**Part - 26**
Agli subah, Pari ne jaan-bujhkar school na jaane ka faisla kiya. Uske mann mein raat bhar ki bechaini thi, jo kal Manik ki harkat se paida hui thi. Woh jaanti thi ki is baat ko andaaza nahi kiya ja sakta. Woh samajh gayi thi ki Manik shayad apni padhai mein itna vyast raha hai ki usne apni swabhavik zarooraton ko nazarandaaz kar diya, aur ab uski kaamottejna (sexual frustration) kisi galat disha mein bhatak rahi hai.
Pari ne subah ka nashta khatam kiya aur intezaar kiya ki ghar ke baaki log nikal jaayein. Jab Anu didi aur Divya apne kaam ke liye nikal gayi, to Pari ne Manik ke kamre ka darwaza khatkhataya.
Manik abhi bhi kal ki sharm aur aatmaglani mein tha. Usne darwaza khola. Pari ko saamne dekhkar woh phir se asahaj ho gaya, khaaskar jab usne dekha ki Pari apne school ki uniform mein nahi thi.
Manik: (jhunjhlahat aur sharmindagi se) Tum school nahi gayi? Kya hai? Mujhe padhna hai.
Pari: (shaant aur gambhir swar mein) Nahi gayi. Aur tumhe ab thodi der ke liye padhna band karna hoga. Mujhe tumse kuch bahut zaroori baat karni hai. Andar chalen?
Manik ko Pari ka yeh shaant, par dridh ravaiya hairaan kar gaya. Woh chupchap kamre mein ghus gaya aur baith gaya. Pari ne darwaza band kiya aur uske saamne aakar baith gayi.
Pari: (seedhe Manik ki aankhon mein dekhte hue) Kal jo kuch hua... uske baare mein baat karni hai. Aur ise taalne ki koshish mat karna.
Manik ki aankhen sharm se jhuk gayi.
Manik: Mujhe pata hai, Pari. Main... main maafi maangta hoon. Main nahi jaanta kya hua tha. Mera mood kharaab tha...
Pari: (baat kaat te hue) Maafi se kuch nahi hoga, bhai. Tum mere bhai ho. Par main tumhari pareshani samajhti hoon. Dekho... tumhe hamesha se padhai ki dhun savaar rahi hai. Tumne kabhi doosri cheezon par dhyan nahi diya. Sach kahoon... tumhari koi girlfriend kyun nahi bani?
Manik ekdum chaunk gaya. Use ummeed nahi thi ki Pari itni seedhi baat karegi.
Manik: Kya...? Yeh tum kya keh rahi ho?
Pari: Main sach keh rahi hoon. Mujhe pata hai ki tum bahut padhte ho, par tum ab bade ho gaye ho, Manik. Aur jab tumhari zindagi mein koi sharirik aur bhaavnatmak partner nahi hota, to yeh cheezein dimaag par haavi hone lagti hain. Yahi wajah hai ki tumhe ab yeh kaamottejna ho rahi hai, aur woh kal galat disha mein chali gayi.
Manik poori tarah se shaant ho gaya. Pari ki baat mein use sachchai lag rahi thi, par sweekaar karna mushkil tha.
Pari: Tumhe apni zarooratein poori karne ke liye ek sahi saathi ki zaroorat hai. Tum akele nahi reh sakte. Agar tum itne vyast ho ki kisi se mil nahi sakte, to theek hai. Par... (woh thoda hichkichaayi) ...par tum dating apps aazma sakte ho. Ya kisi ko dost banao, jo tumhari duniya se baahar ki ho. Yeh bahut zaroori hai. Yeh tumhari maansik shanti aur... tumhare sammaan ke liye zaroori hai.
Manik ne dheere se sir uthaya. Uski aankhen thodi khuli thi.
Manik: Tum... tum mujhe girlfriend banane ki salah de rahi ho?
Pari: (muskurate hue, lekin dridhata se) Main tumhe sahi raasta dikha rahi hoon, bhai. Kal tum jo kar rahe the, woh na to tumhare liye acha hai aur na hi mere liye. Mujhe tumse ghin aa rahi thi... par mujhe tum par daya bhi aa rahi thi. Tumhe apne liye ek partner chahiye, jahaan tum apni saari urja laga sako, aur tumhara dhyan sahi jagah par rahe. Tumhe ab sirf kitaabein nahi, balki duniya dekhni hai.
Pari ne Manik ka haath pakda.
Pari: Manik, main tumhe pyar karti hoon, aur main chahti hoon ki tum khush raho. Par khushi ke liye sirf achhi naukri aur padhai nahi chahiye hoti. Tumhe apni zindagi mein pyar aur sharirik santushti ki bhi zaroorat hai. Jao, kisi ko dhoondho.
