Itne me corridor ke end se footsteps aaye. Namjoon aaya—casual jacket me, hands in pocket, uske face pe woh charming relaxed smile thi jo hamesha tension tod deti thi… ya shayad banati thi.
“Kajal, tum ready ho? Maine socha tumhe dinner pe le jaun, kal ka win celebrate karne ke liye.”
Yoongi ka gaze turant Namjoon par shift hua. Uski aankhen thodi narrow ho gayi. “Win? Interesting choice of word.”
Namjoon ne eyebrow raise kiya. “Tumhe problem hai?”
“Problem?” Yoongi ne halki si sarcastic hansi di. “Tumhe pata hai kal kya hua? Tumhe milne ka jo ‘chance’ mila, uske liye Kajal ne ek relationship risk kiya.”
Namjoon ne calmly reply kiya, “Aur tumhe lagta hai main uski worth nahi hoon?”
Yoongi ek step forward aaya. Dono ke beech ka gap almost zero. “Main lagta hoon tum samajh nahi rahe… yeh sirf tumhara win nahi tha. Yeh Kajal ke liye ek loss tha.”
Kajal beech me aayi. “Bas karo, please. Dono.”
Namjoon ne Kajal ki taraf dekha, uski voice low thi lekin seedha dil ko chhu rahi thi. “Tumne mere liye ek step liya… aur main uske liye grateful hoon. Lekin agar kisi ko problem hai, toh shayad uski position tumhare life me utni strong nahi hai.”
Yoongi ka expression tighten ho gaya. “Ya phir… shayad tumne ek vulnerable moment ka advantage liya.”
Namjoon ka jaw lock hua. “Careful, Yoongi.”
Yoongi ne half-smirk diya, ek thandi si warning ke saath. “Main careful hi hoon… warna ab tak tumhe pata chal jaata main kitna dangerous ho sakta hoon.”
Kajal ke liye dono ki body language ek silent war lag rahi thi. Air me ek invisible electric current tha—jo kabhi bhi spark ban sakta tha.
“Stop it!” Kajal finally explode ho gayi. Uski voice corridor me echo ho gayi. “Tum dono apne ego ke beech me mujhe tod rahe ho.”
Yoongi ne uski taraf dekha, tone suddenly softer ho gayi. “Mujhe tumse sirf ek jawab chahiye, Kajal… agar kal ka situation dobara aaye, tum phir wahi choice logi?”
Kajal ne lips tightly press kiye. Silence heavy ho gaya, jaise saari building saans rok ke wait kar rahi ho.
Uski aankhon me hesitation dekh ke Yoongi ke shoulders thode slump ho gaye. “Answer mil gaya.”
Woh turn hua, aur dheere-dheere corridor se chala gaya. Har step ka sound Kajal ke dil pe ek heavy knock jaisa lag raha tha.
Yoongi ke jaane ke baad Namjoon ne Kajal ke shoulder lightly touch kiya. “Hey… tumne jo kiya, wo galat nahi tha. Tumne ek friend ki help ki.”
Kajal ne halki si bitter smile di. “Kabhi kabhi sahi ka matlab kisi aur ke liye galat hota hai, Namjoon.”
Namjoon ne softly kaha, “Phir shayad tumhe decide karna hoga ki tum kis ke liye ‘right’ banna chahti ho.”
Kajal ne kuch nahi kaha—sirf andar se ek guilt aur confusion ka storm chal raha tha.
Do din beet gaye. Kajal ne multiple baar Yoongi ko call kiya, text kiya—lekin ya toh call cut ho jata, ya unread chhod diya jata.
Uski aankhon ke neeche dark circles aa gaye the.
Teesre din subah hostel ke notice board pe ek folded paper chipka hua tha, bold marker me “Kajal” likha tha.
Usne jab open kiya, toh sirf kuch lines thi—
> Kajal, tumhe lagta hai tum choices control karti ho…
Lekin tumhe pata nahi ki tumhara ek decision, mere saath hi tumhare future ko bhi change kar gaya hai.
— Y
Letter ke shabd simple the, lekin unka weight Kajal ke chest me stone ki tarah baith gaya.
Yeh sirf hurt ka signal nahi tha… yeh ek challenge tha.
