Update 32
“Us Awaaz Ke Liye...”
Subah ki halki roshni khidki se chhankar room ke andar aa rahi thi.
Room mein ek ajeeb si shaanti thi... sirf monitor ki beep aur halki si thandi hawa ki awaaz.
Ananya aur Priya, dono Dev ke paas baithe-baithe kab so gayi, pata hi nahi chala.
Par jaise hi ek halki si hawa ka jhonka aaya, Ananya ki aankh khuli. Usne dheere se aankh malte hue dekha... Dev...?
Dev khidki ke samne khada tha. Seedha. Shaant. Uski aankhen bahar kahi door dekh rahi thi — jaise koi purani yaad wapas aa rahi ho.
Ananya turant uthti hai, hila ke Priya ko jagati hai —
"Priya... Priya uth... Dev!"
Dono jaldi se Dev ke paas jaate hain.
Ananya (pareshan hokar):
"Dev jaan... tum yahan kya kar rahe ho? Tumhara operation hua hai, tumhe rest karna chahiye!"
Dev dheere se mudta hai... uski aankhon mein thakan bhi thi, par ek ajeeb sa sukoon bhi.
Woh bina kuch bole Ananya ke paas aata hai...
Aur uska sir apne seene se laga leta hai.
Dev (softly):
"Main bilkul theek hoon... chinta mat karo Anu..."
Ananya ki saansein uske seene ki dhadkano se takra rahi thi.
Usse aisa lag raha tha jaise yeh awaaz, yeh vibration...
Uski har ek toot chuki feeling ko jod rahi ho.
Jaise isi awaaz ke liye wo jeeti rahi ho itne dino se.
Priya thoda muskura ke peeche hat jaati hai.
Wo softly haste hue room ke bahar nikal jaati hai — aur Viper ko phone milane lagti hai.
Room mein sirf Dev aur Ananya reh jaate hain.
Dev (khidki ki taraf dekhte hue):
"Anu... mujhe ghar jaana hai. Yahan theek nahi lag raha..."
Ananya (thoda ghabra kar):
"Abhi kaise? Tumhari body abhi bhi weak hai Dev... Doctor ne bhi bola hai rest lena hai."
Dev uski aankhon mein dekhta hai.
Dev:
"Mujhe lagta hai main heal ho gaya hoon... Shayad meri powers ki wajah se. Main khud ko normal mehsoos kar raha hoon Anu. Tum please mujhe le chalo..."
Ananya (slowly):
"Theek hai... par Priya ke ghar?"
Dev thoda sochta hai... fir dheere se bolta hai:
Dev:
"Nahi... Priya ke ghar ke paas koi aur jagah dekhte hain. Main Viper se baat karta hoon."
Fir thoda ruk ke, uske expression change ho jaate hain. Serious, but soft.
Dev:
"Aur haan... ab se mujhe Ved hi bulana. Jahaan bhi jaaoge, jis bhi naam se yaad karoge... wo Ved hoga."
Ananya uski aankhon mein dekhti hai.
Ek second ke liye kuch bol nahi paati.
Phir bas halka sa sir hila deti hai.
Bahaar se roshni poori tarah se room mein aa chuki thi...
Aur Dev bus abb ek naam ban ke reh gaya thaa joh aaj ke din ke saath dhal gaya — ab sirf ek patient nahi, balki ek nayi identity ke saath — Ved, us roshni mein khada tha.
Thodi der baad, room ke darwaaze par halki si knock hui.
Knock Knock.
Ananya ne darwaaza dekha — Priya aur Viper dono saamne khade the, muskuraate hue.
Viper (andar aate hi):
"Arey Dev..."
Ved (haaste hue, beech mein tokta hai):
"Ved."
Viper (hans kar):
"Haan haan... Ved baba! Aur badi jaldi theek ho gaye ho... tujhe aise dekh kar badi khushi hui bhai!"
Ved (narmi se):
"Thanks bhai... mere liye itna sab karne ke liye."
Viper (muskurakar):
"Thank mujhe mat bol, Priya ko bol — usne toh literally jaan laga di teri care mein."
Priya (beech mein haste hue tokti hai):
"Kya yaar, aise kya keh rahe ho! Main koi parayi hoon kya? Mera cousin brother hai yeh, itna toh banta hi hai!"
Ved (halka hans ke):
"Haan woh toh main hoon hi... Viper, ek kaam karega bhai?"
Viper:
"Bolo, boss."
Ved:
"Priya ke ghar ke aas paas koi ghar dekh mile toh bata... main wahan rahunga. Aur Priya ke building mein nahi — separate hona chahiye. Aur ek kaam aur... anu ko aise dikhana ki wo ek rent par waha rehati hai, main wahan ka owner hoon."
