*Next Morning*
Me:. Mumma mai nikal rhi hu...
Mummy:. Kaha? Aise to clg me tu jaati nhi hai? To aaj kaha?
Me:. Ashu ke ghar...
Mummy:. Paagl ho gyi hai tu? 6 mahine se wo ghar band hai... Aur tu waha jaana chaahti hai?
Me:. Maa... Please... Aap firse shuru mat ho jaao... Mujhe jana hoga waha...
Shreyas:. Thik kaha isne Aunty...
Mummy:. Beta tum itni subeh?
Shreyas:. Kya karu Aunty? Aapki beti ko akele chhod nahi skta... Pta nahi kab kiske saath bhaag jaae😂.
Me:. Achhaa..? Ab tu bas dekhte ja. Ek din bohooot dur chali jaaungi, milungi bhi nhi😏.
Shreyas:. Achha? Kaha jaaogi? Maasi ghar ya phir chacha ke😂🤣.
Mummy: 😂😂
Me:. 😓 Maa aap bhi?
Mummy:. Chalo ab bas hua. Aao aur Nashta karlo.
(Hamne nashta kiya. Sach me! Shreyas hi ek hai jisne mujhe Ashu ke jaane ke baad itna strong banaae rakha tha. Hamne nashta kiya aur ham Ashu ke ghar ke liye nikal liye... Ashu ke Dad bohot bade businessman the. Isi liye unhone ye ghar abhi tak kisi ko diya nahi hai. Unhe jab bhi waqt milta hai wo yaha aa jaate hai apani beti ke yaadon ke saath rehne ke liye. Ashu(Ashlesha) ke Dad hamesha se hi apne kaam busy the. Ashu ki mom bachpan me hi bhagwan ke ghar chali gayi. Tab se Ashu akele hi rehti aayi thi. Adhe ghante baad mai aur Shreyas, ham dono apartment ke niche pohoch gaye. Meri aankhe us dekhne hi nahi chaahti thi jaha par Ashu ne gir kar apani saansen chhodi thi. Sach me... Wo din aaj bhi yaad ata hai toh ruh kaap jaati hai. Ashu itni hasmukh ladki thi, wo suicide kar hi nahi sakti ye baat mujhe 1st day se pata thi. Par as we all know, hamra police department kitna weak hai. Ham kitna bhi chillae koi bhi nahi sunega. Isi liye is baar maine khud sach dhundhane ki tayaari kar li. )
Shreyas:. Chale?
Me:. Huh? Haan... Chalo.
(Ham dono lift me gaye. Tabhi Shreyas ne mera haath pakda)
Shreyas:. Are you pakka sure? Ki hame waha jana chahiye?
Me:. Yaar... Shreyas, tum bhi aisi baat kar rahe ho?
Shreyas:. Yaar mai is liye bol raha hu bcz tu Ashlesha ke jaane ke baad pehli baar uske room me ja rahi ho... And pakka sure ki tum rone lagogi.
Me:. Agar kal raat se pehle jaati na to pakka roti, par ab rone ka nahu rulaane ka time hai.
(Ham Ashu ke flat ke bahaar pohoche. Maine apane bag se flat ki key nikaali. Best friends the ham log, ek dusre ki chhoti chhoti baat ka pata tha hame. Maine key se door khola... Mujhme bilkul himmat baaki nahi thi ki mai us room me Ashu ke bina jaau... Par mai is baar Ashu ke bharose ke saath andar gayi. Har ek chiz waise ke waisi thi. Sirf is baar Ashu ki jagah surf uski yaade thi. Maine kabhi socha bhi nahi tha ki mai is ghar me Ashu ke bina aaungi. Par aana pada, Ashu ke liye. )
Shreyas:. Abhi bhi mai keh raha hu, agar taklif ho rhi hai to chalo yaha se. Jaise tunhare liye Ashu important hai, waise mere liye tere khushi ke siva kuchh bhi important nahi hai.
Me:. Shreyas, Ashu aur mai 1st standard se abhi college ke second year tak, ek hi class me ek hi bench par baithe the. Teacher kitni bhi baar alag kyu na baitha de par next lecture me ham dono firse ek hi bench par baith jaate the. Aur aaj tu keh raha hai ki sirf thode se dard ki wajah se mai uska haath chhod du? Ashu sirf mere sapne me aayi bcz use lagta hai ki mai hi uski madat kar sakti hu, aur mai karungi. Aur rahi baat is dard ki, to is dard se badi hamaari dosti thi. Us dosti ke liye is dard ko chhupna hi padega.
Shreyas:. Yaar itni mohabbat?
Me:. Mohabbat nahi, dosti...
