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       CHAPTER 3 — CHAI KI CHUSKYAN AUR EK PEHCHAAN
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Mandir ke baher halki si chahal-pahal abhi bhi jaari thi.

Vikram ne Nana ji ki taraf dekha aur bohot hi adab se kaha, "Uncle ji, yahan bahar khade rehna theek nahi hai. Bheed aur badh rahi hai. Aap aur Sonam ji mere saath gaadi mein baithiye, pehle ghar chalkar thoda aaram kar lijiye."

Nana ji ne muskurate hue haan mein sir hila diya. "Tu kehta hai toh chal padte hain beta. Waise bhi darshan toh bohot achhe se ho gaye."

Vikram ne aage badhkar gaadi ka pichhla darwaza khola. Pehle Nana ji baithe, phir Sonam ne thodi jhijhak ke saath gaadi mein kadam rakha.

Sonam ne aaj tak kabhi kisi sarkari officer ki gaadi mein iss tarah safar nahi kiya tha. Gaadi ke andar ek ajeeb sa shant aur niyamit mahaul tha. Vikram aage ki seat par baitha hua tha aur driving mirror se peeche ka rasta dekh raha tha.

Dono ki nazrein ek pal ke liye mirror mein takrayin, lekin Sonam ne turant apni nazar khidki se bahar ghuma li.

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Kareeb bees minute baad gaadi Vikram ke sarkari bangley ke aangan mein ruk gayi. Bangala zyada bada nahi tha, lekin har cheez bohot hi neatly arranged thi.

"Aaiye Uncle ji," Vikram ne unhe andar bulaya.

Sonam bhi Nana ji ke peeche-peeche drawing room mein aayi. Kamre ki devarein safed thin, ek taraf bookshelves par kaanoon aur security se judi kitabein rakhi thin, aur doosri taraf ek purani ghadi tik-tik kar rahi thi.

"Baitiye aap dono. Main chai banwane ko kehta hoon," Vikram ne kaha.

"Arre nahi nahi Vikram beta," Nana ji ne rokte hue kaha. "Chai toh Sonam banayegi. Tumhare ghar ki rasoi kahan hai?"

Sonam ne hairani se Nana ji ki taraf dekha. "Papa..."

"Arre ismein kya baat hai? Sonam ke haath ki chai nahi peeyi toh tumne kuch nahi peeya beta," Nana ji ne khush hokar kaha.

Vikram ne halka sa muskura kar Sonam ki taraf dekha. Uski muskaan mein ek aisi shafafiyat thi jo uske gambhir chehre par kam hi dikhti thi.

"Agar aapko koi takleef na ho Sonam ji, toh rasoi us taraf hai. Rasoi mein caretakers hain, woh aapki madad kar denge."

Sonam ne halka sa sir jhukaya aur rasoi ki taraf badh gayi.

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Rasoi mein pahunchkar Sonam ne ek gehri saans li. Usko samajh nahi aa raha tha ki use yeh ajeeb si jhijhak kyun ho rahi thi. Woh toh roz ghar mein sabke liye chai banati thi.

Usne chupchap chulhe par paani chadhaya, adrak kuta, aur chai patti daali. Uski aadat ke mutabiq woh chai ki taraf dhyan se dekh rahi thi ki kahin woh ubal kar bahar na aa jaye.

Tabhi rasoi ke darwaze par aahat hui.

Vikram wahan khada tha. Usne apni jacket utar di thi aur shirt ke sleeves ko thoda upar mod rakha tha.

"Aapko sab samaan mil gaya?" Vikram ne pucha.

Sonam chaunk gayi aur turant mudkar boli, "Haan... haan, sab mil gaya. Bas do minute mein chai ban jayegi."

Vikram ne dekha ki Sonam abhi bhi thodi nervous thi. Usne behad narmi se kaha, "Aapko pareshan hone ki zaroorat nahi hai Sonam ji. Uncle ji mere pita jaise hain, aap bilkul apne ghar jaisa hi samjhiye."

Sonam ne uski taraf dekha. Vikram ki aankhon mein behad izzat aur apnapan tha.

"Ji, shukriya," Sonam ke muh se bas itna hi nikla.

"Main bahar Uncle ji ke paas hoon," Vikram itna kehkar wapas drawing room mein chala gaya.

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Sonam tray mein teen cup chai aur biscuits lekar drawing room mein aayi.

