Final board exam khatam ho chuka tha.
Us din ke baad life thodi normal si lag rahi thi.
Thodi free… thodi ajeeb.
Kuch din baad—
Doorbell.
Main door kholne jaati hoon.
Jaise hi darwaza khulta hai—
Wahi ladka.
Ayaan.
Woh seedha smile karta hai.
"Hello."
Main usse bas dekhti rehti hoon.
Reply nahi karti.
Shayad usse yaad tha ki last time woh thoda flirting tone mein bol raha tha—
"roz aaunga… yeh karunga…"
Isliye shayad main thodi cold ho gayi.
Main seedha bol deti hoon—
"Mujhe pata nahi kyun… tumse achhi vibe nahi aa rahi."
Woh thoda sa kareeb aata hai.
Seedha meri aankhon mein dekh kar—
"Kyunki… mere iraade nek nahi hain tumhe."
Main aankhen ghumati hoon.
"Khali pulao pakana band karo."
Woh halki si smile karta hai.
"Tum pulao ki baat karti ho?
Yahan toh main poori shaadi ki dawat daalne aaya hoon."
Main turant bolti hoon—
"Andar nahi aane dungi.
Ammi tum jaise logon ko ghar ke andar nahi aane deti.
Unhe khud bahar aana chahiye."
Woh seedha keh deta hai—
"Theek hai."
---
Tabhi Ammi aa jaati hain.
"Kaun hai?"
Ayaan politely bolta hai—
"Aunty, maine phone kiya tha… kapde daalne ke liye."
Ammi turant normal ho jaati hain.
"Haan beta, andar aa jao."
Main side mein khadi reh jaati hoon.
---
Andar aakar woh idhar udhar dekhta hai.
Ghar mein thoda sa samaan idhar udhar pada hota hai.
Woh bolta hai—
"Lagta hai main galat time par aa gaya.
Aap safai kar rahi thi?"
Ammi turant meri taraf dekh ke bolti hain—
"Hum nahi kar rahe the.
Yeh sab yeh idhar udhar daal deti hai."
Main Ammi ko shock mein dekhti hoon.
Woh meri taraf dekh kar bolta hai—
"Lagta hai safai pasand nahi hai aapko."
Main turant gusse mein—
"Tum apne kaam se kaam rakho.
Kapde daalne aaye ho na? Kapde daalo.
Zyada munh mat chalao."
Ammi shock mein mujhe dekh rahi hoti hain.
Woh Ammi ki taraf dekh kar kehta hai—
"Lagta hai kaafi gusse wali hain."
Ammi jaldi se bolti hain—
"Nahi nahi. Yeh normally gussa nahi karti.
Bina wajah toh bilkul nahi.
Pata nahi tumhare saath hi aisa kyun…"
Woh halki smile ke saath bolta hai—
"Chalo… achhi baat hai."
Thoda teasing tone—
"Kuch toh hai specially mere liye.
Chahe woh gussa hi kyun na ho."
---
Mere dimaag ke andar—
"😳😳
Yeh… yeh mujh par line maar raha hai kya??"
Main turant nazar hata leti hoon.
Normal act karne ki koshish.
---
Kitchen ke paas khadi ho jaati hoon.
Half kitchen ke andar.
Half bahar.
Par pura dimaag mere thoughts mein.
"Kya usne mujhe line maari?"
Pause.
"Nahin. Impossible.
Itna seedha ban ke line? Nahin."
Phir ek thought—
"Kahin… usse mujhse pyaar toh nahi ho gaya?"
Meri aankhen khul jaati hain.
"Nahin nahin nahin!
Ek mahina pehle hi toh exams start hue the."
"Love koi Maggi thodi hai jo 2 minute mein ho jaaye."
Main thoda walk karne lagti hoon.
"No. He is NOT in love with me."
Phir dheere—
"Agar… ho bhi gaya toh?"
Silence.
"Toh kya?
Kya mujhe hua hai?"
Main ruk jaati hoon.
"Mujhe itni jaldi nahi hota.
Main time leti hoon."
---
Main gusse mein bolti hoon—
"Yeh ladka!"
Suddenly—
Woh mere saamne aa jata hai.
Seedha aankhon mein dekh kar—
"Kya ladka?"
Main ek second ke liye blank ho jaati hoon.
Phir woh suddenly packets deta hai—
"By the way… yeh milk aur coffee."
"Jaldi bana lijiye.
Mujhe thodi der mein nikalna bhi hai.
Tab tak main kapde daal deta hoon."
Main bas—
"Okay…" 😳
---
Kuch minutes baad—
Main tray lekar aati hoon.
Glass halka sa hil raha hota hai.
Haath thode shake kar rahe hote hain.
Woh door ke paas khada hota hai.
Notice karta hai.
Jaise hi tray tilt hoti hai—
Woh turant aage badh kar tray pakad leta hai.
Gently.
Halki smirk ke saath—
"Kisi ne mujhe kaha tha…
woh kaafi zyada clumsy hai."
Phir glass sambhalte hue—
"Toh maine bhi seekh liya… kaise sambhalte hain yeh sab."
---
Ammi door ke paas khadi hoti hain.
Strict tone—
"Tum kyun le rahe ho?
Yeh chhote mote kaam hote hain.
Ladkiyon ko aana zaroori hota hai."
Room quiet.
Main embarrassed feel karti hoon.
Lekin woh calmly bolta hai—
"Aunty… ek baat bolun?"
"Haan bolo."
Woh seedha khada ho jaata hai.
Respectfully.
"Yeh important nahi hai ki ladki ko hi aana chahiye."
Pause.
"Important yeh hai ki insaan ko aana chahiye."
Room silent.
"Glass girne se pehle pakadna gender ka kaam nahi hai.
Yeh bas care ka kaam hai."
Ammi usse 2 second dekhti hain.
Unka expression soften ho jata hai.
"Hmmm… theek hai."
---
Coffee peete hue woh exaggerate karta hai—
"Chalo bhai sahab… kisi cheez mein toh achhi ho tum."
"Coffee bahut achhi bani hai."
Main glare karti hoon.
"Milna tum kabhi akele mein… dikhaungi tumhe."
Woh rukta hai.
Smirk karta hai.
"Kya dikhayogi?"
Next second—
THAP!
Main usse halka punch maar deti hoon.
"Limit mein raho!"
Woh drama karta hai—
"Areyyy!"
---
Ammi bahar aati hain.
"Kya ho raha hai yahan?!"
Woh gusse mein meri taraf badhne lagti hain.
"Yeh kya tareeka hai?!"
Lekin usse pehle—
Ayaan gently Ammi ka haath pakad leta hai.
"Aunty please