Maine gaadi nikali aur kisi ko nahi bataya.
Yeh galat tha. Mujhe pata hai. Shaadi se do din pehle raat ke saadhe nau baje apne mangetar ko bina bataye kisi aur se milne jaana — koi tareeka nahi hai isko sahi banane ka, aur main koshish bhi nahi karungi.
Maine bas itna kiya ki gaadi mein baith kar, chalne se pehle, Rohan ko message kiya:
“Ek purana dost shaher mein hai, do ghante ke liye. Wapas aake batati hoon. Sab theek hai.”
Usne reply kiya: “Theek hai. Drive safe.”
Gyarah saal mein main kisi ko itna aasaan nahi laga. Aur usi ne mujhe rulaya, flyover pe, red light pe, mere hi steering wheel pe.
Woh platform ke bahar wali bench pe baitha tha, waiting hall ke paas.
Main use pehchan nahi payi aur phir ekdum pehchan gayi. Yeh dono ek saath hota hai. Baal kam the. Kandhe bhaari the. Woh ab ek aadmi tha, ladka nahi — aur meri yaadon mein woh hamesha ladka hi raha tha, kyunki maine use kabhi bada hote nahi dekha.
Usne khada hoke kuch nahi kaha. Sirf haath thoda uthaya, jaise hi. Aur baith gaya.
Main uske bagal mein baith gayi. Do feet ki doori. Humne ek doosre ko chhua nahi. Us poori raat humne ek doosre ko ek baar bhi nahi chhua, aur mujhe yeh baat is kahani ki sabse saaf cheez lagti hai.
Usne pehla sawaal yeh poocha: “Tumhe Rohit ne bataya?”
“Mummy ne. Phir Rohit ne.”
Usne sar hilaya. “Achha. Tab to tumhe sab pata hai.”
“Mujhe yeh nahi pata ki tumne kyun maan liya.”
Woh kaafi der chup raha. Ek train aayi aur gayi. Announcement hua. Koi family apne bag ghaseet kar nikal gayi.
Phir usne kaha:
“Seventeen saal ka tha. Ek aunty ne mujhe gate pe rok kar kaha ki mere wajah se ek aadmi hospital mein hai aur ek ghar toot jayega.” Usne mujhe dekha. “Meera, mujhe kya karna chahiye tha? Sach mein. Mujhe aaj bhi nahi pata.”
Aur main ladna chahti thi. Maine bees minute gaadi mein isi baat ki tayyari ki thi.
Par mere paas jawab nahi tha. Aaj bhi nahi hai.
“Khat tumne kyun bheje?”
“Kyunki mujhe unko apne paas se hatana tha.”
Bina kisi drama ke kaha. Ek aadmi ek fact bata raha ho, jaise.
“Rohit ne jab diye, maine socha tha rakh loonga. Do mahine rakhe. Har raat ek padha.” Usne haath ragde. “Phir meri behen ne poocha ki main theek kyun nahi lag raha. Aur main usko kya batata? Ki ek ladki ke khat padh raha hoon jiski shaadi is hafte hai?”
“Toh tumne wapas bhej diye.”
“Maine wapas bhej diye. Kyunki woh tumhare hain, aur kyunki agar woh mere paas rahe to main unko kabhi chhod nahi paunga.”
Aur phir usne woh kaha jiske liye main bilkul taiyar nahi thi.
“Meri bhi shaadi ho rahi hai. November mein.”
Maine uski taraf dekha.
“Naam Shruti hai. Doctor hai. Do saal ho gaye.” Usne halka sa hansa, thoda sharm se. “Achhi hai. Mujhse behtar hai.”
Aur mere andar jo aaya, woh — mujhe yeh manna padega — pehle do second khushi nahi thi.
Pehle do second mein ek chubhan thi. Choti si, gandi si, ek aise cheez ki jo maine gyarah saal se apne paas rakhi thi, ab kisi aur ke paas hai.
Aur teesre second mein mujhe apne aap se sharm aayi, aur uske baad — sach mein — khushi aayi.
Dono cheezein ek saath. Hamesha dono.
“Toh phir yeh sab kya tha?” maine poocha. “Yeh khat, yeh aana, yeh sab?”
Aur Aakash ne kaha:
“Main chahta tha ki tumhe pata ho ki maine chhoda nahi tha.”
Ruka. Phir:
“Bas itna. Meera, main tumhe rokne nahi aaya. Main yeh nahi keh raha ki shaadi mat karo. Main yeh bhi nahi keh raha ki mujhse baat karte raho.”
“Toh kya keh rahe ho?”
“Main keh raha hoon ki gyarah saal se tum ek kahani mein jee rahi ho jismein main bhaag gaya tha. Aur woh kahani galat hai. Aur main nahi chahta ki tum us kahani ko apni shaadi mein le jao.” Usne saamne dekha, platform ki taraf. “Bas yeh. Yehi poori baat hai.”