Malhotra parivaar ke terrace par Veer khada hai aur skyline ki taraf dekh raha hai. Hawa uske baalon ko halki si hila rahi hai.
Naira uske theek peeche dono haath fold karke khadi hai.
"Ho gaya tumhara view dekh ke, ya chair waghera laaun tumhare baithne ke liye?"
Veer peeche mudta hai.
"Haan actually laa lo. Achha ho jayega. Aaraam se baith ke baatein karenge."
"Mujhe tumse baat karne mein koi interest nahi hai."
Naira thoda Veer ke paas aati hai.
"Mujhe tum yeh batao, tum yahan pe kyun aaye ho? Maine tumhe mana kiya tha yahan aane se."
"Achha, tumne mana kiya tha aane se? Mujhe laga invite kiya tha."
Naira ek kadam aur aage aati hai.
"Maine tumhe dhamki di thi."
"Lagta hai mujhe yaad nahi hai."
Naira Veer ke peeche deewar ke paas rakhi hockey stick ko dekhti hai.
"Magar mujhe sab yaad hai."
Veer ki nazar uske theek peeche rakhi hockey stick par jaati hai.
"Tum meri taangein todne ke baare mein serious thi kya?"
Naira kuch nahi bolti. Woh jaake seedha hockey stick uthati hai aur usse dono haathon se ekdam tight pakadti hai.
Veer ek kadam peeche leta hai.
"Tum mazaak kar rahi ho naa?"
"Bas yuhin khade raho. Thodi der mein pata chal jayega."
Naira poori taqat se hockey stick ghumati hai.
Swoosh!
Hawa cheerte hue stick Veer ke chehre ke bilkul paas se nikal jaati hai.
Veer darr ke door hatata hai.
"Yaar, main toh mazaak kar raha tha. Tumhe mazaak nahi samajh aata kya?"
Naira phir se hockey stick chalati hai.
"Mujhe sab samajh aata hai, par main apni dhamkiyon ko kaafi seriously poora karti hoon."
Veer kood ke peeche hat jaata hai.
Naira hockey stick aur thoda sa swing karti hai.
Veer paani ki tanki ke peeche chhupta hai.
"Dekho, main tumhare Dad ko complain karunga."
Naira uske aur paas aati hai.
"Haan kar lena jisse karna hai. Par usse pehle mujhe tumhari taange todne do."
Veer doosri taraf kood ke jaata hai.
Naira gusse se Veer ki taraf dekhti hai aur poori taqat se hockey stick ghumati hai.
CRASH!
Veer ke theek baaju mein rakha mitti ka gamla chakna-choor ho jaata hai.
Veer haafte hue kehta hai,
"Bas!! Main surrender karta hoon."
Naira hockey stick hawa mein rok deti hai.
Woh ek lambi saans leti hai aur hockey stick neeche kar deti hai.
Haafte hue uski aankhon mein achanak nami tair jaati hai.
Veer zameen par haafte hue baith jaata hai.
"Yeh sach mein pagal hai."
Naira bhi thodi door zameen par tik jaati hai. Uske kandhe ekdum se relax ho jaate hain.
"Kya bola tumne? Zara phir se bolo."
"Nahi, kuch nahi, kuch nahi."
Phir thoda dheere se bolta hai,
"Pagal."
Naira usse ghoor ke dekhti hai.
Veer thoda serious hoke kehta hai,
"Tumhari problem kya hai? Itna kyun nafrat karti ho mujhse?"
Naira Veer ki taraf dekhti hai.
"Nafrat? Woh bhi tumse? Itna bhi importance mat do khud ko."
"Toh phir kya problem hai?"
Naira dheemi awaaz mein kehti hai,
"Meri problem hai yeh shaadi. Aur shaadi matlab qaid… jo ki mujhe nahi chahiye."
Woh thoda rukti hai.
"Dekho Veer… tum abhi iss waqt neeche jaaoge aur apne perfect parents ko jaake bologe ki tum mujhe reject kar rahe ho. And ye matter close karoge."
"Ek kaam karo, tum khud hi jaake bol do naa. Waise bhi… tumhe bolne ka kaafi shauk hai."
"Main bol sakti toh kab ka bol deti…"
Veer uski nam aankhon mein dekhta hai.
Veer dheere se kehta hai,
"Mujhe bhi tumse shaadi nahi karni hai. Mujhe bas apni life mein shanti chahiye. Main abhi reject kar dunga, but mere parents wapas kisi aur ka rishta leke aa jayenge. Phir yehi same cycle chalu rahega."
Naira dheeme se kehti hai,
"So same situation…"
Veer halka sa smile karta hai.
Naira ek lambi saans leti hai.
"Tum apna matter khud sambhalo aur abhi jaa ke naa bolo. Mere liye story yahin khatam."
Veer thoda rukta hai aur serious hoke kehta hai,
"Usse kya ho jayega?"
Naira kuch bolne jaati hai, phir chup ho jaati hai.
Veer uski taraf dekhta hai.
"Mere paas ek plan hai."
Naira beech mein cut karti hai.
"Mujhe koi interest nahi hai tumhare plan mein."
Veer uski baat ignore karta hai.
"Hum shaadi karne ka naatak karenge. Duniya ke liye 'perfect couple'. Sab formalities poori karenge, aur shaadi ke kuch mahine baad… divorce. Tum apne raaste, main apne raaste."
