Part -31
Shaam 5 baje ka samay, aur Manik us cafe mein pahunch gaya jahaan Aastha ne bulaya tha. Cafe ka mahaul shaant aur kaalaatmak tha. Manik aaj poori tarah se gentleman ban kar aaya tha. Usne ek saaf, istri kiya hua shirt aur trouser pehna tha, aur uske baal karine se sanware hue the. Woh apni behan Pari ki madad se aatmavishwaas bator kar aaya tha aur bahut khoobsurat lag raha tha.
Jab Manik ne Aastha ko dekha, toh woh pal bhar ke liye saans lena bhool gaya.
Aastha ek kone ki table par baithi thi. Usne gehre neele rang ka ek one-piece pehna hua tha, jo uski khoobsurti ko aur badha raha tha. Uske baal khule the, aur chehre par ek halki, pyari muskaan thi. Woh sachmuch pariyon jaisi lag rahi thi.
Manik ko apni behan Pari ki sakht hidayat yaad aayi: "Uske angon ko nahi ghoorna! Aankhon mein dekhna!" Usne turant apni bhaavnaon ko niyantrit kiya aur ek seedhi muskaan ke saath uski taraf badha.
Manik: (muskurate hue) Hi Aastha. Tum aa gayi? Main Manik.
Aastha: (uthkar, garamjoshi se) Hi Manik! Haan, main aa gayi. Tum bilkul waise hi dikh rahe ho, jaisa maine kalpana ki thi. Aur tum samay par ho!
Dono baith gaye. Manik ne jaanbujhkar table par thoda zyada doori banaye rakhi, taaki 'limit' ka ullanghan na ho.
Manik: (aankhon mein dekhte hue) Mujhe laga, ek vaigyanik ko toh samay ka paaband hona hi chahiye, hai na? Par sach kahoon, mujhe yahaan aane ki bahut jaldi thi.
Aastha: (hanste hue) Achha! Yeh sun kar achha laga. Mujhe laga tha ki tum balance sheets ke baare mein baat karoge!
Dono ne coffee order ki, aur phir unki baatcheet shuru hui. Unki online baatcheet ki sahajta vyaktigat roop se bhi kaayam rahi.
Aastha: To Manik, mujhe batao... sach mein ek CA ki duniya kaisi hoti hai? Kya sab kuchh logical hota hai, ya kabhi-kabhi tum bhi hawa mein teer maarte ho?
Manik: (aaraam se) sab logical, par kabhi-kabhi 'hawa mein teer' bhi maarna padta hai. jab officer logon ko deal karna padta hai. par abhi to meri padhai chal rahi hai. Tumhaara pasandida design kya hai?
Aastha: Mujhe lagta hai, saadgi. Jo cheezein jatil nahi hoti, ve zyada sundar hoti hain. Jaise... (woh Manik ki taraf dekhti hai) ...tumhaari imaandari. Tumhaari profile bilkul waisi hi thi, jaisi tum asal mein ho. Yeh achha laga.
Manik ke chehre par muskaan aa gayi. Woh jaanta tha ki woh apni behan ki wajah se 'imaandar' dikh raha tha.
Manik: Dhanyavaad. Tumhaari profile bhi bahut aakarshak thi. Aur haan, tumne jo 'limit' wali baat kahi thi, mujhe us par koi aapatti nahi hai. Main chahta hoon ki hum dheere-dheere ek-doosre ko jaanein.
Aastha ne muskurakar sir hilaaya. Usne dekha ki Manik poori baatcheet mein uski aankhon mein dekh raha tha aur uske sharir par bilkul bhi dhyaan nahi de raha tha. Yeh baat use bahut achhi lagi.
Unki baatcheet jald hi unke vyaktigat jeevan, parivaar aur bhavishya ki yojanaon par chali gayi. Manik ko yeh ehsaas hi nahi hua ki woh kitni sahajta se baat kar raha hai. Woh apni padhai ke dabaav, Pari ke saath apne ajeeb rishte aur apni pichhli niraashaon ko lagbhag bhool chuka tha. Aastha ki upasthiti, aur ek naye rishte ki ummeed, use ek nayi shaanti de rahi thi.
Kareeb ek ghante baad, jab coffee khatam ho gayi, toh Manik utha.
Manik: Aastha, mujhe tumse mil kar bahut achha laga. Yeh mere liye ek... avishwasniya anubhav tha.
