Kabhi Toh Nazar Milao Part 3

Sparkling Wine

"Arre, Sameer bhaiya chale gaye? Ye seb katwaya aur leke bhi nahi gaye." Ramdhari came out with the box of diced apples.

Naina looked back from the door, "Sameer ko thoda late ho gaya tha isliye chale gaye. Aap fridge me rakh do, shaam ko kha lenge."

Ramdhari removed the lid and placed the box on table, "Shaam ko hum unhe doosra de denge, yeh aap khaiye."

Naina was flummoxed, "Lekin maine abhi toh breakfast kiya hai."

"Fal kabhi bhi kha sakte hain... ab aap aaiye aur jaldi se yeh saare seb khatam kijiye." Ramdhari did not relent.

Naina made a face, "Abhi nahi kha paungi."

Ramdhari picked up the box nonchalantly and said, "Theek hai toh bata dijiyega jab khane hon... tab tak baithe hain hum apne aasan pe."

Naina gave him a shocked look, "Aapne abhi tak khana nahi khaya?"

"Naina bhabhi, humne kal hi bata diya tha... ya toh aap hamare kehne se sab kuch khayengi ya hum kuch bhi nahi khane wale." He was adamant.

Accepting defeat, she sat down at the table, taking the box from his hands, "Dijiye, khaati hun."

He grinned, running to get a fork for her.

The day was not easy  for Sameer. Every minute dragged like it did not want to end. He repeatedly glanced at the clock, but the hands seemed to be stuck.

After lunch, when munshiji came to his room, he found Sameer shaking the small clock kept on his table.

"Kya hua, Sameer beta?" Ghadi mein koi dikkat aa rahi hai?" He was concerned.

Sameer immediately placed the clock back, dropping it on the table in nervousness. He set it properly before looking at Munshiji.

"Koi... koi problem nahi hai... bas check kar raha tha, theek se chal rahi hai ya nahi... jisse kisi kaam mein late na ho jaaye." He gave a wide smile.

"Aaj kya kaam hai aisa? Aaj toh koi meeting bhi nahi hai... kahin jaana hai kya aapko?" Munshiji asked after mentally assessing the jobs for the day.

"Ghar jaana hai." He blurted... and rubbed his forehead immediately, "Mera... mera matlab... ghar thodi jaana hai abhi... kaam toh honge hi... meeting nahi hai par aur kuch... factory... haan, chaliye, factory ka round maar aate hain." He stood up, both to divert munshiji's attention from his folly and to find a way to make time pass faster.

"Lekin factory ka kaam toh band ho gaya... aap bhool gaye kya ki aaj shanivaar hai... har shanivaar ko factory ke workers ka half day hota hai." Munshiji reminded him.

"Oh haan, aaj toh Saturday hai." He slumped back in the chair.

Nanu had started the practice of keeping all Saturdays as half day for those who did physical labour in the factory. He wanted his hard and conscientious workers to get proper rest and family time as well. Since they were always surrounded by the loud sound of machines and had to remain standing most part of the day, nanu felt that they needed more than one day off. He had been advised by all his fellow businessmen that he would lose out on manhours and his production would suffer but nanu had proved everyone wrong by showing that this empathy gave him better output than others.

Munshiji smiled as he understood his restlessness, "Waise kuch samay se ek baat karna chahta tha aapse... kahein toh bata dun."

Sameer looked up immediately, "Haan, haan, munshiji, boliye na."

Settling down on the chair in front of him, he started, "Factory mein half day rakhte hue humein kuch che saat saal ho gaye hain... jab bade sahab ki achanak... matlab unke heart attack se pehle woh iss baat ke bare mein soch rahe the ki factory mein shanivaar ko poori chutti rakh di jaaye aur office mein half day shuru kiya jaye... desh mein bohot jagah hafte mein paanch din kaam karne ka system ban gaya hai... unke baad maine iss baare mein koi faisla nahi liya lekin ab aap aa gaye ho toh yeh niyam bana sakte hain."