Chapter - 11
Do hafte aur guzar gaye the.
Ab Akash ka ghar aana bilkul roz ka mamool ban chukka tha. Hafte mein teen din toh pakke the, kabhi-kabhi chaar din bhi ho jaate. Tuition ke naam par ab ghar mein sirf padhai nahi chal rahi thi. Kuch aur bhi hone laga tha — dheere-dheere, chhup-chhup kar, par har din thoda zyada mehsoos hota ja raha tha.
Har shaam 5:30 baje Akash aata. Main table par baith jaata, book kholta. Akash mere saamne baith kar mujhe sums ya equations de deta aur bolta, “Idris, yeh sab solve kar. Main check karunga baad mein.” Phir woh khud sofa par baith jaata.
Aur tabhi Ammi nasta lekar aati.
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Pehle kuch din sirf normal baatein hoti thi.
Ammi plate lekar aati, chai aur pakode rakhti. Akash muskurakar bolta, “Aunty aapka haath ka swad hi alag hai.” Ammi hans deti aur kitchen chali jaati. Main sir jhukaye hue sums solve karta rehta.
Lekin dheere-dheere baatein had se paar jaane lagi.
Ek shaam Ammi pakode lekar aayi. Akash ne plate lete hue muskurate hue kaha,
“Aunty, aap itni sundar kyun lagti ho har din? Main toh padhate waqt bhi aapko hi sochta rehta hoon.”
Ammi ne sharma kar boli, “Arre beta, aise mat bolo. Idris baitha hai yahan.”
Akash ne hans kar kaha, “Idris ko kya, woh toh mera student hai. Aap toh meri favourite ho Aunty.”
Main sir jhukaye hue baitha tha. Nazar uthane ki himmat nahi ho rahi thi. Par kaan sab sun rahe the.
Agla din aur tez tha.
Ammi chai lekar aayi. Akash ne cup lete hue bola,
“Aunty, agar aap meri girlfriend hoti na… toh main roz aapke liye school bunk kar deta.”
Ammi ka chehra laal ho gaya. Woh hans di aur boli, “Besharam ladka! Main teri mummy ke umar ki hoon.”
Akash ne turant jawab diya, “Umr ka kya hai Aunty? Dil toh aapka jawaan hai. Aur dikhti bhi itni hot ho ki koi bhi ladka fida ho jaaye.”
Ammi ne kuch nahi kaha. Bas muskurati hui wapas kitchen chali gayi.
Main table par baitha tha, pen pakde hue, par kuch likh nahi pa raha tha. Sirf sir jhukaye rakh raha tha.
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Kuch din aise hi guzar gaye.
Har din Akash mere saamne hi Ammi ko compliment deta. Kabhi unke kapdon ki tareef, kabhi chehre ki, kabhi unki muskurahat ki.
Ek shaam Ammi nasta lekar aayi tab Akash ne kaha,
“Aunty aaj aapka suit… bilkul perfect lag raha hai. Lagta hai aapne mere liye hi pehna hai. ha ha ha....”
Ammi sharma kar boli, “Aisa nahi hai beta, aap mujhe Idris ke samane sharminda kar rahe ho.”
Akash hans pada, “Sharmao mat Aunty. Sach bol raha hoon. Agar aap meri girlfriend hoti toh main aapko har roz naye kapde dilwata.”
Main sir jhukaye hue baitha tha. Dil mein jalan ho rahi thi, par muh se kuch nahi nikal raha tha.
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Phir ek din woh scene hua.
Ammi chai ki tray lekar aayi. Akash ne tray se cup liya aur Ammi ke haath ko kuch der ke liye pakad liya. Ammi ne turant haath jhatak diya aur boli, “Beta… kya kar rahe ho?”
Akash ne muskurate hue kaha, “Sorry Aunty… haath slip ho gaya.”
Lekin uski aankhon mein wohi chamak thi.
Agla din jab Ammi chai de rahi thi, Akash ne phir se uske haath ko pakad liya. Is baar Ammi ne haath nahi hataya. Woh bas thodi der tak wahi rehne diya. Phir dheere se haath chhuda liya.
Main sab dekh raha tha. Nazar jhukaye hue, par dil zor-zor se dhadak raha tha.
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Ab Akash hamesha Ammi ki badai karne laga tha.
Kabhi bolta, “Aunty aapke kapde aap par kitne achhe lagte hain… bilkul young ladkiyon jaisi lagti ho.” Kabhi, “Aunty aapka chehra itna glow kar raha hai aaj… kya baat hai?” Kabhi, “Aapki yeh muskurahat dekh kar din ban jaata hai.”
Aur maine dheere-dheere gaur kiya — Ammi 5 baje se pehle kapde badalne lagi thi. Pehle woh ghar ka purana salwar-kameez pehenti thi. Ab woh naye-naye suits nikaalne lagi thi. Kabhi makeup bhi kar leti thi — halka sa lipstick, aankhon mein kajal. Jaise Akash ke aane ka intezaar kar rahi ho.
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Phir ek din aisa hua jis se mere honsh ud gaye.
Tuition chal rahi thi. Main table par sums solve kar raha tha. Achanak kitchen se Ammi ki awaaz aayi, “Arre gas khatam ho gaya!”
Gas wala bahar bell baja raha tha. Cylinder badalne aaya tha.
Ammi pehle mujhe taraf dekha. Phir turant Akash ki taraf mud gayi. Unhe pata tha ki mujhse bhara hua cylinder nahi uth sakta.
“Aakash beta… zara madad kar do na,” Ammi ne dheere se kaha.
Akash turant utha. Usne bade asani se bhara cylinder uthaya aur kitchen mein le ja kar purana wala nikaal diya. Naya cylinder set kar diya. Ammi uske saath kitchen mein khadi thi, baatein kar rahi thi.
Main table par baitha tha. Sirf dekh raha tha.
Jab Akash wapas aaya toh uske haath mein thoda paani laga hua tha. Ammi ne uske haath se kapde se pochha aur boli, “Beta tumne bahut madad ki… thank you.”
Akash ne muskurate hue kaha, “Aunty aapke liye kuch bhi. Bas aap muskurati raho.”
Ammi ne uski taraf dekha. Unki aankhon mein ek alag si chamak thi.
Us din tuition ke baad Akash bahut der tak baitha raha. Main kamre mein chala gaya tha. Jab main wapas aaya toh dono drawing room mein baith kar dheere-dheere baat kar rahe the. Akash ka haath Ammi ke haath par tha. Ammi ne is baar haath nahi hataya.
Maine darwaze ke peeche se dekha.
Akash ne dheere se bola,
“Aunty… aapko pata hai na, main sirf Idris ki wajah se nahi aata tha yahan.”
Ammi ne aankhein jhukayi aur halki si awaaz mein boli,
“Pata hai beta… pata hai.”
Mera dil ekdum se ruk sa gaya.