Bhag 47: Maafi aur Masti ka Silsila
Shaam ke paanch baj rahe the. Suraj dhalne ki tayyari kar raha tha, par ghar ke andar abhi bhi roshni bharpoor thi – woh roshni jo pyar aur samajhdari se aati hai. Suruchi showroom se lauti thi. Usne darwaza khola, bag side mein rakha, aur jootey utarte hue awaaz di, "Main aa gayi!"
Aparna kitchen se nikli, haath mein ek glass paani liye. Usne muskurate hue kaha, "Aa gayi meri chhoti sis? Fresh ho ja, chai bana deti hoon." Par Suruchi ki nazar seedhe living room ki taraf gayi, jahaan Manik sofe par baitha tha. Uske haath mein newspaper tha, par aankhen us par nahi – darwaze par thi.
Suruchi ka dil dhadak utha. Usne samajh liya – yeh woh pal tha. Di ne bataya tha subah hi phone pe: "Papa se baat kar lenge shaam ko. Tu tension mat lena." Par ab woh moment aa gaya tha.
Manik ne newspaper side mein rakha, dheere se utha. Unki awaaz thodi bhaari thi. "Beta… Suruchi. Baat karni hai. Baith."
Suruchi ne bag niche rakha, chupchap sofe ke paas aayi aur baith gayi – Papa ke bilkul bagal mein. Usne apne haathon ko god mein rakh liya, jaise bachpan mein karti thi jab kuchh galti ho jati thi. "Haan Papa… bolo."
Manik ne gehri saans li. Unhone Suruchi ki taraf dekha – uski aankhen badi-badi, masoom, par andar ek gehra dard chhupa tha. Woh dard jo kal lunch time se lekar ab tak uske dil mein tha. Manik ka gala bhar aaya. Unhone dheere se uska haath pakda.
"Suruchi… main jaanta hoon tu kal showroom mein aayi thi. Training cancel hone ki wajah se wapas cabin ki taraf gayi thi. Aur… aur tune dekh liya. Mujhe aur Anjali ko." Manik ki awaaz kamp gayi. "Main… main sharminda hoon beta. Bahut zyada. Meri beti ne apne Papa ko… aise dekha. Jaise koi… jaanwar. Main… main kabhi nahi chahta tha ki tu yeh sab dekhe. Yeh meri galti thi. Poori tarah meri."
Suruchi ki aankhen nam ho gayi. Usne Papa ke haath ko aur mazboot pakda. "Papa… rukiye. Aap ro mat. Main… main ro nahi rahi. Bas… thoda sa dard tha kal. Kyunki maine socha – Papa ko koi problem hai kya? Kyun yeh risk le rahe hain? Showroom mein… staff ke saamne… agar kisi ne dekh liya hota toh? Par main gusse mein nahi thi. Main… main bas pareshaan thi. Aapki khushi ke liye."
Manik ne sar jhuka liya. "Tu pareshaan thi mere liye? Beta… main tera baap hoon. Tujhe protect karna chahiye mujhe, par maine… maine tujhe hurt kiya. Anjali… woh sirf ek distraction thi. Ek aag jo mujhe andar se jala rahi thi. Mummy ke jaane ke baad… main toota hua tha. Meenu ne mujhe sambhala. Usne mujhe zinda kiya. Par Anjali… woh excitement thi, risk thi. Main control nahi kar paaya. Teen din… har teen din mein. Jaise addiction. Par ab… ab main samajh gaya. Yeh sab band. Aaj hi maine Anjali se baat ki. Usse kaha – yeh khatam. Woh samajh gayi. Kal se woh showroom mein nahi aayegi. Transfer kar diya uska dusre branch mein."
Suruchi ne surprise se Papa ki taraf dekha. "Aapne… aaj hi? Itni jaldi?"
Manik ne sar hilaya. "Haan beta. Kal jo hua… woh meri aankhen khol gaya. Meri beti ne mujhe aise dekha – main us pal ko kabhi nahi bhool sakta. Tu meri laado hai. Teri aankhon mein woh dard… woh mujhe andar tak cheer gaya. Sorry Suruchi. Bahut sorry. Maaf kar de apne Papa ko."
Suruchi ki aankhon se aansu tapak pade. Usne jhat se Papa ke gale lag jaaya. "Papa… aap sorry kyun bol rahe ho? Aapne kuchh galat nahi kiya mere saath. Aapne bas… khud ko sambhalne ki koshish ki. Main jaanti hoon aap kitne akela the. Hum teeno behnein dekhti thi – raat ko aap TV ke saamne baithkar chupke se aansu ponchhte the. Aapne kabhi humein nahi bataya. Kabhi shikayat nahi ki. Bas humare liye jeete rahe. Fees bhari, college bheja, sapne poore kiye. Ab thodi si khushi mil rahi thi… toh main kyun rokti? Meenu se rishta… woh ghar mein hai. Safe hai. Hum teeno accept karte hain. Bas yeh bahar wali cheezein… woh risk hai. Aapne band kar diya, yeh badi baat hai."