Naira Veer ko ghoor ke dekhti hai.
"Mazaak chal raha hai kya yeh?"
"Agar situation aise hi rahi, toh mazaak hi chalta rahega… aur iss plan se hum dono ka fayda hai. Tumhe tumhari azaadi milegi… aur mujhe shanti."
Veer uski aankhon mein seedha dekhta hai.
"Main plan details mein baad mein samjha doonga. Mujhe bas itna batao, kya tum ready ho mere saath kaam karne ke liye?"
Woh haath aage badhata hai.
Naira uthti hai.
"Mujhe koi interest nahi hai tumhare iss faltu plan mein."
Woh thoda rukti hai.
"Aur waise bhi kya bharosa ki tum mujhse bas shaadi karne ke liye yeh sab jhooth bol rahe ho? Tum mujhe pasand karte ho aur yeh bahana dhoond ke laaye ho."
Veer uth ke khada hota hai.
"Tumse shaadi karne se pehle naa, main iss terrace se koodna choose karunga."
"Toh koodo naa. Kisne roka hai?" Naira haath se ishara karti hai. "Main wait kar rahi hoon. Koodo."
Veer haath fold karke uski taraf dekhta hai.
"Ho gaya tumhara?"
Naira bhi haath fold kar leti hai.
"Mera toh ho gaya. Tumhara pata nahi."
Tabhi Veer ki nazar Naira ki kalai par pade uss gehre laal nishaan par padti hai.
Veer serious hoke Naira ki taraf dekhta hai.
"2 din hain tumhare paas. Soch lo kya karna hai."
Woh palat ke terrace se chala jaata hai.
Naira chupchaap apni kalai ko doosre haath se dhakte hue usse jaate dekhti rehti hai.
Hawa ab bhi chal rahi hai.
***
Veer neeche seedhiyon se utarte hue living room mein aata hai.
Ramesh use gaur se dekhte hain. Unka chehra padhna mushkil hai.
Sunaina uski taraf dekhti hain.
"Naira kahan hai?"
"Woh aa rahi hai."
Thodi der mein Naira bhi aati hai aur chupchaap sofe par baith jaati hai.
Sunaina uske paas aati hain.
"Beta, kaisi rahi tum dono ki baatein?"
Naira ki nigaah Veer par padti hai. Uski awaaz mein ek chhupa hua taana hai.
"Abhi tak ki meri sabse achhi conversation thi… hai naa Veer?"
Veer bhi uski taraf dekhta hai.
"Haan, Naira."
Ayaan shaq bhari nazron se Veer ko taakta hai.
Sunaina Naira ka haath pakadti hain.
"Beta, tum yeh decision iss liye mat lena ki tum hamari respect karti ho, ya hamare NGO mein work karti ho… tum decision sirf apna soch ke lena."
Yeh sun kar Naira ke chehre par halka sa sukoon aata hai.
Sunaina phir uske forehead par kiss karti hain.
Naira bilkul still reh jaati hai.
"Tum yeh mat sochna ki agar tum naa bologi, toh hamara relation kharaab ho jayega. Yeh jaisa hai waisa hi rahega, bhale tumhara jawab jo bhi ho."
Sunaina Naira ko hug karti hain. Naira ek pal rukti hai, phir aankhen band karke unhe gale laga leti hai.
Rajveer Ramesh ki taraf mudte hain.
"Toh phir theek hai, hum nikalte hain ab."
Ramesh Rajveer ke paas aate hain.
"Khaana kha ke jaate toh achha rehta."
Ayaan beech mein kud padta hai.
"Haan, kyun nahi."
Ira uski is harkat par halka sa hasti hai.
Veer Ayaan ko aankhen dikhata hai, use chup rehne ka ishara karte hue.
Sunaina pyaar se muskurati hain.
"Nahi, aaj nahi. Aur waise bhi, sab sahi raha toh aage phir bahut mauke milenge."
Yeh bolkar Khurana family jaane lagti hai.
Jaate waqt Veer aur Naira ki nazrein aakhiri baar milti hain. Woh dono nazar nahi pherte.
Ayaan aur Ira dono yeh notice karte hain, aur phir ek-doosre se nazrein milaate hain.
Aur phir Khurana family chali jaati hai.
Main darwaza ek bhaari awaaz ke saath band hota hai — Thud.
***
Ayaan car drive kar raha hai. Rajveer aur Sunaina peeche baith ke aapas mein baat kar rahe hain.
Gaadi mein AC ki thandi hawa aur engine ki halki hum gunj rahi hai.
Veer khidki ke bahar dekh raha hai. Achanak uski aankhon ke saamne Naira ka woh hockey stick ghumana aa jaata hai.
Uske hothon par apne aap ek chhoti si muskaan tair jaati hai.
Ayaan driving seat se use tirchhi nazar se dekhta hai.
"Tu kyun hass raha hai, filmi hero jaise?"
Veer hadbada kar apna posture theek karta hai.
"Main kahan hasa?"
"Tu abhi hasa. Dekha maine," Ayaan chidhate hue kehta hai.
"Tu aaj kal kuch zyada hi nahi dekh raha hai? Chup-chaap saamne dekh ke gaadi chala."
Peeche se Rajveer aur Sunaina in dono ki behes sunkar halke se haste hain, jabki car aage badhti chali jaati hai.
To Be Continued