Chapter-6: Clash of the Canvas
Update-16
“party de raha hai na….”Park se nikal kar jab hum ghar ke liye taiyar hue toh Ved bola…
“party...? party kisliye…”
“maal pata liya… party nahi dega…”
“pati kaha hai abhi, abhi toh sirf baat hui hai…”
“toh pat jayegi….. kya bolta hai, Ranjan…?... Ranjan… Ranjan… kis-se laga hua hai be phone me…”
“wo aaj dhabe ka samaan khatm ho gaya toh usi ki list dekh riya tha , kaun-kaun sa samaan lana hai…”
“fb me…?”
“wo toh aise hee Sanjana ko friend request bhej raha tha…. khair chhod, Kya bol raha tha tu…”mobile apne jeb me daalte hue Ranjan bola… “ party… haan party toh dena chahiye….”
“paisa nahi hai abhi aur Sanjana se bhi baat-chit band hai, warna teen-char sau toh wahi se jugad ho jata”
“sale bhikhari….”
“mere dhabe chalo… paise baad me de dena, jab bhi mann ho…”Ranjan bola “aur botal ka bhi jugad ho jayega, yadi chahoge toh…”
“botal matlab…”maine puchha…
“botal matlab daru be… itna lodu kaise ho sakta hai tu…”Ved ne jawab diya
“daru nahi peena , kadwa lagta hai…”
“thik hai fir…. Sirf khayenge…” driving seat me koodkar baith-te hue Ved bola… “come on, fellas… load ho jao…”
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Hum teeno Ranjan ke dhabe pahuche, jaha Ranjan ke papa daru peekar tunn the par hume dekhte hee humara aadar-satkar kiya… humne jab unhe hath jodkar Namaste kiya toh wo bhi hath jodkar Namaste karne lage… jispar main aur Ved flat ho gaye…. matlab kya sanskari baap tha Ranjan ka… khud chalkar humare liye andar do takhat lagwaya aur 4-5 item ka order de mara…. Log faltu me badnaam karke rakhe hai, Ranjan ke baap ko.
“wo ladka kaun hai be… jaana pahchana lag raha hai…”ek chair kheechte hue maine ek ladke ki taraf ishara kiya… main aur Ved wahi baithe aur Ranjan waha se bahar chala gaya....
“abey wo wahi government school wala ladka hai na… Joshi, jise last year Jafar ne pela tha... jab isne Mira ko chhed diya tha toh… bhool gaya kya…? Itna bada kaand hua tha… wo toh compromise karwaya gaya, iske aur Jafar ke beech warna Government school ke ladke Sanskar Valley ke har launde ko pelne ke liye taiyar the….”
“ toh bhatti, future me kya karne ka socha hai….”Ranjan hum dono ki plate me roti rakhte hue puchha
“Engineering… ab math liya hai toh karna hee padega…”Maine kaha..
“mera bhi same answer…”roti , shahi paneer me dubote hue Ved bola… “tera kya plan hai… bio, liya hai… doctor banega kya, lawda”
“doctor banna , apne bas ka nahi hai… apan toh simple pharmacy karunga aur fir medical dukan kholunga… mast aaram ki zindagi… idhar dhabe ka bhi kaam dekh lunga, udhar medical store ka bhi…”
“haan … ye sahi hai… fir jab bhi hume josh wali goli chahiye hogi toh isi ke dukan se lenge… kyun Atharva…?”
“aur condoms bhi… par mera ek sawal hai”
“hat lawda…”
“tu chup bsdk… tere se kaun puchh raha hai, main toh Ranjan se baat kar raha hu…. toh Ranjan, tune ye sab kyun kiya… matlab main aur Ved tere, utne achchhe dost bhi nahi hai par fir bhi tune Riya ke bare me hume bataya ki wo park me hai aur fir yaha itni door dhabe me free ka khana khilane bhi le aaya… kyun…?”
