Main Priya hoon, 22 saal ki, abhi abhi college khatam kiya hai aur Mumbai ke ek chhote se flat mein roommate ke saath reh rahi hoon. Raat ke 2 baje the, AC ki thandi hawa se neend tooti, aur main bed par palat gayi. Side table ki halki roshni mein dekha, mera roommate Aryan jaag raha tha. Uske chehre par woh ajeeb sa expression tha – jaise koi raaz chhupa raha ho, aankhein meri taraf tikki hui, bina jhapke.
“Kya hua?” maine dheere se poocha, awaaz mein thodi si ghabrahat. Woh bola nahi, bas ek lambi saans li aur blanket ke neeche haath badhaya. Main soch rahi thi shayad galti se touch ho gaya hoga, lekin uska haath meri kamar par ruk gaya, halka sa dabaav feel hua. Dil ki dhadkan badh gayi, kyuki yeh pehli baar nahi tha – kal raat bhi kuch aisa hi hua tha, lekin main ignore kar diya tha.
Aryan 25 ka hai, software wala banda, hamesha smile karta rehta hai office se aate hue. Hum dono ek mahine se saath reh rahe hain, rent bachane ke liye. Shuru mein sab theek tha – subah coffee banate, shaam ko Netflix dekhte. Lekin kal se uski nazrein alag si lag rahi thi. Jaise meri dupatte ki ek kash usko khinch rahi ho. Aaj dopahar mein bhi, kitchen mein khade hote hue usne meri taraf dekha tha lambi nazar se, aur maine notice kiya uske gaal laal ho gaye the jab maine usko pakda.
“Aryan, haath hatao na,” maine kaha, lekin awaaz mein woh sharpness nahi aayi jo chahiye thi. Woh muskuraya, aankhon mein kuch chamak si. “Sorry yaar, neend mein haath nikal gaya,” bola usne, lekin haath nahi hataya. Uski ungliyan meri nighty ke fabric par dheere se ragad rahi thi, jaise jaan bujhkar. Main bed par seedhi ho gayi, uski aankhon mein dekha – woh gehri, bhari hui, jaise kuch kehna chahta ho lekin bol nahi pa raha.
Room chhota sa hai, do beds ek dusre ke bilkul paas, beech mein sirf ek nightstand. Raat ki khamoshi mein uski saansein saaf sun rahi thi, thodi tez. Main soch rahi thi, yeh kya ho raha hai? Office mein ladkiyon ke baare mein baatein karta tha woh, lekin mere saath kabhi flirt nahi kiya. Kal shaam ko gym se aaya tha, shirt utarte hue uska toned body dikha tha mirror mein, aur main chupke se dekhti reh gayi thi. Tab se hi shayad yeh sab shuru ho gaya.
“Priya, tu jaag rahi hai na?” usne poocha, awaaz husky si, jaise subah ki coffee ki tarah garam. Main haan mein sir hila diya, lekin dil mein sawaal ghoom rahe the – kyun jaag raha hai yeh itni raat ko? Kal raat bhi yahi hua tha, maine socha dream tha. Ab lag raha tha jaise woh mujhe wait kar raha ho. Uska haath abhi bhi wahan tha, ab thoda ooper sark gaya, meri ribs ko chhoolta hua. Main saans rok li, body mein ek ajeeb si current daud gayi.
“Kuch bol na, kya soch rahi hai?” usne kaha, chehra mere bilkul paas laate hue. Uski saans meri gardan par lag rahi thi, garam aur meethi. Main dekha uske honthon par woh halki si smile, jo confident thi lekin thodi nervous bhi. Eye contact toota nahi, uski aankhein meri aankhon mein doob rahi thi. “Kuch nahi… bas… yeh kya kar rahe ho tum?” maine finally poocha, lekin awaaz kamp rahi thi.
