3 AM ki Call — Long Distance Wali

3 AM. Phone ki ghanti. Screen par — "Aarav ❤️" Naina ne uthaya. Neend mein. "Hello?" Silence. Phir — siskiyan. "Aarav? Kya hua? Tum theek ho?" "Naina... aaj bahut bura din tha." "Kya hua? Bolo." "Manager ne project se nikal diya. 6 mahine ki mehnat. Kisi aur ko de diya. Aur logon ke saamne bola — 'Not good enough.'" Naina bed par baith gayi. Neend udi. "Sun meri baat —" "Nahi, pehle meri sun. Main yahan akela hoon. Singapore mein koi nahi hai mera. Friends hain — par 3 baje kaun uthega? Maa-Papa ko nahi bata sakta — pareshaan honge. Tujhe call kiya — kyunki..." "Kyunki?" "Kyunki tu akeli hai jisko main kamzor dikhaa sakta hoon." --- Naina chup. 10 seconds. Phir boli — slowly, softly: "Aarav. Sun. Tu kamzor nahi hai. Kamzor log 3 baje call nahi karte — woh andar hi andar ghut te hain. Tu strong hai — kyunki tune accept kiya ki tujhe kisi ki zarurat hai. Yeh strength hai." "Par project —" "Project ja sakta hai. Tu nahi. Manager galat hai — tu 'not good enough' nahi hai. Tu itna good hai ki tujhe koi appreciate nahi kar paata — yeh unki problem hai, teri nahi." "Tujhe kaise pata?" "Kyunki main tujhe 4 saal se jaanti hoon. Aur 4 saal mein tune kabhi — KABHI — give up nahi kiya. Kisi cheez par. Kisi insaan par." Silence. Lamba. "Naina." "Hmm." "Thank you." "Iske liye thanks nahi bolte. 3 baje ki call — yeh hamara right hai. Tu kabhi bhi call kar sakta hai. 3 baje, 4 baje, 5 baje. Main uthungi. Hamesha." --- Call 45 minute chali. Baatein — project se hatakar. Aarav ka bachpan. Naina ki paintings. Woh trip jo dono plan kar rahe hain — Manali, shaayad. "Jab tu aayega India" — tabkuch boring baatein. Woh waali jo raat ko 3 baje comfort deti hain. Call khatam hone se pehle — Aarav ne kaha: "Naina, mujhe nahi pata ki hum kab milenge. 6 mahine? Ek saal? Pata nahi. Par ek baat pata hai —" "Kya?" "Ki 3 baje jab duniya so rahi hoti hai — meri duniya jaag rahi hoti hai. Mere liye." "Senti mat ho. So ja ab." "Good night." "Good morning — tere liye." "Haan. Good morning." --- Call cut. Naina ne phone rakha. Muskuraayi. Roti nahi — muskuraayi. Kyunki 3 AM ki call — woh sirf call nahi thi. Woh promise thi. "Main hoon. Hamesha. Door sahi — par hoon."