Raat ke 11 baje the, aur meri phone ki screen pe ek naya message aaya. Pichle kuch ghanto se exam ki taiyari karte hue, mujhe lag raha tha ki ab bas thodi der ka break chahiye. Jaise hi maine apne desk par rakha phone uthaya, uski name screen pe chamak rahi thi, aur mera dil ek pal ke liye ruk gaya.
Hamari baatein sirf dusre din hi shuru hui thi, lekin kuch toh tha uski presence mein jo kafi khaas tha. Bilkul bejhat. Maine apna phone unlock kiya, aur mere chehre pe ek muskaan aayi jab maine uska message dekha:
**"Abhi bhi padhai kar rahi ho, Miss Bookworm?"**
Main hans padi, aur apne aap se socha, *Yeh hamesha aise kaise baat karta hai jo mujhe muskaan de de?* Maine jaldi se reply kiya, **"Nahi, bas aaj ke liye kaam khatam. Tum? Abhi bhi jag rahe ho?"**
Uska jawab turant aaya, jaise usne mere message ka intezaar kiya ho. **"Tumse baat karne ke liye hi toh jag raha hoon."**
Meri chehre pe ek halki si sharm aayi. *Yeh kaisa hai yaar?* Maine socha, aur phir apne chehre par muskaan chhupa na sakti thi. Yeh flirtation nahi tha, bilkul bhi nahi—yeh kuch aur tha, jaise shabdon ka ek aisa dance jo mere dil ko dheere dheere apni aur kheench raha ho.
Hamari baatein puri tarah se chal rahi thi, jaise pichle raat ki tarah. Lekin aaj raat kuch aur hi tha, ek nayi closeness thi.
**Woh:** "Tum toh lagti ho duniya ki sabse focused ladki. Yeh exams aur padhai... kya kabhi thak jaati ho?"
**Main:** "Haan, bilkul! Isi liye toh main yahan hoon, tumse baat kar rahi hoon."
**Woh:** "Oh? Toh main tumhara 'break from reality' hoon?"
**Main:** "Haha, ho sakta hai! Par zyada mat sochna apne baare mein."
**Woh:** "Zyada sochne ki zarurat nahi, main toh already charming hoon."
Main hans padti hoon, uski confidence par. Yeh ajeeb tha—kaise itni jaldi apne aap ko uske saath itna comfortable mehsoos kar rahi hoon, jab hum dono ne zyada time nahi guzara tha. Tab mujhe yaad aaya ki maine ab tak uska profile picture bhi nahi dekha.
**Main:** "By the way, mujhe abhi realise hua... mujhe toh pata hi nahi tumhara profile picture kaisa hai."
**Woh:** "Arre, woh bilkul bekar hai. Tum regret karogi dekhne ke baad."
**Main:** "Ab toh curiosity badh gayi hai."
**Woh:** "Nahi, nahi. Main apne aapko tumhare life ka mystery man hi rehna chahta hoon."
**Main:** "Tum toh ridiculous ho."
**Woh:** "Ridiculously charming, haan."
Uski wit aur humor se baatein aur bhi lively ho gayi thi, aur pata hi nahi chala kaise ghante guzar gaye. Humne sab kuch discuss kiya—kaise padhai sabse boring lagti hai, kaunse shows dekhte hain, kaunsi late-night khane ki cravings hoti hain. Har ek topic se hum dono ka ek naya connection ban raha tha.
Ek waqt pe, usne pucha, **"Kabhi lagta hai ki tumhara har din bas ek hi jaise ho rahe hain?"**
Main ruk gayi, uski baat ek gehraai mein jaa rahi thi. **"Haan... kabhi lagta hai. Pata nahi, kya main bas ek hi jagah ruk gayi hoon ya aage badh rahi hoon. Tumhe bhi aise lagta hai?"**
Uska jawab thoda dheere aaya. **"Haan. Par shayad aise pal... kisi se baat karne jaise, jo sach mein sunta ho... thoda kam akela mehsoos karata hai."**
Mera dil ek pal ke liye thoda dheere se dhadak gaya. Kitni simple si baat thi, lekin usme kitni gehraai thi.
**Main:** "Tum akela nahi ho, samjhe? Chahe kabhi kabhi aisa lage."
**Woh:** "Shukriya... sach mein. Aur agar kabhi tumhe aisa lage, toh bas message karna. Main kahin nahi jaa raha hoon."
Yeh ek promise tha—soft, be-shabashi, lekin hawa mein ek halka sa ghum phail gaya tha.
Raat badhti gayi, aur uske replies dheere dheere kam hote gaye.
**Main:** "Abhi bhi ho, Mystery Man?"
**Woh:** "Haan... bas apni aankhein thodi der ke liye band kar raha hoon."
**Main:** "Tumme apni aankhein band karke type kar rahe ho, hai na?"
**Woh:** "Nahi... thik hai, shayad."
**Main:** "Chalo, so jao. Kal baat karenge."
**Woh:** "Nahi... tumse baat karna zyada mazedaar hai... zzz..."
Main uske last message ko dekh kar hans rahi thi, aur ek tenderness mere dil mein bhar gayi thi. Usne mujhe message karte karte neend mein chala gaya. Woh soch kar mera dil pyaar se bhar gaya ki vo kahin apne phone ke saath so raha hoga.
Jaise hi maine phone rakha, mujhe yeh ehsaas hua ki yeh baatein mere liye kitni important ho gayi thi. Yeh uske looks ya profile picture ki baat nahi thi. Yeh baat thi ki woh mujhe kaise mehsoos karata tha—noticed, valued, aur samjha hua.
Aaj raat, jab main bed par thi, toh main hamari baatein dimaag mein replay kar rahi thi, aur uske sleepy replies ke yaad se muskurane lagi thi. Main nahi jaanti thi ki yeh kya hai ya kahaan jaa raha hai, lekin pehli baar, mere dil ko halka mehsoos ho raha tha.
**Aur abhi ke liye, bas yeh hi kaafi tha.**