Wo mujhe ek aakhari baar Ashu ke ghar le gaya. Us din mai ek bohot bada faisala lene waali thi. Ham Ashu ke ghar pohoche. Ek aakhari baar mai uska pura ghar dekhna chaahti thi. Har wo chiz jaha hamaari yaade thi, Ashu ki yaade thi. Uske kitchen me jab maine pehli baar roti banaane ki koshish ki thi. Aur usne jab chai me shakkar ki jagah namakh daal diya tha. Jab aata gundhe waqt hamne aate walai fight ki thi. Aur pura kitchen ganda ho gaya tha. Sab yaade slideshow ki tarah meri aankho ke saamne aa rhe the. Bedroom me hamaari pillow fights, horror movies dekhte waqt Ashu ka bich me chillaake darana, jab first time salsa dance ham dono ek saath try kiya tha, loud music par naagin dance karna ye sab yaad karke kab mujhe hasi aa gayi pata hi nahi chala. Bada hi confusing moment tha wo, hoto par hasi aur aankho me aansu dono the. Aur last me uski window, jaha use sabse jyada dar lagta tha. Jab bhi parade balane hote the, tab mai hi upar chadha karti thi. Shreyas ne mere shoulder par haath rakha.)
Shreyas:. Sambhaalo khud ko, ab bhi mauka hai, ham us kaatil ko dhundh sakte hai.
Me:. Nahi, ab nahi. Aur isi faisale par kaayam rehne ke liye (maine Shreyas ke sar par haath rakha) aaj mai tumhaare sar ki kasam khaati hu ki mai aaj ke baad is topic ke baare me kabhi bhi nahi sochungi.
Shreyas:. What? Yaar Shriya, paagal hai kya? Kasam khaane ki koi jarurat nahi hai. Tu aise hi bol deti to mai trust kar leta.
Me:. Ye kasam maine tumhe promise karne ke liye nahi li. Maine ye kasam isi liye li taaki aage jaa kar mai chaah kar bhi ye faisala badal naa paau.
Shreyas:. Yaar, itana pyaar?
Me:. Teri jaan ke liye kuchh bhi. I think we have to go. Isase pehle ki mai pana faisla badal du. We have to leave.
Shreyas:. Hmmm
(Ham dono waha se nikal ne ke liye aage badhe tabhi meri najar us photo par padi jo hamare 10th standaard ke farewell ki thi. Hamaari first photo. Pata nahi kyu par mai us photo se najar hata hi nahi pa rahi thi. Aur mai achaank se rone lagi. Shreyas ne mere shoulder par haath rakha aur mujhe shaant karne ki koshish ki)
Me:. Please Shreyas, aaj mat rok. Ek last time ro lene de. Please....
(Aur mai pure 1 ghante tak roti rahi. Wahi us photo ko gale laga kar. Aur phir achanak se chup ho gayi. Aur uth kar khadi ho gayi. )
Shreyas:. Kya hua?
Me:. Shreyas? Ham ye photo le ja sakte hai?
Shreyas(mere gaalo ko dono haatho se pakd kar):. Of course. Puchhne ki baat hai kya?
Me:. Hmm... Let's go... (Mai apane dost ki sabse kimati chiz le ja rahi thi, wo photo... Jo usne mujhe kabhi bhi nahi di. Aur ab ye photo mai kisi ko nahi dungi. Din bitate gaye..... Engagement ke wajah se sab busy the. Mai bhi ab sab bhul kar khush thi. Aakhir kaar mera aur Shreyas ka rishta aur bhi strong hone wala tha. Sab khush the, mai bhi. Aur shayad Ashu bhi hogi. Aur aakhir kaar engagement ko sirf 2 hi din baaki the. Sab tayaariya ho gayi thi. Engagement hamaare hi ghar me hone waali thi. Sab mehmaan bhi aa gaye the. Sab kuchh ekdm sahi chal rha tha. Tabhi kuchh aisa hua jo shaayad us waqt hona chaahiye bhi tha aur nahi bhi...)
*Engagement ke 1 din pehle*
Me:. Hie.? Kaisi hai ab? Sab thik hai na? Yaar, tu honi chaahiye thi yaha. You know, Shreyas pura paagal hua ja raha hai engagement ke liye.... Aur mai bhi...😅😂 Yaar tu yaha hoti na to aur bhi maja ata. Par tu aaraam kar rahi hai. Ghode bech kar so rahi hogi, mauj kar rahi hogi. Aur mai? Mai akele hi sab tayaariya kar rahi hu. (Mai us photo ko dekh kar Ashu se baat kar rahi thi. Par farak itna tha ki is baar mai ek baar bhi nahi royi. Usase puri khushi se baat ki. Uske bhi chehre par smile thi aur mere bhi. Ham dono khush the. Aur Shreyas bhi... 1 din baaki tha engagement ko. Aur mai to khushi se paagal hue ja rahi thi. Jis ladke se mai itana pyaar karti hu aur jo ladka mujhe itana pyaar karta hai. Wo aakhir kaar officially mera hone wala tha. Mai bohot jyada khush aur excited thi. Ki tabhi Mummy ki aawaaj aayi)
Mummy:. Shriyaaaaa.... Jara bahaar aana...
Me:. Haaan Mummy! Aayi.... (Maine photo table rakhne ke liye haath aage badhaya. Mujhe laga photo table par thik se rakh di. Par mere khade hote hi wo photo niche gir gayi. )
Me:. Shitttttt! Ashu?
