December ki sardi apne charam par thi, aur mere birthday ka excitement ek alag hi level par tha. Lekin iss baar excitement ki wajah sirf gifts ya surprises nahi thi—yeh uska hona tha. Woh, jo meri zindagi mein ek nayi roshni bankar aaya tha. Hamari baatein, chats se calls aur calls se video calls tak pahuch chuki thi, aur ek hi hafta laga tha yeh sab hone mein. Uska mujhe sunna, samajhna, aur hasana mujhe ek alag hi dunia mein le jaata tha.
**10 December: Ek Achanak Waqfa**
10 December ki raat thi, aur us din hamari baatein zyada lambi nahi ho paayi thi. **"Kal subah baat karte hain,"** usne casually kaha tha, aur main bhi ek halki si smile ke saath so gayi thi. Lekin agle din se woh gyab ho gaya. Na message, na call. Ek ajeeb si khamoshi thi, jo har ghante mujhe aur zyada chubhne lagti thi.
**Main apne aap se:**
*"Shayad busy hoga."*
*"Ho sakta hai phone kharab ho gaya ho."*
*"Par ek baar message karne mein kitna time lagta hai?"*
Yeh sawaal mere dimaag mein ghoom rahe the, lekin jawab kahin nahi tha. Har raat phone ki screen dekhti, uske naam ka intezaar karti, lekin kuch nahi aata. Mere birthday ka din aaya aur chala gaya, aur mujhe uska ek bhi message nahi mila.
### **Birthday Ke Din: Dil Ki Chupchaap Dastak**
Mera birthday hamesha ek bada celebration hota tha. Friends, family, cake, sab kuch. Lekin iss baar, ek khali-pan tha jo mujhe khush hone se rok raha tha. Mere dil mein ek hope thi ki shayad woh aakhri moment par message karega, ya ek chhota sa call toh karega hi. Lekin jab din khatam hua, toh mere phone ki screen pe sirf doosre logon ke wishes thi—uski nahi.
Us raat, jab sab so rahe the, maine apne phone ko dekha aur uska naam search kiya. Ek chhota sa message type kiya:
**"Hey, sab theek hai? Kaafi din ho gaye, tumse baat nahi hui."**
Message bhejne ke baad, maine apna phone side par rakha, lekin neend aankhon se door thi.
### **19 December: Uska Wapas Aana**
Mera phone baj raha tha, aur screen par uska naam chamak raha tha. Mere dil ki dhadkan ek moment ke liye ruk gayi thi. Maine jaldi se call uthai.
**Main:** "Tumhe pata hai tumne kitna late kiya call karne mein?"
**Woh:** "Sorry, yaar. Mera phone kharab ho gaya tha. Repair karwane gaya, toh time lag gaya."
**Main:** "Phone kharab tha? Aur ek baar message karne ka bhi time nahi tha?"
**Woh:** "Tumhe kya lagta hai, main tumse bina baat kiye itne din reh sakta hoon? Seriously, phone kharab tha."
Uski awaaz mein ek warmth thi, jo mujhe convince kar gayi. Maine kuch aur puchhna hi chhod diya. Uske words mujhe apni baaton mein uljha lete the, jaise woh meri fikr ka saboot de raha ho.
### **Wapas Se Wahi Connection**
Hamari baatein phir se shuru ho gayi thi, jaise woh kabhi gaya hi nahi tha. Har raat, jab ghar so jata, hum dono apne phones le kar apni duniya mein khoye rehte.
**Woh:** "Tumhare birthday par kuch khaas kiya tha?"
**Main:** "Bas friends aur family ke saath time bitaya. Tumhara message aaya hota, toh aur achha hota."
**Woh:** "Sorry, yaar. Agle saal pakka double special banayenge."
Woh mujhe kaise samajhta tha, yeh mujhe khud nahi pata tha. Uski baaton mein ek aisi simplicity thi, jo mere dil ko kheench leti thi. Har baar jab woh mujhe "special" kehta, toh mujhe lagta ki shayad duniya mein sach mein koi hai jo mujhe samajhta hai.
### **Mera Bharosa Aur Uski Baaten**
Uska har shabd mujhe apne andar ek alag hi confidence deta tha. Main usse ek apnapan mehsoos karti thi—jaise woh mera sab kuch tha, meri har baat ka companion. Main uski har baat par bharosa karti thi, bina kisi shak ke. Woh mujhe kabhi bhi galat nahi laga, aur shayad isi wajah se uska hona meri life ka sabse khaas hissa ban gaya tha.
Uske wapas aane ke baad, meri zindagi fir se wahi rhythm par chalne lagi thi—raat bhar baatein karna, chhoti chhoti cheezein share karna, aur uski hasi sunna. Mujhe nahi pata tha ki aage kya hone wala tha, lekin us waqt, bas uska hona mere liye kaafi tha.
**Birthday Se Lekar Ek Nayi Shuruaat**
Uska jaana aur wapas aana mujhe yeh sikha gaya tha ki kuch connections sirf ek hafta ya ek mahine mein ban jaate hain, lekin woh itne gehre hote hain ki lagta hai jaise woh hamesha ke liye ho. Aur shayad, yeh ek shuruaat thi—ek aisi kahani ki, jo filhal adhoori thi, lekin mere liye perfect lag rahi thi.