Sana was sitting on a bench and staring at the night view of Mussoorie.

Suddenly the boy came with two cups of tea and gave Sana one.

Sana smiled and took it. She was now more stable.

"Adhi raat ko tumhe chai kaha se mili?" Sana asked.

"Kismaat se." The boy replied. "Sayad humare liye hi woh dukaan ab tak khuli thi."

Sana laughed a little.

Then they both kept quiet and started watching the heavenly sight infront of them.

"Such a beautiful view, isn't it?" Sana asked.

"Yeah." The boy replied.

"Chandigarh mein aisa nazara kaha dekhne ko milta hai? Even world ke kisi bhi kone mein chale jaao, jo baat Mussoorie mein woh aur kahi nahi."

"Toh tum Chandigarh mein rehti ho Miss.....Umm..."

Sana smiled and said, "Sana....I mean Shehnaaz....Shehnaaz Gill."

"Sana yaa Shehnaaz?" The boy asked.

"Sana sirf mere kareebi logo ke liye. You better call me Shehnaaz."

"Okay."

"Aur tum?" Sana asked.

"Kya?"

"Tum nahi doge apna introduction?"

"Oo haan. Myself Sidharth Shukla. I'm from Mumbai, height 6 ft, age 28, qualification graduate, painter by passion, love to travel, other hobbies singing, dancing, photography, relationship status...."

"Bas bas." Sana said. "Itna details mein bhi nahi pucha."

"Actually tumne introduction manga tha toh isliye....sayad kuch zyada hi bol gaya." Sidharth said biting his tongue.

"You are really very funny." Sana said smiling.

"Accha ek baat puchu?" Sidharth asked.

"Yeah. Of course."

"Tum toh Chandigarh mein rehti ho nah?"

Sana nodded.

"Toh phir yaaha aa kar yeh sab....why?"

Sana's face turned pale.

"Sun na chahte ho meri story?" Sana asked to which Sidharth nodded.

"Toh suno. 10 saal ki thi, jab main Mussoorie ghumne aayi thi apne parents ke saath. Raaste mein humari gadi khai mein gir gayi. Driver ne mujhe toh bacha liya tha but mere Mummy Papa nahi bache. I became an orphan." Sana said sadly.

Sidharth saw the pain in her eyes. He felt very bad for her.

"Papa ke sir par bohut karz the aur unhe chukane mein humara ghar bhi bik gaya. Uss waqt Ajay ke parents ne mujhe sahara diya. Mere Papa aur Ajay ke Papa kaafi purane dost the. Unhone mujhe kabhi apne parents ki kami mehsoos nahi hone di. Mere education ka saara kharcha unhone hi uthaya. They loved me more than their own son. They were the best."

"Aur Ajay?" Sidharth asked. He understood that Ajay was the person for whom she was going to end her life.

A smile formed on Sana's face.

"We were best friends. Bachpan mein hum dono har waqt saath saath rehte the. Woh mera sab kuch tha. Hum dono ek dusre ke bina ek pal bhi nahi reh sakte the. Phir jab badi hui, tab realise hua ki yeh sirf dosti nahi hai, uss se kayi zyada hai. I love him. Main uss din Ajay ko sab baatane hi wali thi ki usne mujhe meri life ka sabse bada shock de diya. He confessed his feelings for someone else. You know I was happy for him. Main puri zindagi uski dost banke rehne ko taiyaar thi. But day by day humare bich dooriyan badhti gayi. Issi bich Uncle Aunty ki bhi death hogayi and Ajay blamed me for this. He thought that I'm an unlucky person. Maybe I am. Uske baad usne mujhe apne ghar se nikal diya aur phir apni life se. Ek baar phir se maine apna sab kuch kho diya. Isliye main bina kisi se kuch kahe yaaha Mussoorie chali aayi. Mere parents ne apni akhri saansein yaaha li thi, aur main bhi apni akhri saansein yaheen lena chahti hoon, Mussoorie mein. Because now I have no reason to live. That's why I came here."

