Kanpur mein Chirag second day bhi gate gaya, jaise lock sharminda hokar khul jaayega. Worker representatives papers collect kar rahe the. Agarwal sahib ka message aaya: operations suspended; dues schedule later.
Mehak ke missed calls seven. Sameer ke three. Pushpa ko woh bata chuka tha; unhone pehle royiं, phir household expense list nikali.
“Mehak ko call karo,” Pushpa boliं.
“Kya bolen?”
“Sach.”
“Uske parents waise hi—”
“Humne promotion ka jhooth bola tha. Tum बेरोज़गारी ka bologe to farq kya?”
Chirag ne maa ko dekha. Lesson wapas usi par aa gaya.
Usne Mehak ko call kiya. Ring gaya, answer nahi. Message type kiya: “Sorry. Gate lock Friday. Dar ke nahi bataya. Call jab tum chaho.”
Reply an hour baad: “Dar hona problem nahi. Mujhe choice na dena problem. Kal public place/video with Sana-Sameer. No disappearing.”
Chirag ne “theek” लिखा.
Tool bag ab bhi packed tha. Usne use khola, tools ek-ek karke clean kiye. Vernier, files, scriber, spanners. Job gate ke andar reh gayi thi; skill bag mein ab bhi thi. Yeh thought comfort nahi bana, bas fact.
Rinku garage se aaya. Uske haath mein chai aur ek bearing tha jo woh kisi scooter repair se nikaal kar laaya tha.
“Job gaya to hamare garage mein aa jao,” usne kaha. “Salary low, dialogue free.”
Chirag ne half-smile ki. “Scooter aur industrial fixture alag.”
“Bolt dono mein ghoomta.”
“Customer ka sir bhi, tumhari repair ke baad.”
Rinku floor par baith gaya. “Mehak se lafda?”
“Humne nahi bataya.”
“Action hero bhi injury hide karta.”
“Isi liye second half mein hospital.”
Rinku ne bearing uske haath mein diya. “Iska outer smooth hai. Kabhi kaam aa jaaye.”
Random scrap gift tha, solution nahi. Chirag ne bearing clean cloth par rakha. “Thanks.”
Next morning Panditji ke saath former workers meeting mein Chirag ne dues spreadsheet banane ki responsibility li. Sana jaisa clean nahi, par columns clear: employee, unpaid days, document available, contact, verified update. Sameer ko template poochne ka mann hua, shame ne roka. Phir usne call kar diya.
Sameer ne bina joke sheet format bheja. “Bhai, hum dono ka business gate pe hai. Record rakh.”
Chirag ne poocha, “Tum aur Sana?”
“Repair mode.”
“Hum aur Mehak bhi.”
Do seconds silence, phir Sameer bola, “Is baar fix karke baad mein nahi batayenge.”
“Haan.”
Chirag ne worker sheet save ki. Filename simple: GPC_DUES_VERIFIED. Koi FINAL-FINAL nahi. Mood us level ka comedy allow nahi karta tha.
Lucknow mein Sana Mehak ke room se ghar lauti. Sameer ne flowers nahi laaye the. Table par full debt printout aur do cups chai. Usne usse hug karne se pehle poocha, “Can I?”
Sana ne haan ki.
Hug problem solve nahi tha. Bas return confirmation.
“Do weeks,” Sana boli. “Location hypothesis test. No debt. Har cost record. Fail hua to close.”
Sameer ne kaha, “Agreed.”
“Aur contempt mein maine jo failed cell bola—”
“Tumne directly nahi bola.”
“Meaning bola. Woh galat tha.”
“Secrecy zyada galat.”
“Competition nahi.”
Dono table par baithe.
Chirag apne locked gate ke saamne tool bag ke saath tha. Sameer open shop mein empty chair ke saamne. Dono ko lag raha tha kaam chala gaya to aadmi ka size bhi kam ho jaata hai.
Ek gate metal ka tha.
Doosra unhone khud banaya tha.
Dono gates par tala ek din mein nahi tootna tha. Ek ke liye legal notice, dues aur naya kaam chahiye tha. Doosre ke liye statements, apology aur baar-baar sach. Kanpur aur Lucknow ke beech phones us raat charging par lage rahe, lekin kisi ne inspirational status nahi daala.
Panditji ne subah Chirag se poocha, “Kal gate jaoge?”
“Haan. Update ke liye.”
Sana ne Sameer se poocha, “Counter khulega?”
“Haan. Test ke liye.”
Kaam rukne aur kaam fail hone ke beech bhi routine bachta hai. Kabhi-kabhi aadmi ko wahi agle din tak le jaata hai.
Aur kabhi agle mod tak.