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       CHAPTER 5 — EK ANTEKHAN MEHMAAN AUR NAYA AAGAZ
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Jheel ke kinare bitaye us shaam ko dhalne ke baad kayi din beet gaye.

Sonam ki zindagi phir se apne purane routine mein laut aayi thi. Subah ki chai, bartano ki khanak, bade bete ki shararatein, aur chhote bete ke kamre ko chupchap dekhne ka silsila. Lekin iss sabke beech, kabhi-kabhi chai daalte hue ya khidki se bahar dekhte hue, use us gehri awaaz aur aadar bhari nazron ka khayal aa hi jata tha.

Usne iss khayal ko hamesha ek aam si yaad samajh kar khud se door karne ki koshish ki.

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Ek budhwar ki shaam, shehar mein halki-halki boondabandi ho rahi thi.

Sonam rasoi mein garam pakode aur chai bana rahi thi. Pati office se wapas aakar verandah mein akhbar padh rahe the aur Nana ji drawing room mein baithe apni mala jap rahe the.

Tabhi bahar gate khulne ki awaaz aayi aur ek heavy vehicle ke rukne ki aahat mili.

Bada beta darwaze ki taraf bhaga. "Papa, koi badi gaadi aayi hai bahar."

Pati ne newspaper neeche rakha aur bahar dekha. "Kaun ho sakta hai itni shaam ko?"

Bahar se kadamo ki aahat aayi aur ek damdaar awaaz ne pure ghar ka dhyan apni taraf khinch liya—

"Pranam Uncle ji."

Nana ji ne jaise hi woh awaaz suni, unke chehre par ek alag hi chamak aa gayi. Unhone mala wahi rakhi aur khade ho gaye.

"Arre! Vikram beta!"

Sonam, jo rasoi mein tray sajaye khadi thi, uske haath ek pal ke liye thithak gaye. Uski dhadkan achanak tezz ho gayi. Usne jaldi se apna aanchal theek kiya aur rasoi ke darwaze se bahar dekha.

Darwaze par Vikram khada tha. Dark blue blazer, crisp shirt, aur baalon par paani ki halki boondein. Uske chehre par wahi purani gambhirta thi, lekin Nana ji ko dekhkar uske chehre par ek sachi muskaan aa gayi.

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"Vikram! Tum yahan? Bina kisi khabar ke?" Nana ji ne aage badhkar use gale se lagaya.

"Ji Uncle ji. Yahan paas ke district mein security department ki ek emergency meeting thi. Shaam ko free hua toh socha aap logon se milta chaluun," Vikram ne bohot hi tehzeeb se jawab diya.

Sonam ke pati ne aage badhkar haath milaya. Nana ji ne turant sabka taaruf karwaya.

"Vikram beta, yeh Sonam ke pati hain... aur yeh iska bada beta." Phir unhone pati se kaha, "Yeh Ramesh ka beta hai, Vikram. Shehar mein bada security officer hai."

"Bahut khushnaseebi hai aap se milkar," Sonam ke pati ne izzat se kaha aur use andar baithne ki jagah di.

Tabhi Sonam tray mein chai ke cups aur garam pakode lekar drawing room mein aayi.

"Namaste," Sonam ne behad shafaf aur dheeri awaaz mein kaha.

Vikram ne apni jagah se khade hokar haath jode. "Namaste Sonam ji. Maaf kijiyega bina bataye aane ke liye."

"Nahi nahi, aisi koi baat nahi hai. Aap baithiye na," Sonam ne nazar jhukate hue tray meez par rakh di.

Vikram ne Sonam ko dekha. Suti saree mein woh roz ki tarah bilkul saadha aur shant dikh rahi thi.

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Ghar ke drawing room mein baatein shuru ho gayin. Sonam ke pati aur Vikram ke beech shehar ki security aur sarkari kaam-kaaj ko lekar charcha hone lagi. Vikram har baat ka jawab bohot hi sanjhida aur tarka-sangat (logical) tarike se de raha tha, jisse ghar ke sabhi log kaafi impressed the.

Nana ji ne chai ka cup uthaya. "Vikram, Sonam ne abhi-abhi garam pakode banaye hain. Le lo beta."

Vikram ne ek cup chai aur pakoda uthaya. Usne pehli chuski li aur Sonam ki taraf dekhkar bola—

"Chai ka swad bilkul nahi badla Sonam ji. Wahi ghar jaisi garmahat."

Sonam ne halki si muskaan ke saath sir jhukaya. "Aapko pasand aayi, yeh achhi baat hai."

Bada beta bhi Vikram ke paas aakar baith gaya. Use Vikram ke walking stick, roabdaar personality aur walkie-talkie mein bohot interest aa raha tha.

"Uncle, aapki duty mein toh bohot khatra hota hoga na?" bete ne pucha.

Vikram ne halki si muskaan ke saath bete ke sar par haath rakha. "Khatra toh har farz mein hota hai beta. Lekin jab aap apne kaam se pyar karte hain, toh dar nahi lagta."

Sonam ne rasoi ke kone mein khade hokar inn shabdon ko suna. Vikram ke har ek lafz mein ek aisi sachai thi jo seedhe dil tak pahunchti thi.

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Ghabrahat aur sharm ke beech shaam kab beet gayi, pata hi nahi chala.

Vikram ne apni ghadi dekhi. "Ab mujhe nikalna hoga Uncle ji. Raat ko gaadi se wapas headquarters pahunchna hai."

"Itni jaldi? Khana khakar jate beta," Nana ji ne aagrah kiya.

"Nahi Uncle ji, iss baar maaf kijiyega. Agli baar aaunga toh zaroor khana khakar jaunga," Vikram ne bohot hi adab se kaha.

Usne sabhi se vida li. Jab woh darwaze ke paas pahuche, toh Sonam bhi bahar tak aayi.

Vikram ne ek pal ke liye ruk kar Sonam ki taraf dekha. Uski aankhon mein ek anjaan si garmahat thi.

"Sonam ji... aapke haath ki chai aur pakodon ke liye shukriya. Meri akele ki zindagi mein aisi shaamein kam hi aati hain."

Sonam ne use dekha. Uske muh se bas itna hi nikla—

"Aap apna dhyan rakhiyega. Jab bhi iss taraf aayein... ghar zaroor aaiyega."

Vikram ne haath jode, halka sa sir jhukaya aur apni gaadi ki taraf badh gaya.

Gaadi ki headlights ki roshni mein baarish ki boondein chamak rahi thin. Gaadi dheere-dheere gali se bahar nikal gayi, lekin Sonam ke ghar aur uske dil mein ek aisi shanti chhod gayi jo pehle kabhi nahi thi.