Sana was feeling relaxed after telling him everything. Sidharth was listening her very carefully.

After that he said, "I can understand your feelings. But still I feel what you were going to do was nothing but stupidity."

Sana smiled sadly and asked, "Sidharth, tumne life mein kabhi heartbreak face kiya hai?"

Sidharth nodded in no.

"Never. For me, life is too short to play this heartbreak game. Main zindagi ko khulke jeene mein believe karta hoon, har ek moment ko celebrate karne mein believe karta hoon. Inn sab ke liye mere paas time nahi hai."

"Phir toh tum kabhi nahi samjhoge."

"Main already samajh chuka hoon."

"Kya?"

"Yeh hi ki tumhara best friend stupid tha jisne tumhe chhor ke kisi aur ko as a life partner choose kiya. Aur tum uss se bhi badi stupid ho jo uske liye apni jaan dene chali."

"Aur paata hai main kya samjhi hoon?  Yeh hi ki tum maha stupid ho. Isliye adhi raat ko yaaha baith ke mera dukhra sun rahe ho."

"Yeh bhi sahi hai waise."

Then they both giggled.

After sometime Sidharth said, "Toh Madam, I hope ab tumne apna decision badal liya hoga. Phir se aisa kadam nahi uthaogi."

Shehnaaz gave a slight smile and said, "Nahi Sidharth. Mere paas sach mein jeene ka koi reason nahi hai. I really don't want to live. Abhi himmat nahi ho rahi hai toh kya hua? Main aaj nahi toh kaal apni life ko end kar dungi. And I don't think mere jaane se kisi ko koi khas fark padega."

"Oh God! She is so stubborn." Sidharth mumbled.

"Kuch kaha tumne?" Sana asked.

"Nahi...main bas keh raha tha ki chai thandi ho rahi hai tumhari. Pee lo."

Sana nodded and they both started drinking their tea.

After finishing her tea, Sana looked at the stars in the sky.

"Paata hai Sidharth, mujhe na taare bohut pasand hai. Meri khwaish thi ki ek din main Mussoorie mein aise hi taaron ke bich baith ke chai peeu. Mujhe lagta tha iss se main Mummy Papa ke saath thoda time spend kar paungi. And today I can really feel them. Aaj meri wish puri hogayi." Sana said looking at the stars.

"Sidharth, woh na Mummy hai, aur woh hai Papa." Sana said suddenly pointing her finger towards two stars.

Now Sidharth looked at the starts as till then he was watching Sana only.

"Namaste Uncle! Namaste Aunty!" Sidharth said to the stars folding his hands.

"Aap please bhagwan se bolke apni beti ko thoda sadbuddhi dilwa dijiye."

Sana immediately glared at him which Sidharth ignored.

"Waise marne se pehle yeh tumhari akhri wish thi?" Sidharth asked suddenly.

"No. Aur bhi bohut saari wishes hai." Sana replied.

"Kitni?"

"Wishes are endless Sidharth. They can't be counted. Phir bhi ek baar maine count kar ke meri life ke 7 main wishes ko ek pad mein likha tha. Unn mein se abhi tak sirf ek hi puri ho paayi hai. Kaash baki ke wishes bhi pure kar paati."

Sidharth thought for sometime and said suddenly, "Toh ab kyu nahi kar leti?"

"What did you say say?" Sana asked.

"Dekho Shehnaaz, mujhe samajh aa chuka hai ki tum kyu suicide nahi kar paa rahi ho. Hum suicide tab kar paate hai jab humari saari attachment khatam ho jaaye. Lekin tumhari attachment abhi bhi bachi hai, tumhare wishes ke saath. Ek baar woh pure ho jaaye, phir dekhna kitni asani se tum khud ko khatam kar paogi. Bilkool darr nahi lagega."

Sana became confused.

