Mishra Niwas mei sukhad mahaul tha, sukoon tha sabko ki aab wo ladke police se dhar liye jaayenge aur fir aisi khatirdaari hogi unki ki sabne mei bhi Mishra niwas ki aur aankh utha ke nahi dekhenge.

Waise toh kal bahut bura laag raha tha unhe fir khayal aaya ki bura lagta hi kyun wo bhi unn ladko ke liye.

Par aab uss baat ki kam hi chinta hai, aab wo khush hai, itne ki aaj toh Shakuntala Devi ne chattisho pakwan banaye hai aur jo bhi bache unke pass tuition padhte hai unn sab ko nashta pe bulaya hai.

....

Saare bache ek line bana ke baithe hue gai, Ruhana unhe poori aur sabji bant rahi hai, Mishra ji sabki kheer de rahe hai aur Shakuntala sabko laddoo bant rahi hai.

Aisa nahi hai ki wo jashn mana rahe hai par wo khush jarur hai.  Wo bhi tabse jabse inspector ka phone aaya ki unhone uss motorcycle ke malik ka pata kar liya hai aur aab usse pakad lenge jald hi.

Mishra ji inspector ki furti dekh khush hue, unhe shabashi di oar saath hi ye bhi kaha ki uss ladke ko dhamka ke chodd de maare peete nahi. Kyunki wo na chahte ki ladke ka bhavishya kharab ho chauki mei din guzar ke, wo bhali bhanti jante hai agar ek din bhi ladka chauki mei reh gaya toh uska aur uss ladke ke maa baap ka jeena dushwar kr denge mohalle wale aur aisa wo bilkul nahi chahte. Wo bas usse darana chahte hai aur kuch nahi.

Filhal saare bache khushi khushi kha rahe hai aur unhe khush dekh Mishra parivar bhi khush hai.

Tabhi unhe ghanti ki awaz sunai di, koi darwaze pe aaya hai. Shakuntala aage badhi oar Ruhana ne unhe rok diya aur khud jaa ke darwaza khola. Samne dekha toh Shikha khadi thi jisse dekh Ruhana chakit reh gayi. Jabse wo ladka unki zindagi mei aaya hai, unki dost Shikha unn se durr ho gayi wo bhi uss loafer ke liye jo har dusri ladki pe lone marta hai.

Ruhana ne kitna samjhaya sikha ko par wo na maani aur jhagda ki unn se. Lekin aaj achanak Shikha unke ghar aa pahunchi hai, kyun?? Ye sawal Ruhana ke mann mei ubhra.

''Shikha!? Tu yahan?" Ruhana ne sawal kiya, Shikha ka aghman unhe normal naa laag raha tha.

Shikha ne chota sa muh bana ke Ruhana ko dekha,''Ruhana mujhe tujh se kuch baat karni hai,  kya main andar aa sakti hoon?" Bholi si surat bana, Shikha ne  apni dost se pucha.

Ruhana mana kaise karti? Haan mei sar hilla, side ho gayi aur Shikha ko andar aane ka nimantran diya. Shikha andar ghush aai aur sofe pe baith gayi par Ruhana uss se sabke samne baat na karna chahti thi kyunki unhe abhash tha ki shayad Shikha unke jhagde ki baat karegi jo unhone apne mata pita ko batai nahi hai aur na batana chahti hai.

Ruhana Shikha ke saath apne kamre mei chali gayi.

Shikha kuch pal bas baithi rahi, na boli na Ruhana ki aur dekhi. Ruhana ne usse kuch waqt diya, fir jab Shikha chup hi rahi toh Ruhana ne chuppi todi apni.

''Kya baat hai Shikha? Tu achanak yahan kaise? Koi baat hai kya?" Ruhana ne seedhe mudde ki baat puchi kyunki wo bewajah ki baat kar waqt zaya naji karna chahti thi.

Shikha ne sar utha Ruhana ko dekha,''Ruhana maine jo tere saath Bartha kiya uske liye main bahut sharminda hoon. Mera irada tujhe dukh pahuchne ka nahi tha par jab achanak Vineet ne mujh se palla jhad liya toh main bardasth naa kar pai, fir tune jab samjhaya toh teri baat hi galat lagi kyunki mujhe laga teri wajah se Vineet mujh se dur ho gaya. Mujhe maaf kar de yaar, meine tujhe galat samjha!" Paschatap ke kuch boond ansu bahate hue Shikha ne apni baat rakhi jo Ruhana ko bilkul hazaam na hui.

Aise kaise achanak Shikha ko uski galti ka abhash ho gaya, kuch toh gadbad jarur hai, daal mei kuch toh kala hai. Kahin Shikha uss ladke, jiska naam wo Vineet bata rahi hai, uski sifarish karne toh nahi aai hai yahan?

''Shikha,  achanak tujhe kaise realise hua ki tu galat thi aur main sahi? Matlab tab toh kitni koshish ki meine tujhe samjhane ki par tu toh meri baat tak sunne ko ready nahi thi aur aaj mere ghar aa ke samne se maafi mang rahi hai, bahut ajeeb hai ye!!" Ruhana se spasth rup se apni bandhi bandhai baat boli.

Shikha kuch pal usse dekhti rahi, maano soch rahi ho kya bolna hai.

''Main janti hoon tujhe mujh pe yakeen nahi ho raha par ye sach hai. Meine do din pehle Vineet ko dekha, wo kissi pe khule aam line maar raha tha aur wo ladki bhi tumhari tarah usse ignore kar rahi thi. Tabhi mujhe ye realise hua ki galti hamari nahi uss kaminey Vineet ki hai. Pehle usne mujhe phashaya fir tumhare piche padd gaya aur uski wajah se hamari ladai ho gayi. Lekin main tujhe yakeen dilati hoon, aage se aisi bewakoofi kabhi nahi karungi main.'' Apni baaton pe zor deti hui Shikha boli lekin Ruhana kahan aane wali thi aab uski baaton mei.

Bhale hi Shikha unki bahut achi dost thi par usne khud Ruhana se dosti todi ye keh ke ki Ruhana ne uska basa basaya ghar toda hai. Toh aab Ruhana uss se agar fir baat bhi kare par bharosha ya dosti kabhi na kar payegi, asal mei wo karna chahti bhi nahi aab.

Par yahi baat sidhe muh pe bhi kahi nahi jaa sakti kissi se tob Ruhana ne bas sar hila ke manjuri de di ki chalo unhone uski baat maan li.

Shikha khushi se uchal padi aur Ruhana ko gale se laga liya.

''Thank you so much Ruhana!!! Tujhe pata nahi tune mere mann se kitna bada bojh halka kar diya, aab jaa ke mujhe kuch shanti mili.'' Muskurati hui Shikha boli.

Ruhana halke se muskai,''Dekh Shikha, main itni jaldi chijein nahi bhool sakti. Main itni asani se sab bhula aage nahi badh sakti, kuch waqt lagega mujhe!!" Ruhana ne saaf saaf keh diya.

Shikha ka chehra kuch utra par usne ye bhi maan liya. Dheere toh dheere oar Ruhana saath hogi yahi uske liye badi baat hai kyunki kya kare aab pariksha jo aa rahi hai aur uski mada Ruhana hi kar sakti hai.
Bas yahi soch Shikha kuch der badh wahan se chali gayi aur Ruhana apne mata pita sang vyasth ho gayi.

...

To be continued. .