Request: MOONLIGHT STRINGS
Yuri hansi se jaag gayi. Uska saans tez chal raha tha, jaise sapne ki thand uski room tak aa gayi ho. Uske kaan ab bhi Eren ke shabdon se goonj rahe the:
“Find the final chord… before he does.”
Usne wristband par haath rakha. Woh halki si roshni de raha tha — jaise usne bhi sapna mehsoos kiya ho.
Agla din dhundhla sa guzra. Yuri school mein thi, lekin har awaaz — classroom ki ghoonj, bell ka sound, doston ki baatein — sab kuch ajeeb lag raha tha. Kael ne class mein kuch nahi kaha, lekin jab Yuri ne ek baar peeche dekha, uski nazar pehle se hi Yuri par thi.
Dekh rahi thi.
Jaise kuch chhupa ho uske andar.
Jab final bell baji, Yuri bina sochhe seedha music room chali gayi.
Is baar, darwaza khula tha.
Aur koi wahan pehle se tha.
Room ke floor pe chalk se banaye gaye ajeeb symbols the — ek adhoora circle, kuch musical notes aur blackboard par ek melody likhi thi jo Yuri ne kabhi nahi suni thi... phir bhi dil ke kisi kone mein usse woh pehchani lag rahi thi.
Uski nazar cabinet par gayi.
Violin ab bhi nahi tha — lekin hawa mein ek halki si tarang thi.
Tabhi, piano ke upar lagay mirror mein kuch hilne laga.
Wahan, apni reflection ke peechhe, Yuri ne Eren ko dekha. Uske hoth hil rahe the — lekin koi awaaz nahi thi.
Aur phir—
Kael andar aaya.
“Tumhe yahan nahi hona chahiye,” usne kaha. Is baar uska lehja shant nahi tha — balki chinta se bhara hua.
Yuri ne kaha, “Tum bhi to yahan ho.”
Kael ki nazar mirror par gayi. “Usne tumse baat ki?”
“Eren?” Yuri ne pucha.
Kael ne apna jaw clenched kiya. “Har cheez pe vishwas mat karo jo woh kehta hai.”
Yuri ka voice sakt ho gaya. “Woh meri madad kar raha hai.”
“Woh keh raha hai,” Kael ek kadam aage badha, “Lekin tum nahi jaanti woh asal mein kya hai.”
Yuri ne gusse se poocha, “Toh tum batao.”
Kael ne sirf apna haath aage badhaya. “Mere saath chalo. Tumhe kuch dikhana hai.”
Woh dono sheher ke kone mein ek purani music library tak gaye — jo saalon se band thi. Kael ne apne gale se ek chhoti si key nikali aur darwaza khola.
Andar sab kuch purana, dhool bhara aur khamosh tha.
Kael ne ek drawer khola — usme sirf ek purana page tha.
Ek raag. Handwritten.
Yuri jhuki aur usne dekha. Pehle kuch notes us melody jaise the jo woh sapno mein sunti thi.
Lekin title ne uska khoon sukhadiya:
“Doppel Sonata — Incomplete.”
“Yeh woh gaana hai jo Eren bajata tha,” Kael ne kaha. “Ek composer ne likha tha jo maanta tha ki music se roohon ko baandha ja sakta hai.”
Yuri ne dheere se poocha, “Incomplete kyun hai?”
Kael ne aankhon mein andhera le aaye, “Kyunki jo ise complete karta hai... woh composer ban jaata hai.”
Us raat, bina kisi warning ke, sapna fir aaya.
Yuri fir se barf se ghiri lake ke paas thi — lekin ab us par dararein pad chuki thi. Eren ghutnon pe baitha tha, violin uske samne.
“Tumne dhoond liya,” usne kaha.
Yuri ne poocha, “Ab mujhe kya karna hai?”
Eren ne uski taraf dekha, “Tayyar ho jao... kyunki aaj raat, woh ise poora karne ki koshish karega.”
Yuri ek awaaz se jaagi.
Violin ki awaaz.
Real, zinda awaaz — jaise koi usse abhi bajaa raha ho.
Usne apne kapde pehne aur bina kuch soche school ki taraf bhaagi.
Music room ki lights on thi.
Aur andar—
Kael violin bajaa raha tha.
Lekin woh Kael nahi tha.
Uske chehre pe ek alag si muskaan thi. Uski aankhon mein hosh nahi, par uske haath chhoti si gudiya ki tarah move kar rahe the — jaise koi aur use chala raha ho.
Aur piano ke upar lagay mirror mein—
Yuri ne dekha: Kael ka doosra chehra.
Composer ka chehra.
Woh andar chali gayi.
Music ruk gaya.
Kael ne uski taraf dekha. Uska chehra badal raha tha. Pehchaan aur andhera, dono ek saath.
“Yuri,” usne kaha. Uska voice double tha — Kael ka bhi… aur kisi aur ka bhi.
Aur phir usne muskaraaya.
“You’re just in time for the finale.”