"Sidharth tum kya bol rahe ho? I want to end my life and......."

Before Sana could complete, Sidharth said, "Haan toh main tumhe kaha maana kar raha hoon? Main bas tumhe apne iss suicide ke plan ko thoda postponed karne ke liye keh raha hoon. Marne ke baad toh waise bhi sab kuch khatam. Uss se pehle Shehnaaz, ek baar khulke jee lo."

Shehnaaz started thinking about it.

"Lekin ek problem hai. Meri saari wishes ko puri karne ke liye bohut paise chahiye hoge jo ki mere paas nahi hai. Sayad iss janam mein meri wishes puri nahi hogi." She said after sometime.

"Paiso ki chinta tum mat karo. Woh main de dunga. Aur jab tak tumhari wishes puri nahi ho jaati tab tak main tumhare saath hi rahunga." Sidharth said immediately.

Sana laughed hearing that.

"Matlab tum apna saara kaam chhor ke mere saath idhar udhar ghumte rahoge? What rubbish!" She said.

"Kaam? Mere paas koi kaam nahi hai. Dad ka bohut bada business hai isliye paiso ki kami nahi hoti. Mujhe toh bas traveling pasand hai. Pichle 3 mahino se main travel kar raha hoon aur agle 1 saal tak mera yeh hi plan hai. I want to see every beautiful places of this world. Aur agar tum meri travel partner ban jaogi toh mujhe koi khas problem nahi hogi."

"Now I understand. Tum velle ho, right?"

"Haan. Aur mujhe yeh life badi pasand hai. I'm enjoying my life aur tumhe bhi meri tarah apni life enjoy karni chahiye."

Sana smiled.

"Toh kya bolti ho? Banogi meri travel partner?" Sidharth asked. "Main tumhari saari wishes puri kar dunga."

"Tum kyu karoge meri wishes puri? Main lagti kaun hoon tumhari?" Sana asked.

"You know what Shehnaaz, life mein aise bohut saare kyu hote hai jinka koi jawab nahi hota. Ab jaise hum dono aaj hi mile hai. Lekin tumne mere saath, ek stranger ke saath apne life ke saare gham share kar liye, kyu? Hai koi jawab?"

Sana nodded in no.

"Lekin phir bhi. Tumhare paise se apni wishes puri karna....sahi nahi rahega." She said.

"Kuch hi din mein toh tum marne wali ho. Sahi galat ka soch ke kya karogi? Isliye woh karo jo dil chahta hai." Sidharth said.

"Still......."

Sana started hesitating. She was very much confused. She wanted to fulfill her wishes but it was not feeling right to take favours from an unknown person.

Sidharth understood it and said, "It's ok Shehnaaz if you need time. Puri raat bachi hai tumhare paas sochne ko. You have two options. Pehla, tum iss khai se kud ke abhi apni jaan de do. Aur dusra, hotel wapas jaao aur thande dimaag se mere offer ke baare mein socho aur kaal subah mujhe jawab dena. Whatever option you choose, just remember that you're getting a chance to fulfill your wishes before death. Aur aisa chance sabko nahi milta. You are lucky because you are getting this chance. Apne life ke 7 wishes pure karne ka chance, marne se pehle ek baar phir se jeene ka chance. Now it's upto you. Tumhe yeh chance lena hai yaa nahi."

Saying that Sidharth gave Sana a card.

"I'm staying in this hotel. Yaaha paas mein hi hai. Agar 2nd option choose kiya toh kaal subah chali aana. 2nd floor, room no. 208. Aur haan, apne 7 wishes ko ek pad mein likh kar laana. Okay?....Filhaal main chalta hoon. Good night!"

"Good night Sidharth!"

Sidharth left from there.

Sana again looked at the stars.

"Should I take the chance?" Sana asked herself.
______________________________________

Will Sana take the chance to fulfill her wishes?

Or will she actually end her life?

Stay tuned...

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