Cockroaches in Love

Usne usse wohi raat kiss kiya, India Gate ke neeche, stars ke neeche.

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Day 22 — July 10

Supreme Court ne NEET crisis pe petition sunne se mana kar diya. CJI Surya Kant ne kaha, "We are not interested in videos; we don't have time to watch."

Yeh remark aag ki tarah faila. Confirmation tha—system parwaah nahi karta. Judiciary, government, institutions—protesters ko irritant samajhte hain, cockroaches jo haat se hataye jaayen.

"July 20th," Abhijeet Dipke ne announce kiya. "Sansad Chalo. Parliament march karenge."

Controversial tha. Kuchh peaceful rehna chahte the. Abhishek jaise log escalation ke liye argue kar rahe the.

"Unka attention hai," usne strategy meeting mein kaha. "Ab action chahiye. March violence nahi hai. Numbers aur will power ka demonstration hai."

Pratima ne usse speak karte dekha, logon ko sunte dekha, aur garv se bhar gayi.

Us raat gathering nahi hui. Chhote groups mein log baith ke July 20th ke baare mein baat kar rahe the.

Pratima aur Abhishek India Gate tak chal ke gaye. Haath pakde, chup.

"Agar July 20th ko kuchh ho," Abhishek ne kaha, "tumhe pata hona chahiye. Main tumse pyaar karta hun. Pata hai jaldi hai. Pata hai bubble mein hain. Par karta hun. Tumhari strength, tumhari honesty, tumhara tareeka duniya ko dekhne ka—se sab pyaar hai. Tumhara kiss ka tareeka, jaise tum drown kar rahi thi aur main hawa tha—"

Usne uske honthon pe kiss kar ke usse chup karaya.

"Main bhi pyaar karti hun," usne kaha. "Tumse, tumhare stupid ambitious beautiful hone se."

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Day 25 — July 13

Sonam Wangchuk ko forcibly hospitalise kiya gaya.

Subah subah police aayi, unhe zabardasti uthaya, Safdarjung Hospital le gayi. CJP ne "kidnapping" ka aarop lagaya.

Protest erupt ho gaya. Gussa. Abhijeet Dipke ne apna hunger strike shuru kiya.

Pratima ne Abhishek ko transform hote dekha. Playful, passionate ladka jo banyan tree ke neeche kiss karta tha, ab fierce organizer ban gaya tha.

"Smart rehna hoga," usne group ko kaha. "Poori duniya dekh rahi hai. Ek galat move, ek violence hamari side se, aur hooligan bana denge humein."

"Par Wangchuk..." kisine protest kiya.

"Wangchuk safe hain. Abhi ke liye. Pressure continue karte hain. March continue karte hain."

Us raat pehli baar Pratima ko asli darr laga. Pehle kiss ka darr nahi tha, Papa ke naraz hone ka darr nahi tha. Yeh darr tha—kuchh bura hone ka. Log hurt ho sakte hain.

Usne Abhishek ko akele baithte dekha, phone pe kuchh dekh raha tha.

"Kya hua?"

"Mummy ka phone tha. Newspaper mein photo dekhi meri. Proud hain. Par darr bhi lag raha hai. Ghar bulaa rahi hain."

"Jaoge?"

"Jab tak khatam nahi hota." Usne usse godi mein baithaya, face neck mein chhupaaya. "Par darr lag raha hai, Pratima. Mujhe nahi, tumhare liye. Agar tumhe kuchh hua—"

"Kuchh nahi hoga," usne kaha, par khud bhi believe nahi kar rahi thi.

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Day 28 — July 16

Delhi High Court ne Sonam Wangchuk ko Medanta Hospital Gurugram shift karne ki permission di. Unhone fast end karne se mana kar diya. Condition deteriorate ho rahi thi.

Protest site media circus ban gaya tha. Cameras har jagah, journalists har kisi se baat kar rahe the.

Abhishek spokesperson ban gaya tha. Haryana background, education, articulate anger—accha TV banata tha. Pratima ne borrowed phone pe dekha, BBC reporter se baat karte hue.

"Famous hone wala hai," Priya ne kaha, uske paas baithi.

"Pehle se hai," Pratima ne kaha.

"Chinta nahi hai? Ke politics mein chala jaayega aur tum bas NEET aspirant reh jaogi?"

Pratima ne socha. "Nahi. Kyunki main sirf woh nahi rahungi. NEET clear karungi. Doctor banungi. Aur woh duniya badlega. Aur hum beech mein milenge."

Priya muskuraayi. "Ya toh bahut wise ho, ya bahut naive."

"Shayad dono."

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Day 30 — July 18

Do din march mein hain.

Energy electric thi. Sab jaante the kuchh bada hone wala hai. Government ne Dharmendra Pradhan ko naukri se nahi hataya. CJP ki maangen poori nahi hui. July 20th Sansad Chalo march aakhri chance tha.

Poora din logistics mein nikal gaya. Route planning, emergency contacts, first aid stations ki locations decide karna. Abhishek ne ek map pe Parliament ke aaspaas ke ilake ko mark kiya.

"Yahan police sabse zyada hogi," usne bataya apne group ko. "Lekin hum yahan se nahi, yahan se jayenge." Usne ek aur route dikhaya.

Pratima ne usse dekha—kaise woh leader ban gaya tha. Pehle woh ladka jo chai baant ta tha, ab log uski baat sun rahe the, uski planning pe bharosa kar rahe the.

Shaam ko jab sab thak gaye, toh Pratima aur Abhishek Jantar Mantar ke corner pe baithe. Aaspaas ke dusre protesters so rahe the, kuchh low voice mein gaane ga rahe the.

"Dar lag raha hai," Pratima ne finally kaha. Yeh pehli baar tha jab usne yeh admit kiya.

Abhishek ne uska haath pakda. "Mujhe bhi."

"Sach?"

"Hamesha. Par ab aur zyada. Kyunki ab mere paas kho dene ke liye kuchh hai." Usne uski taraf dekha. "Pehle main bas khud tha. Apne sapne, apni ambition. Ab tum ho. Aur agar tumhe kuchh hua toh..."

"Kuchh nahi hoga," usne kaha, par awaaz kamzor thi.

"Kal raat soya nahi main," Abhishek ne kaha. "Bas sochta raha ki agar march successful hua, toh kya hoga? Agar government ne maan li humari baat, toh? Aur agar nahi maani, toh?"

"Dono case mein kya hoga?"

"Success mila toh main aur zyada involved ho jaunga politics mein. Yeh movement bada hoga. Aur main tumhe saath le ke chalna chahunga. Lekin tumhara NEET, tumhara doctor banna—main tumhare sapnon ke beech nahi aana chahata."

Pratima ne socha. "Aur agar fail hue hum?"

"Toh shayad jail jayenge. Ya aur zyamar protest hoga." Woh ruka. "Par jo bhi ho, main tumse dur nahi hounga. Yeh pakka hai."

Woh utha, uska haath pakad ke usse bhi uthaya. "Chalo, thodi der ghoom ke aate hain. Shaanti se. Kal... kal pata nahi kya hoga."