Fantasy The Interval

[Dudhwale_Bhaiya]

Update 10: Gyarah Baje​

Raat mein sote hue mujhe pata tha ki kal subah gyarah baje mujhe kahin jaana hai. Aisa lag raha tha jaise kisi ne appointment mere calendar mein daali ho aur main use dekh raha hoon, par usne mujhe consult nahi kiya.

Neend achhi nahi aayi. Do teen baar utha, pankha dekha, phir let gaya. Doosra phone side table par pada tha, mera apna phone takiye ke neeche.

Subah paanch baje maine haar maan li. Utha. Chai banayi.

Doosra phone khola. Kabir ke chat mein purani conversations mein scroll kiya.

Pichhle Sunday ka message mila. Kabir ne ek location pin bheji thi. Neeche address tha: Kurla West, LBS Marg ke paas, ek chhoti si gali mein "Bharat Motors" naam ki dukan.

Uske neeche mera reply tha: "Theek hai, gyarah baje pahonch jaunga."

Doosre phone se apne phone par kuch bhejne ka mann nahi hua. Maine notebook nikaal ke address haath se likh liya.

Kitchen mein baithke chai peete hue, khidki se baahar dhoop aa rahi thi. Sunday ki subah thi. Baahar bacche cricket khel rahe honge kisi society mein, koi maa apne bete ko doodh peene ke liye chilla rahi hogi.

Main ek aisi jagah jaane ki taiyaari kar raha tha jahan kabhi maine jaane ka faisla nahi liya tha.

Nahaya. Kapde badle. Simple jeans, ek grey T-shirt. Wo T-shirt jo pichle saal Kabir ne mera birthday par diya tha.

Dono phones jeb mein daale.

Nikla.

Kurla tak local train se pahoncha. Weekend tha, isliye bheed roz se kam thi. LBS Marg ke paas utra aur notebook mein likha address dekh kar chalna shuru kiya. Bharat Motors dhundhne mein pandrah minute lage. Wo ek gali ke andar thi jahan sirf second-hand bike aur car ke garages hain, tel aur grease ki mehak hawa mein jami hui hoti hai.

Gyarah bajkar saat minute ho chuke the jab main pahoncha.

Kabir already wahan tha. Wo ek purani neeli Yamaha ke bagal mein khada tha, uske saath ek Bengali buzurg the jo dhoti aur ek loose shirt mein the. Kabir bike ka handle pakde tha, thoda upar-neeche kar raha tha.

Mujhe dekha toh usne haath uthaya. "Aa gaya. Chal, ye dekh."

Koi salaam nahi, koi surprise nahi. Bilkul aise jaise pichle das saal se hum har Sunday gyarah baje Kurla mein milte the.

Bengali buzurg ne mujhe haath jodkar namaste kiya. Kabir ne unhe introduce karaya, "Ye Ganguly da, seller. Aur ye Dhruv, mera dost."

"Engine start karke suna," Kabir ne mujhe kaha.

Ganguly da ne key di. Maine key li. Bike start ki. Engine ki aawaz aayi.

"Kya lagta hai?" Kabir ne poocha.

"Mujhe kya pata," maine kehna chaha. Par kehne ke bajaye maine ek pal suna aur bola, "Aawaz toh theek lag rahi hai."

Kabir ne sar hilaya. "Tune pichhle hafte kaha tha ki tu Ganguly da ko mechanic ka number bhej dega. Bhej diya?"

"Nahi, aaj shaam tak bhej dunga."

"Kar dena bhai. Service karvani hai delivery ke baad."

Mera koi mechanic nahi tha. Andheri mein ya kahin aur. Par maine sar hilaya jaise ye sab meri zimmedari ho.

Kabir ne bike ki ride li. Main pillion baitha. Hum LBS Marg par gaye, ek U-turn maara, wapas aaye. Bike ki condition achhi thi, kam se kam chalne mein. Wapas aakar Kabir ne Ganguly da ke saath price ki baat shuru ki. Wo dono Hindi mein baatchit karte, phir kabhi Ganguly da Bengali mein kuch bolte. Main thoda side mein khada raha.

Beech mein Kabir ne mud kar mujhe dekha.

"Waise Priya ko tune kuch bola toh nahi?"

"Nahi."

"Good. Pichhli baar ki tarah lecture mat dena. Mujhe pata hai ye stupid idea hai, par karna hai."

