Lajpat Nagar Ke Teekhe Momos

Lajpat Nagar Ke Teekhe Momos Category: Comedy Labels: Foodies Choice, Delhi Slang, Must Read, Humorous, Delhi Markets ---

Chapter 1: Woh Pehli Teekhi Mulakaat

Bhai, main batata hoon na, Delhi ki garmi alag hoti hai, lekin Lajpat Nagar ki bheed aur bazaar ki garmi toh alag hi level ki hai. Main Rohit, 26 saal ka SEO executive, Kanpur se aaya hua. Mere office ne mujhe Delhi bheja tha ek project pe, aur main soch raha tha ki yahan sirf kaam karunga, kuch aur nahi.

Lekin us din... us din sab badal gaya.

Dopahar ka time tha, bhookh lag rahi thi zabardast. Main Lajpat Nagar Central Market ghoom raha tha, jeb mein phone, haath mein laptop bag. Wohi typical IT wala look - formal shirt, thoda pasina, aur chehre pe yeh expression ki "Bhai, lunch break kab aayega?"

Aur phir maine use dekha.

Nahi, pehle maine us momo stall ko dekha. "Bhaiya ki Famous Momos" - ek chhota sa thela, bheed jama thi, aur woh khushboo... arre yaar, dil garden garden ho gaya. Main line mein lag gaya, soch ke ki do plate momos khaunga, ek hi baith ke.

Line aage badh rahi thi. Main apne phone pe scroll kar raha tha, jab ek awaaz aayi.

"Excuse me, aap line tod rahe hain kya?"

Maine upar dekha. Nahi, actually maine pehle uske jooton ke upar dekha - white sneakers, designer type, safed safed. Phir upar gaya nazar - ripped jeans, floral print ki kurti, haath mein ek chhota sa sketchbook. Aur phir chehra...

Bhai, kya bataun. Gori chitti, baal shoulder length, ek side pe tucked behind the ear. Aur aankhein... woh aankhein jaise kisi ne do coffee beans seedhe aasmaan se utha ke rakh di ho. Brown, deep, aur itni zinda.

"Hello? Earth to...?" usne haath hilaya mere saamne.

"Arre nahi nahi!" main jhat se bola, "Main line mein hi hoon, woh bas... phone dekh raha tha."

"Hmm," usne eyebrow raise ki, "Aur phone mein kya itna interesting tha?"

"Kuch nahi, bas office ka email. SEO executive hoon na, toh rankings check kar raha tha."

"SEO?" usne sar tilt kiya, "Matlab Google wala?"

"Ha, wahi. Aapki website top pe laane wala aadmi."

Usne halki si smile di. "Interesting. Main Meera, by the way."

"Rohit. Kanpur se."

"Kanpur?" usne jaise koi purani yaad taazi ki ho, "Mere nani wahan rehti thi. Pukka UP wala accent hai aapka."

"Arre, yeh toh meri pehchaan hai. Kanpuriya hoon, aur proud hoon."

Hum dono line mein aage badh rahe the. Main usko side se dekh raha tha. Uske haath mein woh sketchbook tha, aur kabhi kabhi woh usme kuch draw karti ja rahi thi.

"Aap designer ho?" maine pucha.

"Fashion designer," usne confidently bola, "Apna chhota sa label hai. Yahan se fabric leke jaati hoon, aur woh..." usne ek dukaan ki taraf ishaara kiya jahan mannequins khade the, "Wahan se inspiration."

"Wah, artistic type."

"Thoda bahut," usne aankh maari, "Aur aap? Technical type?"

"Main?" maine haath failaya, "Main toh bas keywords aur algorithms ke saath khelta hoon. Creative toh bilkul nahi."

"Don't be so sure," usne kaha, "Har insaan mein kuch na kuch creative hota hai. Bas dhoondhna padta hai."

Humari baat chal rahi thi, aur main notice kar raha tha ki hum dono ek dusre se kaafi comfortable lag rahe the. Woh bhi baat kar rahi thi, aur main bhi... aur woh jo chemistry hota hai na, woh feel ho raha tha.

Phir aaya hamara turn.

"Bhaiya, ek plate momos," maine kaha.

"Veg ya non-veg?" Bhaiya ne pucha.

"Non-veg, aur chutney zyada daalna."

Meera ne side se kaha, "Bhaiya, mere wale mein bhi extra chutney."

Bhaiya ne dono plate banayi. Main payment kar raha tha, aur Meera ne apna phone nikala.

"QR code?" usne pucha.

"Arre, maine already dono ka pay kar diya," maine kaha.

Usne surprise se dekha. "Kyun?"

"Kyunki... kyunki aapne mujhe line mein aane nahi diya todna. Woh bhi kisi cheez ka hisaab hai."

Usne hansi rokne ki koshish ki, lekin hans padi. "Smooth. Bahut smooth, Kanpuriya."

"Rohit. Bas Rohit."

"Teek hai, Rohit. Lekin agli baar main pay karungi."

"Agli baar?" maine eyebrow raise kiya, "Itni jaldi agli baar ki planning?"

Usne blush kiya. Haan, sach mein blush kiya. "Matlab... yahan aati hoon main aksar. Momos pasand hain."

"Mujhe bhi. Shayad hum phir milenge."

Hum dono ek chhote se bench pe baithe. Main uski plate dekh raha tha - veg momos, uske paas ek alag si green chutney thi.

"Yeh kya chutney hai?" maine pucha.

"Yeh? Yeh Bhaiya ki special hai. Teekhi wali."

"Teekhi?"

"Bahut teekhi," usne warning di, "Aap handle nahi kar payenge."

Challenge? Meri aankhein chamak gayi. "Main Kanpuriya hoon, Meera. Teekha humse zyada koi nahi khaata."

"Challenge accepted?" usne kaha.

"Challenge accepted."

Usne apni chutney ki chhoti si bowl mujhe di. Maine apni momo usme duboya, poora sauce laga ke, aur ek saans mein poora kha liya.

Pehle 3 second toh theek tha.

Phir...

"AHHHHHHHH!" main chilla pada, "Bhaiya! Paani! PAANI!"

Meri aankhein aansuon se bhar gayi, muh jal raha tha jaise koi dragon ne aag phoonk di ho. Main jump kar raha tha, haath faila raha tha.

Meera hans rahi thi. Nahi, woh toh ro padne wali thi hasi se. "Maine kaha tha! Maine kaha tha!"

"Bhaiya paani!" main chillaya.

Aur phir... phir woh moment aaya.

Meera ne apna bag khola, ek tissue packet nikala, aur mere chehre pe aansu pochne lagi. Phir usne apna water bottle khola, aur mere haath mein diya.

"Peeyo. Dheere dheere."

Maine paani piya. Thoda saans liya. Phir usse dekha.

Woh mere itne paas thi. Itni paas ki uske baal mere chehre ko chhu rahe the. Usne tissue se mere corner of the eyes pocha, aur pucha, "Theek hai?"

Main... main kuch bol nahi paaya. Kyunki yaar, woh moment hi kuch alag tha. Koi ladki, jo abhi abhi mili hai, itni care kar rahi hai. Itni naturally, bina kuch soche samjhe.

"Haan," maine finally kaha, "Ab theek hai."

"Sorry," usne muskurate hue kaha, "Maine aapko warn kiya tha."