Usne ek cup Nana ji ko diya aur doosra cup Vikram ke saamne meez par rakh diya. Phir woh Nana ji ke paas baith gayi.

Nana ji ne chai ka ek ghoont liya aur taarif mein sir hilaya. "Dekha Vikram? Main kehta tha na, Sonam ke haath ki chai mein ek alag hi garmahat hoti hai."

Vikram ne bhi apna cup uthaya aur ek ghoont peeya. Usne cup neeche rakha aur Sonam ki taraf dekhkar kaha—

"Sach mein Uncle ji. Bohot waqt baad aisi ghar jaisi chai peene ko mili hai."

Sonam ne ek chhoti si muskaan ke saath nazar jhuka li.

"Waise Vikram beta," Nana ji ne baat aage badhayi. "Tumhari posting toh abhi kuch mahine pehle hi hui hai na? Tumhari akele ki zindagi mein ghar sambhalna aur duty karna mushkil toh hota hoga?"

Vikram ka chehra ek pal ke liye thoda shant aur gambhir ho gaya.

"Zindagi ka niyam hai Uncle ji, kaam ke saath akelepan ki aadat daalni padti hai. Waise bhi duty itni hoti hai ki sochne ka waqt kam hi milta hai."

Sonam ne silent hokar Vikram ke inn shabdon ko suna.

Usne mehsoos kiya ki iss lambe, roabdaar aur sakht afsar ke andar bhi ek akelapan chupa hua tha. Thik waise hi jaise Sonam ki apni zindagi mein, ghar ke kaam aur zimmedariyon ke beech, uska apna akelapan chupa rehta tha.

Dono ki zindagiyon ke raste bilkul alag the... lekin us subah, chai ke un cups ke beech, ek anjaan rishte ka pehla dhaaga judne laga tha.



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       CHAPTER 4  ANJAAN SHEHAR KA EK NAYA RASTA
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Chai khatam hone ke baad Nana ji ne apni jeb se ghadi nikali.

"Chalo Sonam, ab humein nikalna chahiye. Dopehar ki bus pakadni hai, warna ghar pahunchte-pahunchte shaam ho jayegi."

Vikram ne turant Nana ji ki taraf dekha.

"Uncle ji, aap itni jaldi waise bhi nahi ja rahe hain. Aaj sunday hai aur meri shaam tak koi urgent duty nahi hai. Main aap dono ko shehar ke kuch achhe ilake dikha deta hoon, phir shaam ko aapko gaadi se hi ghar chhod doonga."

Sonam ne thodi jhijhak ke saath kaha, "Nahi Vikram ji, aapki duty hai. Aapko pareshan karne ki zaroorat nahi hai. Hum bus se chale jayenge."

"Ismein pareshani kaisi Sonam ji?" Vikram ne narmi se jawab diya. "Uncle ji saalon baad yahan aaye hain. Aur waise bhi, gaon ke purane rishtedaron ki khidmat karna mera farz hai."

Nana ji hans pade. "Sonam, jab yeh itne pyar se keh raha hai toh mana mat kar. Aur waise bhi, sarkari afsar ki gaadi mein ghoomne ka moka roz-roz kahan milta hai!"

Sonam ne muskurate hue sir jhukaye rakha. Use Vikram ki is aadar aur izzat bhari baat ko mana karna thoda mushkil laga.

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Kuch hi der mein teeno Vikram ke saath shehar ki taraf nikal pade.

Vikram khud car drive kar raha tha. Nana ji aage ki seat par baithe the aur Sonam peeche ki seat par khidki ke paas baithi hui thi.

Shehar ki sadkein shaant thin. Khidki se aati thandi hawa Sonam ke chehre se takra rahi thi. Woh chupchap bahar ke nazarein dekh rahi thi—unchi imaratein, bade ped, aur sadak ke dono taraf ki halchal.

Vikram mirror mein se kabhi-kabhi Sonam ki taraf dekh leta tha.

Usne Sonam ke chehre par ek aisi saadgi aur shanti dekhi jo usne shehar ke shor-sharaba bhare mahaul mein kam hi dekhi thi. Woh zyada bolti nahi thi, lekin uski aankhon mein har chhoti cheez ko ghor se dekhne ka ek ajeeb sa sukoon tha.

"Sonam ji, aap pehle kabhi iss shehar mein aayi hain?" Vikram ne achanak pucha.

