Alpha CEO's 90 Day Contract

Chapter 18: Subah 5 Baje Ki Flight

Baarish ki awaaz ab tez ho gayi thi. Khidki ke sheeshe par paani ki boondein line bana rahi thi, jaise koi chup chaap ro raha ho.

Anaya ne phone table par rakh diya. Screen black ho gayi, par Vivaan ka last message abhi bhi uski aankhon ke saamne tha.

_"Delhi wapas aa raha hu. Subah 5 baje ki flight. Tumse baat karni hai. Bahut zaroori."_

Bahut zaroori.

In teen shabdon ne uska saans rok diya tha.

Table par wo cheque abhi bhi pada tha. 50 lakh ka. Jis contract ke liye usne sign kiya tha. Jis contract ne uske chote bhai Aryan ki surgery ka kharcha uthaya tha.

90 din. Bas 90 din.

Pehle din jab Vivaan ne kaha tha "Ye sirf kagaz ka rishta hai Anaya", tab usne maan liya tha. Kyunki zaroorat sabse badi majboori hoti hai.

Par aaj 60 din baad... kagaz ka rishta dil tak kaise pahunch gaya, usse khud nahi pata chala.

"Vivaan se kehna mat. Wo kamzor pad jata hai."

Agent ki wo baat kaan me gunj rahi thi. Kaun kamzor pad raha hai? Vivaan? Ya wo?

Raat ke 2 baj gaye. Neend nahi aa rahi thi. Anaya uth kar kitchen me gayi. Chai banayi. Par ek ghoont bhi nahi pi.

Subah 4 baje alarm baja. Flight 5 baje ki thi. Matlab Vivaan 6 baje tak Delhi pahunch jayega.

Darwaze par bell baji.

Thak... thak... thak...

Anaya ka dil zor se dhadka. Itni subah kaun?

Usne darwaza khola.

Saamne Vivaan khada tha. Baal bheeg gaye the. Shirt par baarish ke chheente. Aankhon ke neeche kaale ghere. Jaise puri raat soya na ho.

"Tu... tu to 5 baje ki flight se aa raha tha na?" Anaya ki awaaz kaanp gayi.

Vivaan andar aaya. Darwaza band kiya. Aur bina kuch bole Anaya ko gale laga liya.

Itna tight hug ki Anaya ka saans ruk gaya. Uski shirt se Vivaan ke perfume ke saath baarish ki khushboo aa rahi thi.

"Pagal ho gaye ho kya?" Anaya ne dheere se kaha. "Flight miss kar di?"

Vivaan ne use chhoda nahi. Bas uske baal sehlate hue bola, "Flight cancel kar di. Raat bhar neend nahi aayi. Isliye car leke nikal pada. 6 ghante drive karke aaya hu."

Anaya door hui. Uski aankhon me dekha. "Kya baat karni hai? Itni zaroori?"

Vivaan seedha table ki taraf gaya. Wahi cheque uthaya. Phad diya. Tukde hawa me uda diye.

"Ye contract khatam." Usne kaha.

Anaya ke pairon tale zameen nikal gayi. "Vivaan tum... tum ye kya kar rahe ho? Aryan ki surgery ke paise..."

"Main dunga." Vivaan ne beech me roka. "Bina contract ke. Bina shart ke. Kyunki mujhe tumse mohabbat ho gayi hai Anaya."

Shabd hawa me latak gaye.

Baarish aur tez ho gayi.

Anaya peeche hat gayi. "Mohabbat? 90 din ka deal tha ye Vivaan. Tumne khud kaha tha. Na dil, na emotion. Sirf business."

"Haan kaha tha." Vivaan ki awaaz bharra gayi. "Kyunki mujhe darr lag raha tha. Meri pehli shaadi tootne ke baad maine soch liya tha ki main kisi se dil nahi lagaunga. Isliye contract banaya. Taaki safe rahu. Taaki jab dil toote to koi zimmedari na ho."

Wo Anaya ke paas aaya. Uska haath pakda.

"Par tumne wo safe wall tod di. Tumhari zid, tumhari care, raat ko Aryan ke liye jaagna... main roz toot raha tha Anaya. Aur aaj jab agent ne kaha ki tum cheque leke jaa rahi ho, ki tum jaa rahi ho... mujhe laga main mar jaunga."

Anaya ki aankhon me aansu aa gaye. "Toh ab kya chahte ho?"

"Main tumse sachhi shaadi karna chahta hu. Contract wali nahi. Dil wali. Agar tum haan kaho to."

Anaya ne haath chudaya. Khidki ke paas chali gayi. Baarish dekhne lagi.

"Vivaan, tum CEO ho. Duniya tumhe dekhti hai. Aur main... main ek aam ladki. Jisne majboori me shaadi ki. Log kya kahenge?"

