Apni galti pe pachaata, langdata hua Kunal bhage jaa raha tha andha dhun. Kare bhi kya bechara, itni maar ke badh koi rasta bhi toh nahi tha uske pass.

Kunal bhag hi raha tha ki ek auto uske pass aa khada hua, bechara darr se kamp gaya ki kahin fir se Vineet toh na aa gaya par jab andar baithe vyakti bahar aaye toh uski jaan mei jaan aai. Mishra ji auto se utre hai, jab unhone Kunal ko road pe bhagte hue dekha toh hairan reh gaye issiliye utar gaye uske pass.

Kunal ki haalat dekh Mishra ji hairan reh gaye aur Shakuntala bhi.

''Kunal, beta ye kya haal bana rakha hai tumne. Kisne kiya ye sab tumhare saath?'' Mishra ji ne pucha. Shakuntala ne Kunal ko pani dete hue Auto mei bitha diya.

Kunal ne kuch ghunth pani piya aur Mishra ji ko dekhne laga jab unhone apna sawal fir dohraya. Aab usse samajh nahi aa raha ki wo bole toh kya bole.

Usne toh socha tha Vineet ko peet ke Mishra ji aur Ruhana ke samne hero bann jaayega lekin yahan toh baji hi palat gayi hai, wahi maar kha chuka hai aur aab Mishra ji sawal kar rahe hai jiska koi jawab nahi hai uske pass.

Kunal ko soch mei duba dekh Shakuntala ne usse halke se hillaya, Kunal ne unki aur dekha.

''Kya hua beta, kis soch mei padd gaye?'' Shakuntala ne pucha.

Kunal ne ek gehri sans bhari aur ek nayi kahani rach daali.

''Aab kya batau Chachi, main toh kuch saman laane gaya tha par wahan pe wo lafange mil gaye aur ye jaan ke ki main Ruhana ka dost hoon oochi baatein karne lagge jab meine unhe roka toh itna mara mujhe.'' Magarmach ke aansu rote hue phapak phapak ke Kunal bola.

Mishra ji ko bahut gussa aaya ye sunke par fir unke deemag mei ek baat aai aur unhone Kunal ki aur tivra najar se dekha.

''Lekin tum kahin aur kyun gaye saman lene, tumhare khudke ghar ke pass itni dukaane hai.''

Mishra ji ki ye baat sunke Kunal dang reh gaya, uska muh band hi ho gaya. Mishra ji itne pe hi samajh gaye ki manjhra kuch aur hai issliye bina kuch aage puche unhine Shakuntala se auto mei baithne ko kaha aur khud bhi baith gaye. Kunal ko uske ghar chod ke wo apne ghar chal diye.

....

Dusri taraf, Vineet ka para aab tak chadha hua tha. Apne dusre doat ke ghar ke chatt pe baith abbi tak wo puri cigarette ki ek packet khali kar chuka hai. Usne kabhi na socha tha ki koi bahar ka aake uski maa sang aisi badtameezi karega wo bhi uski wajah se.

Karan aur Birju toh bas usse dekhe hi jaa rahe hai.

''Cigarette pee ke agar badla pura ho sakta hai toh hum bhi dho char packet khich lete hai.'' Vyangta se Birju bola, tej nigahon se Vineet ne usse ghurra.

''Humei ghurne se kuch nahi hoga bhai aur na hi cigarette peene se. Abhi ke liye bhale hi humne mamla shant kar diya ho lekin aage ka kya bharosha, jo banda ek baar himmat kar sakta hai wo aage bhi karega usko sabak sikhana jaruri hai.'' Badi tej se Karan bola kyunki usse bhi pata hain kissi din baat uske ghar tak bhi aa sakti hai.

Gehri sans bharte hue cigarette ko side mei phenk diya Vineet ne,''ghar aake jo galti usne ki hai uski keemat toh usse chukaani hi padegi!'' Deewar pe haath marta hua Vineet bola.

''Haan aur saath hi usse bhi jisne usse bheja hai!'' Karan aur Vineet ko dekhta hua Birju bola.

''Matlab?'' Karan ne apni aankhe uchkate hue pucha.

Birju ne ek tak Vineet ko dekha aur bola,''matlab ye ki uss Kunal ko kya padi hai kuch karne ki uski shadi toh waise bhi uss ladki se ho hi rahi hai jo dikkat hai wo toh uss ladki ko hai na, humei lagta hai ussi ne apni beizzati ka badla lene ke liye Kunal ko yahan bheja.''

Birju ki ye baat na Vineet na hi Karan ko sahi laggi,'' arey nahi wo aisa kyun karegi, wo toh college mei bhi kuch na boli toh aab kya bolegi aur agar usko kuch karna hota toh college mei hi karti jaise uss din road pe hi bhai ko soot diya tha chappalon se. Ye Kunal khud aaya hoga, shayad usse laga hoga ki bhai kahin bhabhi ko pata na le aur uska number cut na jaaye!'' Apna paksh rakhte hue karan bola par Birju ko munasif na lagga ye.

Dono mei behes ho gayi, Vineet chup chap dono ki ladai sunta raha par jab dono ki behes aage badhne laggi toh usne chup karwane ke liye dono ke baal noch diye.

''Chup karo tum dono, aapas mei ladne se koi faida hai kya. Aab humko pata karna hi hai toh kyun na hum sidhe samne se puch le!'' Vineet ne sujhao diya, uske chehre pe ek badi muskan cha gayi.

Birju aur Karan ne pehle ek duje ko dekha par raaji ho gaye jaane ko. Bina aur samay gawaye teeno nikal diye Ruhana ke ghar ki aur.

....

Ruhana apne kamre mei padhai kar rahi thi jab usne apne mata pita ki awaj suni, jhat se kitab band kar wo niche gayi uske pass. Par jab pahuchi toh paya ki dono ke chehre utre hue hai.

''Papa, kya hua?'' Dheeme swar mei Mishra ji ke pass jaate hue Ruhana ne pucha.

''Kya bataye bitiya, hum aa rahe the toh raste mei Kunal milla tha bechare ko kissi ne bahut mara tha usse.'' Chinta purwak Shakuntala boli, Ruhana kuch hairan si reh gayi kyunki kuch waqt pehle hi Kunal wahan se gaya tha aur aachanak aab ye khabar kuch tapata sa lagga usse.

Mishra ji ne sar hillaya,'' wo khud kahin se ladd ke aaya tha Sakku, kahan se wo toh wahi jaane.'' Nirashajanak Mishra ji bole.

Aab nirash toh wo honge hi kyunki wo Ruhana se uski Shadi karwana chahte hai par aaj ki Kunal me jhooth ne unhe khudke faisle pe fir sochne pe majbur kar diya hai.

...

To be continued...