Part -23
Manik, jo abhi bhi Pari ki baaton se hui sharmindagi aur gusse mein tha, usne palatkar Pari ko dekha, jo ab mez par baithi phalon ki tokri se ek seb utha rahi thi. Uske dimaag mein Pari ki shaitaani awaaz goonj rahi thi: "Ajeeb-ajeeb si awaazein aa rahi thi!"
Is khinchaav bhare pal mein, shaayad sharmindagi se dhyaan hataane ke liye ya bas ek pal ke liye apni asahajta bhoolne ke liye, Manik ki aankhein bhatak gayi. Uska dhyaan Pari ki awaaz aur sharaarat se hatkar, anjaane mein, uski shaareerik banawat par chal gaya. Pari ne aaj ek saadhaaran, par halki fitting waali T-shirt pehni thi, aur jab woh seb uthaane ke liye thodi jhuki, to uski T-shirt ke oopari hisse par Manik ki nazar tik gayi.
Yeh ek second ka bhi ansh tha, lekin Manik ne turant mehsoos kiya ki uski nazar kahaan chali gayi hai. Uske dimaag ne turant alarm bajaaya. Woh uska bhai hai! Yeh kitna anuchit aur ajeeb hai! Woh turant apni nazar hataana chahta tha, lekin jaise woh kisi chumbak se kheench gaya ho, uski aankhein ek pal ke liye wahin thithak gayi.
Pari, jo seb ko apni ungliyon par ghuma rahi thi, usne turant mehsoos kiya ki uske bhai ki nigaahen us par hain, aur woh bhi kisi saamaanya andaaz mein nahi. Usne palatkar dekha. Manik ki aankhein jaldi se oopar ki or, uski aankhon mein dekhne ki koshish kar rahi thi, lekin us thode se samay mein, Pari ne sab notice kar liya tha.
Pari ki sharaarti muskaan pal bhar mein gaayab ho gayi.
Pari: (shaant aur gambheer awaaz mein, jiski Manik ko ummeed nahi thi) Kya hua, bhai? Kya dekh rahe ho?
Manik jaise neend se jaaga. Uska chehra jo pehle sharm se laal tha, ab pakde jaane ke kaaran safed pad gaya.
Manik: (jhatke se nazrein hataate hue, awaaz ladkhadaati hui) K-kuchh nahi! Main... main to bas dekh raha tha ki tune woh ghadi pehni hai ya nahi, jo papa ne di thi. Haan! Woh!
Pari ne apni T-shirt ko sahajta se ek haath se thoda theek kiya, bhale hi woh pehle se hi theek thi. Uski aankhein abhi bhi Manik par thi, jo hawa mein kahin dekh raha tha.
Pari: (thandi, lekin samajhdaar awaaz mein) Meri ghadi to mere haath mein hai, Manik. Aur... tumhen pata hai, mera 'kamra' mere bhai ke liye ek mazaak ka vishay ho sakta hai, lekin mera 'shareer' nahi.
Manik ko laga jaise kisi ne use thappad maara ho. Use apni galti ka ehsaas hua.
Manik: (lagbhag fusfusaate hue) Sorry, Pari. Mera matlab... main bas... main bahut sharminda hoon. Main... main ja raha hoon.
Manik bina kisi aur baat ka intezaar kiye, tezi se kamre se baahar nikal gaya.
Pari wahin khadi rahi, uske haath mein seb abhi bhi tha. Uske chehre par ab koi shaitaani nahi thi, balki ek gehri soch thi. Woh jaanti thi ki woh bhai hai, aur yeh bas ek pal ki galti ho sakti hai, par is ghatna ne un dono ke beech ek ankaha, asahaj pal chhod diya tha.
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Anu didi aur Mallika, ek bade aur shaandaar destination wedding ko vyavasthit (organize) karne mein vyast thi. Anu, event ki head hone ke naate, guest list aur sitting arrangements ko antim roop de rahi thi, jabki Mallika vendors se samnvay (coordination) kar rahi thi.
Shaadi dulhan ke parivaar ki thi, aur ve dono mukhya hall mein mandap ki sajaavat ka nirikshan kar rahi thi. Anu ne ek peshevar (professional) lekin aakarshak formal suit pehna tha, jo uski kaaryakshamta ko darshaata tha.
Tabhi, dulhan ka chhota bhai, Vikrant, jo apni mehngi ghadi aur ahankaar ke liye jaana jaata tha, apne kuchh doston ke saath wahaan aaya. Woh aate hi Anu ke kareeb ruk gaya.
