“Tum bilkul Parul aunty ki tarah baatein kar rahi ho,” maine ek playful smile ke sath kaha.
“To, baat aisi hai ki wo apni jagah par thik hain is baat ko lekar. Main ek professional ki tarah apni life jiti hun, lekin sabhi ladkiyan aisa nahi karti. Aur ye bilkul mat sochna ki sabhi clients ache hote hain.”
“Lekin, tum mere sath hogi na, to mujhe kuch bhi nahi hoga.”
“Oh, Niti,….kuch aur soch lo na, please?”
“Agar kuch aur hota to maine ab tak soch liya hota, believe me.”
“….kya hum log is bare me baad me bat kar sakte hain? Jab hum dono is bare me thoda soch le?”
“Maine bahut socha hai, lekin fir bhi okay.”
“Iska matlab tumne decide kar liya hai, hai na?”
“Itna ki main Daddy se bhi puchne wali hun.”
Wo halke se apna sir hilane lagi. “Alright, lekin mujhe thoda time chahiye, okay?”
“Tum yahi sochogi na ki mera man kaise badla jaye.”
“….Mujhe koi dikkat nahi hai ye baat accept karne me.”
“Jiya,….main Daddy se kuch bhi nahi kahungi jab tak tum decide nahi kar leti. I promise, lekin mujhe jyada wait mat karwana, kyuki main sach me thak chuki hun jobless hoke. Okay?”
“Main kya karun tumhara?”
“Well, agar tumne pucha hi hai, to kyu na main dobara kapde pehnti hun, fir tum mujhe jabardasti bistar par girana aur mere hath pair bandh ke, kapde utarna aur mere muh par baithna jaisa ki tumne mere room me kiya tha?”
“…..meri kinky little angel?”
“Kinkier. Kya pehnu?”
Uske baad hum dono me se kisi ne is baat ka jikr nahi kiya us sham. Aur maine use ye bhi nahi bataya ki main ek saptah se running aur exercise kar rahi hun. Pata nahi wo kab notice karegi?
January 12, 2014.
I guess mujhe Jiya se gussa hona chahiye, lekin main nahi hun. Pehle to ye ki main janti hun ki wo mera acha hi chahti thi aur kaam bhi ho gaya aur dusri baat ye jin logo se main pyar karti hun unse jyada der gussa nahi reh sakti.
Wo ek dum se aa gayi ghar me jaise dinner ke liye aayi ho, jisse mujhe aur Daddy hum dono ko bahut acha laga. So, hum log tv dekhte hue coffee pi rahe the jab Jiya ne apna bomb fod diya.
“To, uncle..”
“Haan, Jiya..”
“Main kuch batana chahti thi apko. Hum teeno ke bich ek baat ko lekar issue hai.”
“…okay, aur issue kya hai?”
(Oh, god!)
“Well, Niti bahut upset hai ki use koi job nahi mil rahi hai aur main uspar blame bhi nahi daal rahi lekin uske man jo ab idea aaya hai wo mujhe nahi lagta ki apko utna pasand aaya, aur naa hi mujhe pasand aaya hai.”
Main muh khol ke use dekhne lagi. Meri halat ek dubte hue jahaz ki tarah ho gayi jo ek dum se kisi chattan se takra gaya tha. Wo pure confidence se Daddy se baat kar rahi thi lekin kuch kuch der me meri or bhi dekhti.
“Niti dancer banana chahti hai, aur vaisi dancer nahi jo DID me hoti hain.”
Mere Daddy ne ankhen band kari aur kandhe dhile chhod diye jaise wo har gaye the.
“Niti hi apko ye baat pehle batana chahti thi lekin jaisa ki hum sab yahan jante hain ki main pakka involve hun yahan pe, to main chahti thi ki apko ye baat…aap samajh rahe ho na.”
“Hunhaan,” Daddy apna chehra ragadte hue bole fir meri taraf dekhne lage. “Kittu…tumhe ye karne ki koi jarurat nahi hai. Koi na koi rasta pakka nikal aayega.
“Daddy, hey bhagwan, Jiya! main iske liye tayyar nahi thi, tumhe mujhe….”
“Piche hatane ka rasta sochna chahiye tha. Yahi hai wo rasta,” wo halke se sorry ke lehze me kandhe uchka kar boli.
“Shit, Jiya!” Main gusse se bifar padi, matlab yaar kamsekam mujhe kuch to batana chahiye tha,”tumhe..”
“Shant,” Daddy ek dum se bol pade. Unki tone wahi thi jise sunkar main hamesha hi chup ho jane par majbur ho jaya karti hun. “Jiya ek responsible ladki hai aur usne bilkul thik hi kiya. Kittu, agar paiso ki baat hai to main tumhari pocket money badha dunga. Tumhe jo bhi chahiye sab la..”
“Daddy, nahiiin! Apne mujhe apne pairo par khade hone layak tayyar kiya hai jaise ki Jiya hai. Aur main wahi karne ki kosis kar rahi hun, lekin jab tak mere paas job nahi hogi main aisa kuch bhi nahi kar sakti. Har jagah jahan main jati hun, unhe koi experience wala chahiye hota hai aur mere paas wo hai nahi kyuki meri paas to koi job hi nahi hai. Aur isi dauran, main apke paiso par ji rahi hun, apke paiso se hi apko gifts deti hun aur mujhe bahut bura lagta hai. Kyuki aap aur Jiya dono me se koi bhi mujhe meri coffee tak lene nahi deta. Main khud ke pairo par khadi hona chahti hun jisse main khud ke paiso se apne liye, apke liye chize khareed sakun.”