(Maine photo uthaayi to dekha ki photo ke upar ki kaanch tut gayi hai. )
Me:. Shitttttt yaar... Ye kyu tut gaya? Mai ek kaam karti hu, abhi jaake ise studio me banaane ke liye de deti hu. Shaam tak thik ho jaaega.
(Mai studio me gayi.)
Me:. Pritam uncle... Ye frame ki glass tut gayi hai. Kya aap ye thik kar doge?
Pritam uncle:. Haam beta, aap kal aa jaaiye. Aapko mil jaaegi frame...
Me:. Kal tak? Aaj nahi ho sakti kya? Please?
Pritam uncle:. Nahi ho sakta... Aapko kal shaam ko hi milga...
Me:. Kyaaa? Shaam ko? Pritam uncle, meri kal sagaai hai. Mujhe at least subah tak to de do...
Pritam uncle:. Sorry beta, par kal shaam ko hi milega. Ham kuchh nahi kar sakte.
Pritam uncle:. Ummm... Thike. Mai kisi aur ko bhej dungi laane ke liye. Abhi filaal aapka payment kar deti hu, aap receipt de dijiye mujhe
Pritam uncle:. Haan thike...
(Kya musibat hai. Is frame ko bhi abhi tutna tha. Kal meri engagement hai, aur aaj hi Ashu se dur hona pad raha hai. I know mere paas ham dono ke aur Ashu ke bohot saare photos the. Yaha tak ki mai us frame ki photo bhi le sakti thi... Par yaar wo photo Ashu ke paas 10th standard se tha. Usame uski ek alag duniya chhupi hui hai. Isi liye uska replacement to ho hi jahi sakta aur jaha baat rahi photo lene ki to originality bhi koi chiz hoti hai. Usme wo feel kaha jo us old frame hai.
Par ab kya kar sakte hai. Ab meri aur Ashu ki mulaqat direct kal shaam ko engagement ke waqt hi hogi....)
*Engagement wala din*
Shreyas:. So madam? Kaisa lag raha hai? (On phone)
Me:. Ekdm kharaab, yaar tere saath mujhe ab puri life bitaani padegi...
Shreyas:. Achhaaa madam? Ye baat hai? Thik hai, mai chal jata hu bhaag kar...
Me:. Kaha? Chachi ke ghar ya mausi ke ghar?
Shreyas:. Nahi, apane girlfriend ke paas...
Me:. Achha? Kaun hai wo chudail?
Shreyas:. Aayane me dekho, dikh jaaegi...
Me:. Haaawwww? Kamine...
Shreyas:. Achha suno na...
Me:. Bolo?
Shreyas:. Aaj tayaar ho jaaogi na to sabse pehle photo nikaal kar mujhe whatsapp karna. Please..
Me:. Bilkul nahi. Wait karna padega. Engagement tak..
Shreyas:. Wait karane ki baat nahi hai, wo to 10 saal tak kar lunga, par mujhe tumhe sabse pehle dekhna hai. Isiliye...
Me:. Awwwww.... Cute!... And lovely bhi!
Shreyas:. Kaash... Ashu bhi hamaare saath hoti...
Me:. Wo hamaare saath hai... Pehle bhi thi aur aage bhi rahegi... Mana wo physically yaha present nahi hai. Par wo hai. Uski blessings hai wishes hai... Aur dekhna aaj shaam ko jab frame repair ho kar aaegi na to wo bhi hamaare saath hogi.
Shreyas:. Are photo se yaad aya. Shaam ko kaun jaane wala hai frame laane ke liye?
Me:. Are maine wo mere chachi ki ladki hai na Shweta... Use bol diya hai... Wo lekar aa jaaegi.
Shreyas:. Hmm... Bas ab sirf shaam hone ki der hai... Phir ham dono hamesha ke liye ek ho jaaenge...
Me:. Oh hello, engagement ho rahi hai, shaadi nahi!
Shreyas:. So what? Ye shadi, engagement bas naam ke liye hai, tum to meri thi ho aur hamesha hi rahogi.
Me:. Hmmm😊... Chalo ab mujhe ready hona hai... Tum bhi tayaari kar lo.. bye...
Shreyas:. Bye...
(Ham dono apne engagement ko lekar bohot jyada excited the. Hamaare saalo ka pyaar aaj duniya ke saamne official hone wala tha... Ham officially engage hone waale the... Shaam ke 4 baj rahe the... Engagement ko sirf 3 ghante baaki the... Mai almost ready ho gayi thi... Shreyas aur Shreyas ke gharwaale bhi yaha aane ke liye nikal chuke the... Aur tabhi Shweta frame lekar aayi. Frame ek envelope me thi. Maine envelope khola. Aur maine dekha ki frame pehle jaisi hi ekdm ho gayi thi. Waise hi jaise mai Ashu ke ghar se laai thi. Maine table par frame rakhi aur envelope dust bin me dala. Tabhi us envelope se ek paper bahaar nikala. Mujhe laga ki frame ki receipt hogi, par mujhe yaad aya ki frame ki receipt to mujhe kal hi de di thi. Isi liye pata karne ke liye maine wo paper uthaya. Us paper par kuchh likha hua tha English me... Par bohot ajib tha. Uski spellings hi correct nahi thi. Kya likha hua tha kuchh samjh nahi aa rha tha. )