Woh chup raha ek second, phir bola, “Priya, main… tujhe kitne dino se notice kar raha hoon. Tu itni…” Baki baat adhoori reh gayi, lekin uska haath aur tight ho gaya. Room ki hawa jaise garam ho gayi, AC ke bawajood. Main palatna chahti thi, lekin nahi palti bani. Uski body ka heat feel ho raha tha, bilkul paas. Abhi kya hoga? Yeh sirf shuruaat toh hai…
Main uski aankhon mein doob gayi, woh gehri nazar jaise mujhe poori tarah samajh rahi thi. Ek lambi khamoshi fail gayi, sirf humari dhadkanein aur halki saansein sunai de rahi thi – meri tez aur bechain, uski gehri aur control mein. Uska haath abhi bhi meri kamar par tika tha, ungliyan dheere-dheere hil rahi thi, jaise woh mera reaction check kar raha ho. Main ruk gayi, dil mein ek ajnabi si hulchul mach rahi thi – dar, utsaah, aur woh feeling jo naam nahi de pa rahi thi.
“Itni kya?” maine aakhir poocha, awaaz itni halki ki khud ko hi mushkil se sunayi di. Woh halke se muskuraya, chehra aur kareeb laaya. Uski gardan par naadi dhadak rahi thi, kamre ki dheemi roshni mein saaf dikhai de rahi thi. “Itni khoobsurat, itni seedhi-saadhi… lekin andar se aisi jo sabko paagal kar de,” bola usne, har shabd ko jaise chabate hue. Main saans andar bhar li, gaal laal ho gaye. Yeh sunke sharir mein ek kampan si daud gayi, jaise usne mera chhupa sa sach bol diya ho.
Hum dono ek hi bed par, itne kareeb ki uski seene ki garmi meri kamar se mehsoos ho rahi thi. Main thoda sa palti, uska chehra dekhne ke liye, lekin isse uska haath meri chadar ke neeche sark gaya – jaise galti se, magar jaan-bujhkar. Meri taan par uski ungliyan lagi, garam aur mazboot, gym ki mehnat se bana hua sparsh. “Aryan… yeh theek nahi,” maine kaha, lekin haath hatane ki himmat nahi hui. Andar se soch rahi thi, kyun nahi rok rahi? Kyunki yeh chhuan… alag sa sukoon de raha tha. Pehli marta aisa laga, bina jaldi ke, bina dabaav ke.
Woh kuch bola nahi, bas nazrein meri nazron se nahi hati. Aur ek khamoshi, is baar aur gehri. Main uske honthon ko gaur se dekh rahi thi – naram, thode khule hue, jaise intezaar mein. Uski saans ab meri gaalon par mehsoos ho rahi thi, itna paas aa chuka tha. “Priya, bata na… tu bhi yeh mehsoos karti hai na?” poocha usne, awaaz mein thodi ghabrahat, magar aankhon mein pura bharosa. Main haan kehna chahti thi, sirf sir hila diya. Dil mein ghoom raha tha – yeh mera roommate hai, subah coffee banayega, lekin ab yeh… itni kareebi?
Uska haath dheere ooper sarka, meri nighty ke upar se hi gol-gol chal raha tha, wahan jahan dil ki dhadkan sabse tez thi. Main aankhein moond li, saans ruk si gayi. Ab yeh galti nahi thi. “Ruk jaau… ya aage badhuu?” bola usne, sirf hum dono ke liye. Main aankhein kholi, uski nazar mein dekha – woh ruk raha tha, mera faisla. Bechaini badh gayi, hichkichahat thi lekin utsaah zyada. “Aage… lekin araam se,” maine fisfisaya, pehli baar apne man se.
Woh muskuraya, jaise sab jeet liya ho. Chehra aur paas, honth mere honthon se halke se lage – naram, jaanchte hue. Main jawab diya, halke se wapas. Yeh jazbaati tha, jaise kayi dino ka intezaar khatam. Uski zubaan meri honthon par lagi, main khol diya, dheeme se milan shuru. Mere haath uske baalon mein phans gaye, halka sa kheencha. Sharir ki garmi mil gayi, paseena aa raha tha thandi hawa mein bhi.