Sonam ne chaunk kar aage dekha. "Nahi, yeh pehli baar hai. Main toh bas apne ghar aur rasoi tak hi simit rehti hoon."

"Ghar sambhalna sabse bada kaam hota hai Sonam ji," Vikram ne behad sanjhida awaaz mein kaha. "Hum log toh sirf duty karte hain, lekin ek ghar ko chalana aur sabko bandh kar rakhna sabse mushkil duty hai."

Vikram ke inn shabdon ne Sonam ke dil ko chhoo liya.

Ghar mein sab log uske kaam ko ek normal routine samajhte the. Koi kabhi yeh nahi kehta tha ki woh kitna bada kaam kar rahi hai. Lekin aaj ek anjaan aadmi ne uske rozmarra ke kaam ko itni izzat di thi.

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Vikram unhe shehar ke sabse purane aur famous lake-side park mein le gaya.

Jheel ke kinare thandi hawa chal rahi thi. Teeno ek bade se bargad ke ped ke neeche lage bench par baith gaye. Nana ji thoda thak gaye the, isliye woh bench par baithkar aaram karne lage, jabki Vikram aur Sonam jheel ke kinare thodi door khade ho gaye.

Paani ki chhoti-chhoti laherein kinare se takra rahi thin.

"Aapka chhota beta college mein hai na?" Vikram ne baat shuru ki.

Sonam ne hairani se dekha. "Aapko kaise pata?"

"Uncle ji bata rahe the," Vikram ne ek halki muskaan ke saath kaha. "Unka kehna tha ki aap use bohot yaad karti hain."

Sonam ki aankhon mein thodi si nami aa gayi, lekin usne turant khud ko sambhal liya.

"Haan... pehli baar ghar se door gaya hai. Ghar ka ek kamra ab bilkul khaali rehta hai. Subah uthte hi lagta hai ki abhi aawaz dega, lekin phir yaad aata hai ki woh toh doosre shehar mein hai."

Vikram ne uski baat dhyan se suni.

"Maa ka dil aisa hi hota hai. Meri maa bhi jab tak jeene mein thin, mere duty par jaane ke baad roz shaam ko darwaze par khadi rehti thin. Jab woh chali gayin, toh ghar ka akelapan samajh aane laga."

Sonam ne Vikram ki taraf dekha. Uske chehre par ek purana dard tha jo usne apni sakht personality ke peeche chipa rakha tha.

"Aapki maa..." Sonam ne aadhi baat chhodi.

"Panch saal pehle chali gayin," Vikram ne aasmaan ki taraf dekhte hue kaha. "Tab se bas yeh kaam hai aur main hoon."

Sonam ne mehsoos kiya ki dono ki duniya kitni alag hone ke bawajood kitni ek jaisi thi. Ek taraf woh thi jo parivaar ke beech hokar bhi kabhi-kabhi akeli hoti thi, aur doosri taraf Vikram tha jo akela hokar bhi apne farz mein uljha hua tha.

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Shaam ke paanch baj chuke the.

Vikram unhe unke ghar chhodne ke liye gaadi mein lekar aaya. Jab gaadi Sonam ke ghar ke gate ke bahar ruki, toh Nana ji ne Vikram ka haath pakad liya.

"Vikram beta, aaj ka din bohot achha bita. Tumne humein bohot izzat aur waqt diya."

"Yeh toh mera sobhagya tha Uncle ji," Vikram ne muskura kar kaha.

Sonam gaadi se bahar nikli aur bag uthayi. Woh ek pal ke liye ruki aur Vikram ki taraf dekha.

"Shukriya... aaj ke din ke liye," Sonam ne behad shafaf awaaz mein kaha.

Vikram ne apni aadat ke mutabiq haath jode. "Apna dhyan rakhiyega Sonam ji."

Gaadi dheere-dheere gali ke kone se gayab ho gayi.

Sonam apne ghar ke andar aayi. Ghar mein wahi roz ka mahaul tha—bada beta TV dekh raha tha, pati tiffin ka dibba dho rahe the, aur saas apni mala jap rahi thin.

Lekin aaj Sonam ke andar kuch badal chuka tha. Uske rozmarra ke shant jeevan mein ek naye dost ki aahat ho chuki thi... ek aisa dost jise woh shayad kabhi bhool nahi payegi.