Ek Cup Chai, Ek Anjaan Saathi

[aries]

Mumbai ke bheed bhare classroom mein, main kursi par peechhe jhukkar, ghadi ko dekh rahi thi. Chalis minute aur bache the chhutti ke liye. Mujhe ghar jaane ki koi jaldi nahi thi, lekin aaj raat mujhe parivaarik sammelan mein shamil hona tha, aur main mana nahi kar sakti thi. Akasha hamesha kehti hai ki aise sammelan "sahi insaan" se milne ka ek moka hai, lekin mujhe toh ghar mein akeli novels ke saath samay bitaana pasand hai. Maine halke se muskuraaya, Akasha ko aise shor-sharaabe wale jagah achhe lagte hain, lekin wo kisi aur classroom mein thi, aur main yahan akeli apne man ki baaton ke saath thi.

"Anshika ji," teacher ki aawaz ne mere vichaaron ko toda.
"Kya hua?" Maine sir uthaya aur unka krodh bhara chehra dekha.
"Tumhare paas kya koi khaas wajah hai class mein dhyan nahi dene ki?"
"Nahi," maine dheere se kaha, aur aaspaas kuch bachche hansne lage.
"Toh phir dhyan se padhayi karo," unhone kaha.

Chhutti ki ghanti baji aur maine apna bag utha liya. Akasha pehle se hi classroom ke darwaze par mera intezaar kar rahi thi, uske chehre par utsaah tha.
"Aaj class kaisi rahi?" Usne mera kandha hilaaya.
"Jaise hamesha hoti hai - bore karne wali," maine haas kar jawab diya.
"Lekin aaj raat alag hogi!" Uski aankhon mein chamak thi, "Aaj naye log milenge!"

Maine uski khushi ko nazarandaaz karne ki koshish ki aur sochne lagi ki aaj raat kya pehnungi. Akasha ne toh pehle hi saari tayyari kar li thi. Wo mujhe apne kamre mein le gayi, aur ek ke baad ek saree mere samne fekti gayi.
"Yeh laal saree kaisi rahegi?" Usne puchha.
"Bohot chamak-dhamak wali hai na? Main bas shaant rehna chahti hoon," maine ek gahri neeli saree uthai aur usse manaane ki koshish ki.
"Nahi!" Usne kaha, "Aaj raat tumhe sabki nazron mein aana padega." Maine haath utha kar haar maan liya.

Adhe ghante baad, main laal saree pehne, aaine ke saamne khadi thi. Aaine mein jo shaks thi wo kuch parayi lag rahi thi - sone ka kaam aur laal rang meri twacha ko ujaagar kar rahe the. Akasha ne mere baalon ko upar bandh diya aur mere maathe par tika lagaya. Usne khushi se taali bajai, "Perfect! Ab bas yeh sandal pehno." Usne laal rang ki sandal mere saamne rakhi.
"Haye Akasha!" Maine shikayat ki, lekin sandal pehan li.

Hum sammelan pahunch gaye, jahan charo taraf rang-birangi roshni thi aur peedh par jhule hue rang-birange lantern chamak rahe the. Hawa mein madhur sangeet aur logo ke shor ka mishran tha. Akasha mujhe har jagah le ja rahi thi aur sabko milwa rahi thi. Wo toh sabko jaanti thi, aur main bas peeche chalti thi aur kabhi-kabhi muskurane ki koshish karti thi.

Kone mein ek naujawan khada tha, safed kurta aur simple si pant pehne. Uska chehra kuch ghabraya hua tha aur wo nimbu paani ki chuski le raha tha. Maine uski taraf dekha aur usne mujhe dekha, humne ek dusre ko dekhkar sir hilaaya aur muskuraaye. Phir Akasha mujhe dubara kheench le gayi aur naye doston se milwaaya. Uske saath samay bitane ke baad, main uski nazron se bachkar us naujawan ke paas gayi.

"Namaste, main Anshika hoon," maine kaha.
"Namaste, main Narendra hoon," usne jawab diya aur hum muskuraye.
"Kya tum bhi aise sammelan mein bore ho rahe ho?" maine puchha.
"Bilkul, ye mere bhai ka shaadi ka function hai lekin mujhe yahaan ajeeb lag raha hai," usne muskuraate hue kaha.
"Mujhe bhi, mujhe toh shaanti pasand hai," maine jawab diya.

Hamari baatein chalne lagi aur mujhe pata chala ki wo ek vakil hai aur usne Mumbai mein apna office khola hai. Hamare beech kuch common baatein nikli, jaise ki hume dono ko sangeet aur Bharat ki parampara mein ruchi thi. Hamare beech ki baatein itni gehri thi ki hum samay ka pata hi nahi laga paaye.

Thodi der baad, Akasha mujhe lene aayi. Narendra ne kaha, "Ashaa hai hum dobara milenge."
"Mujhe bhi," maine kaha aur uske saath chali gayi.

Ghar wapas jaate waqt, Akasha ne mujhe chidhaaya, "Toh tum bhi anjaan se dosti kar sakti ho?"
"Mujhe kya pata!" maine jawab diya.
"Main dekha, tum dono kitni achhi baatein kar rahe the," wo muskuraayi.
Main bas muskuraayi aur kuch nahi kaha, lekin mere dil mein ek ajeeb si khushi thi.

Kuch din baad Narendra ka phone aaya aur usne mujhe ek classical sangeet ka concert mein bulaaya. Maine khushi se haan kar di. Humne concert ke saath kuch aur baatein bhi ki, aur mujhe aisa laga ki main uske saath apne sachche saathi ke saath hoon.

Us din ke baad, main aur Narendra aksar milne lage. Hum Mumbai ke alag-alag kone explore karte, chaat khaate aur sheher ka shor-gul dekhte. Usne mujhe hindi kavitaayein sikhayi aur main uske saath local music events mein gayi. Humare beech jo doori thi, wo dheere-dheere mitt gayi.

Shayad, us din mein us shor se door bhagna chahti thi, lekin kismet ne mujhe wahin Narendra se milwa diya. Kabhi-kabhi, pyaar bas aise hi aa jaata hai, bina kisi tasveer ke aur bina kisi awaz ke, woh dheere-dheere hamare dil mein bass jaata hai.