Veer darwaze se andar aata hai, aur uske theek peeche Rajveer aur Sunaina hain.
Naira ki aankhen Veer par gad jaati hain. Uski mutthiyan kasne lagti hain.
Veer bina Naira se nazar hataye aage badh kar Ramesh aur Sarojini ke pair chhoota hai.
Sunaina Ramesh ki taraf mudti hain.
"Maaf karna, aane mein der ho gayi. Delhi ka traffic… aap log jaante hi hain."
Ramesh apne tension ko chhupaate hue ek formal, jhoothi smile laate hain.
"Agar ladke wale thoda wait naa karaye, toh woh ladke wale nahi lagte."
Room mein ek halki si hansi gunjti hai.
Naira bina palkein jhapkaye ab bhi Veer ko hi ghoor rahi hai.
Veer ki nigahein bhi usi par tiki hain.
Ira Naira ko halki si kohni maarti hai aur dheere se fusfusati hai,
"Dii, ghurna band karo. Guests bhaag jayenge."
Naira ek gehri saans leti hai, phir jaake Sunaina aur Rajveer ke pair chhooti hai.
Sunaina uske sar par haath pherte hain.
"Bahut sundar lag rahi ho."
Rajveer bhi uske sar par haath pherte hain.
Naira ke chehre par bina chahe ek thandi si muskaan aa jaati hai.
Sab jaake sofe par baithte hain.
Tabhi bahar se Ayaan ke chillaane ki awaaz aati hai,
"KOI MUJHE BHI ANDAR LEGA YA MAIN CAR PARK KARKE WAHIN SO JAAUN?"
Sunaina sharam se apna sar hilati hain.
"Yeh mera chhota beta Ayaan hai. Usko drama karne ki aadat hai."
Sab haste hain.
Ramesh Ira ki taraf dekhte hain.
"Jaao, jaake unhe leke aao."
Ira gate ki taraf usse laane jaati hai.
Ayaan bahar gate par haath tikaye idhar-udhar dekh raha hai. Tabhi main darwaze se usse Ira aati hui dikhti hai.
Ayaan seedha khada ho jaata hai aur hadbada kar apne baal aur shirt theek karne lagta hai.
Ira paas aati hai aur lohe ka gate kholti hai.
Ayaan apni sabse achhi smile ke saath apna haath aage badhata hai. Woh seedha uski aankhon mein dekhta hai.
"Hii, Ayaan… Ayaan Khurana."
Ira formally usse haath milati hai.
"Ira Malhotra."
Ayaan thoda confuse hota hai.
"Aap kaun?"
"Main Naira ki chhoti behen hoon."
Ayaan phir se muskurata hai.
"Kamaal hai. Mujhe kisi ne bataya nahi ki Naira ki koi chhoti behen hai."
Ira ekdum flat tone mein jawaab deti hai,
"Shayad unhone tumhe batana zaroori nahi samjha."
Woh palat kar andar jaane lagti hai. Ayaan ek dilchasp hansi ke saath uske peeche-peeche andar aata hai.
Ayaan andar aakar Veer ke baaju mein baith jaata hai.
Naira ki aankhen Ayaan ko dekh kar thodi badi ho jaati hain.
Yeh ladka… yeh toh wohi road wala hai!
Ayaan ki nigaah Naira par padti hai. Woh abhi bhi use ghoor rahi hai. Ayaan hadbada kar turant nazrein chura leta hai.
Woh Veer ki taraf thoda jhukta hai aur dheere se fusfusata hai,
"Bhai, abhi bhi soch le. Chalte hain yahan se."
Veer bina uski taraf dekhe, bilkul flat tone mein jawaab deta hai,
"Ab nahi jaa sakte yahan se."
Aur phir woh Ramesh aur Rajveer ki baaton mein dhyaan dene lagta hai.
Lekin uski aankhen ek baar phir Naira ki taraf chali jaati hain.
Rajveer aur Ramesh desh ki politics ko lekar baat kar rahe hain. Sunaina aur Sarojini ek doosre ke rishtedaron mein pehchaan nikal rahe hain.
Naira aur Veer inki baaton mein ghulne ki acting kar rahe hain — bas sar hila rahe hain aur fake smile kar rahe hain.
Dono ki nazar baar-baar ek doosre ki taraf jaake wapas hat jaati hai.
Sarojini uthti hain.
"Main aap sab ke liye chai-nashta leke aati hoon. Naira, Ira chalo help karna."
Ira turant uth ke jaane lagti hai. Naira ek bhaari saans leti hai, thoda rukti hai aur phir jaati hai.
Naira jab uth kar jaane lagti hai, toh Veer use khamoshi se niharta rehta hai… maano woh usme kuch dhoondh raha ho.
***
Garam pohe aur adrak waali chai ki mehak kitchen mein bhari hui hai. Sarojini nashte ki plates laga rahi hain.
Ira plates mein poha nikaal rahi hai, aur Naira kitchen counter se tek lagaye chupchaap khadi hai.
Sarojini kehti hain,
"Kaafi achha ladka hai. Sanskaari lagta hai. Family bhi achhi hai. Aur unka khud ka business bhi hai."
Naira Sarojini ki taraf dekhti hai.
Sarojini cups mein chai daalti hain. Unki nazar ek pal ke liye Naira par tikti hai.
"Uski family ko tu achhe se jaanti bhi hai."
"Maa… mujhe achhe se pata hai aap kya kehna chah rahi hain."
Sarojini halka sa smile karti hain.
"Achhi baat hai."
Naira nazar jhuka ke dheemi awaaz mein kehti hai,
"Aap mujhe bhejna kyun chahti ho… main achhi nahi lagti kya aapko?"