Maine kuch nahi kaha.

Pichhli baar. Kaunsi baar. Main toh aksar bolta hi nahi tha.

Shayad doosra Dhruv bolta tha.

Baatchit mein aur pandrah minute lage. Price tay hui, Ganguly da ne kuch papers dikhaye, Kabir ne token amount ke liye UPI kiya.

Hum dono gali se nikle. Kabir ka mood achha tha.

"Chal, lunch. Wo kone wala parathe wala hai na, wahan."

Hum paidal chale. Dhoop tez ho gayi thi ab.

Parathe wale dukan par hum baith gaye. Ek plastic ki table, do plastic ki kursi. Kabir ne aloo ka paratha order kiya, maine gobi ka. Do lassi.

Khaate hue Kabir apne phone par kuch dekh raha tha.

"Waise," usne kaha, "pichhle Sunday toh bada bol raha tha number bhej."

Chapati ka tukda mere hoth tak aaya, phir wahin ruk gaya.

"Kiska?"

"Priya ki cousin ka. Bhool gaya?"

Maine paratha plate mein rakh diya.

"Haan," maine kaha. "Bhool gaya."

"Tune khud kaha tha ki tujhe number chahiye, ek baar milna hai. Ab Priya teen din se puchh rahi hai mujhse."

"Bata dena thoda kaam hai, baad mein karunga."

Kabir ne mujhe dekha, jaise wo kuch aur kehne wala tha. Phir usne shrug kiya aur wapas paratha khaane laga.

Maine Ananya ko coffee ke liye poochhne mein chhe mahine laga diye the.

Main lassi ke glass ko dono haath se pakde hue baitha raha.

Kabir ne khaana khatam kiya. Usne apna phone nikala.

"Ek second, tujhe wo bike ki photo bhej deta hoon. Ye jo maine abhi engine ki li thi, kaam aa sakti hai baad mein."

Usne apne phone mein gallery kholi. Photo select ki. Phir WhatsApp khola. Search bar mein "Dhruv" type kiya.

Do results aaye.

"Dhruv"

"Dhruv M"

Kabir ne bina rukhe upar wala select kiya. Photo bheji.

Meri jeb mein doosra phone vibrate hua.

Kabir ne apna phone rakh diya aur lassi ka aakhri ghoont piya. "Chal, bill de. Main bike ke paperwork mein busy ho jaunga poora din."

Maine paisa nikala. Bill diya.

Doosra phone meri jeb mein tha. Kabir ki bheji hui bike ki photo uske andar hogi.

Mera apna phone bilkul silent tha..

 

[Pirate100]

Bhut accha update. Interesting ke Kabir ke phone mein 2 contacts Dhruv ke naam se hain. Agle update ka intzaar rahega.

 

[Dudhwale_Bhaiya]

Update 11: Baarah Ank​

Ghar pahoncha toh raat ke saade nau baj chuke the.

Dono phones jeb se nikaal ke dining table par rakhe. Doosra phone left mein, mera apna right mein. Fridge se pani ki bottle nikaali. Do ghoont piye. Bottle wapas rakhi.

Kamre mein aaya. Batti jalayi. Baithe baithe kuch der pankha dekha.

Aur is beech kuch nahi hua.

Kabir wali baat, do Dhruv wali baat, bike wale seller ki baat, Priya ki cousin wali baat, ye sab mere andar utna nahi lag rahi thi jitni ek doosri baat lag rahi thi jo maine chaar din se andar hi rakhi hui thi.

Anwesha.

Maine apna phone uthaya. Contacts app kholi. Search bar mein A type kiya.

Anwesha. 9954 2323 8875.

Call button dabaya.

Phone ek pal ke liye laga jaise connect kar raha hai. Phir ek automated aawaz aayi. Ek aurat ki aawaz, thodi metallic.

"The number you have dialed is not valid. Please check the number and try again."

Phone kaan se hataya. Screen dekhi. Call disconnect ho gayi thi.

Aisi cheezein hoti hain. Kabhi kabhi number galat save ho jaata hai, koi extra digit lag jaata hai, ya koi digit chhoot jaata hai. Ye Mumbai mein kisi bhi din kisi ke saath ho sakta hai.

Maine dobara dial kiya.

"The number you have dialed is not valid."

Phone table par rakh diya.

Ab maine number screen par khola. Contact ki entry mein jaake.

9954 2323 8875.