Shreyas:. Hmm... Chalo ab jo karne aaye hai wo kare?
Me:. Haan, ek kaam karo tum waha dhundho mai yaha dhundhti hu... Uski diary ya phir kisi paper ka chhota tukda bhi mil jaae to bhi mat chhodna. Thike?
Shreyas:. Ok boss🙏
(Hamne dhundhna start kiya. Bedroom, living room, kitchen, washroom, cupboard, drawers sab kuchh dhundh liya par ek bhi suspicious chiz nahi mili. Saari notebook sab kuchh dekh liya par kuchh bhi nhi mila. Aur uski diary ka to naamo nishaan nahi tha. )
Shreyas:. Yaar, Shriya... Kuchh bhi nahi mila.
Me:. Haan yaar, socha to tha ki agar yaha se kuchh mila to easy ho jaaega pata lagaana. Par yaha to 1 paper ka tukda bhi nahi mila.
Shreyas:. Aisa to nahi na, ki Ashlesha ne kuchh chhoda hi na ho. Matlab jab kisi ne usko yaha se dhakka mara ho. Toh Ashlesha ko kuchh likhne ka mauka hi na mila ho.
Me:. Nahi yaar, nahi... Mujhe aisa nahi lagta. Agar us insaan ki Ashu ke saath dushmani thi, toh obviously Ashu ne uske baare me kuchh to likha hoga. Atleast one word. Matlab atleast uska naam. Par nahi, I think us insaan wo diary aur sab proof bhi mita di hongi.....
Shreyas:. Haan, ye bhi correct hai. Par ab kya?
Me:. Kuchh samjh nahi aa raha yaar😔😔😓😓....
(2 minute tak dono shaant sofe par baithe the. Tabhi mere dimaag me ek baat aayi)
Me:. Shreyas, Shreyas suno. Jaise hame pata hai ki wo apani sabhi chize uske diary me likhti thi kyuki ham uske pehchaan waale the, uske kareebi the... To agar, agar us insaan ko bhi pata tha ki Ashu apani sabhi chize diary me likhti hai, it means ki wo insaan Ashu ka koi kareebi tha, jo use jaanata tha. Kyu ki agar koi bahaar wala hota to use us diary ke baare me bilkul bhi pata nahi hota. Right?
Shreyas:. Absolutely correct... Iska matlab kisi apane ne hi Ashu ki jaan li hai?
Me:. Haan... bas ab ye sochana hai ki Ashu ke saath kisko problem thi...
Shreyas:. Hmmmmmm
(Ham dono sochne lage ki kaun hoga aisa jise Ashu ke saath problem thi. ).
Shreyas:. Ravi?
Me:. Par Ravi to Ashu se pyaar karta tha, ye jaanane ke bawajud ke wo already Arvind ke saath relationship me hai.
Shreyas:. Exactly... Kya pata wo firse yaha aya ho? Ashu ko fir ek baar samjhaane, aur phir gusse me Ashu ne use kuchh galat salat bol diya ho aur isi wajah se gusse me aa kar Ravi ne aisa kiya ho?
Me:. Yar? But Ravi? Seriously?
Shreyas:. Chal thike. Ham niche jaa kar gate ke register me check jarte hai ki uska naam hai ya nahi? Agar nahi hua that means wo nahi aya tha... Okay?
Me:. Hmmm... Good idea... Chal...
(Ham dono bahaar nikalne ke liye door ki taraf jaane lage tabhi meri najar niche giri hui photo par gayi. )
Me:. Ruko...
Shreyas:. Kya hua?
(Maine photo ki taraf gayi. Aur wo photo uthaai. Wo photo ham dono ki thi. Jab 10th standaard ka farewell tha. Hamaari first photo... Usne aajtak sambhaali hui thi. Mujhe to yakin nahi ho raha tha ki ye itni hasmukh ladki aaj se 6 mahine pehle yaha se giri thi. Shreyas ne mere kandhe par haath rakha. )
Shreyas:. Chale?
Me:. Hmmm...
(Ham dono niche watchman ke paas register check karne. Aur Shreyas jo socha tha wo sach nikala. Ravi yaha aya tha. Thik 12 baje... Aur Ashlesha niche giri thi 12:30 ko. Matlab jo socha tha wahi hua. Maine aur Shreyas ne decide kiya ki ham dono abhi ke abhi Ravi ke ghar jaaenge. Shreyas apani bike nikaalne gaya. Ki tabhi meri najar building ke gate par gayi. And you can't believe maine kise dekha. "Ashuu"😳😨 wo ek auto me baith gayi. Maine bhi usi jagah jo auto khadi thi usase uska pichha kiya.
*To be continued*
