10 Years Ago – Kanpur, 2015

Chhoti si gali thi. Kanpur ke ek mohalla mein ek purana sa haveli type ghar. Andar se hamesha awaazein aati thi—hansi, daant, pakode talne ki khushboo, aur sabse khaas... Afiya ki cheekhna.

“Zayaan! Phir se paani gira diya tumne mere project pe?!”

“Sorry, baji! Galti se ho gaya…” chhota sa Zayaan, hardly 10 saal ka, haath jod ke khada tha.

Afiya us waqt 16 ki thi—board exams ka pressure, ghar ke kaam ka tension, aur us chhote ladke ka nonstop bakbak—usse pagal kar deta tha.

Lekin phir bhi, jab Zayaan ro padta… uska gussa pighal jaata.

Afiya (softening): “Thik hai... next time sambhal ke.”

Woh uska sir thapthapati, aur Zayaan phir se uska peecha karta rehta. Uske liye Afiya sirf badi behen nahi thi—teacher thi, guardian thi, aur kabhi kabhi maa jaisi bhi.

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Ek din, baarish mein...

Zayaan school se bheeg kar aaya.

Zayaan: “Main test mein second aaya!”

Afiya: “Toh first kyun nahi?”

Zayaan (sad face): “Mujhe laga aap khush hongi…”

Afiya ka dil chhota pad gaya. Woh jaanti thi usne kitni mehnat ki thi.

Afiya: “Ajeeb ho tum. Kabhi kabhi mujhe lagta hai tum sirf isliye ache marks laate ho taki mujhe impress kar sako.”

Zayaan ne sharma kar aankhien jhuka di.

Afiya (softly): “Good job, Zayaan. Mujhse bhi zyada intelligent ho tum.”

Us raat Zayaan pehli baar diary mein likha:

“Mujhe Afiya baji achi lagti hai. Shayad zyada hi.”

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Waqt Guzarta Gaya...

Afiya college chali gayi Lucknow. Zayaan ghar pe tha. Phone pe baat hoti thi. Pehle roz, phir hafte mein ek baar.

Aur phir... kabhi kabhi.

Zayaan ne drawing shuru kar diya. Uske sketchpad mein sirf ek chehra hota tha—Afiya ka.

Uske haath, uske baal, uski aankhen. Har angle se.

Phir ek din...

Turning Point: Family Secret

Zayaan ki maa ka accident hua. Afiya wapas aayi. Tabhi ek raaz khula—Zayaan ke pita, yaani Afiya ke chacha, par ilzaam laga ghar ke paison ke fraud ka.

Family mein toofan aa gaya.

Dadi: “Iss ladke ko yahaan se nikaal do. Inki family ne dhoka diya hai.”

Afiya (roti hui): “Woh sirf ek bacha hai!”

Dadi: “Par khoon to wahi hai na!”

Zayaan ne sab kuch sun liya. Us raat, bina kisi se baat kiye, woh chala gaya Lucknow—ek rishtedaar ke ghar.

Afiya ne ek baar bhi use roka nahi.

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Present – 2025

Zayaan ki aankhen khuliin. Woh ek chhoti si flat mein tha Lucknow ke ek kone mein.

Aas-paas sketchbooks, paint brushes, aur ek diary.

Diary khola:

“10 saal baad usne mujhe dekha. Uski aankhon mein sharm nahi thi. Bas wohi ghamand. Par... woh ek thappad bhi pyaar tha shayad.”

Usne ek sketch banaya—Afiya ki.

Woh moment jab usne use thappad maara. Lekin sketch mein Afiya ka chehra soft tha. Jaise wo rone wali ho.

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Meanwhile – Afiya’s Room

Afiya ki diary:

“Usse dekhte hi meri dhadkan tez ho gayi. Woh ab woh chhota bachha nahi raha. Uski aankhon mein sawaal the—aur aankhen... aankhen wohi thi jo kabhi sirf mujhe dekhti thi.”