Maine ungli se digits ko chhua, ek ek karke, jaise mujhe khud bhi confirm karna ho ki main sach mein padh raha hoon.

Nau. Nau. Paanch. Chaar. Do. Teen. Do. Teen. Aath. Aath. Saat. Paanch.

Ruk gaya. Phir se count kiya. Ungli screen par thi.

Baarah.

Indian mobile number das digit ka hota hai.

Ye baarah tha.

Kuch der main us screen ko dekhta raha. Number wahi tha jo Anwesha ne diya tha. Jo maine repeat karke bola tha. Jo maine chaar din pehle phone mein save kiya tha.

Us pal shayad mera dhyan nahi gaya hoga. Wo Anwesha ki aakhri jhalak thi mujhe. Wo peela bulb tha. Wo mod tha jahan se wo ojhal ho gayi thi. Un sab ke beech maine bas ek insaan ka number yaad rakhna tha, aur usne jo bola main dohrata gaya.

Par uske baad? Save karte waqt? Aur jab pichhle kuch dinon mein maine contacts kholkar dekha tha, bas ye check karne ke liye ki naam wahin hai?

Har baar maine yahi number dekha. Baarah digit. Aur har baar main sochta tha ki naam wahin hai. Number galat lag hi nahi raha tha.

Kuch der maine phone ko bas dekha. Phir screen band kar di.

Uth gaya.

Chabi uthayi. Chappal pehni. Baahar nikla.

Gali khaali thi. Peela street light jal raha tha. Do jagah kutte bhonk rahe the door. Ek autorickshaw main road se guzra.

Main us gali mein chala jahan pehli baar hua tha. Chai wali tapri band ho chuki thi is waqt. Printing press ka shutter bhi neeche tha.

Do buildingon ke beech ki jagah wahin thi. Kachre ka dibba bhi wahin, thoda side mein hata hua, jaise us raat tha.

Par do buildingon ke beech mein ab wo cut nahi tha.

Bas ek saadi, khaali deewar thi. Ek taraf laal eenton ki satah, doosri taraf grey plaster wali. Dono taraf ki satah waisi hi thi jaisi mujhe us raat yaad thi. Par ab wo ek doosre se milti thi. Beech mein koi jagah nahi thi.

Main wahin khada raha.

Phone nikala. Flashlight on ki. Deewar par maari. Kuch nahi. Bas deewar. Uspar do jagah paint ke chhote se daag the, kisi ne poster chipkaya hoga kabhi, phir hata diya hoga.

Flashlight band ki.

Ek delivery wala scooter par se guzra, mere bagal se. Uska hazard light peela peela blink kar raha tha. Usne meri taraf dekha, phir aage badh gaya. Dobara nahi dekha. Ek aadmi raat ko deewar ghoor raha hai, wo Mumbai mein itni ajeeb baat nahi hai.

Kuch der aur khada raha. Phir kadam badhaya. Deewar par haath rakh diya.

Thandi thi. Bilkul normal deewar jaisi.

Haath hata liya.

Chowkidaar ne kuch kaha tha us din. Yaad hone se raasta nahi khulta. Kuch chahiye jo khud yahan aana chahe. Us waqt maine wo baat sun li thi, aur uske baare mein baad mein zyada nahi socha tha. Ab wo baat wapas aayi.

Yaad hona aur raasta khulna, shayad ye ek hi baat nahi thi.

Main wapas chal diya.

Ghar aaya.

Kamre mein baithke maine notebook nikaali. Wo notebook jo maine kal Kurla ke address ke liye use ki thi.

Ek naya page khola. Pen uthaya.

Ek line likhi:

Anwesha. Anu.

Neeche:

Architecture. Master's second year.

Neeche:

Rizvi.

Neeche:

Agastya sir.

Neeche:

Dadar. Tilak bridge.

Neeche:

Bandra. Flat share.

Neeche:

Roommate: Riya.

Neeche:

9954 2323 8875.

Baaki page khaali chhoda.

Pen ko ek baar kagaz par tap kiya. Phir ek chhota sa circle banaya.

Rizvi ke aas paas.

Notebook band ki. Table par rakh di. Pen uske upar.

Batti bujhayi.

Bistar par let gaya.

 

[Pirate100]

Excellent update. Finally Dhruv ne Anwesha ki khoj shuru kardi hai. Dekhte hain usse kya naya pata chalta hai.