City of Joy: Cute si Love Story

"Lekin," usne kaha, "maine unse kaha ki pyaar... pyaar koi resume nahi hota. Woh bas... woh bas ho jaata hai."

Maine uski aankhon mein dekha. Kuch tha wahan. Kuch jo hum dono feel kar rahe the, lekin keh nahi pa rahe the.

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Chapter 4: Dida ka Aashirwad

Ek hafte baad, Joy ne message kiya: "Dida aapko milna chahti hain. Kya aap aa sakti hain? Mere ghar? Sunday ko?"

Mera dil dhadak raha tha. Dida? Uski daadi? Mujhe kyun milna chahti thi?

Maine Mashi se pucha. Mashi ne muskurate hue kaha, "Eto shiggiri? Thik ache, ja. Kintu ekta kapor pore ja. Amader traditional dress."

Maine ek simple white saree with light blue border pehni. Mashi ne kaha, "Eto shundor lagcho. Joy er Dida toh bhalobesei jabe."

Joy ka ghar ek purana Bengali house tha - Tollygunge mein. Red oxide ka floor, aangan mein tulsi ka podha, aur... aur woh smell. Garam masala, ittar, aur puraane lakdi ki furniture ki smell.

Joy ne darwaza khola. Usne kurta pajama pehna tha - blue colour ka. "Aap... aap bahut sundar lag rahi hain," usne kaha, sharmate hue.

"Thanks," maine kaha, nervous hokar.

Andar... andar Dida baithi thi. White saree, chashma, aur haath mein jaap ki maala. Unki aankhein... kitni tez thi! Jaise sab kuch dekh leti hain.

"Eso, meye, eso," unhone kaha. "Boso."

Maine pranam kiya - Mashi ne sikhaya tha.

"Joy bolchilo tomake niye," Dida ne kaha. "Aar tor canvas er golpo. Ekta meye jara art bhalobashe, tar mane bhalo meye."

Main sharma gayi. "Thank you, Dida."

"Joy, tor bondhu Sayan aaschhe," Dida ne kaha. "Oke bolo coffee banate."

Sayan aaya - ek energetic ladka, thoda mota sa, aur bahut hi friendly.

"Arre, Joy ki Riya!" usne kaha. "Finally mil li! Joy toh roz tera naam leta hai yaar!"

"Sayan!" Joy ne usse elbow se maara.

"Kya? Sach bol raha hoon!" Sayan muskuraya. "Chal, main coffee banata hoon, tum dono baat karo."

Hum aangan mein baithe. Baarish ka mausam tha, halki halki boond gir rahi thi.

"Woh... woh jo sketch bheja tha," Joy ne kaha, "maine Dida ko dikhaya. Unhe... unhe bahut pasand aaya."

"Sacchi?" maine kaha.

"Haan. Aur..." Joy ne apna notebook nikaala. "Maine... maine uspe ek kavita likhi hai. Aapke baare mein. Aapki art ke baare mein."

Mera dil ruk gaya. "Mere... mere baare mein?"

"Can I... can I read it?" usne pucha.

Maine haan mein sir hilaaya.

Usne saans liya, aur padhna shuru kiya:

"Siliguri ki woh ladki, Canvas le kar aayi, Kolkata ki galiyon mein, Rang apne bikhraayi.

Baarish ki boondon mein, Tram ki purani seeti mein, Usne dekha mujhe, Aur main... main toh bas... Usi pal jeet gaya."

Woh ruka. Mera dil tez dhadak raha tha. Aankhon mein aansu aa gaye.

"Aage... aage hai," usne kaha, khud bhi emotional ho kar.

"Uske haathon mein woh brush, Jaise jaadu ka jadoo, Main teacher hoon, padhata hoon itihaas, Lekin usmein... usmein mera future hai, Mera sukoon."

Dida humein dekh rahi thi. Unki aankhein bhi num thi.

"Joy..." main kuch keh nahi paayi.

"Riya," usne kaha, apni kavita band kar ke, "main jaanta hoon ki hum jaante nahi hain zyada. Lekin... lekin jab se aapko dekha hai, main... main alag feel karta hoon. Aapki simplicity, aapki art... aur aapka woh Siliguri se aake bhi Kolkata ko apnane ka tareeka..."

Dida ne kaha, "Bas, bas. Aar koto shonabo? Ami toh aashirbad kore dilam."

Hum dono Dida ki taraf dekhe.

"Joy, ei meyeke amar bhalo legeche," Dida ne kaha. "Tor maa baba America te, kintu ami toh ekhane. Aar ami boli, ei meyei tor jonno thik."

"Maa..." Joy sharmaya.

"Ki maa? Ami bujhi na?" Dida muskurayi. "Eto dine ekta meyeke anecho bari te. Aar oke dekhlei bujhlam. Tor chokh e aladha aloo."

Main... main rone lagi. Khushi se. Itni jaldi? Itni asaani se? Yeh Dida... kitni samajhdaar thi!

Sayan bahar se aaya. "Arre, kya hua? Rona kyun?"

"Khushi se, bozo," Dida ne kaha. "Ekhon tumra dujone boshe khao. Ami mishti enechi - rosogolla. Joy er favourite."

Humne milkar rosogolla khaye. Joy ne mere haath pakda - pehli baar. Uska haath garam tha, strong tha, aur... aur perfect fit tha mere haath mein.

"Thank you," usne kaha, sirf mujhe sunai dene ke liye.

"Kis liye?" maine pucha.

"Meri zindagi mein aane ke liye."

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Chapter 5: Sayan ki Shaadi aur Nazdeekiyaan

Agle do mahine... woh sabse khoobsurat time tha. Joy aur main... hum roz milte. Tram mein, Coffee House mein, Dida ke ghar pe. Mashi ko bhi pata chal gaya tha, aur woh bhi khush thi.

Sayan ki shaadi thi - December mein. Joy ka best friend, toh obviously mujhe bhi jaana tha.

"Riya, tum aa rahi ho na?" Sayan ne phone pe pucha. "Meri bibi se milna hai tumhe!"

"Zaroor aaungi," maine kaha.

Shaadi ek traditional Bengali wedding thi. Joy ne dhoti kurta pehna tha - white with red border. Main ek light pink saree mein thi.

Jab main pahunchi, toh Joy ne mujhe dekha aur... aur woh bol nahi paaya. Bas dekhta hi raha.

"Kya... kya hua?" maine pucha, sharmate hue.

"Kuch nahi," usne kaha. "Bas... aap bahut... bahut sundar lag rahi hain."

Sayan ki shaadi mein, humne saath dance kiya - Rabindra Sangeet pe. "Amaro porano jaha chay" - yeh gaana baja. Joy ne mujhe haath pakda, aur... aur humne saath mein dance kiya. Itna close, itna comfortable.

Raat ko, jab sab thak ke baithe, Joy ne mujhe terrace pe le gayi.

"Riya," usne kaha, "maine aapko kuch dikhana hai."

Kya tha? Usne apna phone nikaala. Ek video tha.

"Yeh... yeh maine kyun banaya?" maine pucha.

"Kyunki," usne kaha, "yeh hum hain. Aap aur main. Tram mein, baarish mein, Dida ke ghar pe... maine sab record kiya. Apni yaadon mein."

Video mein... hum the. Main hass rahi thi, woh muskura raha tha. Tram ke window se baarish, coffee house ki chai, Dida ki muskaan...

"Joy..." main emotional ho gayi.