Train dheere-dheere andheron me aage badh rahi thi. Bahar kuch dikh nahi raha tha — na koi light, na station ke board, sirf kaali hawa jo khidki ke chhed se andar ghus rahi thi.
Mujhe ab bhi wo diary yaad thi… us par likha tha “Aakhri safar... kabhi poora mat karna.”
Par curiosity insaan se kya nahi karwaati.
Maine diary kholi. Pehle page par likha tha:
“Jo is train me baithta hai, wo wapas nahi aata.”
Mera haath thoda kaap gaya.
Page palta… aur likha tha —
“Yatra shuru hone ke baad tumhara naam… iss diary me likh diya jaata hai.”
Us moment me mujhe laga mazak hoga.
Lekin tabhi hawa aur thandi ho gayi.
Aur diary ke peeche likha hua ek naam dikhai diya —
“Arjun.”
Wo mera hi naam tha.
Mere gale me awaaz atak gayi.
Main utha, compartment me dekha…
ab wo aadmi jo station master jaisa dikhta tha, samne ke darwaze ke paas khada tha.
Uske haath me ek lalten thi, jiska flame hawa ke bina bhi hil raha tha.
Usne dheere se kaha —
“Tumhara station aa gaya… Arjun.”
Main chillaya — “Kaun ho tum?!”
Wo bas muskuraaya.
Aur bola,
“Main wo hoon… jo sirf aakhri safar me milta hai.”
Train ruk gayi.
Mujhe laga koi platform hoga, par bahar andhera tha — poora kaala.
Door ke bahar bas kuch parchhaaiyan thi, jo dheere-dheere andar aane lagi.
Main peeche hata, par wo parchhaaiyan aage badhne lagi.
Achanak lalten bujh gayi, aur sirf ek cheez sunai di —
“Aakhri seat khaali hai... baith jao.”
Uske baad…
train dobara chal padi.
Par iss baar, mujhe laga main akela nahi tha.
Har corner se koi saans lene ki awaaz, koi phusphusahat, koi naam pukarne ki goonj aa rahi thi.
Aur tab diary apne aap khul gayi.
Uske naye page par likha tha —
“Agla musafir taiyaar hai.”
Maine dekha — uske niche ek naya naam likha gaya tha…
“Aarav.”
Mujhe samajh nahi aaya —
kaun hai Aarav?
Par ek cheez to pakki thi…
iss train me, main ab musafir nahi tha.
Kisi aur ki baari shuru ho gayi thi.
(Train horn fades in distance… silence.)