Phir usne purani almari se ek lifafa nikala. Andar Zayaan ki ek sketch thi—jo usne 13 saal ki umar mein banayi thi.

Woh usse kabhi jala nahi paayi thi.

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5 Years Ago – The Almost Confession

Lucknow ka mausam thoda romantic tha uss waqt. Thandi hawa, barish ke baad ki khushboo, aur college ke campus mein khamoshi.

Afiya ek seminar ke liye aayi thi. Zayaan usi sheher mein tha, toh unki mulaqat fix ho gayi.

Zayaan (18 now): "Baji! Tum ab bhi waisi hi ho… strong, strict, and scary."

Afiya (laughing for the first time in years): "Aur tum ab bhi wohi... drama king."

Zayaan ne Afiya ke liye ek sketch banaya tha—uska side profile, ek pen se kiya gaya detailed artwork.

Usne hesitation se sketch uske haath mein diya.

Zayaan: "Yeh tumhare liye..."

Afiya ne sketch dekha, kuch bol nahi paayi. Ek lamha aisa aaya jahan unki aankhen takraayi… aur kuch hil gaya tha dono ke beech.

Afiya (softly): "Itna mature ban gaya hai tu."

Zayaan (gently): "Main badal gaya hoon, baji. Shayad... tumhare liye."

Uska chehra laal ho gaya.

Afiya ne uska haath thoda sa jhatka se chhoda.

Afiya (kathor ho gayi): "Tum zyada sochne lage ho. Yeh sab emotional bakwas mat kar."

Zayaan: "Yeh bakwas nahi hai. Main... main kuch mehsoos karta hoon tumhare liye."

Silence.

Zameen thami thi. Hawa ruk gayi thi. Aur Afiya... sirf dekhti rahi usse. Saans bhi bhool gayi thi.

Phir... usne pyaar se nahi, dard se kaha:

Afiya: "Zayaan. Hum kuch nahi ban sakte. Rishte ki bhi ek hadd hoti hai."

Zayaan: "Par dil ka kya? Uske liye bhi koi rishta hona zaroori hai?"

Usne aankh mein aansu rok liye. Afiya ne kuch nahi kaha. Woh sirf chali gayi.

Peeche sirf ek sketch pada tha. Aur ek dil... jo us din sach mein toot gaya.

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Afiya’s Dilemma – The Forced Betrayal

Afiya ghar aayi. Us din uski maa ne ek faisla suna diya.

Ammi: "Tera rishta fix kar diya hai. Delhi wale Farhan se. Achha ladka hai, business family se hai."

Afiya ka gala sukh gaya.

Afiya: "Lekin main..."

Ammi (kathor): "Kya? Tumne koi pasand kiya hai?"

Usne aankh band kar li.

Zayaan ka chehra samne aaya... lekin jawab mein usne sir hila diya—"Nahi."

Us raat diary mein likha:

“Main bewafa hoon. Ya majboor. Dono hi tarah se main haar gayi hoon.”

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Zayaan’s Fallout

Zayaan ne suna Afiya ki engagement ki baat. Usne phone kiya—pick nahi hua. Text kiya—koi reply nahi.

Usne likha:

“Tum chhup gayi ho. Par mera dil chhup nahi raha.”

Agli raat, usne pehli baar sharab chhuyi. Sketchbook jalayi. Sirf ek bach gaya—Afiya ka. Usse sambhal ke rakh liya.

Tabhi usne kasam khai:

"Woh mujhe chor gayi... par main apne aap ko usse chhodne nahi dunga."

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Back to Present – 2025

Afiya ab raat mein neend mein baar baar ek naam leti hai... Zayaan.

Uski maa notice karti hai.

Ammi: “Woh ladka wapas kyun aaya hai?”

Afiya (jhoot bolti hai): “Fark nahi padta.”

Lekin andar se... usse fark padta hai. Bahut zyada.

