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        CHAPTER 8 — GEHRA HOTA DHAGA AUR NAYA SAFAR
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Jheel ke kinare hue us milan ke baad zindagiyon mein ek ajeeb sa thahrav aur sukoon aa gaya tha.

Sonam ghar laut aayi thi, lekin ab uski aakho mein ek naye kism ka aatmanirbhar aur shant ujaal tha. Uske rozmarra ke kamon mein wahi saadhna thi, lekin ab woh kaam kisi bojh ki tarah nahi, balki ek bheetari khushi ke sath hote the. Zindagi ke us shant mod par use pata tha ki door kahin ek shakhs hai jo uski hasti aur uske dil ki izzat karta tha.

Dusri taraf, Vikram headquarters laut chuka tha. Lekin uski akeli zindagi mein ab akelapan ka darr nahi tha. Uski duty, uski files aur sarkari mashghuliyaton ke beech Sonam ki woh shant muskaan aur uske kahe hue lafz ek thandi chhaon ki tarah rehte the.

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Teen mahine beet gaye.

Mausam badal raha tha aur ab sardi ki jagah halki garmi ki aahat hone lagi thi. Nana ji gaon se wapas aa chuke the aur ghar mein sab kuch hamesha ki tarah regular routine par chal raha tha.

Iss beech, Vikram aur Sonam ke beech phone par baat nahi hoti thi—dono ne bina kahe ek-doosre ki maryada aur ghar ke mahaul ka sammaan kiya tha. Lekin Nana ji ke zariye dono ko ek-doosre ki khabar milti rehti thi. Nana ji hafte mein ek-do baar Vikram ko zaroor phone karte aur gaon-gharelu baatein karte, jismein Sonam chupchap rasoi se Nana ji ki baatein sunkar Vikram ka haal-chaal jaan leti thi.

Ek din subah, Nana ji ke phone par Vikram ka call aaya.

"Pranam Uncle ji! Kaise hain aap?"

"Arre Vikram beta! Main bilkul theek hoon. Tum batao, tumhari duty kaisey chal rahi hai?" Nana ji ne khush hokar pucha.

"Sab badhiya Uncle ji. Ek achhi khabar thi... mera transfer ab aapke hi shehar ke mukhya Security Headquarters mein senior superintendent ke roop mein ho gaya hai. Agle hafte se main yahin permanently shift ho raha hoon."

Nana ji yeh sunkar uchhal pade. "Yeh toh bohot hi achhi khabar hai beta! Ab toh tum hamare paas hi rahoge!"

Rasoi mein chai chhan rahi Sonam ke haath ek pal ke liye ruk gaye. Vikram ab usi ke shehar mein permanently rehne wala tha. Uski dhadkan ne ek baar phir wohi purani lay pakad li.

Vikram ke nayi posting par aane ke baad, woh pehle jaisa aam afsar nahi raha tha—ab us par pure district ki security ka zimma tha. Lekin itni vyastata ke bawajood, usne Nana ji se milne ka waqt nikal hi liya.

Ravivar ki shaam, Vikram ek baar phir Sonam ke ghar aaya.

Aaj woh formal sarkari dress mein nahi, balki ek aam light-green kurta pehen kar aaya tha. Jab woh ghar ke andar aaya, toh pure parivaar ne uska behad garmahat se swagat kiya.

Sonam ke pati ne aage badhkar kaha, "Vikram ji, ab toh aap humare hi shehar mein hain. Ab aapko akele rehne ki koi zaroorat nahi hai. Shaam ka khana ya weekend par aap jab chahein yahan aa sakte hain."

Vikram ne behad adab se kaha, "Aapka yeh apnapan hi mere liye sab kuch hai."

Sonam rasoi se tray lekar bahar aayi. Dono ki nazrein milin. Koi ghabrahat nahi thi, koi jhijhak nahi thi—bas ek behad gehra aadar aur samajh thi.

"Namaste Vikram ji," Sonam ne kaha.

"Namaste Sonam ji," Vikram ne haath jodh kar kaha.

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Khane ke baad, sabhi log verandah mein baith kar chai peene lage.

Nana ji ne achanak ek proposal rakha. "Vikram beta, tum yahan nayi jagah aaye ho. Tumhara sarkari bangla toh mil gaya hoga, lekin wahan ghar ka samaan sajane aur rasoi sambhalne ke liye kisi samajhdaar insaan ki zaroorat padegi. Sonam kal free hai, agar tum kaho toh yeh tumhare bangley par chalkar thoda samaan arrange karne mein madad kar de?"

Sonam ne chaunk kar Nana ji ki taraf dekha. Uske muh se bas itna hi nikla, "Papa... main?"

Vikram ne Sonam ki jhijhak ko turant mehsoos kar liya. Usne behad sanjhida awaaz mein kaha—

"Nahi Uncle ji, Sonam ji ko pareshan karne ki zaroorat nahi hai. Main kisi caretaker se karwa loonga."

Lekin Sonam ke pati ne bhi Nana ji ki baat ka samarthan kiya, "Nahi Vikram ji, ismein pareshani ki kya baat hai? Sonam toh ghar ke kamon mein mahir hai. Aap use le jaiye, do-teen ghante mein woh rasoi aur baki samaan ka setup dekh legi."

Sonam ne Vikram ki taraf dekha. Vikram ke chehre par ek aisi aashcharya aur izzat bhari nazar thi jo keh rahi thi ki decision poori tarah Sonam ka hai.

Sonam ne ek halki si saans li aur muskura kar bola—

"Agar aapko koi takleef na ho Vikram ji... toh main kal dopehar mein chalti hoon."

Vikram ne haath jodh kar dheere se kaha, "Yeh mera sobhagya hoga, Sonam ji."

Dono ke beech ka rishta ab ek naye safar par badh raha tha—ek aisa safar jahan samajik maryadaon ke daire mein rehkar bhi, do dil ek-doosre ka sahara ban rahe the.