Baarish

"Nature pasand hai aapko?"

"Bachpan se. Lekin... pichle do saal bhool gaya tha. Tanvi ne wapas yaad dilaya."

Colonel ne kuch der socha. Phir bole, "Thik hai. Lekin ek shart hai."

"Kya, sir?"

"Agli baar jab trek pe jaoge, toh main bhi aaunga. Mujhe dekhna hai ki aap meri beti ka khayal kaise rakhte ho."

Tanvi aayi, chai leke. "Papa! Aap kya keh rahe ho?"

"Kuch nahi, beta. Bas... new recruit ko test kar raha hoon."

Main has pada. "Sir, aapka swagat hai. Next weekend, Purandar Fort?"

"Deal," Colonel ne kaha. "Aur haan, Rahul — aapki mummy se bhi milna hai mujhe. Lata ji, right? Unhone theple bheje hain Tanvi ke liye. Bahut acche hain."

Main hairaan ho gaya. "Aapko kaise pata?"

"Tanvi ne bataya. Aur maine phone bhi kiya unse. Soldier hoon, investigation karna aata hai."

Tanvi aur main dono has diye. Yeh Colonel — strict dikhte the, lekin dil ke soft the. Aur unhone mujhe accept kar liya tha. Bas ek condition pe — unki beti ki khushi.

---

Chapter 5: Climate Disaster — Nature Ki Warning

July aaya. Pune mein baarish aur tez ho gayi. News mein aane laga — "Heavy rainfall alert. Landslide possible in ghat areas."

Main aur Tanvi plan kar rahe the — Tamhini Ghat trek. Lekin weather app dekh ke maine kaha, "Tanvi, shayad nahi jaana chahiye. Warning hai."

"Rahul, hum careful rahenge. Guide hoga, proper gear hogi. Aur woh waterfall... monsoon mein best dikhta hai."

Main thoda uncomfortable tha. Lekin Tanvi ki excitement dekh ke mana nahi kar saka.

Amit bhi aa raha tha. Colonel ne kaha, "Main bhi aaunga. Experience hai mujhe rough terrain ka."

Saturday subah, 4 baje nikle. Tamhini Ghat — Pune se 50 km. Green paradise monsoon mein.

Lekin... kuch theek nahi tha.

Raaste mein, baarish tez ho gayi. Zyada tez. Hamara car ek jagah atak gaya — road pe paani bhar gaya tha.

"Back karte hain," maine kaha.

"Nahi," Tanvi ne kaha. "Hum almost pahunche hain. Thodi aur der..."

"Tanvi, suno. Yeh dangerous ho sakta hai."

Colonel ne kaha, "Rahul sahi keh raha hai. Main bhi yeh weather dekh ke concerned hoon."

Lekin Tanvi... woh ziddi ho gayi. "Bas ek ghanta. Please. Main yeh waterfall dekhna chahti hoon."

Maine uska haath pakda. "Tanvi, meri baat suno. Main tumhari khushi chahta hoon. Lekin tumhari safety usse zyada important hai. Please."

Usne meri aankhon mein dekha. Kuch der ladi. Phir... woh ruki.

"Thik hai," usne kaha softly. "Chalte hain wapas."

Hum wapas mod lene wale the, ki...

Crack!

Ek awaaz aayi. Door se. Phir... dheere-dheere, ek awaaz jo humne pehle kabhi nahi suni thi.

"Landslide!" Colonel ne kaha. "Car se bahar! Abhi!"

Sab kuch itni tezi se hua ki mujhe yaad bhi nahi kaise. Main Tanvi ka haath pakda, usse kheench ke bahar nikala. Amit aur Priya peeche the. Colonel ne unhe push kiya safe side ki taraf.

Aur phir... paani. Bahut saara paani. Flash flood. Upstream se ek wave aayi, aur hamari car... woh bas gayi. Doosri taraf.

Hum paanch log the — ek rock ke upar, jo flood se thoda uncha tha. Lekin hum trapped the.

"Phone!" Maine kaha. Network nahi tha. Emergency numbers try kiye — busy.

Tanvi kaap rahi thi. Gile kapde, thand, aur darr.

"Rahul..." usne kaha, awaaz kaapte hue.

Maine usse gale lagaya. Tight. "Main hoon. Main hoon na. Kuch nahi hoga."

Colonel ne dekha. Unki aankhon mein bhi darr tha — lekin woh control mein the. "Rahul, tum Tanvi ka khayal rakho. Amit, Priya — tum yahan ruko. Main help laane jaata hoon."

"Papa, nahi!" Tanvi ne kaha.

"Beta, main colonel hoon. Yeh mera kaam hai."

Woh paani mein utre. Strong current. Lekin woh... woh expert the. Dheere-dheere, woh aage badhe, ek tree ki branch pakdi, aur gayab ho gaye mist mein.

Hum chaar log wahan baithe. Thand badh rahi thi. Tanvi kaap rahi thi. Maine apni jacket utari — jo bachi thi — aur usse odha di.

"Rahul, aapko thand lagegi," usne kaha.

"Chup. Pehno."

Amit ne kaha, "Bhai, yeh situation..."

"Handle kar lenge," maine kaha. Zyada confident sound karne ke liye.

Lekin andar... darr tha. Tanvi ke liye. Agar kuch ho jata toh? Agar main usse protect nahi kar paata toh?

2 ghante. Ya shayad zyada. Time ka pata nahi chala.

Phir... awaaz. Helicopter? Nahi, local rescue team. Colonel saath the — unhone help laayi thi. Rope, life jackets, aur ek boat.

Hum safe nikale. Car total loss thi. Lekin hum zinda the.

Hospital mein checkup ke baad, Tanvi ke papa ne mujhe gale lagaya. Pehli baar. Military hug — tight, emotional.

"Rahul," unhone kaha, "tumne meri beti ko bachaya."

"Sir, maine toh bas..."

"Nahi. Tumne usse wahan se nikala. Tumne usse garam rakha. Tumne uski jaan bachayi. Main... main shukriya ada nahi kar sakta."

Tanvi aayi. Usne mujhe dekha. Aankhon mein aansu.

"Rahul," usne kaha, "main bewakoof thi. Main ziddi thi. Agar maine aapki baat suni hoti toh..."

"Shh," maine kaha. "Kuch nahi hua. Hum safe hain. Bas yeh dekh — hum safe hain."

Usne mujhe gale lagaya. Bahut tight. Aur phir... usne mere kaan mein kaha, "I love you, Rahul. I really do."

Main ruk gaya. Kuch seconds ke liye.

"Main bhi," maine kaha. "Main bhi tumse pyaar karta hoon, Tanvi. Pehle din se. Us bus stop se."

Hum dono has diye. Aansu ke saath.

---

Chapter 6: Ghar Wapasi

Agarle din, mummy ka phone aaya. Unhe pata chal gaya tha — Colonel ne bataya tha.

"Rahulya! Tu theek hai na?"

"Main theek hoon, Aai. Bas thoda gile ho gaye the."

"Gile? Landslide mein phansa tha tu! Colonel sahab ne bataya!"

"Mummy, relax. Main safe hoon. Aur... Aai, woh ladki... Tanvi..."

"Ha?"

"Main usse pyaar karta hoon."

Phone pe khamoshi. Phir... rona. Mummy ro rahi thi.

"Rahulya... meri dua kabool ho gayi. Ek achi ladki mil gayi tujhe. Jo tere saath trekking kare, baarish mein bheegi, aur... aur bachaye bhi tujhe."

"Mummy, maine usse bachaya tha."