Hostel Corridor Mein Dil Ka DJ

Raghu ne Neha ko dekha. Uski aankhon mein woh same tiredness thi jo usne bahut din se avoid ki thi. “Tumse milne ka matlab main argue karna nahi chahta tha,” usne finally bola, awaaz halki si kaanp rahi thi. “Main bas… samajh nahi paata ki tum mujhse kya expect karti ho.”

Neha ne seedha usse dekha. “Main expect nahi karti, Raghu. Main wait karti hoon. Aur wait karte-karte thak gayi hoon.”

Raghu ke paas us sentence ka koi counterpoint nahi tha. Debater hoke bhi woh is waqt defending mode mein nahi gaya. Shayad pehli baar usne sirf sunna choose kiya. “Mujhe lagta tha main time le raha hoon,” usne dheere se kaha, “par shayad main tumhe uncertainty de raha tha.”

Neha ka expression thoda soften hua, par fully nahi. “Exactly. Mujhe love chahiye tha, lecture nahi.”

Udhar Aarav speaker aur wire ke beech jhunjhla raha tha. “Bhai, yeh setup galat room mein connect hua hai. Agar power extension yahan se courtyard mein shift kar dein, toh DJ bhi bach jayega aur warden bhi.”

Dinu uncle ne uski baat ek second mein pakad li. “Ho sakta hai?”

“Bilkul. Bas thoda kaam aur thoda patience,” Aarav ne bola.

Dinu uncle ne gehri saans li. “Patience meri sabse kamzor skill hai.”

Aarav ne half-smile ke saath kaha, “Uncle, aaj nayi skill install karni padegi.”

Woh line sunke Ananya ke face par ek chhoti si smile aayi, jo poore din mein pehli honest smile thi. Dinu uncle ne uski taraf dekha aur dheere se bole, “Ananya, maine tumse promise kiya tha ki aaj ka din special hoga. Main bas itna darr gaya tha ki kahin kuch missing na ho jaye. Toh control karne laga. Par control karte karte main sunna bhool gaya.”

Ananya ne kuch der tak kuch nahi kaha. Phir bas itna boli, “Papa, special perfect se nahi hota. Special tab hota hai jab log honestly present ho.”

Woh sunkar Dinu uncle ki aankhen thodi nami se bhar aayi. Woh emotional type ke insaan nahi lagte the, par us raat unka bossy mask thoda crack hua aur andar ka father dikh gaya—thaka hua, guilty, aur genuinely pyaar karne wala.

Aarav ne turant action liya. “Okay, plan simple hai. DJ ko courtyard mein shift karte hain. Speaker yahan se extension leke jaayenge. Volume low rakhenge. Warden ko bolenge ki rehearsal 15 minute mein wrap. Aur agar koi zyada drama karega, main khud mic bandh kar dunga.”

Warden door se dekh raha tha. Aarav uske paas gaya, “Sir, control mein hai. Bas 20 minute aur. Main guarantee deta hoon.”

Warden ne usko ghura, phir thandi saans leke bola, “Aarav, tum guarantee dete ho toh mujhe aur darr lagta hai.”

“Sir, aaj trust kijiye,” Aarav ne bola.

Aur surprisingly, kaam ho gaya.

Courtyard mein DJ shift hua. Wedding songs thode low volume mein bajne lage. Hostel ke boys, jo pehle mazaak uda rahe the, ab chairs set karne lage. Kisi ne samosas ka tray uthaya, kisi ne extension wire pakda, kisi ne fairy lights seedhi ki. Even warden ne ek corner se observe karte hue apna gussa thoda kam kar diya. Corridor ka chaos ab ek imperfect but functioning arrangement mein badal gaya.

Raghu ne Neha se phir baat ki. Is baar usne excuses nahi diye, debate format nahi use kiya, na hi over-explain kiya. “Main tumhe lose nahi karna chahta,” usne seedha kaha. “Par main itna dar gaya tha ki galat bol dunga, isliye kuch bola hi nahi.”

Neha ne uski taraf dekha. “Galat bolna bhi kabhi-kabhi honest hota hai. Bas chup rehna sabse zyada hurt karta hai.”

Raghu ne nod kiya. “I know. Aur main ab se try karunga ki sirf sochun nahi, bolun bhi.”

Neha ne uski aankhon mein dekha. “Try ka matlab promise mat samajhna. Bas truth samajhna.”

Raghu ne halki si smile di. “Fair.”

Woh dono turant happy couple mode mein nahi gaye. Na koi hug, na filmy background score. Bas ek real, thaka hua honesty ka moment tha. Kabhi-kabhi wahi enough hota hai.

Aarav ne door se unhe dekha aur pehli baar uske face par koi joke ready nahi tha. Shayad kyunki usko bhi samajh aa gaya tha ki har problem ko sprint karke solve nahi kiya ja sakta. Kuch log bas sunna chahte hain. Kuch logon ko time chahiye. Aur kuch moments ko force nahi, space chahiye.

Dinu uncle ne Ananya ke saamne ek proper apology di. “Maine tumhari feelings se zyada apni tension ko importance de di. Sorry.”

Ananya ne unke haath ko gently touch kiya. “Bas aage se mujhe side character mat banana.”

“Kabhi nahi,” Dinu uncle ne kaha.

Raat dheere dheere settle hone lagi. Function imperfect tha, par yaad rehne layak tha. DJ ka volume kabhi low, kabhi slightly high, aur samosas almost khatam. Hostel corridor mein broken chair thi, empty plates thi, ek dead speaker tha, aur ek aisa silence bhi tha jo pehle se zyada peaceful lag raha tha.

Jab sab wapas room ki taraf laut rahe the, Aarav aur Raghu saath chale. Dono exhausted the. Aarav ne apni neck roll ki, Raghu ne bag shoulder par adjust kiya. Kuch seconds tak dono chup rahe.

Phir Aarav ne dheere se bola, “Main har cheez ko force se solve karne ki aadat mein phans gaya tha, shayad.”

Raghu ne uski taraf dekha. “Aur main har cheez ko soch-soch ke delay karta raha.”

Aarav ne thoda sa hans ke kaha, “Toh combined version theek tha aaj.”

Raghu bhi smile kar diya. “Haan. Tu speed tha, main pause. Dono milke kaam kar gaye.”

Unke room ke andar jaate hi hostel ki usual smell—chai, dust, aur half-open window ki hawa—wapas aa gayi. Lekin us raat kuch alag tha. Jo cheezein unhe pehle heavy lag rahi thi, woh ab manageable lag rahi thi. Shayad kyunki unhone pehli baar sirf problem nahi dekhi, insaan dekhe the.