**Bholi, Mela Aur Mama Ka Control**

Subah se hi Guwahati outskirts wale us chhote village mein ek ajeeb sa tension tha. Riverbank ke paas seasonal mela lagne wala tha, aur Bishnu Deka ke chehre pe jo lines thi na, woh normal se do guna gehri ho gayi thi. Woh apni tea-stall pe kadak chai bana raha tha, par dimaag kaam chai se zyada tez chal raha tha. Har dus minute baad ek hi baat: “Mela ka matlab bheed, bheed ka matlab gadbad, aur gadbad ka matlab bacche bigad jaate hain.”

Tapan, jo summer vacation mein mama ke ghar aaya hua tha, khidki ke paas baithkar bahar dekh raha tha. Uske kaan mein mela ke dhol, stalls ki awaaz, aur jalebi ki khushboo already ghus chuki thi. Woh mann hi mann soch raha tha, bas ek baar ghus gaya mela mein, phir toh life set hai. Lekin Bishnu mama ka face dekhkar usne apna excitement thoda andar dabaa diya. Mama ne jab se aankh khol ke dekha tha, tab se same warning chal rahi thi. “Riverbank mat jaana. Crowd mein mat ghusna. Kisi ke saath mat chalna. Aur haan, zyada smart mat ban’na.”

Tapan ne innocent face bana ke bola, “Theek hai mama.” Bishnu ne suspicious nazar se dekha. “Theek hai ka kya matlab? Seedha ghar ke aas-paas rehna.” “Okay mama.” “Okay nahi, samjhe?” Tapan ne bas sar hila diya. Andar se woh already plan bana chuka tha ki mela ko door se nahi, thoda paas se feel karega. Harmless sa plan tha. Bas dekhna tha, smell karna tha, aur ek-do stall ka round laga ke wapas aa jaana tha. Mama ko kya pata, woh baccha hai, par andha thodi hai.

Dopehar tak village ka mahaul aur garam ho gaya. Log apne kaam chhod-chhod ke mela ki taraf dekh rahe the. Tabhi Hira Didi, jo milk bechne ke saath-saath village gossip hub bhi thi, bhagte hue aayi. Uski saans phooli hui thi aur awaaz mein full drama. “Arre baba, Bholi gayab hai!” “Kaun Bholi?” kisi ne pucha. “Arre wahi prized goat, Bholi! Jiska doodh bhi achha hai aur function ke liye bhi bahut zaroori hai!”

Bas phir kya tha. Village mein ekdum se panic spread ho gaya. Bholi koi ordinary goat nahi thi. Woh function ke liye important thi, aur gaon wale usko almost family member ki tarah treat karte the. Hira Didi ne dono haath kamar pe rakh ke announce kiya, “Last baar usko riverbank side dekha gaya tha. Mela ke paas hi. Samjhe? Udhar hi kuch hua hai.” Bishnu ka face aur tight ho gaya. “Dekha? Maine bola tha na. Mela ka lafda hi kharab hai.” Phir uski nazar Tapan ke empty corner pe padi. “Aur yeh chhota sa shaitaan kahan hai?”

Tapan waise toh ghar ke paas tha hi, par uska kaam chupke se mela ke outer side tak pahunch chuka tha. Woh bas ek chhota sa round laga raha tha, jab uski nazar zameen pe padi. Muddy tracks. Thode phoolon ke tukde. Aur ek half-eaten jaggery wrapper, jo kisi snack stall se gira hua lag raha tha. Tapan ne turant ruk ke dekha. Uske dimag mein ekdum se click hua. Goat ke footprints riverbank ki taraf ja rahe the, lekin beech mein woh left turn le rahe the, jahan ek chhota sa snack stall aur sweet corner tha.

Woh khud se bola, “Abe, yeh to bhaagi nahi… bas bhatki hai.” Usne ek aur cheez notice ki. Track ke paas salt ka halka sa white patch tha. Tapan ko yaad aaya ki goats ko salt ka bada shauk hota hai. Aur Bholi toh village mein already notorious thi—har cheez mein nose ghusa deti thi. Tapan ne turant ek chhota sa plan banaya. Harmless prankster tha, par observe karne mein tez bhi tha. Usne nearby ek stall se thoda salt liya, jaggery ke tukde ka idea banaya, aur quietly ek line bana di jahan se Bholi ko lure kiya ja sake.

