Baarish bohot tez ho rahi thi. Meera shehar ki ek badi building ke bahar khadi thar-thar kaanp rahi thi. Uske haath mein uske hospital ke bills thay jinhe bharna uske liye namumkin tha. Uska parivaar mushkil mein tha aur use turant paison ki zaroorat thi.
Tabhi ek kaali chamchamati car uske paas aakar ruki. Window niche hui aur andar se ek dhab-dhabati awaaz aayi.
"Meera, andar aao," car ke andar baithe shaks ne kaha. Wo shehar ka sabse ameer aur khadoos businessman, Aryan Malhotra tha.
Meera ghabrate huye andar baithi. Aryan ne uski taraf ek file badhayi.
"Ye kya hai?" Meera ne pucha.
"Ek contract," Aryan ne bina uski taraf dekhe kaha. "Mujhe ek saal ke liye ek biwi chahiye taaki main apne dada ji ki jayedad apne naam kar saku. Badle mein, main tumhare saare hospital bills bhar dunga aur tumhe ek nayi zindagi dunga."
Meera ki aankhein phati ki phati reh gayi. "Aap keh rahe hain ki main aapse paise ke liye shaadi karu?"
"Sirf ek saal," Aryan ne thande lehze mein kaha. "Koi pyaar nahi, koi asli rishta nahi. Bas duniya ke samne dikhawa. Kya tum taiyar ho?"
Meera ne apne haath mein pakde bills ko dekha aur phir Aryan ki gehri aankhon mein. Uske paas koi aur raasta nahi tha. Usne gehri saans li aur kaha, "Theek hai, main taiyar hoon."