Priya Sharma 34 ki thi aur usne arrange marriage ke 46 rishte thukra diye the. Har baar wahi scene – mummy-papa ki umeed bhari nazar, ladke wale ka “beta kya karti ho”, aur Priya ka mann jo chillata tha – “mujhe space chahiye, pressure mat daalo”.
Lekin ghar walon ki thak jaane wali baaton ke baad, usne haan bol diya. Biodata number 47.
Rajiv Mehra. 37 saal. Bangalore mein achhi job. Serious type ka aadmi. Kam bolta tha, zyada sochta tha.
Pehli mulakat mein dono chup-chaap baithe the. Families ne baatein ki – rishte ki achhai, ghar ki izzat, future. Priya aur Rajiv sirf haan aur nahi mein jawab de rahe the.
Ghar laut kar mummy ne poocha, “Kaisa laga?” Priya ne kaha, “Theek hai. Kar lete hain.”
Shaadi ho gayi. Badi dhool-dhamaka wali shaadi. Logon ne bohot “jodi achhi hai” bola. Lekin raat ko jab dono bedroom mein akele hue, sachchai saamne aa gayi.
Rajiv ne kaha, “Main bahut andar se band rehta hoon. Pressure padta hai toh mujhe chup ho jaana padta hai.” Priya ne jawab diya, “Main bhi. Jab lagta hai koi mujhe rok raha hai, main andar hi chup jaati hoon. Dono alag alag cave mein baith jaate hain.”
Dono hans diye. Pehli baar sachchi smile aayi.
Rajiv ke joint family ghar mein rehna Priya ke liye asaan nahi tha. Subah 7:30 baje nashta, mummy ki “beta zyada kha lo”, papa ki family time ki expectation. Priya jo 8 saal akeli rehti thi, uska dimag chillane maang raha tha.
Rajiv office se late aata. Ghar aakar chup-chaap khana khaata aur study mein baith jaata. Priya bhi laptop khol leti. Dono ek dusre se door-door rehte, lekin ghar mein sab notice kar rahe the.
Ek din Meena aunty (saas) ne Priya ko pakad liya. “Beta, Rajiv aisa hi hai. Jab tension hoti hai toh band ho jaata hai. Tu chhod mat dena usko.”
Priya ne sirf muskuraya. Andar se socha – main khud hi band ho rahi hoon.
Mahine chaar baad Rajiv ke office mein bada project aa gaya. Woh raat ko 11-12 baje aane laga. Baat karne ki koshish ki toh jawab milta – “Theek hoon.”
Priya ko purana dard yaad aa gaya. Usne bag pack kiya aur Pune jaane ka ticket book kar liya. Chupke se.
Rajiv darwaze par aa gaya jab woh nikalne wali thi. “Ja rahi ho?” uski awaaz mein kuch toot sa gaya tha.
Priya ne kaha, “Main roz yahan mar mar ke jee nahi sakti. Tum band ho jaate ho, main bhi band ho jaati hoon. Yeh kaun si shaadi hai?”
Rajiv ne pehli baar apna mann khola. “Mujhe dar lagta hai Priya. Family, job, ab tum… sab pressure ban raha tha. Main purana habit se andar chala gaya. Sorry. Main seekh raha hoon.”
Us raat dono baith kar baatein karte rahe. Rone nahi aaye, lekin sachche mann se baatein ki. Dono ne maana ki un dono ki problem ek jaisi thi – door bhagna jab closeness feel hoti hai.
Uske baad chhoti-chhoti cheezein badalne lagi.
Rajiv subah coffee banakar rakhta – bilkul Priya wali black. Koi note nahi, bas chhupa hua pyaar. Priya uske late aane par wait karti aur chup-chaap chai bana deti.
Diwali ke time ghar bhara hua tha. Priya ko bheed mein suffocation hone lagi toh Rajiv ne use room mein le jaakar chup-chaap baith gaya. Bola, “Mujhe bhi pasand nahi itni bheed.”
Pehli baar Priya ne uske kandhe par sar rakha. Rajiv ne haath pakad liya.
Ganesh Chaturthi mein jab sab nach rahe the, dono balcony mein baithe the. Rajiv ne kaha, “Pehle lagta tha arrange marriage sirf compromise hota hai. Ab lagta hai hum dono ne ek dusre ko samajh liya hai.”
Hyderabad shift ho gaye the dono. Naya ghar, nayi zindagi. Ab bhi kabhi-kabhi door ho jaate the, lekin ab naam le lete the problem ka.
Ek barish wali shaam Rajiv phoolon ka chhota sa guldasta le aaya – desi genda phool. Usne kaha, “Priya, mujhe tumse pyaar ho gaya hai. Bollywood wala nahi… hum dono wala. Jo dheere dheere banta hai.”
Priya ki aankhon mein aansu aa gaye. “Mujhe bhi. Hum dono ke tarah ka pyaar. Thoda alag, lekin apna.”
Mahine do baad ek din Rajiv office se bahut thaka hua aaya. Project mein kuch problem ho gaya tha. Usne dinner kiya, TV dekha, aur seedha so gaya – Priya se ek baat bhi nahi ki.
Priya ko purana gussa aa gaya. Usne socha, phir shuru ho gaya yeh band hone ka silsila.
