[Lusty_bOOz]

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        CHAPTER 6  —  EK SHAAM DIL KE NAZDEEK
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Kareeb do mahine beet chuke the.

Mausam ne dheere-dheere apna mizaaj badla tha. Baarish ki thandak ab halki saardiyon ki aahat mein badal chuki thi. Ghar mein har taraf ek alag hi halchal aur garmahat thi, kyunki Diwali ka tyohar bilkul kareeb tha. Saalon baad aisa mauka aaya tha jab Sonam ka chhota beta bhi college se chuttiyan lekar ghar wapas aaya hua tha.

Ghar ki ranga-rong tayyariyan zorse chal rahi thin. Safai, mithaiyon ki khushboo, parde badalna, aur diyon ke liye tel ka intezaam—Sonam subah paanch baje se shaam ke aath baje tak bina thake kaam mein lagi rehti thi.

Lekin iss baar ki Diwali mein ek alag baat thi.

Aath din pehle Nana ji ne drawing room mein baithkar khabar di thi—
"Sonam, main Vikram ko bol aaya hoon. Iss baar Diwali ke din woh humare sath hi khana khaye-ga."

Sonam ke pati ne bhi turant haami bhari thi, "Bohot achha kiya papa. Woh bechara wahan akela rehta hai, tyohar ke din kisi apne ke saath rahega toh use bhi achha lagega."

Bada beta aur chhota beta dono hi Vikram se milne ke liye utsuk the. Chhote bete ne Vikram ke baare mein apne bhai aur Nana ji se bohot kuch sun rakha tha ki kaise woh ek sakht sarkari afsar hai, par dil se behad narm aur izzat karne wala aadmi hai.

Sonam ne jab yeh suna tha, toh uske dil mein ek ajeeb si tezz halchal hui thi. Woh din-raat kaam mein khud ko uljhayi rakhti, lekin mann hi mann ek hi baat chal rahi thi—
*Kya rasoi mein mithai theek bani hai? Kya woh rasoi ka khana pasand karega? Unke liye kaun sa pakwaan alag se banana sahi rahega?*

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Diwali ki subah bohot hi khoobsurat thi.

Gali mein har ghar ke bahar aangan ko dhoya gaya tha. Sonam ne subah hi uthkar ghar ke main gate par aam ke patton ka toran lagaya aur safed-laal rangoli banayi. Usne aaj ek sundar maroon rang ki silk saree pehni thi, jis par halki zari ka kaam tha. Haathon mein kaanch ki lal churiya aur maathe par chhoti si bindi—woh bilkul ek shant, samarpit aur aatmiya roop mein saj-dhaj kar tayyar thi.

Ghar mein shor-shaba tha. Chhota beta aur bada beta aangan mein aakash-kandil (lanterns) tang rahe the.

"Mummy! Yeh rassi thodi unchi karo na!" chhote bete ne aawaz di.

Sonam rasoi se bahar aayi, "Main abhi aati hoon, pehle yeh gujiya ka dabba wahan meez par rakhne do."

Sonam jaise hi dabba rakhkar bahar aangan ki taraf badhi, gate ke pass ek kaali gaadi aakar ruki. Gaadi ka door khula aur usmein se Vikram bahar nikla.

Aaj woh sarkari clothes ya blazer mein nahi tha. Usne ek gehrey neele (navy blue) rang ka kurtha aur pyjama pehen rakha tha, jismein uska lambe kad aur chode kandhe aur bhi roabdaar lag rahe the. Uske haath mein mithaiyon ka ek bada dabba aur phoolon ka bouquet tha.

Sonam ke kadam wahi ruk gaye. Uske haath ki churiya halki si khanak gayi.

Vikram ne gate se andar kadam rakha aur sabse pehle uski nazar aangan ke kone mein khadi Sonam par padi. Ek pal ke liye Vikram ke kadam bhi dheeme ho gaye. Maroon saree aur aanchal ke sath Sonam ki saadgi mein ek aisi chamak thi jo kisi bhi tyohar ke diye se zyada ujaal de rahi thi. Dono ne ek-doosre ko dekha, aur bina ek lafz bole hi hawa mein ek anjaan sa aadar aur apnapan tair gaya.

"Pranam Uncle ji!" Vikram ne aage badhkar Nana ji ke paon chhuye.

"Jeete raho beta, jeete raho! Aao aao, andar aao," Nana ji ne use gale laga liya.

Sonam ke pati ne aage badhkar Vikram ka swagat kiya, "Vikram ji, aaiye! Aapka hi intezaar tha."

Vikram ne ghar ke dono ladkon ki taraf dekha aur muskura kar haath milaya. Chhota beta toh pehli baar Vikram ko dekhkar hi behad impressed ho gaya.

Vikram ne Sonam ki taraf rukh kiya aur behad narm, gehri awaaz mein kaha—

"Diwali ki bohot bohot shubhkamnayein, Sonam ji."

Sonam ne apni nazar thodi jhukayi, haath jode aur dheere se bola—

"Aapko bhi Diwali ki bohot shubhkamnayein, Vikram ji. Aaiye, andar baithiye."

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Drawing room mein tyohar ka mahaul apne charam par tha. Mithaiyan baanti ja rahi thin aur chai ke cups chal rahe the.

Vikram ghar ke sabhi logon ke saath ghul-mil gaya tha. Woh Nana ji se gaon ki baatein kar raha tha, Sonam ke pati se city ki nayi schemes par charcha kar raha tha, aur dono ladkon ko unke career aur discipline ke baare mein aise samjha raha tha jaise koi bada bhai ya abhibhavak (guardian) samjhati hai.

