Mumbai ki baarish ka apna hi mood hota hai. Kab tez, kab halki… aur kab kisi ki zindagi badal de, pata hi nahi chalta.
Friday night thi. Poori building almost khali ho chuki thi. Seventh floor par sirf ek cabin ki light jal rahi thi.
Aarav Malhotra, founder of a small branding agency. Apne laptop ke saamne baitha quarterly presentation revise kar raha tha.
Clock ne 11:47 PM dikhaya. Office mein sirf AC ki halki awaaz aur keyboard ke clicks sunayi de rahe the. Tabhi Aarav ke phone par WhatsApp notification blink hua – ‘Meera Sharma uploaded a status’.
Aarav normally kisi ka status dekhne wala insaan nahi tha. Lekin pata nahi kyun, usne bina soche notification open kar diya.
Pehli photo — family selfie.
Doosri — stage decoration.
Teesri— Uski ungli screen par ruk gayi.
Meera.
Dark maroon saree. Open hair. Aur ek elegant backless blouse jisme uski skin soft golden light mein glow kar rahi thi. Doosri camera ki taraf nahi dekh rahi thi… side pose mein hass rahi thi.
Natural. Confident. Beautiful.
Aarav kuch seconds tak bas screen dekhta raha. Usne zoom nahi kiya. Par karna chaahta tha. Usne phone table par rakh diya… fir dobara uthaya. Status fir se dekha.
“Damn…” dheere se khud se bola.
Usi waqt ek aur notification aaya.
Meera: “Sir… aap abhi tak office mein ho?”
Aarav seedha ho kar baith gaya.
Thoda hesitate karke reply kiya.
Aarav: “Haa. Presentation finish kar raha hu.”
Typing…
Stop.
Typing again.
Meera: “Aapne mera status dekha!”
Aarav ke lips par halka smile aaya.
Aarav: “Haa. Function tha?”
Reply instantly aaya.
Meera: “Mere cousin ki engagement.”
Do second baad ek aur message.
“Waise… saree achi lag rahi thi?”
Aarav ne screen ko dekha. Dil ajeeb sa calm bhi tha aur restless bhi.
Usne type kiya: “You looked nice.”
Fir delete.
Dobara type kiya: “Bahut achi lag rahi thi.”
Send.
Meera online thi. Lekin reply nahi aaya. Ek minute. Do minute. Fir screen par notification pop hua.
Meera: “Bas achi?”
Aarav hans pada. Pehli baar usse realise hua ki office wali serious, organized Meera ke andar kitni playful girl chhupi hui hai.
Aarav: “Professional answer chahiye ya honest?”
Typing instantly.
Meera: “Honest.”
Aarav ne deep breath li. “Honestly… bahut beautiful lag rahi thi.”
Message sent.
Aur uske baad poora office jaise aur zyada silent ho gaya. Meera ne koi reply nahi diya. Sirf ek photo bheji. Same saree. Lekin iss baar close mirror selfie. Wet lips. Open hair. Tiny smile.
Neeche message.
“Thank you, Aarav.”
Pehli baar usne “sir” nahi likha tha. Aarav ka throat dry sa ho gaya. Usne laptop band kar diya. Us raat presentation important nahi lag rahi thi.
Monday morning.
Meera office mein enter hui to Aarav automatically uski taraf dekhne laga. White shirt. Black skirt. Hair tied. Usual professional look. Lekin aaj kuch alag tha. Ya shayad Aarav ki nazar badal gayi thi.
“Good morning, sir,” Meera ne normal tone mein kaha.
“Morning,” Aarav ne laptop screen ki taraf dekhte hue jawab diya.
Meera apni desk tak gayi… fir wapas mud kar boli— “Waise… aaj main utni beautiful nahi lag rahi?”
Aarav ne instantly uski taraf dekha. Meera ki aankhon mein naughty smile thi. Aarav thoda awkward sa hass diya. “Office mein HR nahi hai, iska matlab ye nahi ki tum kuch bhi bolo.”
“Sirf hum dono hi to hai office mein,” Meera dheere se boli.
Aur doosri line seedha Aarav ke chest mein jaa kar lagi.
Din normal tha. Meetings. Emails. Client calls. Par har cheez ke beech WhatsApp wali conversation chal rahi thi unke dimaag mein.
Shaam ko baarish start ho gayi.
Heavy. Itni heavy ki ghar jaana mushkil lag raha tha. “Lagta hai aaj fass gaye,” Meera pantry mein coffee banate hue boli. Aarav doorway par khada tha.
“Hmm.”
“Coffee?” usne poocha.
“Please.”
Meera uske liye mug lekar aayi. Jaise hi usne mug diya, uski fingers halka sa Aarav ke hand se touch hui. Ek second. Bas ek second. Lekin dono ne feel kiya.
Aarav ne immediately mug pakad liya.
“Thanks.”
“Sir…” Meera ne coffee sip karte hue kaha, “aap kabhi relax bhi karte ho?”
“Matlab?”
“Matlab… hamesha serious mode mein rehte ho.”
Aarav halka sa smile kiya.
“Someone has to run the company.”
“Someone has to make the boss smile too.”
Silence.
Baarish aur tez ho gayi. Meera window ke paas jaa kar khadi ho gayi. Shehar ki lights rain droplets ke through blur dikh rahi thi.
“Aapko pata hai,” dheere se boli, “kal raat aapke message ke baad main almost poori raat smile karti rahi.”
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha.
“Meera…”
“Aapko pata bhi hai na… aap kitne attractive ho?”
“Aur tumhe pata hai tum kya bol rahi ho?”
“Haa.”
Wo mud kar uski taraf dekhne lagi.
No jokes. No teasing. Bas honesty.
“Main bas ye keh rahi hu… mujhe aap ache lagte ho.”
Aarav kuch seconds chup raha.
Uske andar do log lad rahe the.
Boss. Aur aadmi. “Meera, this is complicated.”
“Complicated cheezein hi interesting hoti hai.”
Aarav uske paas aaya. Bahut paas nahi. Bas utna ki uski perfume ki soft fragrance feel ho sake. “Tum sure ho?” usne low voice mein poocha. Meera ne seedha uski aankhon mein dekha. “Bahut.”
Un dono ke beech sirf kuch inches ka distance tha. Lekin wahi distance sabse dangerous tha. Phone vibrate hua. Dono slightly separate hue. Meera ne screen dekhi aur smile ki.
“Aapka message aaya.”
Aarav frowned, “Maine to kuch send nahi kiya.”
Meera ne phone uski taraf badhaya. WhatsApp open tha.
Aarav: “Reach home safely.”
Aarav confused sa uski taraf dekhne laga.
“Auto-suggestion,” Meera hansi.
Fir dheere se boli—
“Cute tha waise.”
Raat 11 baje tak baarish kam hui. Aarav ne cab book kar di.
Meera cabin ke door tak aayi.
“Goodnight, sir.”
“Goodnight.”
Wo mudne lagi… fir ruk gayi.
“Aarav?”
“Hm?”
“Tonight status upload karu?”
Aarav ne eyebrow raise ki.
“Why?”
Meera slow smile ke saath boli,
“Because mujhe pata hai… aap dekhoge.”
Doston yahan tak ki sexy story aapko kaisi lagi, apni feedback deke mujhe encourage zaroor kare.