"Log?" Vivaan hansa. Kadwa hansi. "Jab Aryan ICU me tha tab log kaha the? Jab tum 2 job karke uska ilaaj kar rahi thi tab log kaha the? Anaya, zindagi bahut choti hai logo ke liye jeene ke liye."

Usne Anaya ke kandhe par haath rakha. "Bas ek baar bolo. Haan ya na. Main zabardasti nahi karunga."

Anaya ne aankh band ki. Peechle 60 din yaad kiye. Vivaan ka gussa, uski care, raat ko chupke se uske liye coffee banana, Aryan se video call par baat karna...

Dil ne jawab de diya.

"Haan." Wo dheere se boli. "Haan Vivaan. Par ek shart par."

Vivaan ne sar uthaya. "Kaisi shart?"

"Ki ye rishta sach hoga. Koi contract nahi. Koi 90 din nahi. Jab tak saans hai." Anaya palti. "Aur Aryan ko pata hona chahiye. Usse main jhooth nahi bolungi."

Vivaan ki aankhon me nami aa gayi. Pehli baar usne Anaya ko rone diya. Usne Anaya ke aansu ponche.

"Promise." Usne kaha. "Na contract, na jhooth. Bas hum."

Dono chup ho gaye. Sirf baarish ki awaaz thi.

Subah ke 7 baj gaye. Baarish tham gayi.

Vivaan ne chai banayi. Dono balcony me baith gaye.

"Kya hoga ab?" Anaya ne pucha.

"Ab?" Vivaan ne uska haath pakda. "Ab hum Aryan ko discharge karwate hain. Phir mandir. Phir duniya ko batate hain ki Alpha CEO ki biwi koi contract nahi, uska pyaar hai."

Anaya muskurai. Pehli baar 90 din me dil se.

"Tootne ka darr tha na?" Vivaan ne kaha.

Anaya ne sar hilaaya. "Haan. Par shayad toot kar hi kuch naya banta hai."

Vivaan ne uske maathe par chumban kiya. "Tootna band. Ab sirf judna hai."

3 din baad

Hospital.

Aryan bed par baitha hula tha. Uske haath me chocolate thi.

"Aunty, ye uncle kaun hai?" Aryan ne Vivaan ki taraf ishara kiya.

Vivaan ghabra gaya. Anaya ne Aryan ke baal sehlaaye.

"Ye uncle nahi beta. Ye... ye tumhare naye papa hain."

Aryan ki aankhen badi ho gayin. Phir wo Vivaan ke paas gaya aur uska haath pakad liya. "Sach me? To ab hum teeno saath rahenge na?"

Vivaan ne Anaya ko dekha. Anaya ne haan me sar hilaaya.

Vivaan ne Aryan ko god me utha liya. "Haan beta. Hamesha saath."

1 hafte baad. Mandir.

Choti si shaadi. Sirf 10 log. Na media, na shor.

Pande ji ne mantra padhe. Vivaan ne Anaya ke gale me mangalsutra daala.

Us raat, jab sab so gaye, Anaya balcony me khadi thi. Haath me chai.

Peeche se Vivaan aaya. Uske kandhe par haath rakha.

"Darr lag raha hai?" usne pucha.

Anaya ne sar naa me hilaya. "Pehle lagta tha. Ab nahi. Kyunki ab contract nahi hai. Bharosa hai."

Vivaan ne use apni taraf kheench liya. "90 din ka contract khatam. Ab zindagi bhar ka contract shuru."

Anaya hansi. "Pagal."

"Bas tumhare liye."

Chand baadalon ke peeche se nikla. Sheher so raha tha. Par us chote se flat me, do dilon ne finally chain ki saans li thi.

Contract ne unhe milaya tha. Par mohabbat ne unhe rok liya tha.

Subah ki pehli kiran khidki se andar aayi to Anaya abhi bhi Vivaan ke kandhe par sar rakh ke so rahi thi. Chai thandi ho chuki thi, par dil garam tha.

Vivaan ne dheere se uske baal sehlaye. "Uth jao CEO ki biwi ji. Aaj bahut kaam hai."

Anaya ne aankh michmicha kar kholi. "Kaunsa kaam?"

"Pehla kaam - Aryan ko discharge karwana. Dusra kaam - tumhe shopping karwana. Teesra kaam - duniya ko batana ki Vivaan Malhotra ki shaadi contract se nahi, pyaar se hui hai."

Anaya sharma gayi. "Itni jaldi?"

"90 din wait kar liya. Aur nahi." Vivaan utha aur kitchen me chala gaya. 10 min me parathe aur chai le aaya.

Nashte ke baad dono hospital pahunche.

