"Mummy, please, mujhe Devtaal picnic par jaane do na..." Sonu apni Maa ke saamne dayneey shakal banaye huyi thi.

"Bilkul nahi. Ek to test me tumhare itne kam marks aaye hain aur oopar se Simmi didi ki shaadi ke liye Ganjipura market bhi jaana. Ek din to shopping mein hi lag jayega. Agle saal 12th hai Tumhari magar aadatein nahin sudhar rahin. Bas cassette me gaane bharwaane ko keh do ya aaj kal jo naya Music channel aaya hai Monkey TV..."

"Monkey TV nahin hai vo Mummy, MTV hai..."

"Haan, haan vahi. Padhne likhne me zara bhi mann nahi lagta tumhara. Apne doston se hi kucch seekh le. Mohit ke oopar kitni zimmedariyan hain uske Papa aur Bhai ke guzarne ke baad. Tab bhi har exam me Top karta hai aur Rajat jitna shaant seedha uska swabhaav hai, padhne mein utna hi tez. Saath hi guitar bhi baja leta hai aur kitna accha art banaata hai. Ek tum ho Padhai me Average, Sports mein hamesha last position aane wali. Tumhari umar ki ladkiyaan ajkal car-luna sab chala leti hain."

"Luna ki to baat hi mat karo, Mummy..."Sonu ne muh fula liya.

"Kyon Na karoon main Luna ki baat. Dekho, Sonu, kabhi maine kitchen me tumko ghusne tak nahin diya beta, magar aaj ke zamaane se kadam se kadam milaake to chal. Tujhe to ye tak nahin pata ki 12th ke baad tujhe kya karna hai."

Lekin Maa ki baat khatm ho paati usse pehle TV par MTV channel lagaya ja chuka tha.

Devtaal par pahunchte hi saare students ko das minute line mein khade hone ko kaha gaya. Teachers makeshift choolhe par khaana banaanee lag gaye. Jaise hi unhe ghoomne ki permission di gayi, Sonu jheel ke kinaare baith gayi. Sonu ne Sanjana ko apni taraf aate dekha.

"Hi Samiksha," Sanjana thodi si sharmaate huye boli.

Samiksha ne jawaab diya, "Hello Luna, mera matlab, Hello Sanjana."

Sanjana apne neele dupatte ko ungliyon mein lapetti huyi boli, "Sonu, yahi bulaate hain na Mohit aur Rajat tumhe?"

Sonu ne Haan me sar hilaaya.

"To Sonu. Vo mujhe tumse kuch poochna tha."

"Poocho na!"

"Vo Sonu," Sanjana ka chehra laal tha, "Vo Sonu, maine Mohit ko propose kiya hai." Sonu bina Sanjana ki taraf dekhe taalab ke paani se khelti rahi.

"Accha," Sonu ne kaha, "To tum mujhe kyon bata rahi ho?"

Sanjana boli, "Vo, I just wanted to make sure ki tumhe koi problem to nahin hai...vaise Mohit ne abhi koi jawaab nahi diya."

Sonu hasne lagi, "Mujhe kya problem hogi? Vaise us paagal ladke ki kismat bahut acchi hai jo tumhare jaisi intelligent aur sundar ladki ne use propose kiya."

Sanjana apne salwar aur kurte par se mitti jhaadte huye khadi huyi, "pakka na tumhe koi issue nahin h?"

"Haan baba, pakka."

Fir Devtaal par boating ki baari aayi. Saari ladkiyon ne aapas mein apni pair bana li boating ke liye aur hamesha ki tarah Sonu akeli choot gayi.

Mohit ne bola bhi teacher se, "Boating par Sonu ka akele jaana safe nahin hai. Please mujhe Sonu ke saath jaane deejiye."

Magar Sonu ne saaf mana kar diya, "Main kisi boy ke saath boating par nahin jaoongi."

Sonu naav par taalab ke beechon beech pahunchi hi thi ki boat idhar udhar dolne lagi. Saare students aur teachers saans roke kinaare par khade the ki tabhi boat palat gayi. Mohit ne apne joote moje utaare aur kood gaya taalab ke andar.

Kucch pandrah minute baad jab Sonu tairte huye kinaare par aayi to Teacher ne usse poocha, "Mohit kahaan hai?"

To Sonu boli, "Are mujhe kaise pata hoga? Main to boat par thi aur Mohit to yahin kinaare hoga na."

Tabhi Sanjana ne rote huye kaha, "Mohit to tumhe bachaane ke liye taalab mein kood gaya tha..."

Sonu cheekhi, "Vo kyon kood gaya mujhe bachaane ke liye? Mujhe to tairna aata hai magar use to paani se itna dar lagta hai. Gadha kahin ka." Aur Sonu vaapis taalab me chali gayi.

"Mohit! Kahaan ho tum?" Sonu ko ab dar lagne laga tha aur uske aansoo rukne ka naam hi nahin le rahe the. Tabhi use paani ke andar se ek haath nikalta hua dikha jo vaapis andar chala gaya. Sonu tair kar us jagah gayi aur gehri saans bharkar paani ke andar usne dubki lagayi. Aur Mohit ka haath apni kamar par rakhkar use kandhe se pakda aur paani ki satah ke oopar le aayi.

Mohit ne paani apne muh se baahar phenka aur zor zor se saans lene laga.

"Sonu, agar main tumse kuchh manguga to meri wish poori karogi." Sonu aur Mohit abhi taalab ke beechon beech hi the. Sonu abhi bhi ro rahi thi aur aansuon ke beech hi usne apna sir haan me hilaaya.

"Pata, Luna ne mujhe propose kiya hai?"

"To," Sonu ka galaa bhar aaya tha.

"To," Mohit ne uski aankhon mein dekhte huye kaha, "To meri wish ye hai ki tum mujhe uska proposal accept karne se manaa kar do."