“aur kisi ko main School me jaanta bhi nahi shayad, isliye… ya tum dono ke aalawa… koyi aur kabhi mujhse dost ki tarah baat bhi nahi kiya... shayad isliye. ye hasi majak jo tum dono karte ho… mujhe ye pata hai… kyunki main shuru se tum logo ke sath padha hu… pure school me sirf hum teeno hee hai, jo shuru se padh rahe hai… tu, main , Ved…. We’re bonded with each other, with this land... hum study ya fir job ke liye chahe kahi bhi chale jaye , kuch bhi kar le, is jagah se hamesha jude rahenge…. Ek din hume lautkar wapas yaha aana hee padega… apni khushi se ya fir majboori me aur fir se life naye sire se shuru karni hogi…. I know it, I’ve felt it…. This is the land of white tigers aur White tigers sirf yahi khush rah sakte hai…. Isliye future me kahi bhi raho, jab bhi kabhi dil dukhi ho toh bejhijhak yaha aana… fir main bhi yahi milunga... ”
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Ek wo din tha aur ek aaj ka din hai… usi din se main aur Ved khud ko White Tigers manne lage the, fark sirf itna tha ki hum dono zindagi ke safar me is baat ko kahi bahut peechhe chhod aaye the… us shahar ko bhi aur un yaadon ko bhi. hum dono us din Ranjan ki baat ko haste-khelte majak me le gaye the par aaj jab andheri raat me bike chalate hue main apne school ke bare me soch raha tha, tab mujhe ye yaad aaya aur mujhe realize hua ki…. Mujhe yaha bahut pahle hee aa jana chahiye tha. Ranjan ki us din kahi hui har ek baat aaj sach saabit ho rahi thi…. Khair us din dhabe me bhar-pet khana khane ke baad jab main glass me paani bharkar bahar hath dhone ek kinare pahucha toh… Ranjan ke papa waha pahuch gaye…
“Beta, khana kaisa laga…”
“arey uncle hum log Ranjan ke dost hai, yadi kharab bhi rahega toh kharab nahi bolenge… aap toh humse aise bartaav kar rahe hai, jaise hum ladke wale ho aur aap ladki wale… aur khana, mind blowing tha, itna kha liya hai ki do din tak ghar me khana hee nahi khaunga…”
“arey wo baat nahi hai beta, wo Ranjan zindagi me pahli baar kisi ko apne sath yaha laya hai… mujhe maloom hai ki Ranjan aur meri kya image hai school me… aur use koyi kyun apne ghar kisi party ya function me nahi bulata… isliye… yadi us-se dosti na bhi ho toh bas dikhawa kar lena… iske baad wo college chala jayega toh , shayad waha uske dost ban jaye… jinhe usse baat karne me beizzati mahsoos naa ho”
“bas itni si baat….”main peeche palat kar jor se chillaya “Ved chal na yar, ab kya aadhi raat ko jayega….”
“bas-bas aaya …”khane ki speed tej karte hue Ved ghuti hui aawaz me bola
“aur tu Ranjan… kal school ke baad mere ghar aa jana , Modern Warfare 2 khelenge… full action.. maja aayega…”
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“bsdk, bola tha subah chalte hai… ab toh badhiya kisi laundiya ki tarah mujhse chipak kar baitha hai aur idhar thandi me meri aisi ki taisi ho rahi hai…”Jab humne Bhopal se bypass road pakda toh main bola…
“sunayi nahi diya, kuch bol raha kya…”
“kuch nahi… bas puch raha tha ki apne whatsapp group se do logo ko tune remove kyun kiya tha 2 din pahle…”
“jisko rahna hai rahe, par group ki garima, pratishtha aur anushasan me koyi aanch nahi aani chahiye…”
“Garima aur Pratishtha maal hai kya…?”
“Atharva, kitna chodra ho gaya hai tu aajkal, pahle bahut sharif tha…. BC ab dekho….”
“hold tight…”accelerator badhate hue maine kaha….
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Us din Ranjan ke dhabe me usko next day ka invite dekar main aur Ved ghar ke liye nikle…
“naa be, Ranjan ko bula liya apne ghar… ghar wale kya bolenge…”return me Ved ne ye sawal daga...
“ghar walo ko nahi batayenge ki uska naam Ranjan hai… ya fir uska baap kaun hai… simple… sabke gharwalo ko sirf naam pata hai, dekha thodi hai kisi ne”
“wow… good…”
“hold tight”accelerator badhate hue maine kaha…