Baarish mein bheegi hui yaad… Raat khamosh thi… magar Meeraal ke andar shor tha

Baarish mein bheegi hui yaad… Raat khamosh thi… magar Meeraal ke andar shor tha. Khidki ke sheeshe par baarish ki boonden musalsal dastak de rahi thin… jaise koi bhooli hui baat wapas aana chahti ho. Meeraal harbara kar bistar par uth baithi. Saans tez… maathe par paseena… aur dil aise dharak raha tha jaise abhi seena cheer kar bahar aa jaaye ga. Wohi khwaab… har baar ki tarah aaj bhi. Baarish mein bheegi sarak… dhundla sa andhera… aur ek larka… Jis ka chehra kabhi mukammal nazar nahin aata. Sirf aankhein… nahin… shayad aankhein bhi nahin. Meeraal ne dono haathon se apna chehra thaam liya. "Yeh khwaab mera peecha kyun nahin chhorta…?" Kamre mein neem tareeki thi. Deewar ke saath rakhe canvas par ek nayi painting rakhi thi. Ek chehra… khubsurat… khamosh… magar us ki aankhein phir adhoori thin. Hamesha ki tarah. Meeraal aahista se uthi… brush haath mein liya… aur kaanpte haath se aankh mukammal karne lagi. Jaise hi brush ne canvas ko chhua… Achanak saans ruk gayi. Kamra ghoomne laga. Baarish ki awaaz tez ho gayi. Us ne brush gira diya. "Nahin… nahin…" Woh zameen par baith gayi… saans lene ki koshish karti rahi… magar hawa jaise kahin gum ho gayi thi. Isi lamhe darwaza zor se khula. "Meeraal!" Mehak andar daurti aayi. Us ne foran Meeraal ke kandhe thaam liye. "Saans lo… meri taraf dekho… slowly…" Meeraal ki aankhon mein khauf tair raha tha. "Woh phir aaya tha…" us ne kapkapati awaaz mein kaha. "Kaun?"