Dillagi

Dillagi_ Part 6

Kehte hain ke barish ke baad aasmaan saaf ho jata hai, lekin Meerab ke dil ke aasmaan par abhi bhee badal mandla rahe the. Kal raat toofan mein Zaviyar ka wo narm roop, us ka apna coat Meerab ke sar par daalna, aur us ke zakham par fakar-mandi se rumal bandhna—yeh sab Meerab ke zehan se nikal nahi raha tha. Lekin subha jab wo office pohnchi, to wahan ka mahaul bilkul badla hua tha.

Zaviyar ke cabin ke baahir ek behad haseen, stylish aur modern larki khari thi. Us ne ajeeb o ghareeb qism ka designer suit pehna hua tha aur us ke chehre par ek ajeeb sa guroor tha. Meerab ne abhi apna bag desk par rakha hi tha ke wo larki bina knock kiye direct Zaviyar ke cabin ki taraf barhi.

"Excuse me, ma'am! Aap bina appointment ke andar nahi ja saktin," Meerab ne fauran agay barh kar rasta roka. Us larki ne Meerab ko sar se paon tak ek tanz-iya nazar se dekha aur boli, "Appointment? Mujhe 'Zavi' se milne ke liye kisi appointment ki zaroorat nahi parti. Main Natasha hoon, us ki childhood friend aur ab is company ki nayi board member." Natasha ne Meerab ko kandhe se thoda peeche kiya aur nakhre se andar chali gayi. Meerab hairat se khari reh gayi. "Zavi? Is jallad ka yeh naam bhee ho sakta hai?" us ne bad-mizaji se socha.

Lekin asli jhatka Meerab ko tab laga jab us ne darwaze ke sheeshe se andar ka nazaara dekha. Zaviyar—jo hamesha patthar ki tarah sapat expressions ke sath baithta tha—Natasha ko dekh kar na sirf muskura raha tha, balki khare ho kar us se bohot garm-joshi se mila. Natasha ne aate hi Zaviyar ka haath pakar liya aur dono bohot qareeb baith kar baatein karne lage. Meerab ke seene mein achanak ek ajeeb si jalan aur chubhan mehsoos hui. Us ka dil chah raha tha ke wo fauran andar jaye aur Natasha ka haath Zaviyar se alag kar de.

Abhi wo gusse mein files set kar hi rahi thi ke intercom baja. "Meerab, andar aao aur hamare liye do black coffees lekar aao. Natasha ko sugar pasand nahi hai, so make it strong," Zaviyar ka wahi professional lehja tha. Meerab ne bheenchi hui muthiyon ke sath kitchen se coffee banayi aur cabin mein dakhil hui. Natasha is waqt laptop par koi purani photo dikhate hue Zaviyar ke kandhe ke bilkul qareeb khari thi.

Meerab ne coffee table par rakhi. Natasha ne aahista se coffee uthayi aur Meerab par ek nazar daal kar Zaviyar se boli, "Zavi, tumhari PA thodi... simple nahi hai? I mean, corporate look hona chahiye na. Yeh kapre aur yeh dupatta... thoda out-of-date lagta hai." Zaviyar ne ek pal ke liye Meerab ke light rang ke suit aur dupatte ko dekha, jis mein wo hamesha ki tarah bohot masoom aur pyari lag rahi thi. Us ne aahista se kaha, "Meerab apna kaam bohot perfect karti hai, Natasha."

Lekin Meerab ko Natasha ki yeh baat teer ki tarah chubhi. Us ka dil kiya ke wo saari coffee Natasha ke us qeemti suit par gira de. Wo bina kuch bole, ek gusse bhari nazar Zaviyar par daal kar baahir nikal aayi. "Simple? Main ise out-of-date lagti hoon?" Meerab ne gusse se apne baal peeche jhatke. "Aur yeh maghroor jallad... kal tak mere liye pareshan ho raha tha aur aaj is lal-parri ke aate hi mujhe bhool gaya!"

Poora din Natasha cabin se baahir nahi nikli. Meerab jab bhee koi file dene jati, Natasha jaan-booch kar Zaviyar ke haath par apna haath rakh deti ya us se chipak kar baithti. Meerab ka gussa ab aag ban chuka tha. Shaam ko jab office off hua, to Meerab ne fauran apna bag uthaya aur bina Zaviyar ko bataye nikalne lagi. Jaise hi wo elevator ke paas pohnchi, peeche se Zaviyar ki bhari aawaaz aayi. "Meerab! Ruko."

Meerab ne rukh badla. Zaviyar ke sath Natasha khari thi, aur us ne bade haq se Zaviyar ke baah (arm) mein apna haath dala hua tha. "Hum dinner ke liye baahir ja rahe hain. Tum bhee chal rahi ho hamare sath, Natasha keh rahi thi ke tumhein bhee company mil jayegi," Zaviyar ne bade aam se lehje mein kaha. Meerab ne Natasha ki us winning muskurahat ko dekha, aur phir us ke haath ko dekha jo Zaviyar ke arm mein tha. Meerab ki khuddari aur jalan is waqt aakhri hadd par thin.

"Nahi, thank you, sir. Mujhe kisi ke darmiyan teesra banne ka koi shouq nahi hai. Aur waise bhee, mujhe 'simple' aur 'out-of-date' khana hi pasand hai, aap jaise VIPs ke sath dinner karna mere bas ki baat nahi," Meerab ne bina darr ke, seedha Natasha ke chehre par tanz kiya, ek gusse bhari nazar Zaviyar par dali aur elevator ka button daba kar andar chali gayi.

Zaviyar ne hairat se Meerab ko jaate dekha. Lekin us ke lehje ki wo jalan aur saaf nazar aane wala gussa dekh kar, Zaviyar ke labon par ek dabi dabi shokh muskurahat aa gayi. Wo samajh gaya tha ke Meerab ko Natasha ka us ke qareeb aana bilkul hazam nahi ho raha tha. Elevator ke andar, Meerab ki aankhon mein gusse ke aansoo the. "Main kyun jal rahi hoon? Mujhe kya farq padta hai wo jiske sath bhee ghoome! Maghroor jallad!" Lekin Meerab ko nahi maloom tha ke agle hi din Natasha ne us ke khilaf ek aisi gandi chaal chalni thi, jahan Meerab ki khuddari aur us ki naukri dono daon par lagne wali thin.