तुम्हारे बिना एक दिन
Priya conference ke liye Hyderabad gayi — 3 din. Pehli baar shaadi ke baad itne din alag. Day 1 — "Freedom! Main jo chaahun karunga. Pizza order karunga. Late night gaming. No one to say 'so ja'!" Reality: 8 PM — Pizza order kiya. Cheese burst. Extra toppings. Akele khaaya. 4 slice ke baad — mann bhar gaya. Priya hoti toh kehti — "Ek aur le na, patla hai tu." Aur main le leta — kyunki uske kehne se bhookh aa jaati hai. 10 PM — Gaming shuru kiya. 30 minute mein boring laga. Priya hoti toh peeche se "yeh kya bakwas khel raha hai" bolti — aur wohi commentary entertainment thi. 11 PM — Bed par gaya. Side khaali. Takia uthaya — uski jagah rakh diya. Takia gale nahi lagaata. Takia "paaon thande hain" bolke paaon mujhse chipkaata nahi. 12 AM — neend nahi aayi. Phone uthaya. Message kiya — "So gayi?" Reply — 1 minute mein — "Nahi. Tu?" "Main bhi nahi." "Akela lagta hai?" "Nahi." [Jhooth] "Mujhe lagta hai." [Sach] Phone par baat ki. 2 ghante. Wahi baatein — "khaana khaaya?" "AC ka temperature?" "darwaza lock kiya?" Par awaaz — uski awaaz — woh ghar se zyada ghar thi. Day 2 — office gaya. Tiffin nahi tha. Canteen mein khaaya. "Yeh kya hai?" — sab kuch bland laga. Priya ki roti mein jo namak hota hai — woh kisi canteen mein nahi milta. Shaam ko — ghar aaya. Dark. Quiet. TV on kiya background noise ke liye. Priya hoti toh TV ki zarurat nahi — woh khud background noise hai. Best waali. Day 3 — airport jaane se pehle ghar saaf kiya. Flowers laaya — "welcome back" ke liye. Kitchen mein chai banayi — 2 cup. Airport par — arrivals gate. Bheed mein usse dhundha. Dikhte hi — woh daudi. Bag chhod ke. Gale lag gayi. Airport pe. Logon ke beech. "Miss kiya?" usne pucha. "Bilkul nahi," maine kaha. Aankhein bheegi. "Jhoothe." "Haan." Ghar aaye. Chai thi — thandi ho chuki. Microwave ki. Saath mein pi. "Flowers?" usne dekhe. "Tumne lagaye?" "Haan." "Tumhe flowers ka naam bhi nahi pata." "Google kiya." Woh hansi. Main hansa. 3 din ki doori — 3 minute mein khatam. Par ek baat samajh aayi — pyaar woh nahi jo tum saath hoke feel karo. Pyaar woh hai jo tum dur hoke realize karo. Woh khaali bed, woh bland khaana, woh quiet ghar — sab kehta hai: "Yeh insaan — teri zindagi hai. Iske bina sab hai — par kuch nahi hai."