Baarish

Baarish

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June 15, 2024. Hinjawadi Phase 2 Bus Stop.

"Arre yaar, yeh baarish kab rukegi?" Maine apne bag ko aur paas khinch liya, lekin meri office ki formal shirt pehle hi bheeg chuki thi. Hinjawadi ki baarish — koi guarantee nahi, koi warning nahi. Bas ekdum se aati hai, jaan bujhke aati hai, jaise IT park ke saare stressed engineers ko thoda refresh karne aayi ho.

Main Rahul Deshmukh, 26 saal ka data analyst, Solapur se Pune shift hua tha do saal pehle. Mere baap ne kabhi kaha tha, "Beta, Pune shahar hai par uski jaan gaon mein basti hai." Aaj samajh aa raha tha. Yeh baarish, yeh hawa, yeh hara-bhara — yeh sab Solapur ke sukhe khet se bilkul alag tha.

Meri shirt chipak rahi thi. Saamne se ek bus aayi, bheed utri, aur phir...

"Excuse me, yeh jacket aapki hai?"

Maine mudkar dekha. Ek ladki khadi thi, mere hi rain jacket ko pakde hue. Woh jacket maine bus stop ke bench pe bhool gaya tha — actually, galti se chhod gaya tha kyunki baarish tez thi aur main bhaag raha tha.

"Ha... haan, meri hai," maine kaha, thoda haklaate hue.

Lekin phir maine uska chehra dekha. Gehre brown baal, gile hone ke baad bhi jo uske kandhe pe kuch is tarah gir rahe the jaise koi painting ho. Ek choti si nose ring — traditional but cute. Aur woh smile... jaise usne poori duniya ki tension nahi li ho.

"Aap bhi bheeg gaye ho," usne kaha, jacket mere haath mein thamaate hue. "Actually, main soch rahi thi ki agar aapko chalega toh hum isse share kar sakte hain? Meri umbrella toh udd gayi paanch minute pehle hi."

Main has pada. "Umbrella udd gayi?"

"Haan, Hinjawadi ki baarish mein umbrella chalana is like... trying to control your life. Impossible!"

Maine usse ghoor kar dekha. Koi stranger itna comfortably baat kaise kar sakta hai? Lekin kuch tha usme — ek warmth, jaise main usse pehle se jaanta tha.

"Main Rahul," maine haath badhaya.

"Tanvi," usne haath milaya. "Aur haan, main bhi yahin kaam karti hoon. HR executive hoon, Infosys mein."

"Main TCS mein data analyst hoon," maine kaha. "Aur haan, jacket share karte hain. Lekin condition hai — aapko meri mummy ke banaye thepla khane padenge."

Woh zor se hasi. "Thepla? Aap Marathi ho?"

"Solapur se. Aap?"

"Pure Punekar. Born and brought up in Kothrud."

"Acha, toh aap woh ho — jo Pune ki har gali, har wada pav stall, aur har trekking spot jaanti ho?"

"Exactly!" usne excitedly kaha. "Aur main jaanti hoon ki aaj baarish mein koi bus nahi aane wali agle 45 minutes tak. Traffic jam hai main road pe."

"Toh?"

"Toh... kya hum chal sakte hain? Mera PG paas mein hi hai. Wahan tak chalte hain? Jacket share mein?"

Maine socha. Practical Rahul — jo har decision data se leta tha — woh kahin chhup gaya tha. Kuch tha is ladki mein. Kuch adventurous, kuch... natural.

"Chalein," maine kaha.

Aur isi tarah shuru hui humari kahani. Hinjawadi ki baarish ne mujhe Tanvi se milaya — aur mujhe pata bhi nahi tha ki yeh sirf shuruaat thi.

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Chapter 1: Baarish Ke Saaye Mein

Woh chalte hue bhi baat karti rahi. Non-stop. Kabhi office ki politics, kabhi Pune ki traffic, aur phir achanak — trekking.

"Rahul, aapne Kabini trek kiya hai?"

"Nahi, main toh bas Sinhagad, Rajgad wagaireh gaya hoon."

"Oh my God! Aapne Kabini nahi dekha? Kerala mein hai, beautiful place. Main wahan gayi thi last year. Elephants, sunrise, aur woh mist..."

Uske chehre pe ek alag hi glow tha jab woh nature ke baare mein baat kar rahi thi. Main usually itna kisi se jaldi open nahi hota, lekin Tanvi ke saath... alag tha. Jaise hum do saal se dost ho.

"Waise aap trekking karte ho?" usne pucha.

"Karta tha Solapur mein. Yahan aake nikal nahi paata. Weekend pe ya toh office ka kaam rehta hai, ya phir mummy phone karti hain — 'Rahul, tu kab aa raha hai? Tere liye theple banaye hain.'"

Tanvi hasi. "Aww, that's sweet! Aapki mummy kahan hain?"

"Solapur. Papa ki death ke baad woh akeli hain. Main soch raha hoon ki unhe yahan le aun, lekin woh kehti hain — 'Mera pura jeevan wahan bitaya, ab kahan jaaun?'"

Tanvi chup ho gayi thodi der. Phir boli, "Mere papa retired military colonel hain. Unki bhi posting alag-alag jagah hoti thi. Lekin unhone Pune chuna retirement ke liye. Kehte hain, 'Beta, soldier ko hamesha ek pahad chahiye hota hai dekhne ke liye.'"

Hum Tanvi ke PG pahunche. Woh ruki, aur mujhe wapas jacket di.

"Thank you, Rahul. Aaj achanak se baarish ne aapko bheja lagta hai."

"Main bhi yahi soch raha tha," maine kaha, thoda sa nervous hote hue. "Waise... agar aap free ho toh weekend pe ek trek plan kar rahe hain. Sinhagad. Mere colleague Amit aur uski girlfriend bhi aa rahe hain. Aap...?"

Usne meri aankhon mein dekha. Seedha. Bina jhijhake.

"Saturday? Main free hoon. Aur haan, main aapko Sinhagad ke alawa ek aur trek dikhana chahti hoon. Purandar Fort. Wahan se sunset best dikhta hai."

"Deal," maine kaha.

Usne apna number diya, aur main wahan se chala gaya. Baarish ab bhi ho rahi thi, lekin mujhe mehsoos nahi ho raha tha. Kuch badal gaya tha.

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Chapter 2: Mummy Ka Phone

Raat ko ghar aake, mummy ka phone aaya. Jaise hamesha aata hai.

"Rahulya, khana khaya?"

"Khaya, Aai."

"Wahan ka mausam kaisa hai?"

"Baarish, Aai. Lagataar baarish."

"Arre, woh theple bheje hain na, woh khatam hue?"

"Abhi do din aur hain. Aai, woh... main aapse kuch puchna chahta tha."

"Haan bolo."

"Agar main... matlab, agar main kisi ladki se mila... toh?"

Phone pe chhann se awaaz aayi. Shayaad mummy ne chai ki cup gira di.

"Ladki? Kaun ladki? Kahan se aayi? Kya naam hai? Ghar kahan hai?"

Main has pada. "Aai, shant. Pehle ek hi baar mile hain. Bus stop pe. Baarish mein jacket share ki thi."

"Jacket share? Aise kaun karta hai?"