Ghar wapas aane ke baad sab kuch normal dikhne ki koshish kar raha tha. Living room wahi tha, walls wahi thi, log wahi the… lekin Kiara waisi nahi thi. Uski recovery physically fast ho rahi thi, par uski aankhon mein ek ajeeb sa calm settle ho gaya tha, jaise woh kisi cheez ka intezaar kar rahi ho. Na panic, na confusion. Bas ek silent awareness. Jab bhi clock ki ticking sunai deti, woh uski taraf dekhti nahi thi, par clearly count kar rahi hoti thi.
Us raat Kiara ne pehli baar clearly kaha, “Maine wapas aane ke liye haan kaha tha.” Room mein khamoshi chha gayi. Kiansh ne samjha shayad woh near-death hallucination ki baat kar rahi hai, par Kiara ne head shake kiya. “Wahan andhera nahi tha… bas ek choice thi. Ya toh main ruk jaati… ya wapas aati. Maine wapas aane ka option liya.” Uski awaaz stable thi, jaise woh koi emotional confession nahi, ek fact share kar rahi ho.“Price?” Kiansh ne dheere se poocha.
Kiara ne seedha jawab nahi diya. Woh khidki ke bahar dekhte hue boli, “Har wapas aane wale ko zyada waqt nahi milta. Sirf utna jitna balance complete karne ke liye chahiye hota hai.” Us line ke baad usne topic change kar diya. Jaise usne already accept kar liya ho jo aane wala hai.
Agle do din unusual the. Kiara unusually energetic thi. Woh sabke saath baithti, softly smile karti, chhoti chhoti baatein yaad karti. Vivan ke saath chai peete hue usne casually kaha, “Aap strong rehna.” Teena ke baalon ko theek karte hue usne bas itna kaha, “Apni care karna.” Sabko laga trauma ke baad gratitude phase hai. Lekin Kiansh notice kar raha tha—yeh gratitude nahi tha. Yeh closure tha.
Teesri raat hawa bilkul still thi. Na storm, na flicker, na dramatic sign. Bas ek normal si shaant raat. Kiara balcony mein khadi aasman dekh rahi thi. “Maut scary nahi hoti,” usne dheere se kaha jab Kiansh uske paas aaya. “Scary hota hai adhura reh jaana.” Usne uska haath pakda, aur is baar uski grip strong thi. “Tum adhure nahi ho,” Kiansh ne almost desperate tone mein kaha.Kiara ne halka sa smile kiya. “Main nahi. Waqt.”
Raat 2:17 AM par jab sab so rahe the, Kiara ne apni aankhen kholi. Room mein bilkul khamoshi thi. Usne ek gehri saans li, jaise koi final decision le rahi ho. Uski heartbeat slow nahi hui, panic nahi hua. Bas ek gradual softness aayi. Jaise body relax kar rahi ho beyond normal sleep.
Subah jab Kiansh ne uska haath pakda to woh thanda tha. Room mein koi monitor nahi tha, koi alarm nahi baja, koi dramatic shor nahi hua; sab kuch ajeeb si shaanti mein dooba hua tha. Kiara ka chehra bilkul sukoon bhara lag raha tha, jaise usne khud hi ek faisla liya ho aur bina kisi darr ke us par chal di ho. Is baar uske jaane mein koi struggle nahi tha, koi deal nahi thi, aur na hi wapas aane ki koi shart. Sirf ek gehri, antim khamoshi thi.
The Silence She Left Behind
Subah ki roshni jab room mein ghusi, tab tak ghar mein kisi ko andaza nahi tha ki raat ne kya cheen liya hai. Kiansh kuch der tak bas uska haath pakde baitha raha, jaise body ki thandak ko deny kar sakta ho. Uska dimaag accept nahi kar raha tha ki jo ladki kal raat balcony mein khadi aasman dekh rahi thi, woh itni shaanti se ja sakti hai. Usne uska naam ek baar nahi, kai baar liya. Pehle dheere. Phir zor se. Phir toot kar. Lekin Kiara ki palkein nahi hili.
Ghar mein jab sach phaila, toh awaaz kam aur khamoshi zyada thi. Vivan ne pehli baar apni awaaz kho di. Teena ne uske kandhe pakad kar hilaya jaise woh bas so rahi ho. Har kisi ko lag raha tha shayad yeh koi medical explanation hoga, koi hidden complication, koi delayed reaction. Doctor ko bulaya gaya. Examination simple tha. Cause likha gaya — “Cardiac arrest during sleep.” Clinical. Straight. Cold.
