kisi khoon ke,bina kisi cheekh ke.Par raaz…
wo chup chaap saans le rahe the.
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