Influencer Ka Ghar

Woh thoda sa ruk gaya. “Mera matlab—”

“Matlab samajh aa gaya. Tumhe lagta hai main thaki hui hoon.”

“Main keh raha hoon tum thaki hui ho.”

“Sab thakte hain, Sameer.”

Usne thoda sar jhuka liya. “Haan. Lekin sabko camera pe happy dikhna bhi nahi padta.”

Woh line mujhe chubh gayi.

Yuvan hall se daudta hua aaya. “Mamma, mera blue notebook kahan hai?”

“Study table pe.”

“Wahan nahi hai.”

“Dhoondo.”

Usne pair patak diya. “Aap hamesha dhoondo bolte ho. Aap khud kyun nahi dhoondhte?”

Maine tezi se bola, “Kyuki main busy hoon.”

“Busy kis se?”

Mainne kuch seconds ke liye usko dekha. “Kaam se.”

Woh seedha pooch baitha, “Camera wala kaam?”

Sameer ki nazar meri taraf gayi. Maine uske question ko ignore karne ki koshish ki, par usme ek innocence thi jo ignore karna aur bhi ganda lag raha tha.

Maya ka phir message aaya: “Audience ko aaj ek family moment chahiye. Little chaos, lots of warmth. You know the drill.”

Little chaos. Lots of warmth.

Meri life ka summary.

Mainne final story shoot ki: breakfast table, soft laugh, Yuvan ka toast bite, Sameer background mein coffee lete hue, caption: Simple mornings, warm hearts, and a little chaos. Heart emoji. Coffee emoji. Home emoji.

Post karte waqt mujhe ek chhota sa guilt feel hua. Par guilt bhi ab routine ka part tha—jaise moisturizer, jaise sunscreen, jaise ek aur layer jo upar se smooth dikhati ho.

Comments aane lage.

“So relatable!” “Ritu di is the realest” “Yuvan is such a cutie” “How do you manage it all?”

Mainne phone lock kiya.

Mere saamne sink mein plates thi. Mere peeche Sameer ka silent call. Aur ghar ke andar, kahin kisi corner mein, woh sach jo camera ke baad bhi chup nahi hua tha.

Truth Bomb

Truth bomb dramatic music ke saath nahi aati.

Woh aksar bacche ke normal tone mein aati hai. Jaise uske liye bas ek observation ho.

Shaam ko Maya aa gayi. Pastel kurta, neat bun, aur smile mein woh polished concern jo agency meetings mein bohot kaam aata tha.

“Quick live karte hain,” usne bag side mein rakhte hue kaha. “Family vibe. Audience ko behind the scenes pasand hai. Especially after your last reel.”

Maine uski baat sunte hue hair tie theek ki. Sameer couch pe baitha tha, phone haath mein, par uski attention screen pe nahi thi. Yuvan floor pe Lego se kuch tower bana raha tha.

Maya ne ring light set ki. White circle light phaili. Living room achanak aur zyada neat, aur zyada staged lagne laga.

“Okay,” Maya boli, “Ritu tum yahan. Sameer left. Yuvan center. Natural smiles.”

Sameer ne dry voice mein kaha, “Natural smiles bhi direction se aati hain?”

Maya ne laugh kiya. “Aapka sarcasm bhi cute hai, Sameer.”

Mujhe usse ek warning look dena pada.

Live start hua.

Comment bubbles screen pe turant chalne lage.

“Hi Ritu di!” “Yuvan so cuteee” “Couple goals” “Mommy influencer queen” “Love this family”

Mainne sweet voice mein bola, “Hello everyone. Aaj hum bas ek cozy evening share kar rahe hain.”

Yuvan ne bina upar dekhe Lego ka piece fit karte hue poocha, “Mamma, cozy ka matlab jhagda nahi hota na?”

Mainne hansi ki. “No baby, cozy ka matlab warm and happy hota hai.”

“Phir kal raat cozy nahi thi.”

Room ke andar hawa ruki.

Maya ki smile ek second ko hold se slip hui. Sameer ne seedha Yuvan ki taraf dekha.

Yuvan ko kuch pata hi nahi tha ki usne kya khol diya hai. Uske liye woh bas sach tha. Bina filter ka. Bina strategy ka.

“Tumhe kaise yaad hai?” maine halka sa bolne ki koshish ki.

“Kyuki main jag raha tha,” usne bola. “Aap aur Papa kitchen mein dheere bol rahe the. Phir Papa ne plate rakhi. Phir aapne bola ‘camera ke baad baat karenge’. Main sun raha tha.”

Mera heart literally ek beat ke liye ruk gaya.

Comments mein shor badh gaya.

“Wait what?” “Did he just say camera?” “Is this staged?” “Poor kid” “OMG”

Maya ne instantly handle mode on kiya. “Haha, kids are so observant. They pick up little things and mix them up. You know how imagination works—”

“Main imagination nahi kar raha,” Yuvan ne usse dekhte hue bola. “Main sun raha tha.”

Live pe ek achanak kaafi real silence aa gaya.

Sameer ne low voice mein kaha, “Yuvan, bas.”

Par Yuvan ne papa ko dekha aur poocha, “Bas kyun?”

Us sawal mein koi accusation nahi tha. Sirf confusion.

Bas kyun?

Bas chup kyun?

Bas pretend kyun?

Mainne ring light ke circle mein khud ko dekha—half-lit face, stiff smile, eyes mein panic. Mujhe laga woh light mere chehre ko illuminate nahi kar rahi, expose kar rahi hai.

Maya ne phone ki taraf jhuk kar whisper kiya, “Ritu, live end karo. Abhi.”

Mainne haath badhaya, par finger kaanp rahi thi. End button pe click hua.

Screen black.

Par jo black hua tha, woh sirf live tha. Sach nahi.

Comment Section

Pehle mujhe laga shayad kal tak sab nikal jayega.

Internet kaise bhi ho, short memory ka jhootha sukoon deta hai. Ek controversy, ek apology, ek funny clip, phir next trend. Main is cycle ko achchi tarah jaanti thi. Kabhi kisi brand ne mujhe sikhaya tha, kabhi maine khud ko.

Par iss baar comments ruk nahi rahe the.

“Ritu, are you okay?” “Kids shouldn’t be made content.” “This looks fake.” “Why is everyone acting?” “Mommy influencers are all the same.”

Maya mere paas couch ke edge pe baithi thi, phone haath mein. Uske face pe woh professional concern tha jo emergency mein bhi neat dikhta hai.

“Listen,” usne kaha, “we need to control the narrative. Ek clarification story. Just say Yuvan misheard. You were joking. Sameer and you are fine. That’s it.”

“Fine?” maine repeat kiya.

“Ritu, silence ko log guilt samajh lenge.”

“Shayad guilt hai bhi,” Sameer ne balcony se bola.

Maya ne uski taraf dekha. “Sameer, right now we need to protect the family image.”

Sameer ki hansi bahut halki thi, par usmein kuch tootahua tha. “Family image?”