Par jo log usse jaante the, unhe pata tha yeh bas ek sentence nahi tha. Yeh woh “balance” tha jiska zikr usne kiya tha.
Kiansh ko sabse zyada woh last do din yaad aa rahe the. Uska har small gesture. Har soft smile. Har line jo ab samajh aa rahi thi. Woh alvida keh rahi thi… bina “goodbye” bole. Usne har insaan ko mentally prepare kiya tha, bas itne subtly ki kisi ko samajh na aaye. Aur sabne ignore kar diya.
Funeral ke waqt hawa bilkul still thi. Na dramatic baarish, na loud thunder. Bas ek safed shaanti. Log ro rahe the, par Kiansh nahi. Uski aankhon mein aansu the, lekin gir nahi rahe the. Jaise uske andar kuch freeze ho gaya ho. Jab aakhri baar usne uska chehra dekha, usse sirf ek cheez mehsoos hui — Kiara ne darr ke saath nahi, choice ke saath jaana select kiya tha.
Shaam tak ghar wapas aa gaya sab. Log chale gaye. Phool murjhane lage. Room wahi tha. Bed wahi tha. Balcony wahi thi.
Raat 1:30 AM par clock ne wahi waqt dikhaya aur Kiansh ki aankhen achanak khul gayi. Usse ek pal ke liye mehsoos hua jaise room mein halki si wohi khushboo tair rahi ho jo Kiara use karti thi, jaise uski presence ab bhi hawa mein baaki ho. Usne dheere se aas-paas dekha, saans rok kar suna, lekin room bilkul khali tha. Sirf khamoshi thi, aur us khamoshi mein uska naam.
The One Who Took Her Place
Kiara ke jaane ke baad ghar sirf khali nahi hua tha, balance shift hua tha. Sab apne dard mein doobe hue the, lekin kisi ne notice nahi kiya ki Aprajita chup ho gayi thi. Woh pehle se hi kam bolti thi, par ab uski khamoshi alag thi — jaise woh kuch samajh chuki ho jo baaki sab se chhupa hua tha. Hospital wali raat se hi usne Kiara ko ajeeb nazar se dekha tha, jaise dono ke beech koi unsaid conversation hui ho.
Teen din baad Aprajita ne achanak Kiansh se poocha, “Agar kisi ko wapas laane ke liye kisi aur ka waqt adjust ho jaaye toh?” Kiansh ne thak kar kaha, “Aise deals sirf stories mein hoti hain.” Aprajita ne bas halka sa smile kiya. “Har story mein nahi… bas unmein jahan pyaar bahut gehra ho.”
Us raat Aprajita unusually shaant thi. Usne sab ke saath dinner kiya, Vivan se casually baat ki, Teena ke saath thoda hansi-mazaak bhi kiya. Kisi ko kuch ajeeb nahi laga. Lekin jab woh apne room mein gayi, usne ek chhoti si chitthi likhi. “Balance complete.” Bas do words.
Subah jab uska door knock karne par nahi khula, tab kisi ko halka sa doubt hua. Door todna pada. Aprajita bed par seedhi leti hui thi, bilkul shaant. Koi struggle nahi, koi scream nahi. Jaise bas neend gehri ho gayi ho. Doctor ne check kiya. “Sudden cardiac arrest.” Simple explanation. Clean. Clinical.
Lekin Kiansh ko us moment ek cheez samajh aayi. Kiara ne kaha tha, “Ab countdown mera nahi hai.” Shayad countdown kisi aur ka tha. Shayad jab Kiara ne wapas aane ka option choose kiya tha, tab kisi ne apna waqt uske naam kar diya tha.
Aprajita ki funeral par hawa heavy thi. Is baar Kiansh roya. Kyunki usse ehsaas hua — kisi ne unke pyaar ke liye sacrifice kiya. Aur unhone kabhi notice bhi nahi kiya.
Raat 3:00 AM par clock ne waqt dikhaya, lekin is baar kisi ki aankh nahi khuli. Ghar bilkul shaant tha, jaise sab kuch apni jagah settle ho chuka ho. Balance complete ho chuka tha, aur kahani ka hisaab barabar. Jo reh gaye the, unhe ab samajh aa gaya tha ki maut hamesha cheenti nahi, kabhi kabhi woh sirf hisaab barabar karti hai.
The end of the story
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