Arre yaar, main Rahul hoon aur gaon se seedha yahan college join karne aaya tha. Train se utar ke campus dekha toh dil mein ek ajnabi si feeling thi, jaise sab kuch naya aur thoda darawna bhi. Hostel ka room number 205 tha, bag uthaye hue main andar gaya toh dekha ek ladki wahan apne kapde fold kar rahi thi. Woh simple white kurti pehne hue thi aur jeans mein, baal kandhon tak aaye hue the jo thodi si hawa se hil rahe the. Usne mujhe dekha aur haath ruk gaye.
“Yeh room mera bhi hai lagta hai,” maine kaha, awaaz mein thodi si hichkichahat thi kyunki main expect nahi kar raha tha aisa scene. Woh uthi, aankhein neeche se upar tak aayi meri taraf, ek chhota sa pause hua jaise soch rahi ho kya jawab de. Phir boli, “Haan, shared room hai. Main Priya. Tumhara naam?” Uske tone mein softness thi lekin body language se pata chal raha tha woh bhi thodi uncomfortable feel kar rahi hai, haath ko kapde pe rakhe hue thi bina hilaye.
Main bag bed pe rakh ke baitha. Room mein do single beds the, ek chhoti si window jahan se campus ka green ground dikhta tha. Students bahar ghum rahe the, hasi mazak karte hue. Priya apna makeup pouch side mein rakhti rahi, kabhi kabhi mujhe ek jhalak dekhti aur phir nazar hata leti. Maine poocha, “Tum first year ho na?” Woh sir hilayi haan mein aur boli, “Haan, commerce. Tum?” “Engineering,” maine jawab diya. Baat karte hue hum dono ke beech chhote chhote pauses aa rahe the, jaise har sentence ke baad soch rahe hon agla kya bole.
Pehla din aise hi guzra. Hum mess mein khane gaye, wahan bhi hum ek table pe baith gaye kyunki aur koi nahi tha hamare group mein. Priya khana mix karti hui boli, “Yahan ka khana thoda spicy hai, tumhe pasand aayega?” Main neeche dekha plate mein aur kaha, “Haan, gaon mein bhi aisa hi khate the.” Jab woh hans padi toh uski aankhein thodi si band ho gayi aur honth hil rahe the halke se. Main notice kar raha tha yeh sab chhoti details, jaise uske haath ka hilna jab woh paani ka glass uthati thi, ya kaise woh baal ko kaan peeche karti thi jab baat kar rahi thi. Koi badi baat nahi thi lekin kuch connection sa build ho raha tha dheere dheere.
Shaam ko library gaye dono, books dhundne ke liye. Wahan bhi hum side by side khade hue, shelf ke paas. Priya ek book nikaal ke dekhi, phir mujhe diya, “Yeh padhna padega first semester mein.” Uske ungliyan meri ungliyon se touch ho gayi ek second ke liye, dono ne nazar uthayi aur ek dusre ko dekha bina kuch bole. Phir woh wapas shelf ki taraf mud gayi. Main soch raha tha ki yeh normal college life hai ya kuch aur shuru ho raha hai. Wapas room aaye toh raat ho chuki thi. Light on thi, Priya bed pe baith ke phone mein thi, main bhi apni taraf. Lekin har baar jab aankhein uthati toh hum ek dusre ko dekhte, phir jaldi se door ho jaate.
Ab tak kuch bhi nahi hua tha khaas, bas yeh feeling thi ki dono ke beech ek sawal sa hai jo koi pooch nahi raha. Priya uthi, window ke paas gayi aur bahar dekhte hue boli, “College ka pehla din kaise laga tumhe?” Main bhi uth ke uske paas khada ho gaya, thodi doori rakhte hue. Uske gaalon pe halka sa light pad raha tha, aankhon mein curiosity thi. Hum dono chup the kuch seconds, sirf saansein aur door se aati hui students ki awaazein. Tension badh rahi thi jaise agla moment kuch badal sakta hai, par abhi tak sirf yeh nazrein aur yeh halki si khamoshi thi jo aur gehri hoti ja rahi thi.
Woh khamoshi aur gehri hoti gayi. Main wahan khada tha, Priya ke bilkul paas, window ke saamne. Bahar campus ki lights dheere dheere kam ho rahi thi, aur room ke andar sirf ek chhoti si lamp ki roshni thi. Hum dono mein se koi kuch nahi bol raha tha. Sirf saansein sunai de rahi thi. Priya ne apna haath window ki kinari pe rakha tha, ungliyan halke se hil rahi thi jaise woh kuch soch rahi ho. Maine bhi nazar uske chehre pe rakhi, lekin aankhein seedha nahi mil rahi thi. Ek baar usne upar dekha, aur hamari nazrein ek second ke liye ruk gayi. Phir woh jaldi se neeche ho gayi, jaise koi sawal poochna bhool gayi ho.
