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CHAPTER 11 — UNKAHE KHAYAL AUR EK KANP-TI AAHAT
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Hospital se chhutti mile ek hafta beet chuka tha.

Ghar ka mahaul ab pehle se kaafi shant aur aatmiya ho gaya tha. Sonam ke pati ko doctor ne poora rest lene ki salah di thi, isliye woh drawing room mein lage sofa par relaxed baithte the. Sonam unki har choti-moti zaroorat ka dhyan rakhti—waqt par dawaiyaan dena, bina tel ka saadha khana banana, aur unke blood pressure ki jaanch karwana.

Iss pure hafte mein, Sonam ke pati ke dil mein ek baat behad gehri baith gayi thi: agar us raat Vikram sahi waqt par ambulance aur senior doctors ka intezaam nahi karta, toh shayad aaj woh iss parivaar ke beech zinda nahi hote.

"Sonam," pati ne dophar mein chai peete hue kaha, "Vikram ji ne humare liye jo kiya hai, uska ehsaan hum zindagi bhar nahi utar sakte. Unhe kisi din ghar par bulao, main unka shukriya ada karna chahta hoon."

Sonam ne plate mein biscuit rakhte hue behad halki si muskaan ke saath sir jhukaya. "Woh toh roz Nana ji se phone par aapki tabiyat ka haal poochte hain. Main unhe bol doongi."

Usne ussi shaam Nana ji ke zariye Vikram ko khabar bhijwayi. Vikram ne shaam aath baje aane ki haami bhar li.

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Vikram ke aane ki khabar sunte hi Sonam ne ghar ki safai aur khane ki tayyari shuru kar di. Usne aaj light peach rang ki suti saree pehni thi, jiske border par halki si resham ki patti thi.

Raat ke aath bajte hi bahar gaadi ke rukne ki aahat hui.

Bada beta daudkar gate kholne gaya. Vikram andar aaya—aaj usne bilkul simple cream color ka kurta aur white pyjama pehena tha. Uske haath mein taaza phoolon ka bouquet aur pati ke liye khas sugar-free juices aur fruits ka dabba tha.

"Pranam Uncle ji! Kaise hain aap ab?" Vikram ne aage badhkar pati ke paon chhoone ka prayas kiya, lekin pati ne turant use rokte hue gale laga liya.

"Arey Vikram ji! Aap mere paon mat chhuiye. Aapne toh meri jaan bachayi hai, aap mere liye kisi devta se kam nahi hain," pati ki aankhein bhar aayi thin.

Vikram ne behad adab aur namrata se kaha, "Aisa mat kahiye Uncle ji. Yeh toh mera farz tha. Aur waise bhi, aap toh mere apne parivaar jaise hain."

Nana ji aur saas bhi wahan aa gaye. Poora parivaar Vikram ki izzat aur aadar mein bichha ja raha tha. Subah se shaam tak kaam mein uljhi Sonam, rasoi ke kone se yeh sab dekh rahi thi. Vikram ka yeh badappan aur ghar ke logon ke prati uski sachhi shradha dekhkar Sonam ka dil ek anjaan garv aur aatmiyata se bhar utha.

Khane ke baad sabhi log verandah mein baith kar aam baatein karne lage. Pati thoda thak gaye the, isliye unhe kamre mein aaram karne ke liye bhej diya gaya. Nana ji aur saas bhi apne-apne kamron mein chale gaye.

Bada beta Vikram ke saath baten karte-karte unke sarkari laptop par kuch security applications ke baare mein pooch raha tha.

"Sonam ji, chai milegi?" Vikram ne rasoi ki taraf dekhkar aawaz di, lekin uski awaaz mein behad aadar aur narmi thi.

Sonam chai ke do cup lekar bahar aayi. Ek cup usne apne bete ko diya aur doosra cup Vikram ke paas rakha.

"Main uncle ke liye kuch papers lene kamre mein jata hoon," beta itna kehkar andar bhag gaya.

Verandah mein ek sudden sannaata chha gaya. Baahar halki saardiyon ki thandi hawa chal rahi thi aur aangan ke pedon ke patte sar-sarah rahe the.

Sonam verandah ke pillar ke paas khadi ho gayi. Vikram ne chai ka ek ghoont liya aur Sonam ki taraf dekha.

"Aap pehle se thodi kamzor lag rahi hain Sonam ji. Baar-baar hospital aur ghar ke kamon ne aapko thaka diya hai," Vikram ne behad aatmiya awaaz mein kaha.

Sonam ne Vikram ki taraf dekha. Uski aankhon mein rozmarra ke shor se pare, sirf aur sirf Sonam ke liye ek behad gehra dhyan (care) tha.

"Main theek hoon Vikram ji," Sonam ne aanchal ko ungliyon se pakadte hue kaha. "Aapne raat ko jaagkar jo hamari madad ki thi... main aaj tak aapko sahi se shukriya bhi nahi keh payi."

Vikram sofa se khada hua aur Sonam ke paas aakar ruka—thodi doori par, lekin itna paas ki dono ek-doosre ki saanson ki thandak aur garmahat ko mehsoos kar sakte the.

"Mujhe aapke shukriya ki zaroorat nahi hai Sonam ji," Vikram ne gehri aawaz mein kaha. "Jab aapne us raat mujhe phone kiya tha... toh mujhe laga ki poori duniya mein kisi ne mujhe apna samajhkar sabse pehle yaad kiya hai. Mere liye aapka woh vishwas hi sab kuch hai."

Sonam ne apna sar uthaya. Vikram ki aankhon mein koi samajik chaalaaki nahi thi, koi galat irada nahi tha—wahan sirf ek shuddh, pavitra aur aatmiya prem tha jo kisi maryada ko todna nahi chahta tha, balki use aur majboot banata tha.

Sonam ki palkein halki si jhuk gayin. Uski dhadkan tezz thi, lekin andar ek ajeeb sa sukoon tha.

"Vikram ji... aap hamare jeevan mein ek aisi chhaon ki tarah aaye hain jiska koi mol nahi hai," Sonam ne behad narm lafzon mein bola.

Vikram ne ek halki si muskaan ke saath apna haath hawa mein aage badhaya—aur Sonam ke haath ke behad paas rok diya. Haath chhuye nahi, lekin un dono ke beech ki tarang ne ek-doosre ke dil ko chhoo liya.

"Jab tak main iss shehar mein hoon... aapko kisi cheez se darrne ki zaroorat nahi hai Sonam ji," Vikram ne vaada kiya.

Tabhi andar se bete ke aane ki aahat hui. Vikram thoda peeche hat gaya aur Sonam ne muskurate hue apna rukh aangan ki taraf kar liya.

Unke beech koi vaada nahi hua tha, koi prem-samvaad nahi hua tha, lekin us shaam unke beech ka rishta shabdon se behad upar uthkar ek aisi aatmiya bhasha ban chuka tha jise sirf unka dil samajhta tha.