Sach hote Khwaab

The Newsroom

This was the first time I had been approached to author a book. Vashma had leaped in excitement at the offer. 'Oye khabardar jo na karne ka socha bhi!' – she had exclaimed. Veerji was so proud of me. 'Oye mera sher puttar. Tu bas dil lagake likh, sab wadiya hi wadiya hoga'.
'Koi inhe samjhao, dil lagane ke liye dil hona bhi toh chahiye!'
The publishers needed twenty-four new stories exclusively for the book. I was nervous but this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I would earnestly work for it. I had informed Choudhary Sahab, the Editor of our newspaper about this. Maybe this was why he had summoned me to office today.

I took out a light blue organza saree from the almirah. Bright colours suited me, he had once said. Was there even a colour that didn't suit him!?
We rarely complimented each other verbally. One look was enough to unsettle the other. 

 I seldom wore sarees. But today was different. 'Aaj kuch toh khaas hone wala hai.' I was anxious but I didn't know why. I got dressed and went downstairs. Vashma was waiting for me with Kabir.

'Oye hoye hoye hoye hoye. Saree ! Kya baat hai.' She said placing her elbow on my shoulder. ' Kinni sohni lag rahi hai. Hayee! Aaj kuch khaas hai ? Ya Allah main kuch bhool to nahi rahi!'
'Arey shaant ho jaa! Aaj kuch hai toh nahi par mann kar raha tha aaj saree pehenne ka, so pehen li', I replied grinning.
'Oye tu aise khush khush raha kar, mera din bann jaata hai!', she exclaimed. Earlier I used to think I would miss Mummyji and Bauji fussing over me. But soon I realized, Vashma could fuss over me more than both of them together.
'Acha chal ab jaldi. Tujhe der nahi ho rahi?!' I suggested and we hurried out of the house. They waited for a while I checked the letterbox - no letters. I wanted to frown but somehow couldn't.
We found a tanga infront of our house. Boarding it, we left for our work.

I visited the newspaper office once a week but generally wrote at home on my desk. Despite this, they had been really sweet to allot me a cabin. Maybe because within a short span of time I had become everyone's favourite. I had bonded well with my colleagues. Many a times, I would move around the office talking to the journalists of other departments, trying to learn as much as I could. As I loved reading, Choudhary Sahab had allowed me to borrow any book from office's library as per my wish. Everyone here knew about the tragedy that had hit my family at the partition time. They knew about Randheer too. Whenever the postman arrived, someone would be there before me, to check if any of my letters had arrived. I considered myself extremely lucky to have such caring people around me.

We reached the Dainik Bhaskar office in half an hour. I got down from the the tanga, bade Vashma and Kabir a goodbye and went inside.

Darbaanji greeted me with a wide-toothed grin. 'Strange', I thought. He always greeted me courteously but this grin meant something else.
The newsroom was in a hustle as usual. Manoj, the financial journalist was running towards the press with a bunch of articles in his hands. Preetika, the sub-editor was rebuking a junior journalist for an editorial blunder. Ali, the advertising department head was speaking on the telephone. Ravi Sahab, the circulation department head was supervising the despatch of today's post. Many journalists were hurrying hither and thither, some with papers, some with quills and some with books. And Gopi Kaka was scurrying around with a tray full of teas and coffee kulhads. However, on seeing me, each one of them paused for a second, greeted me with the same wide grin and went on about their work.
Why was everyone behaving so strangely today!

Preetika informed me that I had been called to work on a special article. I would find the brief on my desk. My Cabin was on the first floor. I was moving towards the stairs when the end of my saree got stuck. Years ago twice I had wrongly assumed it to be Randheer. But now, when he was probably miles away from me, why did I still feel it was him! I turned and looked around – it was a nail on a table-edge. I smiled sheepishly at my stupidity and moved ahead.

I bumped into Harbir Chacha on my way up the stairs. He worked in the editorial department. He was the one who reviewed my work before publishing it. He treated me like his daughter. 'Arey puttar main tujhe hi dhoond raha tha. Main tere liye kuch laya hoon.'
'Namaste Chachaji. Aap mere liye tohfa laye hain?  Aaj kuch hai?'
'Main kal kuch kitaabein khareed raha tha tab ye kalam dikhi mujhe. Socha tujhe pasand aayegi, toh maine le li tere liye'. He opened and handed me a small box. I almost dropped the box with a start. It was the same royal blue quill Randheer had gifted Raanjhan!
'Ye kahaan mili aapko?!'
'Abhi to bataya maine, bazaar se khareedi.'
I stared at it for one whole minute, thanked him and hurried upstairs. I still couldn't comprehend what had just happened.