Last Stop Tak Saath

Dipti ne Baba ko dekha. “Main aapka naam roshan karungi,” usne dheere se kaha.

Ramesh ne kuch nahi bola. Bas ek lambi nazar us par dali, phir side mein dekh liya. Lekin us silence mein pehli baar hard refusal nahi tha. Sirf reluctant respect thi.

Jis din Dipti nikalne wali thi, bus stop pe subah ka same scene tha. Wahi old bus, wahi Bittu, wahi tea garden ki nami, wahi thandi hawa. Par aaj scene alag tha. Dipti ka bag heavy tha—books, clothes, documents, hostel essentials. Sangeeta ne uske tiffin mein aloo paratha rakha tha, saath mein ek chhota sa packet me dry fruits. Usne bag ke side pocket mein ek folded note bhi daala.

Dipti ne note khola nahi, bas uske touch se hi samajh gayi ki andar kuch zaroori hai. “Mausi, yeh sab…”

“Zyada mat bol,” Sangeeta ne kaha. “Khali pet padhai nahi hoti.”

Bittu ne un dono ko dekh kar apni usual tone mein bola, “Arre wah! Aaj toh mausi emotional plus practical dono mode mein hain. Student ji, aapka future bus ke last stop se aage nikal raha hai, samjhiye.”

Dipti ne pehli baar us din sach mein muskura diya. “Bittu bhaiya, aap bhi na.”

Bus ka horn baja. Ramesh thode door khade the. Unhone Dipti ko directly hug nahi kiya, bas ek chhota sa nod diya. Woh nod hi kaafi tha—us ghar ke hisaab se woh bada gesture tha. Dipti ne pehle Baba ko dekha, phir Sangeeta ko.

Sangeeta ne uske bag ka strap theek kiya, jaise bachpan mein school bag theek karti thi. Phir usne bahut dheere se kaha, “Seedhi rehna. Khana time pe. Aur koi problem ho toh chup mat rehna.”

Dipti ki aankhen bhar aayi, par usne aansu girne nahi diye. “Aap bhi mera wait karna.”

Sangeeta ne uske forehead ko ek second ke liye chhua. “Main last stop tak nahi, aage bhi wait karungi.”

Bus chali. Dipti window seat pe baithi, aur Sangeeta ne tab tak usko dekha jab tak bus tea garden ke bend se gayab nahi ho gayi. Bittu ne mirror mein dekha aur dheere se bola, “Mausi, aaj aapne control chhod diya?”

Sangeeta ne halki si smile ke saath kaha, “Control nahi. Bas pyaar ko jagah di hai.”

Bittu ne steering pe haath mazboot kiya aur bola, “Wah. Aaj toh bus bhi emotional ho gayi.”

Sangeeta ne pehli baar sach mein hansi. Woh hansi chhoti thi, par usmein relief tha. Darr abhi bhi tha. Future abhi bhi uncertain tha. Ghar ka poora mana abhi nahi badla tha. Lekin ek crack pad chuka tha—aur kabhi-kabhi zindagi mein wahi crack roshni ke liye kaafi hota hai.

Us raat Dipti ne hostel ke room se Sangeeta ko message kiya: “Mausi, note padha. ‘Darr ke saath mat chalna, sapne ke saath chalna.’ Thank you.”

Sangeeta ne phone ko dekh kar kuch der tak bas saans li. Phir usne reply kiya: “Padhaai kar. Aur yaad rakh, support loud nahi hota. Par sachcha hota hai.”

Aur tea garden town mein, jab agle din subah bus phir se last stop tak gayi, toh Sangeeta ki seat pe ek alag si khamoshi thi. Ab woh khamoshi khali nahi thi. Usmein ek bhanji ka future baitha tha, dur kahin engineer banne ki taraf ja raha tha—धीरे, sacchai se, aur apni roots ko chhode bina.

Storydilse ke pyaare readers, itni pyaar se yeh kahani padhne ke liye dil se thank you. Aapka support humare liye bahut special hai. Aise hi storydilse ke saath jude rahiye, aur apna pyaar banaye rakhiye.