Us raat usne apna blanket uthaya aur hall ke couch par so gayi. Subah Rajiv utha toh bed khali dekha. Pehle toh usne ignore kiya, lekin jab Priya kitchen mein bhi chup-chaap kaam karne lagi, tab usko samajh aaya.
“Priya, kya hua?” usne dheere se poocha.
Priya ne aankhein uthayi nahi. “Kuch nahi. Tum theek ho na? Bas yahi toh problem hai – tum theek ho, main theek hoon, aur hum dono alag-alag theek hote ja rahe hain.”
Rajiv ne chair khinch kar baith gaya. Bahut der tak chup raha. Phir bola, “Sorry. Kal office mein itna stress tha ki mann mein sab andar lock kar diya. Tumhe ignore nahi karna tha.”
Priya ne finally uski taraf dekha. “Rajiv, hum dono yahi galti karte hain. Jab mushkil hoti hai, hum door ho jaate hain. Phir doori aur badh jaati hai. Main bhi galti karti hoon – main bolti nahi hoon, bas andar hi chup jaati hoon.”
Dono ne us din pehli baar decide kiya – har hafte ek baar baith kar baat karenge. Chhoti si baat. Koi bada pyaar ka izhaar nahi, bas sachchi feelings.
Bangalore se call aane lage the roz.
Meena aunty: “Beta kab aa rahe ho? Ghar sunsaan lagta hai.”
Papa: “Rajiv, job Hyderabad mein hi achhi hai kya? Wapas aa jao.”
Priya ko lagta tha jaise woh beech mein fas gayi hai. Ek taraf uska apna career, dusri taraf Rajiv ke parents ki umeed.
Ek weekend Bangalore jaane ka plan bana. Ghar pahunchte hi pura drama shuru.
Meena aunty ne Priya ko alag le jaakar kaha, “Beta, abhi tak koi good news nahi? Log poochhte hain.”
Priya ne muskurate hue kaha, “Aunty, hum dono apni speed se chal rahe hain.”
Shaam ko Rajiv ke papa ne Rajiv ko daanta, “Beta, responsibility samajh. Ghar basane ka time aa gaya.”
Rajiv chup raha. Raat ko room mein Priya se bola, “Kabhi-kabhi lagta hai main unki umeedon ke neeche dab jaunga.”
Priya ne uska haath pakda – pehli baar khud se. “Hum dono ko apna balance dhoondhna hoga. Na unko ignore kar sakte hain, na khud ko.”
Us raat dono bahut der tak baatein karte rahe. Rajiv ne bataya kaise bachpan mein uske papa hamesha “strong bano, rona mat” bolte the. Priya ne bataya kaise uske ghar mein feelings ki baat karna “weakness” samjha jaata tha.
Dono ko ehsaas hua – unki problem sirf unki nahi thi, yeh purani generation se chali aa rahi thi.
Dheere dheere routine banne lagi.
Rajiv har Sunday subah Priya ke liye aloo paratha banata (uski mummy ki recipe). Priya uske office bag mein chhoti si chocolate rakh deti.
Ek din office se jaldi aakar Rajiv ne surprise kiya – dono ne mil kar movie dekhi. Koi romantic nahi, ek normal comedy. Has has ke dono ka pet dukh gaya.
Diwali ke time Hyderabad mein apne chhote se flat ko decorate kiya. Rajiv ne lights lagayi, Priya ne diya jalaye. Jab patakhe phoote, dono balcony mein khade the.
Rajiv ne dheere se kaha, “Pehle lagta tha shaadi sirf compromise hoti hai. Ab lagta hai hum saath mein kuch bana rahe hain.”
Priya ne uske kandhe par sar rakha. “Haan. Dono ke cave se bahar nikal kar.”
Mahine aath baad Rajiv ko phir se bada project mila. Is baar usne purani galti nahi ki. Raat ko ghar aakar pehle Priya se baat ki.
“Bahut busy hone wala hoon agle 15 din. Lekin main try karunga roz 10 minute baat karne ka.”
Priya ne muskurate hue kaha, “Theek hai. Main bhi apna deadline manage kar lungi. Aur haan… agar mann bhari lage toh bol dena. Main samajh jaungi.”
Us 15 din mein kabhi kabhi dooriyan hui, lekin pehle jaisa bada gap nahi pada. Dono seekh rahe the.
Aaj Priya aur Rajiv ka flat thoda aur ghar jaisa lagta tha.
Priya ki writing achhe se chal rahi thi. Rajiv ki job stable thi. Kabhi kabhi Bangalore jaate the, lekin ab wapas aane mein mann nahi karta tha.
Ek shaam balcony mein baith kar Rajiv ne kaha, “Yaad hai pehli raat? Humne kaha tha ‘coexist’ karenge.”
Priya hansi. “Haan. Ab coexist nahi, saath jee rahe hain.”
Rajiv ne uska haath pakda. “Mujhe tumse pyaar hai Priya. Woh Bollywood wala nahi… humara wala. Jo dheere dheere, chhoti chhoti cheezon se banta hai.”
Priya ki aankhon mein aansu the, lekin muskaan bhi. “Mujhe bhi. Bahut pyaar hai.”
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