Tabhi peeche se Bishnu ki awaaz aayi, “Tapan!” Tapan ne mudke dekha. Mama full angry mode mein the. “Maine mana kiya tha na? Tu yahan kya kar raha hai?” Tapan ne jaldi se bola, “Mama, suno toh—” “Sunana kya hai? Mela ke paas aaya kaise? Aur sabko bata diya kya ki tu bhaag ke aaya hai?” “Bhaaga nahi hoon, mama. Main Bholi ko dhoondh raha hoon.” Bishnu ne aankh phaad ke dekha. “Kya?” “Uske footprints dekho. Aur yeh jaggery wrapper. Goat riverbank se yahan tak aayi hai. Woh lost nahi hai, bas food ke chakkar mein ghoom gayi hai.”

Bishnu ko Tapan ki baat pe bharosa kam, gussa zyada aa raha tha. “Bahut ho gaya. Tu baccha hai, detective mat ban.” Itne mein Hira Didi bhi aa gayi. “Arre Bishnu, tumhara bhanja phir se kuch kar raha hai kya? Maine pehle hi bola tha, yeh ladka shararat mein expert hai.” Raju, jo apni cycle repair shop ke paas khada tha, sar hila ke bola, “Haan, chhota hai, par over-smart bhi hai. Dekhte hain kya karta hai.” Tapan ko laga, wah, sab log mujhe villain samajh rahe hain. Lekin usne argue karna band kiya. Usne bas ek taraf salt ka chhota sa trail banaya aur jaggery ka tukda thoda aage rakh diya. Phir woh chupke se stall ke piche gaya, jahan crowd thoda kam tha.

Bishnu ne ye sab dekh liya aur aur bhi bhadak gaya. “Ab kya kar raha hai yeh? Aur gadbad?” Tapan ne bina ghabraaye bola, “Mama, bas trust karo.” “Trust?” Bishnu ki hansi nikal gayi. “Main tujhe trust karun?” Yeh line Tapan ko thodi chubh gayi. Woh bas baccha nahi samjha ja raha tha, usse toh lag raha tha ki woh kisi kaam ka hi nahi. Uske chehre pe jo thoda sa swag tha, woh ek second ke liye down ho gaya. Par phir usne apne aap ko sambhala. Usne socha, Theek hai, ab dekhte hain kaun sahi hai.

Aur phir hua woh jo kisi ne expect nahi kiya tha. Snack stall ke piche se ek familiar “maaah” type awaaz aayi. Sab palte. Bholi, woh missing goat, thodi si masti mein, thoda sa moti aur full satisfied expression ke saath khadi thi. Uske muh ke paas salt laga hua tha, aur lag raha tha woh koi royal buffet khatam karke aa rahi ho. Usne seedha jaggery ke tukde ki taraf muh badhaya, phir salt lick kiya, aur bas wahin ruk gayi. Raju ne whistle maar ke kaha, “Oho, madam toh yahin thi!” Hira Didi ne haath se muh dabaya. “Arre re re… yeh toh bas snack ke chakkar mein chali aayi thi!”

Village mein ek second ke liye silence aur phir ekdum se hawa badal gayi. Log hansne lage, koi apne sar pe haath maar raha tha, koi Bholi ko daant raha tha, aur koi uski peeth pe pyaar se thapki de raha tha. Tapan ne calmly rope uthayi aur Bholi ko side se pakad liya. Goat bhi zyada resist nahi kar rahi thi, kyunki pet full tha aur mood relaxed.

Bishnu ne woh scene dekha aur uska face zara sa change hua. Ab gussa kam, confusion zyada tha. Tapan ne jo clue dekhe the, woh fake nahi the. Usne jo plan banaya tha, woh bhi kaam kar gaya. Aur sabse important, woh mela ke paas aaya zaroor tha, par apni marzi se nahi—help karne ke liye. Bishnu ko pehli baar laga ki shayad usne Tapan ko kuch zyada hi jaldi judge kar liya.

