Lajpat Nagar Ke Teekhe Momos

Hum wahan se nikle. Market ghoomne lage. Usne mujhe dukaanein dikhayi - fabric wali, accessory wali, export surplus wali. Har jagah uski jaan pehchaan thi.

"Yahan regular ho?" maine pucha.

"Har weekend," usne kaha, "Meri jagah hai yeh. Mera comfort zone."

"Ab mera bhi ban raha hai."

Usne dekha mujhe. "Kyun?"

"Kyunki aap ho."

Smooth, Rohit, smooth. Maine apne aap ko mentally high-five diya.

"Flirt mat karo," usne kaha, lekin hass rahi thi.

"Nahi kar raha. Observation hai."

"Achha?"

"Ha. Aur ek aur observation hai."

"Kya?"

"Aap hass rahi hain, toh aapki naak thodi si chupti hai. Cute lagti hai."

"Oh god," usne chehra chhupaya, "Yeh koi pickup line hai?"

"Nahi, genuine observation. Maine notice kiya hai."

"Aapne notice kiya hai?" usne eyebrow raise ki, "Kab?"

"Pehli meeting se. Aur aaj bhi. Aur kal bhi karunga. Roz karunga, agar permission ho toh."

Usne mujhe ghoora. Phir hansi. "Cheesy, lekin cute."

"I'll take it."

Humne coffee li. Barista pe. Usne cappuccino, maine black coffee.

"Health conscious?" usne pucha.

"Nahi, taste. Kanpur mein nani ke haath ki coffee peeta tha. Woh strong hoti thi."

"Nani?"

"Ha, woh bhi abhi nahi hain. Lekin yaad aati hai."

Usne kuch nahi kaha. Bas haath aage badhaya, aur mere haath pe rakh diya table pe. Soft, reassuring.

"Toh," maine topic change kiya, "Kal kya plan hai?"

"Kal? Office. Designs finalize karni hain. Client meeting hai."

"Main madad karun?"

"Aapko fashion aata hai?"

"Nahi, lekin fresh perspective de sakta hoon. Aur waise bhi, mera Monday se kaam hai aapki website pe. Pehle se shuru karun?"

"Sure," usne kaha, "Shaam ko milun? 6 baje?"

"Perfect."

Hum alag hue. Ghar jaate waqt, main soch raha tha... Yaar, yeh ladki alag hai. Natural hai. Pretend nahi karti. Aur mujhse... mujhse genuinely interested lagti hai.

Phone pe message aaya uska: "Aaj achha laga. Bohot."

Maine reply kiya: "Mujhe bhi. Kal aur achha hoga."

"Confidence?"

"Nahi, hope. Aur thodi si planning."

"Planning?"

"Ha. Kal aapko surprise dunga."

"Kya?"

"Secret. Milke pata chalega."

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Chapter 3: Surprises, Sketches, aur Dheere Dheere

Kal shaam ko main pahuncha. Uske studio ke bahar. Chhota sa setup tha, ek room converted into workspace. Mannequins, fabrics, sketches everywhere.

"Rohit?" usne darwaza khola, "Itni jaldi?"

"Excited tha," maine kaha, "Aur yeh..."

Maine ek bag diya usko.

"Kya hai?"

"Kholo."

Usne khola. Andar tha... ek chhota sa plant. Succulent. Green, chubby, cute.

"Yeh...?"

"Office plant," maine kaha, "Har creative space mein hona chahiye. Plus, yeh low maintenance hai. Paani kam chahiye, pyaar zyada."

"Aap... itne sweet kaise ho?" usne pucha.

"Kanpuriya genes," maine kaha, "Aur waise bhi, aapne meri jaan bachayi thi. Woh debt hai abhi bhi."

Usne plant ko apne table pe rakha. "Thank you. Sach mein."

"Welcome. Ab kaam pe lagun?"

Usne apni website kholi laptop pe. Basic thi, slow thi, mobile friendly nahi thi.

"Yeh toh..." maine kaha.