Uski awaaz ke aakhri shabd halke se toot jaate hain.
Sarojini Naira ke paas aati hain, uske maathe ko choomti hain aur dabbi si awaaz mein kehti hain,
"Beta… ek naa ek din ladkiyon ko jaana hi padta hai."
Unki aankhen halki si nam ho jaati hain.
"Zaroori nahi hai jo har baar hota hai, woh sahi hi ho."
Sarojini kuch nahi bolti. Woh bas usse dekhti rehti hain.
Ira un dono ki taraf dekhti hai. Uski aankhon mein halki si shararat hai.
"Waise… jiju hain toh kaafi handsome."
Naira chidhti hai.
"Itna hai toh tu hi kar le shaadi."
Ira aur chidhati hai.
"Main kahan kar sakti hoon dii. Jiju toh aapki kismat mein hain."
Sarojini dono ko dekh kar hasti hain, aur Naira ke haath mein tray thama deti hain.
"Jaa jaake serve kar de."
Naira unke chehre ki taraf dekhti hai, phir ek bhaari saans lekar tray uthati hai aur dheere kadmon se living room ki taraf chali jaati hai.
Living room mein Naira haath mein tray leke aati hai. Woh sabke paas jaake serve karti hai.
Veer use dhyaan se dekhta hai — usne tray itni tight pakdi hai ki uske knuckles safed ho gaye hain. Uske haath halke kaamp rahe hain.
Woh Veer ke paas tray leke aati hai. Veer cup lene ke liye apna haath aage karta hai. Naira uski aankhon mein dekhti hai… aur cup theek uske saamne table par rakh deti hai.
Veer yeh notice karta hai aur halke se smirk karta hai.
Sunaina Naira ka haath pakadti hain.
"Yeh sab chhodo aur yahan aake baitho."
Naira Sunaina ke paas baithti hai. Sunaina pyaar se usse baatein karti hain, aur Naira ki sakhti thodi kam hone lagti hai.
Tabhi Ayaan mooh mein samosa thooste hue bolta hai,
"Kamaal ke samose hain. Aur yeh chutney bhi achhi hai!"
Sunaina uski is harkat par muskurati hain, aur unhe dekh kar Naira ke hothon par bhi ek halki si hansi aa jaati hai.
Veer usse observe karta hai.
Achha, toh yeh hasti bhi hai.
Sunaina Ramesh ki taraf dekhti hain.
"Kab tak hum sab hi baat karte rahenge? Jinn do logon ke liye hum yahan aaye hain, unhe bhi toh baat karne ka mauka milna chahiye."
Ramesh apna gala saaf karte hain aur thoda rukte hain.
"Haan bilkul… lekin usse pehle mujhe Naira se ek kaam tha. Naira zara apne room mein aana."
Sunaina Ramesh ki taraf hairani se dekhti hain, par tokte hue kuch nahi bolti.
Veer Ramesh ki taraf dekhta hai.
Achanak se kya kaam pad gaya?
Naira Ramesh ke peeche-peeche upar apne room mein jaane lagti hai.
Ab pata nahi yeh kya bolenge.
Uske chehre ki muskaan ekdum se gayab ho chuki hai.
Naira room ke andar aati hai, aur uske theek peeche Ramesh aakar click ki awaaz ke saath darwaza lock kar dete hain.
"Naira… yeh sab abhi jo ho raha hai, woh sirf formalities hain."
Phir thoda rukte hain.
"Tum uss ladke se shaadi kar rahi ho. Yeh final hai."
Naira ki awaaz halki si kaanpti hai, par woh peeche nahi hatti. Uski ungliyaan dheere se band ho jaati hain.
"Aap kaun hote ho yeh decide karne wale ki main kisse shaadi karungi ya kisse nahi?"
"Main tumhara baap hoon, samajh aaya? Meri wajah se tum abhi tak itni badi hui ho aur achhi zindagi jee rahi ho."
"Isse 'achhi zindagi' kehte hain?"
Ramesh gusse mein uski kalai zor se pakadte hain.
"Tumhe aur kya chahiye? Ghar hai uske paas, gaadi hai, bangla hai, bada business hai, samaj mein izzat hai… aur kya chahiye tumhe isse zyada?"
"Mujhe shaadi nahi karni hai Papa. Maine aapko kai baar bola hai."
Ramesh Naira ko gusse se dekhte hain.
"Yeh tumhari aakhiri warning hai. Tumhari shaadi issi ladke se hogi. Aur agar tumne koi gadbad ki… toh main make sure karunga ki tumhe ghatiya se bhi ghatiya ladka mile."
Naira ki aankhon mein aansu hain. Woh seedha Ramesh ki aankhon mein dekhti hai.
"Aapke jaisa?"
Kamre mein ek pal ke liye sab kuch ruk sa jaata hai.
Ramesh aag-baboola hokar use ghoorte hain. Unka haath hawa mein uthta hai… par woh khud ko rokte hain, aur bina kuch kahe room se nikal jaate hain.
Naira apne bed mein gir si jaati hai. Uski kalai par laal nishaan ubhar aaya hai. Woh bedsheet ko kas ke pakad rakhi hai.
Aankhon mein aansu ab bhi hain, par woh palkein nahi jhapakti. Ek bhi boond girne nahi deti.
Tabhi darwaze par knock ki awaaz aati hai.
Naira turant apne aansu ponchti hai, jaldi se apni kalai ka nishaan chhupaati hai aur chehre par ek fake muskaan saja kar darwaza kholti hai.
Veer darwaze ke bahar khada hai.
Isse pehle ki woh kuch bole, Naira ekdum flat tone mein kehti hai,
"Terrace pe."
To Be Continued