Uljhe Dor

3. First Floor pe Pool?

  "Excuse me, tum kaun ho aur yahan kya har rahi ho?"

  Bela pichhe mudti hai to chauk jati hai. "Aap andar kaise aaye?"

  "Excuse me? What do you mean? Mera ghar hai, main jahan chahun ja sakta hoon."

  "Hamara wo matlab nahi tha. Aap andar aaye aur hame pata bhi nahi chala, koi aawaz hi nahi ki aapne. Aap bhoot hain kya?"

  "What? Kya keh rahi ho tum? And who's 'ham'?

  "Ham. Ham, Bela Narayan."

  "Tum Bela ho?"

  "Bilkul."

  "To Narayan kahan hai?"

  "Ham hi hain, Bela Narayan."

  "To what is 'Ham'? 'Main' bolo."

  "Ham to 'ham' hi bolenge."

  "Kyun?"

  "Kya matlab 'kyun'? Bachpan se yahi bolte aa rahe hain. Ham to kya, hamare papa, hamari chachi, hamari dadi, sab yahi bolte hain."

  "But it's so misleading." Bela Kunal ko kuch kahe bina dekhe jati hai. "Kya, tum aise kyun dekh rahi ho mujhe?"

  "Ham dekh rahe hain ki aap kitne hawe mein hain."

  "What?"

  "Hamne kaha, aap bohot hawe mein hain."

  "I heard you the first time."

  "To puchhe kyun?"

  "Shut up, okay."

  "Aur gussa to jaise naak par baithi ho. Itna mat gussa kiya kijiye. Gussa karne se sehat par bura asar padta hai.

  "To ab tum doctor bhi ho."

  "Waise to aap kehne ko sabse achhe school se padhe hain, par aisi school jane ka kya fayda jo aapko yeh bhi nahi sikh paya ki gussa nahi karna chahiye?"

  "Are you calling me illiterate?"

  "Aapne kaha, hamne nahi. Waise bhi samajhdar ko ishara kafi hai."

  "Tumahri himmat kaise hui Kunal Mehrotra se aise baat karne ki?"

  "Aap phir gussa ho gaye. Lijiye, thoda juice pi lijiye." Bela juice ki glass uthati hai. Jab wo Kunal ke paas aa rahi hoti hai to uska pair kaleen mein phas jata hai aur juice kaleen pe gir jata hai.

  "Kya kiya tumne? Tumhe pata hai ye kitni mehengi carpet hai? Tum apne sare organs bhi bech dogi tab bhi is carpet ke liye pay nahi kar paogi. Itni aukat hi nahi hai tumhari."

  "Aukat par mat jayie, Mr. Mehrotra. Ham bhale hi aapki tarah ameer nahi hain, par ham bhi aapki tarah din- raat mehnat karke kamate hain. Jaisa hamne kaha, aap bohot hawe mein hai, thoda neeche aa jaiye warna jab girenge na, to zor se girenge aur aawaz bhi hogi."

  "Kunal! Chalo, lunch meeting hai Singhanias ke saath." Anshuman Kunal ke kamre mein aata hai. "Bela, aap yahan kya kya kar rahi hain? Kuchh chahiye kya? Kisi bhi cheez ki zaroorat ho to aap Aalok se maang sakti hain."

  "Ansh, tu jaanta hai ise?"

  "Haan, tu kaise nahi jaanta ise?"

  "Koi badi social figure hai kya?" Kunal dheere se puchhta hai.

  "Nahi, Kunal, wedding planner hai. Abhi to mili thi neeche." Bela hasti hai aur Kunal use gusse se dekhta hai.

  Ajeeb ladki hai. Abhi do second pehle ye gussa kar rahi thi aur ab has rahi hai. Lagta hai sach mein pagal hai.

  "Of course, yeh social figure ho bhi nahi sakti. Just look at her." Bela gusse se apna muh kholti hai apr phir apna gussa pi kar muh band kar leti hai.

  "Hamari maaniye aur badam khaya kijiye."

  "What?" Kunal Anshuman ki ore dekhta hai par Anshuman bhi confused dikhta hai.  

  "Badam kyun?" Anshuman puchhta hai.

  "Kyunki aapki yaddhasht kamzor hai. Itni jaldi bhool gaye? Ya aap chashma lagana bhool gaye is liye mujhe theek se dekh bhi nahi paye?"

  "Shut up, okay. Just, shut up. Mere eyes perfect hain."

  So to hain. Aisi aankhe maine pehle kabhi nahi dekhi. Nahi Bela, bhoolo mat usne thodi der pehle tumhari bezzati ki thi.

  "Tumhara room neeche hai-"

  "Hamein pata hai."

  "To jao na."

  "Ja rahe hain, ja rahe hain. Shant ho jaiye." Bela wahan se chali jati hai.

  "Tu theek to hai, Kunal?"

  "Mujhe kya hoga?"

  "Why are you so worked up? Wo bhi ek wedding planner ke wajah se."

  "Kyunki wo ladki na, pagal hai. She's crazy."

  "Hmm," Anshuman smirk karta hai.

  "What?"

  "Nothing."

  "Ansh, what?"

  "I have never seen you lose your cool so easily. Kabhi nahi."

  "Haan, to? Aisi pagal ladki bhi maine kabhi nahi dekhi. Pata hai, ek to wo mere room mein thi aur upar se mujhse hi puchhti hai ki main yahan kya kar raha hoon. Aur usne mujhe akdu bhi kaha."

  "Kya ho raha hai aaj kal ki ladkiyon ko? Ek to wo meri bike ko haath lagane wali thi, upar se mujhe hi pagal bulati hai. Mere ghar ke garden mein khade hokar mujhse puchh rahi thi ki main wahan kya kar raha hoon. Aur andar bhi ghus gayi."

  "Wo ladki mili kya?" Kunal concern hokar puchhta hai.

  "Nahi, par agli baar dikh gayi na, to chhodunga nahi use."

  "Relax, Veer. Kya usne yellow top aur white skirt pehna tha?" Anshuman puchhta hai.

  "Aur pink dupatta bhi tha. Kyun, aapko bhi dikhi kya?"

  "Haan-"

  "Aapko bhi pagal lagi na?"

  "Veer, mujhe bolne dega? Wo Shaivi hai-"

  "Haw! Aap uske saath first name basis pe ho?"

  "Shut up, Veer! Sun to le meri baat. Wo Shaivi hai, Kunal ki wedding planner. Hamne use us din Glam Events mein bhi to dekha tha usko."

  Yeh wahi ladki hai jise maine bus stand ke neeche dekha tha? Jispar maine galti se kichad uchhal diya tha aur wo mujhe dher saari galiyan de rahi thi par mujhe ek bhi baat sunai nahi di kyunki main uske aankhon mein kho gaya tha? Us din Glam Events mein uske chehre par nazar nahi gayi kyunki uski aankhe hi itni sundar thi. Yeh wahi hai? Maine jo socha tha, waisi nahi hai, ekdam opposite hai. Wo ladki ajeeb hai.

  Anshuman Veer ke chehre ke saamne chutki bajata hai. "Kahan kho gaya tha?"

  "Khona hi to nahi chahta."

  "What?"

  "Nothing." Veer wahan se chala jata hai.

  "Ise kya ho gaya? Yeh itna ajeeb kyun behave kar raha hai?"

  "Because he's Veer. Ab chalein? Lunch meeting hai na."

  "Haan, chalo."