"Kharab hai, pata hai," usne kaha, "Lekin budget nahi tha."

"Ab budget ki zarurat nahi," maine kaha, "Main hoon na."

Main kaam mein lag gaya. Keywords research, meta tags, image optimization. Woh apne designs mein busy thi. Kabhi kabhi humari nazar milti, aur dono smile karte.

"Chai?" usne pucha.

"Please."

Woh gayi, chai banayi. Kitchenette tha chhota sa. Main usko dekh raha tha - kaise woh paani garam karti thi, kaise woh chini daalti thi. Natural movements, graceful.

"Kya dekh rahe ho?" usne pucha, bina mudke.

"Kaam," maine jhoot bola.

"Liar."

"Sach. Aapki website dekh raha tha. Structure achha hai, bas execution mein problem hai."

Woh chai leke aayi. Humne peeti. Usne pucha, "SEO mein maza aata hai?"

"Actually, haan," maine kaha, "Jaise aap fabric ko transform karti ho design mein, waise hi main keywords ko transform karta hoon traffic mein. Dono creative hain, apne tareeke se."

"Wah," usne kaha, "Philosopher bhi ho."

"Nahi, bas... samajhne ki koshish karta hoon. Har cheez mein kuch na kuch achha hota hai."

"Meri life mein kya achha hai?" usne suddenly pucha.

Maine uski aankhon mein dekha. Thodi confusion, thodi insecurity.

"Aap," maine seedha kaha, "Aap talented ho, passionate ho, aur... aur mujhe lagta hai aap bahut jald successful hongi."

"Sacchi?"

"Dil se."

Woh chup rahi. Phir boli, "Aap alag ho, Rohit."

"Alag?"

"Ha. Delhi ke ladke... woh zyada show off karte hain. Aap simple ho. Genuine."

"Kanpur effect," maine muskuraya, "Wahan show off nahi chalta. Dil se connection chahiye."

"Connection?" usne pucha, soft voice mein.

"Ha. Woh jo hum dono ke beech mein hai. Dost wala, aur... shayad thoda aur bhi."

Usne blush kiya. "Aap bold ho gaye."

"Nahi, honest. Aur waise bhi, aapne hi kaha tha na, har insaan mein kuch creative hota hai. Toh main bhi creative ho raha hoon... apne feelings express karne mein."

"Feelings?" uski awaaz aur bhi soft ho gayi.

"Ha. Woh jo main feel karta hoon jab aap paas hoti ho. Woh jo excitement hoti hai jab aapka message aata hai. Woh jo..."

Main ruk gaya. Kyunki woh uthi, aur mere paas aayi. Itni paas ki main uski perfume mehsoos kar sakta tha. Jasmine. Soft, sweet.

"Rohit," usne kaha.

"Ha?"

"Aapko pata hai main kya feel karti hoon?"

"Kya?"

"Wahi. Exactly wahi."

Aur woh hass ke wapas apni seat pe baith gayi.

Yaar, main kya bataun. Mera dil... mera dil toh jaise 100 km/hour se race kar raha tha. Yeh ladki... yeh ladki dangerous thi. Dangerously beautiful, dangerously smart, aur dangerously cute.

"Toh," maine finally saans li, "Website pe kaam karte hain?"

"Ha," usne kaha, lekin woh bhi smile kar rahi thi.

Woh shaam... woh shaam alag thi. Humne kaam kiya, baatein ki, aur jaane se pehle...

"Kal?" maine pucha.

"Kal busy hoon," usne kaha, "Lekin parso? Same momo stall?"

"Teekhi wali?"

"Nahi, normal wali. Aur haan... main tissues leke aaungi. Just in case."

"Aap meri care karti ho," maine kaha.

"Karti hoon," usne seedha kaha, "Problem hai?"

"Nahi, bilkul nahi. In fact, aur karo."

"Kal milenge," usne kaha, aur chali gayi.

Main wahin khada raha, aur soch raha tha... Yaar, yeh toh serious ho raha hai. Aur mujhe... mujhe bilkul problem nahi thi.

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