Priya (thoda surprise hokar):
"Par mere ghar mein kya dikkat hai?"
Ved:
"Koi dikkat nahi behna, bas ek cover create karna padega. Anu aur mere liye thoda alag identity rakhna zaroori hai. Tumhare ghar ke saamne hi reh lunga — aur jo khilaogi, wahi kha lunga! Deal?"
Priya (khushi se hans ke):
"Ok done! Final!"
Viper (smirking):
"Okay boss, yeh kaam fix samjho."
Ved (eyebrows uthakar):
"Boss?"
Viper (laugh ke):
"Aur kya! Jis team ka main hissa hoon... uska leader ab tu hai!"
Ved (shoulders shrug karke):
"Government ka kaam wahi jaane ... apne ko sirf apna kaam karna hai. Waise ghar ke paise denge ya nahi woh log?"
Viper (thoda serious tone mein):
"Chahe tu maange ya na maange... ab toh woh log tujhe sab dene ko tayyar hain. Bas tu unka kaam karta rahe."
Ved (thoda soch mein padkar, aankhon mein thoda dard):
"Haan... bina kuch bole... karna hi padega."
Ananya (thoda naraz tone mein):
"Kya Viper bhai! Aate hi kaam ki baatein? Thoda toh rest lene do usse!"
Viper (haath jod kar drama mein):
"Sorry didi ji! Galti ho gayi! Ab se nahi hoga, kasam Ved ki!"
Sab hans padte hain. Thodi der baad Viper doctor se formalities clear karta hai, aur Ved ko officially discharge mil jaata hai.
Kuch ghanton baad — ek black SUV gate par rukti hai. Gadi se Priya, Ananya aur Ved utarte hain. Ved thoda weak tha, lekin chal raha tha — Viper aur Ananya ka sahara leke.
Ananya ne villa ka gate khola.
Ek sundar sa teen-manjila ghar — ekdum clean, thoda old style feel, par charm intact.
Ved amazement se ghar ko dekhta hai.
Ved:
"Yaar... itni jaldi kaise mil gaya yeh ghar?"
Priya (smartly smile karte hue):
"Arey yeh ghar toh khaali hi pada tha. Maine hi Viper bhai ko number diya. Owner ka dusra ghar city ke doosre kone mein hai, aur woh yeh bechna hi chahta tha. Lucky mil gaya!"
Ved ghar ke andar jaata hai. Har ek room ko dhyan se dekh raha tha — drawing room, stairs, balcony, aur chhoti si puja ki jagah. Sab kuch freshly cleaned tha, lekin usmein ek khaaliपन tha jo sirf uski presence se bharne wala tha.
Ved (andar aate hi, halki si smile ke saath):
"Finally... ab mera khud ka ghar. Jahan mujhe koi yeh nahi bolega ki kya karna hai, kya nahi... koi nahi rokega."
Ananya thoda piche khadi thi, uska chehra shaant tha.
Woh Ved ko nahi, Dev ko dekh rahi thi — us Dev ko, jo saalon tak apne "ghar" mein sirf reh raha tha... jeeta nahi tha.
Ananya (mann mein, uski taraf dekhte hue):
"Main jaanti hoon... tumne apne ghar mein sirf dard dekha tha Dev. Shayad ab Ved uss dard se nikal ke jeena seekhe..."
Edhar - School Canteen
College Canteen, late morning.
Canteen ke kone wale table par chaar ladke-ladkiyan baith kar mazaak, discussion aur khaane mein busy the.
1. Sameer (18) – Hamesha hoodie pehne rehta hai, chill nature, thoda witty.School ke owner kaa betaa hai...
2. Deepu (19) – Science nerd, chashma lagata hai, thoda awkward lekin dil ka saaf.
3. Mitali (19) – Smart, outspoken, poore group ki jaan.Yaha ke Acp ke beti hai...
4. Sachin (20) – Sabse senior, thoda rough-tough aur protective type.
Sameer (burger ka bite lete hue):
"Are yaar, suna tumne? Ek new admission aaya hai... direct mid-sem mein.
Deepu (eyebrows raise karke):
"Kya? Kis stream mein?"
Mitali (phone check karte hue):
"Shayad science mein.
Sachin (thoda interest lete hue):
"Naam?"
Sameer:
"Ved......Aur pata hai? Usne principal se pehle hi milke kuch special permission bhi li hai... yeh banda normal nahi lagta bro."
Mitali (half-smiling):
"Hmm... mysterious boys ka zamana hai... interesting!"
Sab hans padte hain. But koi nahi jaanta... jo “Ved” aa raha hai, woh unki zindagi badalne wala hai — har ek ka kisi na kisi form mein.
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