Chumban toota, magar maatha jud gaye. “Priya, tu jaanti hai na, main tujhe pehle hi din se…” usne kaha, aankhein band karke. Yeh woh pal tha – jazbaati choti, samajh aa gayi ki yeh sirf sharir nahi, dil ka rishta hai. Main soch rahi thi, main bhi usko dekhti rahi hoon, uski muskan, uska khayal. “Mujhe bhi… kuch shak tha,” maine kaha, sach. Woh khush hua, fir se chumban, ab gehra.
Ab garmi badh rahi thi sach mein. Uska haath nighty ke andar, seedhi taan par. Meri saansein tez, woh dheere se masal raha tha wahan jahan sabse sensitive. Main dheemi awaaz nikaali, sharir kaanp gaya. “Shant… dheere,” bola usne, dusre haath se mera muh safaai se dabaya. Main thodi hasi, lekin bechaini se kaanp rahi thi. Nighty ooper ki, ooper ka hissa khula. Roshni mein dekha usne, aankhon mein bhookh. “Tu bilkul sahi hai,” bola, aur muh lagaya wahan, dheere se choosne laga.
Main uski qameez mein haath daala, seena mehsoos kiya – sakht, paseene se bhiga. Usne qameez utaar di jaldi, neeche ka band khola. Ab hum aadhe nange, sharir ragad kha rahe the. Uski taakat meri taang par dab rahi thi, garam aur sakht. Main utsaah se bhari, haath neeche le gayi, upar se chhua. Woh gehri siskari li, kamar hilayi. “Priya… haan,” bola bhari awaaz mein.
“Kab se soch rahi thi?” poocha usne, meri chhoti chadar ke kinare ungliyan chalate. “Kal se… gym wali body dekh ke,” maine sharma ke kaha. Woh hasa, “Toh aaj poora kar le.” Chadar side ki, ungliyan andar – main taiyar thi, khud ko hairaan hui. Dheere se ragda, gol-gol kiya wahan jahan maza shuru hota. Main kamar uthayi, leheren aa rahi thi sharir mein.
Ab poora milan. Usne neeche ka utaara, almari se kuch nikala – pehla se taiyar. Main sochi, yeh socha hua tha? Ab farak nahi pada. Sthiti badli, main uske neeche, taangein khuli. Aakhri nazar mili, gehra bandhan mehsoos hua. “Taiyar?” poocha. “Haan…” maine kaha, haath uske kandhe par.
Dheere se andar aaya, ek-ek kadam. Pehle dard sa, phir sukh. Main ungliyan uski peeth mein gadha di, awaaz nikli. Woh ruka, maathe par chumban. Fir taal shuru – dheeme dhakke, gehre. Har harkat mein bijli si daudti, sharir ek hue. “Tu kitni achhi lag rahi hai… lajawab,” bola beech mein, paseena uske maathe par.
Main saath de rahi thi, andar soch: yeh sabse behtar, dil-o-dimag dono. Taal tez hui, palang hilne laga halke. Saath hi saath woh ragad raha tha wahan. Choti pahunch rahi thi, sharir tan gaya. “Aryan… aa raha,” maine kaha. Woh aur tez, “Saath…” Aur leher aayi – kaanpna, cheekh, poora sharir behosh sa. Usne bhi pahuncha, siskari ke saath gir pada.
Hum haanfte let gaye, sharir ulajhe. Uska haath mere baalon mein, kandhe par chumban. “Yeh toh bas shuruaat hai Priya,” bola naram awaaz mein. Main muskurayi, poora sukh mehsoos kar rahi thi, lekin dil mein chhota sa sawal – subah kya hoga? Yeh raaz rahega ya aur gehra hoga?