“Monday incident report mein late line-haul, network downtime, manual decisions, mis-sort recovery aur preventive action sab chahiye. Drama nahi, data.”
Sameer ne screen band ki.
Chirag ne poocha, “Kya bola?”
“Wahi. Corporate logon ko kavita ki samajh nahi.”
“Sahi report bana lena.”
“Weekend kharab mat karo.”
Highway par sheher dheere-dheere peeche hua. Shops kam, khule patches zyada. Kabhi truck, kabhi dhaba, kabhi construction ka dust. Sameer das minute chup raha, jo uske liye tapasya thi.
“Chiku,” usne aakhir kaha, “agar warning final ho gayi na, hum apna business kholenge.”
“Kaunsa?”
“Courier. Delivery. Logistics. Humko sab aata hai.”
“Exception sheet chhod ke.”
Sameer ne khidki ke bahar dekha. “Woh employee wali cheez hai. Owner bane to vision dekhte hain.”
Chirag ne apna tool bag thapthapaya. “Vision mein bhi bolt lagta hai, nahi to bracket naachta hai.”
“Mishra ji ke saath zyada reh rahe ho.”
Kuch der baad mela poster phir screen par aaya. Sameer stalls padhne laga. “Veg Galouti, kakori, basket chaat… aur dekho, Kanpur thandai. Hum pehle mela jayenge ya market?”
“Market,” Chirag ne kaha.
“Mela route mein hua to?”
“Pehle market.”
“Supplier lunch pe band hua to?”
“Pehle market.”
“Tumhari aatma mein Amma ghus gayi hai.”
Lucknow ke outer traffic mein bus dheemi hui. Hoardings badle, road ke medians badle, buildings ka rang badla. Sameer ne baal haath se set kiye. Chirag ne bag ka cable tie check kiya.
Unhe nahi maloom tha ki usi waqt mela ground ke ek volunteer ke radio par message crackle kar raha tha: “Outer approach par waste pickup delay hai. Animal-control team ko inform karo. Ek saand service lane mein dekha gaya hai.”
Bus ke horn ne baaki message daba diya.
Sameer ne Lucknow ka board dekh kar baahen failayiं. “Nawabon ke sheher, sambhal jao. Kanpur aa gaya.”
Chirag ne use baithaya. “Abe, hum do log hain. Poora Kanpur mat girao inpe.”
Bus ek signal par ruki to conductor ne peeche mudkar kaha, “Jinko Latouche Road utarna hai, agle mod par taiyaar rahiye. Baad mein mat kahiye bataya nahi.”
Chirag turant seedha hua. Usne pocket se folded list nikali. Kagaz par teen suppliers ke naam, phone number aur Agarwal sahib ke banaye chhote ticks the. Sameer ne list cheenkar dekhi.
“Teen dukaan? Ek best wali pe chalte hain na.”
“Best ka pata teen rate lene ke baad chalega.”
“Tum kab se procurement department ho gaye?”
“Jab se tum scanner ko confidence issue batane lage.”
Sameer ne list lautayi, lekin is baar bina mazaak ke bola, “Subah wali baat kisi ko batana mat. Aunty ko bhi nahi.”
“Warning wali?”
“Haan. Jab tak Monday report dekar matter khatam na ho.”
Chirag ne dost ke chehre ko dekha. Chashme ke peeche aankhen pehli baar thaki hui lag rahi thi. “Galti maan lene se aadmi chhota nahi hota, Sam.”
“WhatsApp status?”
“Nahi, Panditji.”
“To aur dangerous hai.” Sameer ne khidki ki taraf muh kar liya. “Bas pehle khud theek karne de.”
Bus se utarte hi Lucknow ne unhe tameez se nahi, horns se welcome kiya. Footpath par motor-parts ke cartons, bearing ke painted boards, chai ke glass aur parked scooters ka aisa arrangement tha jise sirf roz ke aadmi samajh sakte the. Chirag ne tool bag ki strap pakdi aur pehli supplier lane khojne laga.
Ek dukandaar ne bina unki taraf dekhe daahine bheja. Daahine wale paan-vikreta ne baayen. Baayen jaakar ek board mila jiska shutter band tha aur upar marker se likha tha: LUNCH 1 TO 2:30.
Sameer ne phone ki clock dikhayi—ek bajkar saat minute.
“Dekha?” usne vijayi bhaav se kaha. “Humne bola tha supplier lunch pe band hoga. Ab universe chahta hai ki hum mela jaayen.”
“Teen supplier hain. Doosre pe chalo.”
“Universe ko baar-baar ignore karoge to bura maanega.”
Doosri dukaan khuli thi, magar proprietor ne sample haath mein lekar kaha ki yeh size stock mein nahi, order par banega. Usne rate zubaani bola. Chirag ne written quote maanga.
“Arre bhaiya, hum bol diye na,” proprietor ne kaha.
Chirag ne namrata jaisi cheez koshish se chehre par rakhi. “Bhai sahib, hamare malik ko humri shakal pe vishwas nahi. Kagaz de denge to dono ka ghar bacha rahega.”
Dukandaar hansa aur rough quotation pad par details likhne laga. Chirag ne material grade aur delivery days dobara pooche. Sameer shelf par rakhe bearings ko ungli se ghuma raha tha, phir usne notice kiya ki Chirag har jawab list ke saamne note kar raha hai.
“Tum sach mein serious ho,” bahar nikalte hue Sameer bola.
“Company ka sample hai, picnic ka prop nahi.”
“Theek. Teesri shop bhi. Phir mela.”
Yeh Sameer ki taraf se compromise tha, isliye Chirag ne turant haan nahi ki. Usne bas bag check kiya aur chal diya. Sameer saath ho liya.
Upar se badal ghane ho rahe the. Bazaar ki bheed unke chaaron taraf apni raftaar se beh rahi thi. Tool bag safe tha, supplier list pocket mein thi, aur Pushpa ko diya gaya vaada abhi tak technically nahi toota tha.
Abhi tak.