EPISODE 19: Meera Ka Din
Mama ne call kiya — weekday dopahar ko, ekdum unexpected.
Mama- Beta, aaj woh purani film dekh rahi thi — Guddi. Tujhe yaad hai? Tune uska ek gaana bahot gaata tha bachpan mein. 'Humko mann ki shakti dena...'
Main- Haan Mama, yaad hai.
Mama- Bahot sundar hai woh gaana beta.
Mama ki aawaz mein kuch tha. Ek slight tremor — barely noticeable. Par mere dimaag ne use instantly capture kiya.
Main- Mama, aap theek hain?
Mama- Main bilkul theek hun. Bas... gaana sun ke purani yaad aa gayi. Kuch cheezein aisi hoti hain jo hit karti hain unexpectedly.
Main- Koi cheez worry kar rahi hai aapko?
Ek lamba pause. Pure 4 second ka sannata.
Mama- Nahi beta. Sab normal hai. Main bas faltu mein dramatic ho rahi hun. Tu apna kaam kar.
'Sab normal hai.' Phir se wahi rehearsed phrase. Aur 'main dramatic ho rahi hun' — apne hi real reaction ko jaldi se minimize karna.
Main ne kuch nahi bola ek second. Phir —
Main- Mama, aaj kya kiya aapne?
Pause. Ek chhota sa surprise pause. Mera yeh question unke liye ekdum unexpected tha.
Mama- Kya matlab?
Main- Aaj ka din. Kya-kya kiya subah se?
Mama ne kuch socha. Phir —
Mama- Subah chai banayi. Papa ke liye nashta banaya. Woh gaye office. Phir main market gayi thi — sabzi lene.
Main- Kya liya?
Mama- Aalu, pyaaz, tamatar. Aur woh palak bhi — tu pasand karta hai na, isliye le aayi.
Main- Haan. Phir?
Mama- Woh sabzi wale ne aaj phir zyada daam maange. Roz ek naya rate hota hai uska.
Main- Toh aapne kya bola?
Mama- [slight laugh] Wahi jo roz bolti hun. Ki kal bhi yahan se liya tha aur kal se zyada kyun hai aaj? Toh woh bolta hai 'petrol mehenga hua hai behnji.' Main kehti hun 'petrol se sabzi nahi chalta bhai.' Phir woh thoda discount de deta hai.
Main- Aap roz yahi karte hain?
Mama- Roz. [pause] Stupid hai na?
Main- Nahi.
Mama- Matlab — itni si baat pe roz aam logon ki tarah argue karna.
Main- Mama, aap toh jeet bhi jaate hain na roz?
Mama ki hasi aayi — ekdum genuine, light aur khuli hui.
Mama- Haan. 2-3 rupaye ka discount mil jata hai.
Main- Toh woh stupid nahi hai. Woh hamara tradition hai.
Mama- [haste hue] Tradition! Tere Papa sunein toh kahenge 'Meera ne sabzi wale ke jhagde ko bhi ghar ka tradition bana liya.'
Yahan ek second ke liye sab kuch sirf yeh tha — Mama aur sabzi wale ki daily argument, 2-3 rupaye ka discount, aur Papa ka ek hypothetical reaction. Koi mystery nahi thi is moment mein. Koi hidden meaning nahi tha. Sirf ek dopahar ki behad aam aur khoobsurat baat.
***
Mama- Uske baad ghar aake thoda rest kiya. Phir woh film laga li — Guddi. Kabhi kabhi purani cheezein dekhna achha lagta hai.
Main- Kyun?
Mama- [pause] Pata nahi exactly. Shayad isliye ki woh cheezein badalti nahi hain. Film wahi rehti hai. Log wahin rehte hain. Jaise time rok diya ho kisi ne.
Yeh line mere saath ruk gayi. Mama ne bade casually boli thi, aur bol kar aage continue bhi kar gayi. Lekin woh line mere dimaag mein goonjti rahi.
'Jaise time rok diya ho kisi ne.' Mama ek aisi cheez dhoodh rahi thi jo badalti nahi hai. Kuch stable. Woh stability unhe chahiye thi apne aas-paas.
Mama- Aur phir tune call kiya. Achha kiya beta. [pause] Hostel mein palak khaana mat bhoolna.
Main- Haan Mama.
Mama- Theek se rehna na wahan. Okay?
Main- Okay Mama.
***
Shaam ko library ke paas Neha ne mujhe roka. Uska expression complicated tha.
Neha- Aaj meri Mama ka call aaya tha. Unhone kaha ki jo bhi life mein ho, main hamesha strong rehun. Exactly yeh words use kiye unhone. Dopahar mein, 1 baje ke aaspas.
Maine apna phone nikala. Mera call log bhi dopahar ke theek 1:12 baje ka tha. Similar timing. Similar message — 'Strength'. Dono ke calls ekdum unexpected.
Dono Mamas. Same day. Same time approximately. Similar message.
Pattern hai ya bahut bada coincidence. Lekin — dono Mamas ne aaj ke hi din yahi kyun sochha? Ek hi waqt par, independently?
Maine us question ko quietly apne dimaag mein file kiya. Lekin jo actually raat bhar mere saath raha, woh Neha ka observation nahi tha.
Woh meri Mama thin — sabzi wale se roz 2-3 rupaye jeetna, 'Devraj ji please' bolna Papa ke kharab jokes par, Guddi dekhna dopahar mein kyunki unhe kuch stable chahiye tha, aur mujhe palak khaane ki reminder dena.
Yeh Mama thin. Ordinary. Real. Completely real. Aur unki y
eh reality hi ab mujhe dila rahi thi ki kuch toh bahut bada chal raha hai background mein.
— Continued...