Hira Didi turant mode change kar gayi. “Bishnu, tumhara bhanja toh bada tez nikla. Dekha na, baccha hai par dimag mast hai.” Raju bhi bol pada, “Haan uncle, isne toh scene solve kar diya. Humein lag raha tha bas shararat hai.” Bishnu ko sabke saamne thoda awkward feel hua. Uski image ka sawaal tha, aur village mein log waise bhi baad mein ek line bana dete hain. Pehle woh Tapan ko daant raha tha, ab sab usi Tapan ki tareef kar rahe the. Isliye usne throat clear kiya, Bholi ki rassi pakdi, aur bas itna bola, “Hmm. Theek tha… is baar tu sahi tha.”

Tapan ne bas ek chhota sa smile diya. Na zyada emotional, na zyada nautanki. Par us smile mein relief bhi tha aur thoda sa “bola tha na” wala pride bhi. Bishnu ne uske sar pe haath phiraya nahi, hug bhi nahi kiya. Woh uske style mein possible bhi nahi tha. Par usne ek aur line boli, jo Tapan ke liye kaafi thi. “Agli baar bina bataye idhar-udhar mat nikalna. Lekin haan… dekh ke kaam kiya tune.” Tapan ne seedha bola, “Agli baar bata ke nikalunga.” Bishnu ne usko side-eye diya. “Sach mein?” “Arre mama, try karunga.” “Try karunga ka matlab?” Dono ki aankhon mein halka sa smile aa gaya. Village wale bhi samajh gaye ki scene ab thoda soft ho gaya hai.

Uske baad mela ka mood phir se normal ho gaya. Bholi ko wapas le jaaya gaya, function ke liye uska issue solve hua, aur riverbank ka panic thanda pad gaya. Hira Didi ne poore gaon mein yeh story aise failayi jaise koi exclusive news ho: “Bishnu mama ne apne bhanje ko sambhal ke rakha, aur bhanje ne goat bhi dhoondh nikali.” Narration mein credit thoda Bishnu ko, thoda Tapan ko, aur thoda Hira Didi ko mil gaya—kyunki woh gossip ko kabhi waste nahi jaane deti thi.

Shaam ko Bishnu ne Tapan ko mela mein ghummne diya. Haan, rules the—“crowd mein zyada andar mat jaana”, “river ke paas mat jaana”, “akela mat bhaagna”—lekin pehle wala suspicion ab thoda kam tha. Tapan ne jalebi li, jhoola dekha, aur ek stall se chhota sa toy bhi kharida. Bishnu door se dekh raha tha, aur mann hi mann samajh raha tha ki baccha sirf shararti nahi hota. Kabhi-kabhi uski shararat ke andar bhi kaam ki akal chhupi hoti hai.

Aur Tapan? Woh bhi samajh gaya ki mama ka gussa sirf gussa nahi tha. Uske peeche concern tha, thoda ego tha, aur thoda woh “main sab sambhal lunga” wala pressure bhi. Bishnu ko respect chahiye tha, aur Tapan ko trust. Dono ko ek hi cheez ki zaroorat thi—ek doosre ko thoda zyada sunne ki. Aaj woh trust ek chhota sa step aage badha tha.

Mela ke dhol bajte rahe, riverbank pe shaam ka rang failta raha, aur Bholi apne stall-side adventure ke baad finally gaon ke compound mein shaant khadi thi. Village ka mood light ho gaya tha. Aur Bishnu Deka, jo subah se har cheez pe “nahin” bol raha tha, ab pehli baar chup-chaap maan gaya ki har bacche ki shararat bekaar nahi hoti. Kabhi-kabhi wahi shararat kisi problem ka sabse simple solution ban jaati hai.

Aur Tapan? Woh toh bas khush tha ki is baar usko baccha nahi, useful samjha gaya.

Storydilse ke pyare readers, itna saath dene ke liye dil se thank you! Aapne story padhi, hasi bhi, aur Tapan-Bishnu ke beech ke pyaare se tension ko feel bhi kiya — iske liye hum genuinely grateful hain. Aise hi padhte rahiye, pyaar dete rahiye, aur storydilse ke saath connected rahiye. ❤️