Main andar se soch raha tha ki yeh ladki kaun hai. Gaon se aaya tha main, yahan sab naya tha. Lekin Priya ke saath yeh pehla din itna alag kyun lag raha tha? Uske baal kaan ke peeche ja rahe the hawa se, aur usne ek baar apne gaal pe haath phira diya. Yeh chhoti si harkat bhi mujhe rok rahi thi. Hum dono chup the, lekin room mein ek ajnabi si feeling thi. Jaise kuch hone wala hai jo hum dono nahi samajh pa rahe.
Priya ne dheere se kaha, “Yeh raat bhi nahi ja rahi jaise.” Uske awaaz mein thodi si hichkichahat thi, bilkul meri tarah. Maine sir hilaya, “Haan, pehli raat hi aisi lag rahi hai.” Phir phir se khamoshi. Hum wapas apni beds ki taraf gaye, lekin dono ek hi time pe ruk gaye kyunki raasta chhota tha. Uske haath mere haath se touch ho gaya, halka sa. Dono ne ek dusre ko dekha, nazar nahi hati. Woh pause lamba ho gaya. Uske aankhon mein ek curiosity thi, jaise woh bhi yeh feel kar rahi ho ki kuch badal raha hai.
Hum baith gaye apni beds pe, lekin baatein chalti rahi. Priya ne poocha, “Tumhe yahan aake kaisa lag raha hai? Ghar yaad aa raha hai?” Maine usko dekha, uske chehre pe halka sa smile tha lekin aankhein serious thi. “Haan, thoda bahut. Lekin yeh room… aur tum… sab naya lag raha hai.” Yeh baat nikal gayi bina soch ke. Priya ne aankhein neeche kar li, phir upar uthayi. Woh bhi soch rahi thi kuch. Hum dono ke beech yeh private baat thi, jo sirf hum samajh sakte the.
Raat aur gehri hoti gayi. Priya uthi aur light ko dim kar diya. Ab room mein sirf halki roshni thi. Woh mere paas aayi, jaise kuch poochna ho. “Rahul, tum soch rahe ho kya?” Maine kaha, “Tumhare baare mein.” Yeh jawab sunke woh ruk gayi. Hum dono ke beech ek aur touch hua jab woh baithne lagi, uska haath mere kandhe pe. Is baar touch lamba raha. Nazar bhi. Uske aankhon mein hesitation thi, lekin curiosity bhi. Main bhi andar se confuse tha, lekin yeh connection feel ho raha tha.
Phir dheere dheere hum paas aaye. Baatein ruk gayi. Sirf aankhein aur haath. Priya ne apna sir mere kandhe pe rakha, aur main uske baal mein ungliyan chalane laga. Yeh sab natural ho raha tha, jaise dono ko pata ho ki yeh sahi hai. Emotional peak aaya jab humne ek dusre ko dekha aur samajh gaya ki yeh sirf attraction nahi, kuch gehra connection hai. Jaise college ki pehli raat ne humein jod diya.
Hum bed pe lete hue the ab. Priya ke haath mere seene pe the, aur main uske gaal pe. Dheere dheere hum paas aate gaye. Uske saans mere chehre pe pad rahe the. Humne ek dusre ko chhua, pehle halke se, phir gehra. Uske sharir ki har harkat mein hesitation thi, lekin woh ruk nahi rahi thi. Main bhi soch raha tha ki yeh pehli baar hai, lekin yeh itna sahi kyun lag raha hai. Hum dono ke beech yeh pal badhta gaya. Usne aankhein band ki jab main uske paas aaya, aur hum ek dusre mein kho gaye.
Yeh connection aur gehra hota gaya. Humne apne emotions ko express kiya bina kisi shabd ke. Priya ke andar ek sukoon sa aa raha tha, aur main bhi usi feeling mein tha. Har touch se curiosity badhti ja rahi thi, lekin hesitation dheere dheere gayab hoti gayi. Hum dono ne mahsoos kiya ki yeh raat kuch alag kar rahi hai. Uske sharir ki har line mujhe attract kar rahi thi, aur main uske saath ek ho gaya jaise koi purana rishta ho.
Jab peak aaya toh hum dono ek dusre ke saath poori tarah connect ho gaye. Yeh sirf physical nahi tha, emotional bhi. Priya ne mujhe pakda aur main usko. Dono ke saans tez ho rahe the, lekin ek sukoon bhi tha. Humne apne emotions ko release kiya, jaise saari hichkichahat door ho gayi. Uske chehre pe ek khushi si thi, aankhein band thi lekin smile thi. Main bhi andar se light feel kar raha tha.
Yeh sab dheere dheere khatam hua ek satisfying pleasure ke saath. Hum dono thak gaye the lekin khush bhi. Priya ne apna sir mere seene pe rakha aur boli, “Yeh pehli raat sach mein alag thi.” Main ne kaha, “Haan, aur shayad yeh shuruat hai.” Room mein ab sirf hamari saansein thi. Bahar campus so raha tha, lekin hum dono ke beech ek naya rishta ban chuka tha. Curiosity abhi bhi thi, lekin ab yeh positive thi. Kya yeh college life aise hi chalegi? Yeh sawal ab bhi dil mein tha, lekin abhi ke liye hum dono khush the is pal mein.