Manik kuch der tak chupchap Pari ki taraf dekhta raha. Uski sharmindagi dheere-dheere ek nayi samajh mein badal rahi thi. Pari ke khulepan ne use sochne par majboor kar diya tha.
Manik: (bahut dheemi awaaz mein) Shayad... shayad tum sahi keh rahi ho, Pari.
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Manik ne Pari ki baat par gambhir roop se vichar kiya. Use apni pichhli do niraashayein (Neeru bua ka achaanak jaana aur Jazz ka periods mein hona) yaad aayi, jinhone uski vaasna ko galat disha mein bhatka diya tha. Usne mehsoos kiya ki Pari ne jo kaha, woh sirf behan ki salah nahi, balki ek zaroori haqeeqat thi.
Manik: (gehri saans lete hue) Tum sahi keh rahi ho, Pari. Pichhle kuch dinon se main andar se bahut ashant (restless) mehsoos kar raha hoon. Bua achaanak chali gayi, phir... (woh Jazz ka zikr taal gaya) ...aur mujhe kahin se bhi santushti nahi mili. Isliye shayad mera dimaag bhatak gaya. Main jaanta hoon ki kal maine jo kiya woh bahut bura tha, aur main tumhe phir kabhi aisi sharmindagi nahi doonga.
Pari: (muskurate hue, rahat mehsoos karte hue) Bas yahi sunna chahti thi main. To ab plan kya hai? Sirf kitaabein? Ya kuch aur bhi?
Manik: (thoda muskurate hue, par abhi bhi jhijhak thi) Mujhe nahi pata ki ladkiyon se baat kaise karte hain... tum to jaanti ho, mere dost bhi zyada nahi hain.
Pari: (khushi se Manik ki peeth thapthapate hue) Tension kyun le rahe ho? Tumhari chhoti behan kisliye hai?
Pari turant uthi, apna phone uthaya, aur ek popular dating app ka naam liya.
Pari: Dekho, yeh app bahut sahi hai. Tum pehle ek achhi profile banao. Aisi tasveer lagao jismein tum padh nahi rahe ho, balki jee rahe ho! Aur apne baare mein likho... ki tumhe science aur technology pasand hai, par tum apni zindagi mein ek mazedar partner chahte ho.
Manik ko yeh sab sunkar ajeeb lag raha tha, par woh jaanta tha ki yeh zaroori hai.
Manik: Dating app? Kya yeh sahi rahega? Main... main kisi ko dhokha to nahi de raha hoon?
Pari: (aankhen ghumate hue) Bhai! Tum 21vi sadi mein jee rahe ho! Aur dhokha kaisa? Tum seedhe-seedhe bata rahe ho ki tum kaun ho. Bas apna bio thoda attractive banana. Main tumhari madad kar sakti hoon.
Pari ne Manik ka phone liya aur turant uske liye ek profile banana shuru kar diya.
Pari: Suno, main yahan likhti hoon: "Gambhir (Serious) dikhne wala ladka, jo raat ko stargazing (Stargazing) karta hai aur din mein apni behan ke mazak se pareshan rehta hai. Dimaag Einstein jaisa hai, par dil dhoondh raha hai jo use thoda romantic bana sake." Kaisa rahega?
Manik yeh sunkar hans pada. Yeh pehli baar tha ki kal ki ghatna ke baad woh khulkar hansa tha.
Manik: (haste hue) Tum paagal ho, Pari! Par... theek hai. Jaisa tumhe sahi lage.
Pari ne Manik ko kuch sujhaav diye ki use kis tarah ki ladkiyon se baat karni chahiye, aur use samjhaya ki yeh sab ek prakriya hai. Yeh baatcheet sirf girlfriend banane tak seemit nahi rahi, balki unke bhai-behan ke rishte ko bhi ek naye, khule aur zyada imaandaar star par le aayi.
Pari: (gambhir hote hue) Dekho bhai, main tumhe pyar karti hoon. Aur main tumhari secret-keeping behan nahi banna chahti. Agar tumhe koi pareshani ho, to mujhse baat karna. Par, jo maine kal dekha, woh dobara nahi hona chahiye. Theek hai?
Manik: (pyar se Pari ke sir par haath pherte hue) Waada karta hoon. Dhanyavaad, chhoti behan. Tumne aaj meri aankhen khol di.
Manik ne us din se hi apni profile par kaam karna shuru kar diya, apne liye ek swasth aur sahi raaste ki talaash mein.
Meri pasandida jagah mere sheher se thodi door ek pahadi hai. Par mujhe lagta hai ki main aapki duniya (design) ke baare mein aur jaanna chahunga. Aap kahan se hain?"