Sonam rasoi mein khana laga rahi thi, lekin uska ek kaan hamesha drawing room se aati Vikram ki awaaz par laga hua tha. Jab bhi Vikram ki halki si hansi ki awaaz aati, Sonam ke chehre par ek anjaan si muskaan khil jaati.

"Mummy, Vikram uncle toh bohot cool hain!" chhote bete ne rasoi mein aakar puri ka bartan uthate hue kaha. "Woh bata rahe the ki unki training mein unhe firing aur horse riding kaise sikhayi gayi thi!"

Sonam ne bete ke sar par halki si chapat lagayi, "Haan, toh tum bhi unse kuch discipline sikho. Din bhar phone mein mat lage raha karo."

"Arre mummy, aap toh har baat par mujhe hi daantne lagti ho!" beta hans kar bahar bhaag gaya.

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Dopehar ke khane ka waqt hua. Poore parivaar ne ek saath baithkar khana khaya. Sonam ne Vikram ke liye khas taur par unki pasand ki puri, paneer ki sabzi aur kheer parosi thi.

"Sonam ji, aapne itna sab kuch banane ke liye bohot mehnat ki hai," Vikram ne khana khate hue kaha. "Aisa swad mujhe saalon baad naseeb hua hai. Meri maa ke jaane ke baad ghar ke baney khane ka yeh asli maza pehli baar mila hai."

Vikram ke inn shabdon se poora kamra ek pal ke liye bhaavuk ho gaya. Sonam ke pati ne Vikram ke shoulder par haath rakha, "Vikram ji, ab se yeh aapka hi ghar hai. Jab bhi mann kare, aap bina jhijhak yahan aa sakte hain."

Sonam ne chupchap rasoi ke paas khade hokar Vikram ki aankhon mein dekha. Unn aankhon mein ek behad gehra shukriya aur ek pyas thi—ek aise ghar ki pyas jo use saalon se nahi mila tha.

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Shaam dhalne lagi aur pure ghar ko diyo se sajane ka waqt aaya.

Ghar ke baaki log bahar gali mein patake phodne aur padosiyon se milne mein vyast the. Sonam aangan mein ek bade se thal mein diye baati karke tel daal rahi thi.

Tabhi Vikram drawing room se bahar aangan mein aaya.

"Sonam ji, kya main aapki kuch madad kar sakta hoon?"

Sonam ne chaunk kar upar dekha. Vikram uske paas hi cement ke chabootre par baith gaya tha.

"Nahi nahi Vikram ji, aap mehmaan hain. Aap kyun madad karenge?" Sonam ne jhijhakte hue kaha.

"Mehmaan nahi, aap logon ne toh mujhe apne parivaar ka hissa bana liya hai," Vikram ne ek diya apne haath mein uthate hue aur use maachis se jalate hue kaha. "Aur waise bhi, diye jalana toh sabse pavitra kaam hai."

Sonam ke haath thode kaanp gaye jab Vikram ne jalta hua diya uske haath ke paas rakha taaki woh use aangan ke kone mein saja sake.

Dono aangan mein ek-doosre ke paas baithe diye jalate rahe. Hawa mein meethi si khushboo aur diyon ki peeli roshni tharak rahi thi.

"Aap roz itna kaam karti hain, thakti nahi?" Vikram ne bohot hi shant awaaz mein pucha.

Sonam ne ek diya rakhte hue kaha, "Parivaar ke liye kaam karne mein thakan kahan hoti hai Vikram ji? Jab sab khush rehte hain, toh lagta hai mera din safal ho gaya."

Vikram ne Sonam ko ghor se dekha. "Aapka dil bohot bada hai Sonam ji. Lekin kabhi-kabhi khud ke liye bhi jeena chahiye. Aapki apni khushi bhi utni hi zaroori hai jitni baaki sabki."

Sonam ne Vikram ki taraf dekha. Zindagi mein pehli baar kisi ne usse yeh baat kahi thi. Uski apni pehchaan, uski apni khushi ke baare mein kisi ne itni gehrayi se socha tha. Sonam ki aankhon mein halki si nami aa gayi, jo diye ki roshni mein chamak uthi.

"Main... main khud ke liye kya hi sochti," Sonam ne aanchal sambhalte hue dheere se kaha.

"Toh ab se sochna shuru kijiye," Vikram ne behad aadar aur ek adhikathit (unspoken) vaade ke saath kaha. "Main hoon na... aapko yaad dilane ke liye."

Dono ek-doosre ki aankhon mein dekhne lage. Patahi nahi chala ki kab diye ki woh chhoti si baati un dono ke beech ke bhed-bhav aur jhijhak ko jala kar raakh kar chuki thi.

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Raat ke dus baj chuke the.

Vikram ke jaane ka waqt ho gaya tha. Usne Nana ji, Sonam ke pati aur dono bachon se vida li. Sabhi ne use dubara aane ke liye bohot aagrah kiya.

Jab Vikram apni gaadi ke paas pahuncha, toh Sonam bhi darwaze ke paas khadi thi.

Vikram ne gaadi ka door khola, phir ruka aur Sonam ki taraf mudkar dekha.

"Aaj ki Diwali meri zindagi ki sabse yaadgar Diwali thi Sonam ji. Iss ghar se jo roshni main saath le ja raha hoon, woh meri akeli raaton ko hamesha ujaal degi."

Sonam ne haath jode. "Aap wapas zaroor aaiyega."

Vikram ne halka sa sir jhukaya, "Zaroor."

Gaadi dheere-dheere aage badh gayi. Sonam gate par khadi hokar tab tak dekhti rahi jab tak gaadi ki pichhli lights gali ke kone mein gayab nahi ho gayin.

Aasman mein patakon ki roshni ho rahi thi, lekin Sonam ke andar ek alag hi diye ki roshni jal chuki thi—ek aisa diya jo shayad ab kabhi bujhne wala nahi tha.