College ka parking area aam dinon jaisa hi tha— gaadiyon ki awaaz, students ki bheed, security guards ka routine.
Par us din hawa me kuch aur tha.
Kabir apni bike ki keys ghooma raha tha jab usne mehsoos kiya—
koi use dekh raha hai.
Wo palta.
Veer Shekhawat wahan khada tha.
Black shirt, sleeves folded, aankhon me wo shaant sa khatra jo cheekhta nahi—
sirf warning deta hai.
“Kabir Mehta?”
Veer ki awaaz na zyada tez thi, na zyada dheemi.
Kabir ne sir hila diya.
“Ji.”
“Do minute.”
Ye request nahi thi.
Ye faisla tha.
Wo dono parking ke kone me aa gaye—bheed se door, par nazron se nahi.
“Tum Ishika ke saath padhte ho,” Veer ne seedha kaha.
Kabir ne haan me sir hilaya.
“Same class.”
“Bas class tak hi rakhna,” Veer bola.
Uski aankhon me gussa nahi tha—
aur wahi cheez zyada dangerous thi.
Kabir ne pehli baar gehri saans li.
“Main uski respect karta hoon.”
Veer ne usse dekha.
“Respect aur haq me farq hota hai.”
Ek pal ke liye dono chup rahe.
Phir Veer ne aakhri baat kahi—
“Tum uske kareeb ho…
isliye zinda ho.”
Aur bina peeche dekhe wahan se chala gaya.
Ishika library me baithi thi, par ek line bhi samajh nahi aa rahi thi.
Uska phone table par tha—screen baar-baar on ho rahi thi.
Kabir: Can we talk?
Ishika ne reply nahi kiya.
Usse darr tha—
baat karne se kahin sab bigad na jaaye.
Ghar aate hi usne mehsoos kar liya—
haveli aaj zyada shaant thi.
Veer drawing room me khada tha.
Aarav sofa par baitha laptop dekh raha tha, par uska focus screen par nahi tha.
“Bhai,” Ishika ne dheere se kaha,
“aaj college aaye the?”
Veer ne uski taraf dekha.
Bas dekha.
“Haan,” usne short sa jawab diya.
“Ky—”
Ishika ne baat poori karni chahi—
“College padhai ke liye hota hai,” Veer ne kaha.
“Baaki cheezon ke liye nahi.”
Ishika ka gala bhar aaya.
“Tum log mujhe saans bhi soch samajh ke lene ko kahoge kya?”
Rudra jo tab tak chup tha, seedha khada ho gaya.
“Hum tujhe bachane ki koshish kar rahe hain.”
“Main koi problem nahi hoon!”
Ishika ki awaaz pehli baar thodi unchi hui.
Kamra ekdum khamosh ho gaya.
Gayatri Devi ne aage badhkar Ishika ka haath pakad liya.
“Beta… kabhi-kabhi zyada pyaar bhi bojh lagta hai.”
Ishika ki aankhon se aansu beh gaye.
Wo bina kuch bole apne kamre me chali gayi.
Raat ko Aarav Veer ke kamre me aaya.
“Tumne ladke ko dara diya,” Aarav ne calmly kaha.
Veer ne khidki se bahar dekhte hue jawab diya,
“Main sirf boundaries set kar raha hoon.”
“Behen ke dil ke around bhi?”
Veer chup ho gaya.
Usi waqt, sheher ke doosre kone me Kabir apna phone haath me liye baitha tha.
Screen par ek incoming call flash ho rahi thi.
Unknown Number.
Usne call receive ki.
Dusri taraf se awaaz aayi—
“Tum Jaipur me kya kar rahe ho, Kabir?”
Kabir ki ungliyaan tharthara gayi.
“Main kaha tha na Shekhawat family se door rehna.”
Call cut ho gayi.
Kabir ne apni aankhen band kar li.
Usse pata tha—
jo wo bhaag ke aaya tha,
wo usse dhoondh chuka hai.
Aur upar haveli me,
Ishika apne bed par baithi ek hi baat soch rahi thi—
Main sabki princess hoon…
phir bhi itni akeli kyun hoon?
End of Chapter 3
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