क्या उस गली में कभी तेरा जाना हुआ

जहाँ से ज़माने को गुज़रे ज़माना हुआ..........

Next day , college mein baarish ho rhi thi. Mantavya was busy checking the writings of the students so that he can understand the way of understanding. Then in the heap of books , he found a book with a cloudy day on its cover.

He hesitated but opened the book being curious. His eyes went on the name Yatra Rathore , below it was written a line " Safar Lamba hai , aur raaste mein koi humsafar nahi."

He further turns the pages aur use kai saare poems short stories milte hai. Then he stops at a page and read it :

Sambhaal ke rakha wo phool mera tu
Meri shayari mein zaroor raha tu
Jo aankhon mein pyaari si duniya basaayi
Wo duniya bhi tha tu, wo lamha bhi tha tu
Haan, lagte hain mujhko ye kisse sataane
Deta na dil mera tujhko bhulaane
Adhoore se vaade, adhoori si raatein
Ab hisse mein daakhil mere bas wo yaadein

Then he finds a small shayari written : "Itni bhi pyaar mat karo ki woh humse duur ho jaaye , kyunki agar usne payyr kiya toh shayad hum sambhal na paye"

Mantavya ne diary ki woh aakhri lines phir se padhi—"Itni bhi pyaar mat karo ki woh humse duur ho jaaye..."—aur uske dil mein ek ajeeb si halchal hui. Yeh sirf poetry nahi thi, yeh ek warning thi jo Yatra ne shayad apne aap ko di thi.

Wo khali classroom mein baitha baarish ki awaaz sun raha tha, par uske dimaag mein Yatra ka wo cold bartaav ghoom raha tha. He realized ki duniya jise 'stone-hearted' samajhti hai, wo ladki actually andar se kaanch ki tarah tooti hui hai.

Achanak, darwaza zor se khula.

Mantavya hadbada gaya (panicked) aur usne diary chhupane ki koshish ki, par tab tak bohot der ho chuki thi. Yatra wahan khadi thi, her breath was heavy and her hair was drenched in the Delhi rain. Uska dhyan seedha Mantavya ke haath mein pakdi us 'Cloudy cover' wali book par gaya.

The silence in the room was deafening.

"I... I forgot it," Yatra whispered, par uski awaaz mein dukh nahi, balki ek sharp fury thi.

Mantavya khada hua aur diary uski taraf badhayi, jaise wo koi bohot nazook cheez ho. "Yatra ji, I am sorry. Mujhe ye kholna nahi chahiye tha, but the cover... it was too curious to ignore."

Yatra stepped forward aur jhatke se diary chheen li. Her cold fingers brushed against his warm hand for a split second. Mantavya felt a spark, par Yatra ke liye wo touch kisi zakhm jaisa tha.

"Curious?" Yatra laughed, a bitter and hollow sound. "Professor, ye un ehsaason ki qabrastan (graveyard) hai jinhe maine maarne ki koshish ki hai. Aur aapne wahan digging shuru kar di."

"Writing like this isn't dirt, Yatra ji, it’s your soul," Mantavya ne apni shy personality chhodkar thoda haq se kaha. "Aapne 'Adhoore vaade' ke baare mein likha hai... agar aap kisi ko mauka hi nahi dengi, toh wo stories poori kaise honge?"

Yatra’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears, par usne unhe girne nahi diya. Her jaw tightened. "Kuch cheezein adhoori hi achhi lagti hain, Professor. Because once they are finished, they end. Aur main apni life mein ab koi naya 'The End' bardasht nahi kar sakti."

Usne diary apne bag mein thonsi aur palat kar jaane lagi. But at the door, she paused and looked back.

"Don't look for me in my words again, Professor. Shayad aapko wo insaan pasand na aaye jo in panno ke peeche chhupa hai."

Wo baarish mein gayab ho gayi, leaving Mantavya standing there in the middle of the empty hall. He looked at his hand, jahan abhi bhi uski thandak (coldness) mehsoos ho rahi thi.

Usi waqt uska phone vibrate hua. It was a message from his Bua: "Mantavya, Jodhpur mein sab tumhara wait kar rahe hain. Rathores are asking if you've met their daughter in Delhi. Stay focused, hamari family ki dignity ka sawal hai."

Mantavya ne message ignore kar diya. Use family business ya royal dignity ki chinta nahi thi. He was thinking about a girl who was a storm masquerading as silence.

Classroom se nikalte huye wo dheere se muskuraaya, "Safar waaqayi lamba hai, Yatra... par shayad ek humsafar ki zaroorat hum dono ko hai."