Shaam ko phone ring hua—Namjoon.
“Kajal, tum ready ho? Mere paas tumhare liye ek surprise hai.”
“Surprise?” Kajal ka tone cautious tha.
“Yeah… ek collaboration offer. Lekin tumhe haan bolne se pehle yeh samajhna hoga—agar tum mere saath kaam karti ho, toh shayad tum Yoongi ko hamesha ke liye lose kar do.”
Kajal ka dil freeze ho gaya. Mind me Yoongi ka hurt face flash hua, aur saath hi Namjoon ka confident smile.
Woh slowly whisper kiya, “Namjoon… tum jaante ho na, yeh kitna complicated hai?”
Namjoon ne softly kaha, “Complicated cheezein hi life badalti hain, Kajal.”
Phone line me ek deep silence chha gaya. Screen fade…
Namjoon ke words uske dimaag me baar-baar ghoom rahe the — "Agar tum mere saath kaam karti ho, toh shayad tum Yoongi ko hamesha ke liye lose kar do."
Usne dheere se inhale kiya. “Namjoon… main tumhare saath chalti hoon. But sirf kaam ke liye.”
Namjoon ki halki si chuckle line ke doosre end se aayi. “Kaam… kabhi kabhi uska matlab tum sochti ho usse zyada hota hai, Kajal. Kal 6 baje studio aana.”
Call cut.
Next Day
Studio ka andar ka atmosphere warm tha — soundproof walls, dim yellow lamps, aur ek large glass window jo control room ko alag kar rahi thi. Namjoon mixer pe kuch adjust kar raha tha jab Kajal enter hui.
“Perfect timing,” usne casually kaha. “Main tumhare liye ek track ready kar raha hoon. Tumhari voice usme magic karegi.”
Kajal ne apna bag side table pe rakha. “Namjoon… tum jaante ho na, main yeh sirf ek favour samajh ke kar rahi hoon.”
Namjoon ne slowly uski taraf dekha, lips pe woh half-smile. “Tum mujhe underestimate karti ho, Kajal. Favour ka matlab hota hai ek baar… main long term sochta hoon.”
Kajal ne kuch reply karne hi wali thi, jab door sudden force se khula.
Yoongi khada tha — black beanie, dark coat, aankhon me woh sharp glint jo Kajal ne pehle kabhi itna intense nahi dekha tha.
Namjoon ne casually bola, “Yoongi, tum late ho. Hum recording shuru karne wale the.”
“Hum?” Yoongi ne ek single word me pura venom daal diya. Uska gaze Kajal pe lock ho gaya. “Toh tumne decide kar liya.”
Kajal ne hesitant tone me kaha, “Yoongi, yeh sirf ek professional project hai—”
“Professional?” Yoongi ne ek slow sarcastic laugh di. “Kajal, tum jaanti ho na, tumne kis ke saath kaam karna choose kiya hai?”
Namjoon ne calmly intervene kiya, “Tumhe problem hai toh directly mujhse bolo, usse nahi.”
Yoongi ek step forward aaya, voice low lekin dangerous. “Main tumse hi baat kar raha hoon. Tumne uska trust manipulate kiya… aur tum expect karte ho main chup rahoon?”
Kajal ne dono ke beech dekha, uski heartbeat dangerously fast ho rahi thi. “Stop it, please. Tum dono mujhe ek trophy ki tarah treat kar rahe ho… jaise main koi prize ho jo jeetne ke liye fight chal rahi hai.”
Yoongi ne directly uski aankhon me dekha. “Main fight nahi kar raha… main protect kar raha hoon.”
Namjoon ne halki smirk di. “Protect? Ya possess?”
Room me silence explode hua. Yoongi ka jaw tighten hua, usne mic stand ko side push kiya, metal ka loud scrape hua.
“Kajal… tum decide karo,” Yoongi ne finally kaha, voice raw. “Agar tum yahan rehti ho, toh tum mujhe hamesha ke liye lose kar dogi. Aur agar mere saath chalti ho… toh shayad tumhe yeh project kabhi nahi milega.”
Kajal ne apni palms cold feel ki. Dono ke words ek chain ki tarah uske dil ke around tight ho rahe the.