Present Day – Lucknow

Zayaan ne sketchpad band kiya. Table pe rakha aur ek black hoodie pehen kar flat se bahar nikal gaya. Raat ho chuki thi. Aasman mein badal the, hawa thandi thi.

Par uske dil mein sirf ek naam goonj raha tha—Afiya.

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Meanwhile – At Home

Afiya ka bedroom andhera tha. Light off. Sirf table lamp jal raha tha. Uske samne ek purani diary khuli thi—Zayaan ki handwriting mein.

Woh diary usne kab chhupke rakhi thi, yaad bhi nahi.

Diary ke page pe likha tha:

“Main chhota hoon, par mera pyaar nahi. Uska gussa mujhe darata hai, par uski muskurahat zyada todti hai.”

Afiya ki aankhon se ek aansu gira.

Usne diary band ki. Aur phir... woh toot gayi.

Pehli baar itne saalon mein woh chilla kar royi. Sir takiye mein daba diya, taaki koi awaz na sun sake.

“Main itni buri hoon kya? Kya maine use dhokha diya?”

Uski maa kamre ke bahar thi. Usne sab suna. Lekin kuch nahi kaha.

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Next Morning – Afiya's Inner Conflict

Subah Afiya uthti hai, aankhen laal. Mirror ke samne jaake khud ko dekhti hai.

Afiya (mirror se): “Tu ab bhi usse sochti hai. Tera gussa, teri nafrat... sab usi se judey hain.”

Usne dupatta liya, aur diary ki ek aur line padhi:

“Agar usne ek baar keh diya hota ki ruko… main ruk jaata.”

Afiya ne aankhen band ki.

Flashback aaya—Zayaan ka chehra... voh chhoti si muskurahat… aur uska voh sawaal:

"Tumne mujhe kyun nahi roka?"

Woh jawab ab mil raha tha.

Afiya (whispers): “Main rokti... par main khud hi kho gayi thi.”

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Zayaan Returns... Again

Raat mein Afiya ke ghar ke bahar ek shadow dikhta hai. Woh Zayaan hai. Lekin woh andar nahi jaata.

Gate ke paas khada rehta hai. Usne ek chhoti si painting chhodi—a folded canvas. Aur ek chhitti:

> “Tumhare ghar se nikal gaya tha... par tumhare dil se nahi. Jo kuch chhoda tha, usi ke saath laut raha hoon.”

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Afiya Finds the Painting

Agli subah gate khula toh Afiya ne dekha canvas aur chitthi.

Canvas kholo—andar uska sketch tha, lekin... usme woh ro rahi thi.

First time Zayaan ne uske emotions capture kiye the. Woh strong nahi thi, nahi daant rahi thi—sirf ro rahi thi.

Afiya ka dil hil gaya.

Usne chitthi uthayi.

Chitthi mein likha tha:

> “Tumne pehle roka hota, toh main ruk jaata. Ab main laut aaya hoon… tum dobara bhaagna mat.”

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Afiya's Decision

Woh painting ko apne kamre mein le aayi. Sabko bola—kisi ko bataoge toh main chali jaungi forever.

Usne ek coat pehna, dupatta liya aur kaha:

“Mujhe Zayaan se milna hai. Akele.”

Ammi (hairan): “Peechle 10 saal ka gussa itni jaldi pighal gaya?”

Afiya (narmi se): “Pighal gaya nahi... bas samajh aa gaya.”

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– The Realization

Afiya auto mein baithi. Lucknow ki sadkein jaise aaj uske di

l ke rasto jaise lag rahi thi—ulta chal rahi thi, lekin sahi direction mein.

Auto ke shishe se dekhti hai log—kuch haste, kuch ro rahe, kuch chhupaye hue pyaar le kar chal rahe.

Usne aankhen band ki, aur ek baat dimag mein aayi:

“Maine sabse pehle pyaar kiya tha. Par usne sabse gehra kiya.”