Uljhe Dor

20. Mehendi

  Kunal gusse mein ghar ke andar aata hai aur seedhe apne kamre mein jaata hai. Anshuman aur Veer use wahin milte hain. "Ab tum dono shuru mat ho jana. I've had a long day, aur mehendi abhi baaki hai. I need some rest before the functions start."

  "Ansh, kya mujhe sahi sunai de raha hai? Bhaiya ko rest karna hai. Bhaiya, jo kaam ke wajah se stress ko aur kaam karke kam karte hain, unhe rest karna hai? Bhaiya, mujhe nahi pata tha aapko rest ka matlab bhi pata hai."

  "Veer, pareshaan mat karo mujhe. Leave me alone."

  "Lekin ham dono ko aapse kuchh baat karna-" Anshuman Veer ka haath pakad leta hai use rokne ke liye.

  "Kya hua, Veer, chup kyun ho gaye?"

  "Kuchh nahi, Kunal. Tum rest kar lo, ham tumse baad mein baat kar lenge. We'll se you downstairs?"

  "Yeah, man."

  "Ansh, aapne mujhe rok kyun diya Bhaiya se baat karne se?"

  "Kuanl abhi gusse mein hai. Usne kaha use rest karna hai. He is obviously very impacted by everything that happened today. Hamein use thhoda wakt dena hoga shaant hone ke liye. Tab wo hamari baat sunega bhi, aur use realize bhi hoga ki wo galat tha. Veer, yaad rakhna iske baare mein kisi ko mat batana."

  "Don't worry, Ansh. I've got this."

---☆---

  Mehendi ki rasm shuru hoti hai. Maan aur Aarohi ko mehendi lagna shuru hota hai. Bela mask lagaye Mehrotra Mansion mein aati hai, Shaivi se baat karne. Sab kitne khush lag rahe hain. Achhi baat hai ki subah jo hua uska asar rasm pe nahi pada.

  "Tum kaun ho? Aur mask kyun lagayi ho?" Sonia puchhti hai. Aunty ji? Achha hua ham bahana soch ke aaye the.

  "Main Aarohi ki college friend hoon. Mujhe sardi ho gayi hai to chance nahi lena chahti hoon. London mein phir se corona phail raha hai."

  "Sacchi? London aur Germany to bohot paas hai. Aarohi shaadi ke baad Germany ja rahi hai. Agar use corona ho gaya to?"

  "Aunty ji, aap tension kyun leti hain? Ab corona utna deadly nahi raha, usse fever ke alawa kuchh nahi hoga. She'll be fine."

  "Tumhare muh mein ghee- shakkar. Chalo, tum bhi mehendi lagwa lo."

  "Nahi, Aunty ji, main-"

  "Tum ladkiyon ko kya ho gaya hai? Apne dost ki shaadi mein aayi ho, mehendi to lagwana hoga. Shruti, yeh Aarohi ki dost hai. Ise bhi mehendi laga de." Shruti mujhe kheech ke baitha deti hai aur mehendi lagane lagti hai. Yeh kahan phas gaye ham? Mehendi lagwayenge to baat kaise karenge? Kahin zyada der na ho jaye.

  Ek ghanta tak Bela ko mehendi lagte rehta hai. Naach gaane, hasi mazak, sab chal raha hota hai. Kunal kahin nazar nahi aa rahe hain. Achhi baat hai. Hamein unka chehra nahi dekhna. Wo hamein pakad lenge, aur dopahar ko jo hua uske baad to bilkul nahi.

  Hamare aadhe haath pe mehendi laga hai. Ab agar kuchh hoga to ham apne aap ko bacha nahi payenge. Nahi, shubh shubh bolo, Bela. Aisi naubat hi nahi aani chahiye.

  Bela uth ke chali jaati hai jaise hi uski mehendi lagna khatam ho jaata hai. Wo Shaivi ko dhoondh rahi hoti hai jab use wo dikhti hai, Maan se baat karte hue. Yeh to Maan ke saath hai. Ab kya karein, use apne paas kaise bulayein?