Manik ne use aur zor se gale lagaya. Unki aankhen bhi bhar aayi. "Tu kitni samajhdar ho gayi hai beta. Meri chhoti si… ab badi ho gayi. Thank you Suruchi. Tu meri jaan hai."
Dono kuchh der aise hi baithte rahe. Gale lage hue. Chup. Bas ek doosre ki saanson ki awaaz. Phir Suruchi ne dheere se kaha, "Papa… ab sab theek hai na? Aap khush rahoge na? Meenu ke saath… openly. Ghar mein. Koi chhupana nahi. Hum sab family hain."
Manik ne muskurate hue kaha, "Haan beta. Ab sirf ghar. Sirf Meenu. Aur tum teeno meri betiyan. Bas yahi chahiye."
Tabhi darwaza khula. Musu aur Meenu market se laute the. Musu ke haathon mein do bade bags the – fruits, sabziyan, aur ek chhota sa makeup pouch. Meenu ke haathon mein doodh ki packet aur kuchh snacks.
Musu ne zor se chillaya, "Di! Papa! Hum aa gaye! Dekho kya-kya laya hai maine!" Woh seedhe Papa ki taraf daudi aur unki god mein ja baith gayi. Usne dono haathon se Papa ke gaal pakde aur zor se chumma – ek gaal pe, doosre pe, phir forehead pe. "Papa aaj bohot miss kiya! Aap showroom gaye the na? Aapke bina ghar suna suna lag raha tha!"
Manik hans pade. Unka mood ab bilkul badal chuka tha. Woh Musu ko god mein utha kar sofe par baith gaye. Musu unki god mein hi baithi rahi, apna sar unke kandhe par tikaya. "Papa, aap aaj extra handsome lag rahe ho! Navy blue shirt pehni hai? Wah! Main bhi aisi hi pehnungi kabhi!"
Meenu ne bags kitchen mein rakh diye aur living room mein aayi. Usne Suruchi aur Manik ko dekha – dono ke chehre par sukoon. Usne samajh liya – baat ho gayi. Woh dheere se Musu ke paas aayi, uske baal sehlaya aur boli, "Musu, Papa ko itna mat tadpao. Unke gaal laal ho gaye hain tere chummon se!"
Musu ne shaitani se hanste hue kaha, "Arre chachi! Papa ko maza aa raha hai na? Dekho!" Usne phir se Papa ke gaal pe chumma diya, is baar awaaz ke saath – 'muah!' "Papa, aap mujhe ice cream khilaoge na? Market mein dekha ek nayi wali shop!"
Manik ne Musu ke maathe pe chumma diya. "Haan meri jaan. Kal le chalenge sabko. Aaj raat pizza order karte hain. Party!"
Suruchi ne bhi hanste hue kaha, "Haan! Pizza party! Main toppings choose karungi!"
Aparna kitchen se aayi, tray mein garam chai aur biscuits liye. Usne sabko dekha – ghar mein ab wohi purana mahaul tha. Hasna, masti, pyar. Usne pet par haath rakha aur socha – baby, yeh hai tera ghar. Yeh hai tera pyar.
Meenu dheere se Manik ke paas baithi – Musu ki taraf se thoda side mein. Usne Manik ka haath chhuna, dheere se ungliyon mein ungliyan daali. Manik ne uski taraf dekha, aankhon se thanks kaha. Meenu ne muskuraya – woh samajh gayi thi. Ab sab open. Ghar mein. Safe.
Musu ab bhi masti mein thi. Usne Papa ke kaan mein kaha, "Papa, aap aaj bohot khush lag rahe ho! Kya baat hai? Secret batao!"
Manik ne uske kaan mein whisper kiya, "Secret yeh hai ki Papa ki sabse pyaari betiyan hain. Aur tu sabse zyada shaitaan!"
Sab hans pade. Ghar mein hasi ki goonj thi. Chai ke cup haathon mein the. Biscuits toot rahe the. Baatein chal rahi thi – kal ki shopping, baby ke naam, showroom ke naye collection ki.
Manik ne sabko dekha – Suruchi ki aankhen ab chamak rahi thi, Aparna relaxed thi, Meenu sukoon se baithi thi, aur Musu unki god mein masti kar rahi thi. Unhone socha – yeh hai zindagi. Yeh hai khushi. Ab se sirf yahin. Ghar mein. Pyar mein.
Raat dhal gayi. Pizza aaya. Sab ne saath khaya. Hasna, masti, chhedna. Musu ne Papa ke lap pe hi khaana shuru kiya, unke muh mein piece daalte hue. "Papa, yeh lo! Aapko zyada cheese wala pasand hai na?"
Manik ne khaya, muskuraya. "Haan beta. Sabse acha taste tera pyar hai."
Suruchi ne dheere se kaha, "Papa… thank you. Aaj sab theek ho gaya."
Manik ne uska haath pakda. "Nahin beta. Thank you tum sabko. Meri family."
Ghar mein ab sukoon tha. Sach ka saamna ho gaya tha. Ab aage sirf pyar. Safe pyar. Ghar ka pyar.