Aastha: (khush hokar) Mere liye bhi, Manik. Mujhe bilkul mazaak nahi lag raha tha jab tumne kaha ki tum sirf ek ca nahi ho. Tum bahut achhe ho.
Manik ne 'limit' ka poora sammaan kiya aur usne haath milane ya chhoone ki koi koshish nahi ki. Dono ne ek-doosre ko vida kaha, aur Manik cafe se bahar nikla. Uske kadam zameen par nahi pad rahe the. Woh jaanta tha ki yeh mulaqaat ummeed se kahin zyada achhi rahi thi.
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Agale din shaam ko, Manik apne kamre mein apni padhai par dhyaan kendrit karne ki koshish kar raha tha, lekin uska dimaag baar-baar pichhli shaam ki mulaqaat par ja raha tha. Tabhi Pari, apni kitaabein lekar, uske paas aayi aur uske bed par baith gayi. Aaj woh padhne ke mood mein kam, aur baatein karne ke mood mein zyada lag rahi thi.
Pari: (utsukta poorvak, kitaab band karte hue) To Mister CA! Ab padhai chhod kar mujhe apni data report do. Kal ki mulaqaat kaisi rahi?
Manik ne muskurate hue apni kitaab ek taraf rakh di. Ab woh Pari se kisi bhi baat par khul kar baat karne mein sahaj mehsoos karne laga tha.
Manik: Achhi rahi, Pari. Bahut achhi rahi. Tum jaanti ho, Aastha sach mein bahut achhi hai. Woh bahut samajhdaar aur shaant hai.
Pari: (zor dekar) Aur 'limit' ka kya hua? Tumne kuchh gadbad toh nahi ki?
Manik: (garv se) Bilkul nahi! Maine tumhaari di hui har hidayat ka poora dhyaan rakha. Maine usse bilkul gentleman ki tarah baat ki.
Manik, phir thoda sharaarti hote hue, aur apni baat ko zyada mazedar banane ke liye, Pari ke boobs ki or ishaara karke, jhuk kar dheemi awaaz mein bola:
Manik: Aur tumhaari sabse zaroori hidayat... ki maine inhein (inhein matlab Pari ke boobs ki or ishara karte hue) nahi dekha. Poori meeting mein meri nazrein sirf Aastha ki aankhon mein thi!
Manik ki is baat par Pari zor se hans padi. Use apne bhai ki yeh sharaarat bhari tippani bilkul buri nahi lagi, kyunki ab ve dono ek dosti bhare, khule rishte mein aa chuke the.
Pari: (hanste hue, pyar se Manik ke kandhe par maarte hue) Aap bade kharaab ho, bhai! Apni behan ke hi boobs ki baat kar rahe ho? Tumhe sharam aani chahiye!
Manik: (hanste hue) Kya karoon? Mujhe yahi pata hai ki 'nazdeeki' se door kaise rehna hai!
Pari: (aankhon mein shaitaani bharte hue) Achha! Ab bas... meri taraf se maafi. Ab tumhaari zimmedaari hai ki tum apni Aastha ke boobs dekho! Aur haan, agli baar jab milo, toh tumhe unhein chhoone ki himmat bhi dikhani hogi! Dosti mein itni nazdeeki toh banti hai!
Manik aur Pari, dono ab doston ki tarah khilkhila rahe the. Manik ko yeh sun kar ajeeb nahi laga, balki use hansi aa gayi. Ab unka rishta us darr aur sharam se bahut aage nikal chuka tha, jo kal Manik ki ek galti ne paida kiya tha.
Manik: (mazaak karte hue) Oho! 'Guru Maa'! Ab mujhe agli baar ke liye bhi tips dengi aap?
Pari: (khushi se) Bilkul! Agli baar tumhe coffee nahi, dinner par le jaana hai! Aur wahaan... tum thodi 'physics' use karna. Jaise, haath pakadte samay 'gharshan' kaise kaam karta hai, ya phir... (woh sharaarti aankh maarte hue) ...'tension' ko kaise release kiya jaata hai.
Dono bahut aage tak ka mazaak kar rahe the, aur yeh sab Manik ki maansik shaanti ke liye bahut achha tha. Ab woh jaanta tha ki uski apni behan hi uski sabse badi dost aur margdarshak ban gayi hai, aur isi dosti ne use ek swasth raaste par la khada kiya tha. Ab use na toh niraasha thi, na aatmaglani, bas nayi ummeed aur hansi thi.
