Akshita

Chapter 13

Train ki raat ek ajeeb si shanti le aayi thi.. Sab log apni-apni berths par so rahe the...bas train ke wheels ki rhythmic khatak-khatak awaaz aur kabhi-kabhi chai wale ki chai, garam chai ki distant echo sunai de rahi thi.

Akshita apni lower berth par leti thi, par neend aane ka naam hi nahi le rahi thi. Uske dimaag mein bas ek hi thought bar-bar aa raha tha—woh train waala kiss. "Uff, ye mujhe kya ho gaya tha! Aur Aditya... woh toh pata nahi kya soch raha hoga."

Tabhi mujhe ek urgent feeling hui.. Toilet jaana padega.

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Akshita slowly uthi, apne berth se quietly neeche utar ke corridor ki taraf chali, taki kisi ki neend disturb na ho. Par jaise hi woh aage badhi, uski nazar Aditya par padhi. Woh apni upper berth se neeche utar ke corner mein baitha tha, headphones lagaye hue, ekdum awake.

Aditya (surprised): "Tum? Itni raat ko kahan ja rahi ho?"
Akshita (awkwardly): "Woh... bas... toilet jaana tha."
Aditya (muskurate hue): "Oh... toh main bhi chalta hoon. Mujhe bhi jaana hai."

Akshita ke dil ki dhadkan ekdum se badh gayi thi. "Ek toh already tension ho rahi hai, aur yeh ab saath aa raha hai.. Kya scene hai bhai?" Par woh sirf ek awkward smile dekar haan bolti hai.

Dono baari-baari toilet gaye, aur wapas corridor ke ek kone mein aa kar khade ho gaye. Aditya relaxed lag raha tha, par Akshita ke dimaag mein ek mischievous thought aa gaya.

Akshita (teasingly): "Waise... woh jo kal kiss waala scene hua tha na, uska kya matlab tha?"
Aditya (sharmate hue): "Matlab? Woh toh galti se hua tha..."
Akshita (cheekily): "Haan, galti se tha. Lekin tum toh kaafi enjoy kar rahe the, hai na?"

Aditya ka sharmila expression suddenly confident mein badla. Woh ek kadam aage badha aur softly bola, "Agar tumhe lagta hai woh galti thi, toh kyu na isbaar ache se kar lein?"

Akshita ka mann ekdum hawa ho gaya. Uske dil ki dhadkane literally orchestra bajane lagin. "Kya? Yeh kya keh raha hai? Yeh seriously keh raha hai? Ya bas mazak kar raha hai?"

Aditya ne dheere se uska haath pakda, aur before she could even process, woh uske lips ke aur jhuk gaya. Iss baar, woh dono truly lost ho gaye. Ek soft aur passionate kiss hua, train ke corridor mein, jahaan bas chandni aur train ke jhatkon ki awaaz thi.

Weh dono ek dusre ko puri shiddat se chume ja rahe the..dono ke hot jaise ek dusre main kho gaye ho.. unhe apne aas pass kya h, vo dono kya kr rahe the.. unhe kuch hosh nhi tha ..Woh moment pura filmy tha—jaise sab kuch freeze ho gaya ho, sirf woh dono the aur unki beating hearts ki dhadkan.

Par jaise hi unhone realization kiya ki woh kya kar rahe hain, dono ekdum pichhe ho gaye. Akshita ka face laal tamatar jaisa ho gaya, aur Aditya ka bhi expression equally awkward tha.

Aditya (smiling, nervously): "Uh... mujhe lagta hai hume ab apni berths pe wapas jaana chahiye," aditya ne yeh gehri saase lete hue kaha.
Akshita (sharmate hue): "Haan... bilkul."

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Agli subah, Akshita brush karne ke liye firse toilet ke paas gayi. Raat ki memories uske dimaag mein ekdum fresh thi. Woh blush kar rahi thi aur soch rahi thi, "Kya Aditya ko bhi yeh sab yaad hai?" Tabhi usne brush karke jaise hi turn kiya, woh saamne Aditya ko dekhti hai—ekdum fresh aur apne haath mein brush leke khada.

Dono ek dusre ko dekh kar ek awkward smile dete hain. Kuch seconds ki silence ke baad, Aditya bola, "Waise... tum single ho na?"

Akshita ne surprise expression ke saath usse dekha. "Uh... haan? Par tumhe kyun jaana hai?"

Aditya ne apne hair pe haath phera aur thoda awkwardly bola, "Mujhe lagta hai tumhe puchhna chahiye tha ki main bhi single hoon ya nahi."

Akshita (shockingly): "Matlab?"

Aditya (confidently): "Kya tum meri girlfriend banogi?"

Aur Akshita ka heart ekdum rollercoaster pe chadh gaya. Uske mann mein sirf ek hi sawaal tha, "Main ab kya jawab doon...?"

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