Walk ke ant mein group outer approach ki taraf nikla. Door se mela stage ki tabla rehearsal aur announcements ki awaaz aa rahi thi. Mehak ke pet ne yaad dilaya ki breakfast ke baad usne sirf aadhi chai pi thi.
“Ab culture pet mein jayega,” usne kaha.
***
Udhar Chirag aur Sameer teesri supplier shop se nikal rahe the.
Chirag ke paas do written quotations aur teesre ka visiting card tha. Pehla shutter ab bhi band tha. Company ka kaam poora nahi, lekin itna hua tha ki woh apne aap ko responsible keh sake.
Sameer ne phone screen dikhayi. “Heritage slot miss.”
“Tumhare do plate biryani compare karne mein time gaya.”
“Research tha.”
“Ek plate khayi, doosri pack karwayi. Isme comparison?”
“Dinner mein conclusion aayega.”
Dono mela ground pahuche. Entrance par temporary fencing, first-aid sign, police help booth aur bins ki rows thiं. Awadhi stalls se ghee, grilled meat, spices aur fried chaat ki mixed khushboo aa rahi thi. Ek side craft demonstration, doosri taraf Kanpur guest-food row. Sameer ne apne city ka banner dekhkar salute kiya.
Inspector Bachchu Singh help booth ke paas volunteers ko outer lane clear rakhne ki instruction de rahe the. Woh Fazalganj side duty kar chuke the aur Chirag ko pehchante the—zyada isliye kyunki ek baar Rinku ki modified silencer complaint mein Chirag expert witness banne pahunch gaya tha.
“Ae Chiku,” Bachchu Singh ne bulaya. “Lucknow mein bhi mechanical evidence dene aaye ho?”
Chirag ne haath joda. “Nahi Inspector saab, cultural exchange.”
Sameer bola, “Hum goodwill delegation hain.”
Bachchu Singh ne uski shirt dekhi. “Goodwill kam, traffic signal zyada lag rahe ho.”
Radio crackle hua. “Sir, service lane mein saand phir dikh raha. Waste vehicle nahi aaya.”
Bachchu Singh ka expression turant serious hua. “Outer volunteers ko bolo logon ko fence ke andar rakhein. Animal-control kahan hai?”
“On the way.”
“Koi hero banne na jaye. Distance rakho.” Phir unhone dono ko dekha. “Tum log khaana khao aur seedhe raho.”
“Hum?” Chirag bola. “Hum to janam se seedhe.”
“Isliye keh raha hoon.”
Sameer Kanpur stall ki taraf gaya. Chirag sample bag ko chest se lagaye peeche. Thandai wale ne sealed paper cup diya. Sameer ne do liye aur ek Chirag ke haath mein thama diya.
“Bhang to nahi?” Chirag ne poocha.
Vendor ne bura maan kar kaha, “Family mela hai, bhaiya. Badam, saunf, pepper. Seedhi thandai.”
“Isko seedha kuch hazam nahi,” Sameer bola.
***
Mehak ne veg galouti stall par order diya. Vendor ne roomali roti ke chhote tukdon par do naram kebab rakhe, onion aur chutney side mein. Plate garam thi. Aroma aisa ki usne pehla bite khane se pehle aankhen band kar liं.
Sana ne tease kiya, “Shaadi mein tum dulhe ko itne pyaar se nahi dekhogi.”
“Dulha pehle itna tender ho.”
“Standards clear hain.”
Announcement hua ki outer approach par thodi der movement slow rakhein. Log phir bhi gate aur food row ke beech photo le rahe the. Ek volunteer ne haath se crowd ko inner side karna shuru kiya.
Chacha Zafar ka tea counter saamne dikh gaya. Sana ne haath hilaya. “Chacha!”
Zafar ne ketli ke upar se unhe dekha. “Aao, pehle kha lo. Chai baad mein.”
Usi pal service lane ki taraf se logon ka ek chhota jhund achanak side hua.
Saand bahut tez nahi bhaag raha tha. Woh pareshan tha, naak ke paas plastic ka tukda, aas-paas ki awaazon se bhadka hua. Volunteer logon ko barrier ke peeche bhej rahe the. Bachchu Singh do constables ke saath lane clear karane lage.
“Peeche! Fence ke andar!”
Sameer ne awaaz sunte hi Chirag ka sleeve pakda. Chirag ne mudkar dekha. Saand unki line mein nahi tha, lekin do log ghabra kar uski taraf bhaage. Chirag unse bachne ke liye peeche hata. Ek haath mein thandai, doosre se tool bag pakda.