Aryan bed par baith kar cartoon dekh raha tha. Anaya ko dekhte hi wo uchal pada. "Didi!"

"Beta kaisa hai?" Anaya ne use gale lagaya.

"Acha hu. Doctor aunty ne kaha aaj ghar jaa sakta hu." Aryan ki aankhen chamak rahi thi. Phir usne Vivaan ko dekha. "Aur ye wale uncle?"

Vivaan ghutno ke bal baith gaya. "Main uncle nahi hu Aryan. Main... main tumhara papa hu. Agar tumhe aitraaz na ho to."

Aryan 2 second chup raha. Phir bola, "Papa? Sach me? To kya aap roz mere saath khelne aaoge? Aur school chhodne?"

Vivaan ki aankh bhar aayi. Usne Aryan ko gale laga liya. "Roz. Har din. Promise."

Doctor ne discharge paper diye. Bill ka naam sunke Anaya phir se ghabra gayi. Par Vivaan ne sirf card swipe kiya. "Ab tension mat lo. Main hu na."

Ghar aate-aate shaam ho gayi. Chota sa 2BHK flat. Aryan apne kamre me khilone se khelne laga.

Raat ko khane ke baad Vivaan ne kaha, "Anaya, kal board meeting hai. Mujhe batana padega."

Anaya ka chehra utar gaya. "Kya sochenge log? CEO ne apni secretary se shaadi kar li?"

Vivaan ne uska haath pakda. "Tum secretary nahi ho. Tum meri taakat ho. Aur jo board ko problem hogi, wo company chhod sakta hai."

"Par tumhari izzat..."

"Meri izzat tumhare saath hai." Vivaan ne beech me roka. "Dekho, main 35 saal ka hu. Ek divorce le chuka hu. Duniya ne bahut baatein ki. Par is baar main chup nahi rahunga. Main loud bolunga ki mujhe apni biwi par garv hai."

Anaya ki aankhon me aansu aa gaye. "Tum badal gaye ho Vivaan."

"Nahi. Tumne badal diya."

Agle din. Malhotra Industries. Board Room.

30 log baithe the. Sab ke chehre par sawal.

Vivaan seedha stage par aaya. Mic uthaya.

"Good morning. Aaj meeting ka agenda sirf ek hai." Usne Anaya ka haath pakad kar sabke saamne khada kiya.

"Ye Anaya Sharma hai. Meri biwi."

Hall me sannata chha gaya. Phir dheere dheere sargoshiyan shuru.

Ek budhe director khade hue. "Vivaan, ye kya tareeka hai? Contract marriage ki news pehle hi market me hai. Ab ye..."

"Contract khatam ho chuka hai Mr. Mehta." Vivaan ki awaaz sakht thi. "Jo hua wo majboori thi. Jo ab hai wo meri marzi hai. Anaya ne mere bhai jaisi company ko 2 baar bachaya hai. Pehle uski mehnat se, aur ab uske saath se."

Anaya ne sar jhuka liya. Sharm se.

Vivaan ne aage kaha, "Aur haan, Anaya ab se CSR Head hogi. Jo bachon ke hospital ka project hum chala rahe hain, wo sambhalegi. Kyunki use dard pata hai."

Kuch log taali bajane lage. Kuch abhi bhi munh bana rahe the.

Meeting ke baad Vivaan aur Anaya lift me the.

"Tumne aisa kyu kiya?" Anaya ne pucha.

"Kyunki main thak gaya hu chupane se. Duniya ko sach pata hona chahiye. Aur jo log baat karenge, karne do. Hum apni zindagi jiyenge."

Lift ka darwaza khula. Bahar reporters khade the.

"Mr. Malhotra! Shaadi kab hui?"

"Contract marriage sach thi kya?"

"Mam aapko kaisa lag raha hai?"

Vivaan ne Anaya ko apne peeche kiya. "No comments. Personal life personal hai. Par itna kahunga - main khush hu. Bahut khush."

Wo dono car me baith kar nikal gaye.

Raat ko ghar aakar Anaya ne Vivaan se kaha, "Darr lag raha hai."

"Kis baat ka?"

"Ki kahin ye sapna na toot jaye."

Vivaan ne use apni bahon me bhar liya. "Sapne tab toot-te hain jab unhe neend me dekha jata hai. Hum to jaag kar jee rahe hain Anaya. Isliye ye nahi tootega."

Usne Anaya ke maathe par chumban kiya. "Chalo ab so jao. Kal se nayi zindagi shuru."

Anaya Vivaan ke seene se lipat gayi. Bahar baarish phir se shuru ho gayi thi. Par is baar darr wali baarish nahi thi. Ye nayi shuruat wali baarish thi.

90 din ka contract khatam.

Zindagi bhar ka rishta shuru.

To be continued...