Vikrant: (muskuraate hue, lekin uski aankhon mein ghamand aur avahelna thi) Excuse me, Miss Event Planner! Kya aap mujhe bata sakti hain ki meri bua ki mez kahaan hai?
Anu ne turant apni peshevar muskaan odhi aur vinamrata se jawaab diya.
Anu: Ji, bilkul. Sir, aapki bua ki mez bilkul saamne, phoolon ki sajaavat ke paas hai. Main abhi kisi ko bhejti hoon jo unhen...
Isse pehle ki Anu apni baat poori karti, Vikrant ne Anu ko oopar se neeche tak ghoora aur jaanbujhkar zor se, taaki uske dost bhi sunen, galat tippani kar di.
Vikrant: (hanste hue) Achha! Waise... main yeh dekhkar hairaan hoon ki aaj-kal event planners kitne 'glamorous' hote hain. Aap planning se zyada dhyaan... khud ki 'presentation' par deti hain, lagta hai. Kya baat hai, event mil jaaye, isliye aise kapde pehnne padte hain, ya yeh... side business hai?
Yeh sunkar Anu ka chehra peela pad gaya. Woh peshevar thi, aur is tarah ki abhadraata (rudeness) aur apmaan ke liye woh taiyaar nahi thi. Uske honth khule, lekin apmaan ke jhatke se, uski awaaz nahi nikli. Woh bas khadi reh gayi, asahajta se apni dress ko dekh rahi thi.
Lekin tabhi, Mallika aag baboola hokar unke paas pahunchi. Usne sab kuchh sun liya tha.
Mallika: (awaaz bijli ki tarah tez aur teekhi) Ae! Badtameez! Apni gandi zubaan band rakho!
Vikrant aur uske dost chaunk gaye.
Mallika: (seedhe Vikrant ki aankhon mein dekhte hue) Tum kaun hote ho, kisi mahila ko judge karne waale? Yeh ek peshevar event planner hai, jo tumhare parivaar ke sabse zaruri event ko sambhaal rahi hai. Tumhen sharm aani chahiye ki tum apni behan ki shaadi mein is tarah ki ghatiya baatein bol rahe ho! Inhen kaam mila hai kyunki ye kaabil hain, tumhaari tarah paidaish ke dam par nahi! Tumhare kapde aur tumhaari ghadi... tumhaari class dikhaati hogi, lekin tumhaari yeh ghatiya soch... tumhaari aukaat dikhaati hai!
Vikrant ekdam sann reh gaya. Uski ummeed thi ki Anu chupchaap apmaan seh legi.
Vikrant: (haklaate hue) Tum... tum kaun ho? Mere se is tarah baat karne ki tumhaari himmat kaise hui?
Mallika: Main iski partner hoon, aur tumhaari harkaton ko bardasht nahi karne waali. Agar tumne ek aur shabd bola, to main abhi tumhare papa ko bulaakar bataati hoon ki unka beta shaadi se pehle hi mehmaanon ke saath kaisa vyavhaar kar raha hai!
Yeh drama dekhkar, wahaan tezi se dulhan ke pita, Mister Goyal, pahunche. Unhone sthiti ko turant bhaanp liya.
Mister Goyal: (gusse mein) Vikrant! Kya chal raha hai yahaan?
Vikrant ne turant chuppi saadh li.
Mister Goyal: (Vikrant ko jhidakte hue) Tune kya kaha inhen? Main tumhen kitni baar samjha chuka hoon ki sabse tahzeeb se baat kiya karo! Khaaskar un logon se, jo hamare liye kaam kar rahe hain! Maafi maango abhi!
Vikrant muh phulaakar khada raha, lekin dar ke maare usne halke se kaha, "Sorry."
Anu, jo ab tak khaamosh thi, usne kadam aage badhaaya. Woh jaanti thi ki yeh unka client hai, aur woh is baat ko yahin khatm karna chahti thi.
Anu: (dheeme, lekin dridh swar mein) Mister Goyal, please, shaant ho jaiye. Mallika, tum bhi shaant ho jaao. Koi baat nahi. Hum sab bahut tanaav mein hain. Vikrant ji, main ummeed karti hoon ki aap aage se peshevar logon ka sammaan karenge. Mister Goyal, please aap apne kaam par dhyaan dijiye. Hum decoration dekh lete hain.
Anu ne jaanbujhkar baat ko taal diya, kyunki woh nahi chahti thi ki event se pehle koi bada bakheda khada ho. Mallika, halaanki abhi bhi gusse mein thi, par Anu ke shaant vyavhaar ko dekhkar woh chup ho gayi. Dono wahaan se hat gayi, lekin Mallika ka raudra roop dekhkar Anu ke dil mein uske liye sammaan aur badh gaya tha.
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