“Chiku, right!” Sameer chillaya.
Kanpuriya ‘right’ aur actual right ke beech jitna samay laga, utne mein Chirag seedha Mehak se takra gaya.
Plate hawa mein uthi.
Ek veg galouti kebab ne chhota sa suraj grahan kiya. Roomali roti Sameer ke kandhe par ja baithi. Thandai ka dhakkan pop hua aur creamy liquid Chirag ki blue shirt se hota hua Mehak ke dupatte ke kinaare par chhidak gaya.
Mehak do kadam ladkhadayi. Uska phone haath se chhuta, stone edging par laga aur neeche gira.
Do second ke liye sab slow tha.
Phir Chirag bola, “Abe, dikhta nahi—”
Woh ruk gaya, kyunki jisse keh raha tha woh Mehak thi, aur Mehak ki aankhon mein Lucknow ki poori tameez hathiyaar lekar khadi thi.
“Aap humse pooch rahe hain ki dikhta nahi?” usne bahut narmi se kaha. “Aap peeche chal rahe the, janaab.”
“Hum peeche nahi, side—saand—log—”
“Aur plate ne aap par hamla kar diya?”
Sameer ne kandhe se roti uthayi. “Madam, emergency thi. Aapko situation samajhna chahiye.”
Sana turant beech mein aayi. “Situation samajh aa rahi hai. Aapke dost ke pair mein reverse gear factory-fitted hai.”
“Dekhiye, personal na ho,” Sameer bola.
“Aapki shirt personal hone ka mauka hi nahi de rahi. Public announcement hai.”
Aas-paas ke log rukkar dekhne lage. Kisi teenager ne phone utha liya. Bachchu Singh ki awaaz phati, “Video band. Side clear rakho!”
Animal-control staff saand ko quiet lane ki taraf guide kar rahe the. Immediate danger beet raha tha, lekin chaaron ka verbal traffic jam shuru ho chuka tha.
Chirag ne Mehak ka phone uthaya. Screen ke kone se crack phail gaya tha.
Uska gussa ekdum neeche baith gaya. “Yeh… humse hua?”
Mehak ne phone liya. Screen jal rahi thi, touch bhi kaam kar raha tha, par crack saaf tha. “Nahi, zameen ne shauk se kar liya.”
“Kitna kharcha hoga, hum de denge.”
“Pehle aap apni zubaan ka repair karwaiye.”
“Humne poora bola bhi nahi.”
“Shukr hai. Trailer hi kaafi tha.”
Sameer ne Sana se kaha, “Aap apni friend ko boliye amount bataye. Chiku bhaagega nahi.”
“Abhi to saand dekhkar isi ka demonstration diya hai.”
Chirag ne Sameer ko haath se chup karaya. “Dekhiye… madam… galti ho gayi. Matlab haadsa. Par phone hum theek karwayenge. Plate bhi.”
“Kebab emotional damage ka kya?” Mehak ne poocha.
Chirag ne pehli baar uske tone ke neeche chhupi comedy pakdi. “Uska replacement turant.”
Bachchu Singh aa gaye. “Chiku, tumko bola tha seedhe rehna.”
“Inspector saab, hum seedhe hi peeche gaye the.”
“Peeche seedha jaoge to kisi par hi chadhoge.” Unhone vendor ko bulaya. “Plate ka paisa do. Phir crowd mat jama karo.”
Chirag ne wallet nikala. Vendor ne amount bataya. Chirag ne UPI scan kiya. Network ne processing dikhaya.
Sameer bola, “Lucknow mein payment bhi pehle aap kar raha.”
Sana ki hansi nikalte-nikalte ruki.
Chacha Zafar counter se aa gaye. “Arre Sana bitiya, sab khairiyat?”
“Phone shaheed hua hai, Chacha.”
Zafar ne Chirag aur Sameer ko dekha. “Yeh kaun aandhi hain?”
Bachchu Singh bole, “Kanpur se cultural exchange.”
“Hum Chirag,” Chirag ne kaha. “Yeh Sameer. Galti se—”
“Galti se hi aadmi aksar parichay deta hai,” Zafar bole. “Bitiya, phone chal raha?”
Mehak ne check kiya. “Chal raha hai.”
“To pehle sab fence ke andar chalo. Raasta khula rakho. Baaki hisaab chai ke paas.”
Zafar ki baat mein aisa wazan tha ki chaaron chal diye.