Tea counter ke side khade hokar Chirag ne apna number kagaz par likha. Mehak ne dekha. “Phone toot gaya hai, memory nahi. Main number kyun loon?”
“Repair estimate bhej dena.”
“Cash nahi chahiye.”
“To shop par payment kar denge.”
“Aur agar screen kal apne aap theek ho gayi?”
“To hum mandir mein—matlab, science museum mein donation de denge.”
Sana ne kagaz Mehak ke haath se liya. “Accountability ke liye number rakho. Block karna free hai.”
Sameer bola, “Haan, aur hum koi lafange nahi. Supervisor hain.”
“Kis cheez ke?”
“E-commerce hub.”
“To reverse routing professional habit hai?”
Sameer ne jawab ke liye muh khola, phir subah ka mis-sort yaad aaya aur bandh kar लिया. Sana ne us chhoti si khamoshi ko notice kiya.
Chirag ne tool bag check kiya. Inner pocket ka zip khula tha. Uska rang ud gaya.
“Sample?” woh jhuk gaya. Barrier ke paas, gira hua thandai cup se do foot door, chhota plastic dabba pada tha. Woh crowd ke bahar nikalne laga.
Bachchu Singh ne rok diya. “Ruko. Lane clear hone do.”
“Company ka part hai, saab.”
“Company tumhari jaan ka insurance degi?”
Animal-control vehicle ne saand ko safe distance par contain kar liya. Constable ne dabba utha kar Chirag ko diya. Chirag ne wahi kholkar sample check kiya. Grease-paper thoda geela, metal part safe.
Mehak dekh rahi thi. Ab usse samajh aaya ki takraate waqt Chirag ne bag ko kyun chest se bachaya aur balance kyun gaya. Bewakoofi thi, lekin poori beparwahi nahi.
Vendor replacement plate le aaya. Chirag ne Mehak ko di. “Peace offering.”
“Is baar aap do metre door rahiye.”
“Teen rahenge.”
Sameer ne roti ka daag dekha. “Aur humko koi replacement shoulder?”
Sana boli, “Shirt replace kar lijiye. Samaaj dua dega.”
Is baar chaaron mein se teen hase. Sameer ne do second baad khud bhi haar maan li.
***
Shaam ko Mehak Shanti Devi ke ghar ke upar wale rented portion mein pahunchi to landlady balcony se scooter-count kar rahi thiं.
“Aaj der ho gayi,” Shanti Devi boliं. “Mela mein bheed thi?”
“Ji, bahut.”
“Phone ko kya hua?”
Mehak ne crack chhupane ko screen palti. “Gir gaya.”
“Apne aap?”
“Nahi, gravity ke saath.”
Shanti Devi ne aankhen sikodiं. “Neeche koi scooter rukega to humko awaaz aa jaati hai.”
“Aaj koi nahi aa raha, Aunty.”
Room mein Sana video call par repair shops compare kar rahi thi. Ek authorised service centre ka estimate zyada, local reliable shop ka kam. Mehak ne Chirag ka kagaz table par rakha.
“Message kar,” Sana boli.
“Kal.”
“Crack kal tak vintage design nahi banega.”
Mehak ne number save kiya: Chirag Accident Kanpur. Estimate ka screenshot bheja. Do minute tak reply nahi aaya. Phir payment request nahi, seedha shop ke QR par successful transaction ka screenshot aaya; Chirag ne shop ko call karke amount confirm bhi kar diya tha.
Message tha: “Madam, damage ka hisaab barabar. Argument abhi pending.”
Mehak ne screen ko dekha. Uske hothon ke kone apne aap uthe.
Sana ne turant pakad liya. “Kya hua?”
“Kuch nahi.”
“Jhooth bolte waqt tumhara Lucknowi accent aur saaf ho jaata hai.”
Mehak ne phone ulta rakha. “Bas payment kar diya.”
“Kaun? Reverse gear?”
“Chirag.”
“Aur neon board?”
“Sameer.”
Sana ne naam dohraya, jaise spreadsheet mein doubtful entry ho. “Sameer. Hm.”
Mehak ne use dekha. “Tum kyun hm kar rahi?”
“Main kuch nahi kar rahi. Chai bana rahi.”
Udhar Kanpur lautne se pehle budget lodge ke room mein Sameer Chirag ke kandhe ke upar se chat padh raha tha.
“Argument pending? Wah, Chiku. Accident mein bhi follow-up lead generate.”
Chirag ne phone kheench liya. “Repair ka matter hai.”
“Haan. Dil ka display toot gaya. Touch working.”
“Tum apni incident report banao.”
Sameer ka smile halka sa gira. “Kal bana lenge.”
Chirag ne Mehak ka reply dekha: “Hisaab tab barabar hoga jab aap maanenge ki peeche dekhkar chalna chahiye.”
Usne type kiya: “Maan liya. Lekin aap bhi emergency mein kebab ko helmet pehnaiye.”
Reply aaya: “Good night, Mr Reverse Gear.”
Chirag ne phone chest par rakha aur ceiling fan ko dekha. Bahar Lucknow ka traffic kam ho raha tha. Tool sample safe tha, do quotes mile the, shirt par thandai ka bada daag tha aur ek anjaan ladki ne uska naam save kiya tha—kis naam se, yeh usse maloom nahi.
Usne socha Pushpa ko technically ab bhi kaha ja sakta hai ki koi lafda nahi hua.
Bas ek haadsa hua tha.
Aur haadse, kabhi-kabhi, route badal dete hain.