Udaan- Ek Malaal #Malaal

Malaal

Astha's POV

Sitting at the airport, waiting for my flight to New York, I chuckled thinking who would have thought that I'll move to some other country leaving India.

This very thought took me back to my memory lane...

"But why can't you come with me?"

"Because this is where I belong.. I can't leave India."

"You want to travel, don't you?"

"Travel... Not settle."

"Kya Fark hai dono mein, Astha..?" Shiva asked me with pleading eyes.

"Fark hai, Shiva. Main nahi reh sakti kahi aur." I tried to make him understand.

"To mujhe roklo." He took my hands in his, "ek baar kehkar dekho. Kahi nahi jaunga main."

"Jaise main yaha ki waise hi you belong there. It has always been your dream. Follow your dream."

"Us sapne mein tu bhi hai!" He stood up heaving a frustrated cry. Running his hand through his hair he said, "Kaise samjhaun tujhe?! Kaise?!"

"Jab main tere liye apna sapna nahi bhool sakti toh tujhe Tere sapne se alag kaise Kar du?" Keeping my hands on his shoulder I made him face me. "Pyaar woh ho jo logo ko udna sikhaaye, na ke pairo ki zanjeer banjae." I cupped his face in between my palms, "main tujhe udta hua dekhna chahti hun, Shiva."

"Astha.. woh udaan jo mujhe tujhse alag karde?" He kept his hands on mine.

"Pagal." I chuckled with glistening eyes, "tu to Mera hissa hai.. tujhe mujhse kaun alag kar sakta hai?"

"Theek hai.. yahi sahi phir.." he lowered our hands from his face, keeping it intertwined, "jaise Tera hissa main.. waise hi Tera ek hissa main apne saath le jaa raha. Hum saath to nahi par ek doosre ke liye jiyenge. Apne sapne pure Kar kar. Chahe kuch bhi hojae.. hum naa hi rukenge aur naa hi piche dekhenge." He smiled with teary eyes and I nodded mirroring his expression, suppresing my sobs.

He took me in his warm embrace, it was the last hug we were sharing and neither of us wanted to let go. I felt his lips on my forehead. He then loosened his arms and I got out from them. Turning away from him to never look back.

With every steps that I was taking away from Shiva, his mother's words were echoing in my ears-

Tumhare aur hamare Parivaar mein bohout fark hai. Tum hamare saath khush nahi reh sakogi aur tumhe waise dekhkar Mera Shiva. Use jaane do. Usi main uski bhalai hai, aur tumhari bhi.

I wiped the tears that rolled down my cheeks as I reminisced the only Malaal of my life. Kaash maine Shiva ko us din rok liya hota to woh aaj hum sabke saath hota. Uske jaane ke doosre din news aayi.

The flight he was in got crashed. Many lost their life in it, Shiva being one of them. Use na rokne ka Malaal mujhe Zindagi bhar rahega, chahe zindagi choti ho ya badi.

"Apna medical reports yahi bhoolne ka iraada hai?" Shiva's mom asked.

___

Word Count- 499

A/N- I always had this story in my mind but never tried to pen it down. Writing one shots were not my thing as I couldn't express myself in few words. Always needed a bunch of sentence to bring my imagination to you. When I came across the word 'Malaal', I knew that this was the best title for this story and this contest challenged me to do something that I'd have never thought, to express myself and paint the scenarios within said words. So how was it guys? 😁

Did I succeed or not?

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