Ek waqt aata hai jab pedon ki pattiyan dheere dheere girne lagti hain.

Shaakhein sookh jaati hain.

Aur door se dekhne par lagta hai jaise unmein ab kabhi jeevan wapas nahi aayega.

Lekin phir Spring aata hai.

Aur wahi sookhe hue ped phir se hari pattiyon se bhar jaate hain.

Jaise zindagi keh rahi ho—

"Har khatma asal mein khatma nahi hota."

"Aurelia, yahan akele kya kar rahi ho beta?"

Maa ki awaaz ne mujhe mere khayalon se bahar nikala.

"Kuch nahi maa... bas thoda likh rahi thi."

"Akele kyun rehti ho itna? Hamare saath baithna achha nahi lagta kya?"

"Aisi baat nahi hai maa. Bas mujhe kabhi kabhi akele rehna pasand hai."

Ye meri maa hain.

Sauteli maa.

Lekin sach kahun toh mujhe kabhi yaad hi nahi raha ki woh meri asli maa nahi hain.

Unhone mujhe kabhi akela mehsoos nahi hone diya.

Kabhi bhi nahi.

"Didi!"

Ek chhoti si awaaz peeche se aayi.

"Aapne aaj kya likha hai? Main dekh sakti hoon?"

Ye Rumian thi.

Meri sauteli behen.

Ya shayad mujhe sirf "behen" kehna chahiye.

"Kuch samajh nahi aayega tumhe."

"Lekin kyun?"

"Kyunki tum abhi bahut chhoti ho."

Usne muh phula liya.

Kabhi kabhi mujhe lagta hai meri kismat bahut achhi thi.

Pata nahi kyun.

Lekin mujhe ek bahut pyaara parivaar mila.

Waise...

Main Aurelia Evermont hoon.

Aur mere pita New Arden City ke sabse bade investors mein se ek hain.

Hamari family ka naam Royal House se juda hua hai.

Aur isi wajah se...

Logon ki umeedein bhi humse judi hui hain.

Kabhi kabhi mujhe darr lagta hai.

Isliye nahi ki log mujhse bahut umeed rakhte hain.

Balki isliye...

Kyuki mujhe woh sab karna hi nahi hai jo log chahte hain.

Mujhe kuch aur karna hai.

Kya?

Ye mujhe bhi nahi pata.

Aur shayad yahi sabse badi samasya hai.

"Achha maa, main chalti hoon."

"Kahan jaa rahi ho?"

"Ghoomne."

"Tum roz ghoomne jaati ho."

"Aur phir bhi wapas aa hi jaati hoon."

"Der mat karna."

"Aaj nahi karungi."

Maa ko ye jhoot lag raha tha.

Aur mujhe pata tha.

Maa ko bhi.

Lekin kuch jhooth itne chhote hote hain ki unhe pakadne ka mann nahi karta.

Cycle uthakar main ghar se nikal gayi.

Aaj ka mausam ajeeb tha.

Spring chal raha tha.

Lekin aasman mein baarish wale dark blue clouds the.

Aur unke peeche se nikalti hui sunlight...

Jaise kisi painting ka hissa ho.

Jaise swarg aur dharti ke beech kisi ne parda aadha khol diya ho.

Hamesha ki tarah main pahadon ki taraf nikal padi.

Mujhe woh raste bahut pasand the.

Tedhe-medhe roads.

Dono taraf unche ped.

Aur itni shanti...

Jaise duniya ne kuch der ke liye bolna chhod diya ho.

Raaste mein gaon ke bachche khel rahe the.

Khet sunehre dikh rahe the.

Hawa mein mithi si khushboo thi.

Aur bahut door...

Jahan tak meri nazar jaati thi...

Ek gehra neela samandar tha.

Hawayein mere baalon ke saath khel rahi thi.

Tabhi maine kuch logon ko dekha.

Gaon ke hi log the.

Aur kaafi saara samaan lekar ja rahe the.

"Arre, aap log itna saara samaan lekar kahan ja rahe hain?"

"New Arden se koi professor aaya hai."

"Professor?"

"Hamare gaon mein?"

"Haan."

"Woh yahan kya kar raha hai?"

"Pata nahi."

"Ho sakta hai Spring vacation manane aaya ho."

Phir hawa aur tez chalne lagi.

"Achha Miss Aurelia, hum chalte hain."

"Theek hai."

Aur main phir apne raaste chal padi.

Kuch der baad main apni pasandida jagah pahunch gayi.

Uche pahad.

Neeche anant samandar.

Aur beech mein phoolon se bhara grassland.

Mujhe hamesha lagta tha ki agar jannat sach mein kahin hai...

Toh shayad woh yahi hai.

Main daudne lagi.

Bina wajah.

Bina kisi manzil ke.

Bas daudti rahi.

Jaise kisi ne mujhe pehli baar azaadi di ho.

Aur phir gir gayi.

Seedha phoolon ke beech.

Main ghaas par let gayi.

Aankhen band kar li.

Aur suraj ki garmahat ko mehsoos karne lagi.

Us pal mujhe lag raha tha—

Ye hi meri zindagi hai.

Na language tutors.

Na music lessons.

Na social gatherings.

Na responsibilities.

Bas main.

Aur ye duniya.

Shayad isi liye main baar baar yahan bhaag aati thi.

Thodi der baad kuch chidiyaan mere paas aa kar baith gayin.

"Jaanti hoon tum log kya chahte ho."

Maine apne bag se daane nikale.

"Kitna khate ho tum log."

"Ek din mote ho jaoge."

Woh kuch nahi boli.

Zahir hai.

Woh birds thi.

Lekin phir bhi main baat karti rahi.

"Waise bhi tum log mujhe chhod kar chale jaoge."

"Migration season khatam hone wala hai."

"Phir main akeli reh jaungi."

Birds mujhe bas dekh rahi thi.

Aur tab mujhe ehsaas hua.

Main sach mein birds se baat kar rahi thi.

"Main bhi na..."

Lekin tabhi hawa achanak aur tez ho gayi.

Maine aasman ki taraf dekha.

"Yeh toh achha nahi lag raha."

Spring mein aisi aandhi aam baat nahi thi.

Aur kuch hi pal baad...

Baarish shuru ho gayi.

Pehle halki.

Phir tez.

Aur phir itni tez ki mujhe kuch samajh nahi aaya.

Main jaldi se cycle lekar neeche ki taraf bhaagi.

Bas ghar pahunchna chahti thi.

Lekin shayad...

Us din mera ghar pahunchna likha hi nahi tha.

Raaste me...

Kuch door mujhe ek chhota sa ghar dikhai diya.

Pahadon ke kinaare bana hua.

Uske paas ek sundar flower garden tha.

Jaise kisi ne pahadon ke beech ek chhota sa sapna uga diya ho.

Main turant uski chhat ke neeche ja kar khadi ho gayi.

Tab tak main kaafi bheeg chuki thi.

Baarish rukne ka naam nahi le rahi thi.

Aur dheere dheere mujhe thand lagne lagi.

Main bas khadi rahi.

Intezaar karti hui.

Tabhi...

Us ghar ka darwaza khula.

Main thodi si chonk gayi.

Sach kahun toh mujhe laga tha ki yahan koi nahi rehta.

Andar se ek aadmi ki parchhaai dikhai di.

Aur phir...