Mohabbat se Nafrat: The Beginning (Part 1)

Mohabbat se Nafrat : The Begining...

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Chapter 1: Pehli Mulaqat, Pehli Baarish

Bangalore ki subah. Woh bhi ek aadha adhura Sunday jab office nahi jaana padta, lekin phir bhi alarm baj hi jaata hai. Main Ishaan, 27 saal ka UI engineer, Kerala se hoon, par Bangalore ab mera ghar hai. Mere flatmate Vikram abhi tak so raha hoga - uska toh weekend mein sirf ek hi schedule hota hai: soyo, phir soyo, phir party karo, phir soyo.

Main utha, balcony mein gaya. Meri chhoti si balcony garden. Mere paudhe. Mere dost. Yahan Bangalore ki concrete jungle mein yeh hi meri shaanti hai.

Phone vibration diya. Ammu ka message: "Bhaiyya, aaj NGO wala plantation drive yaad hai na? Maine tumhara naam bhi register kar diya. Please jao, nature ke liye kuch karo. Tumhe toh paudhe itne pasand hain."

Ammu meri chhoti behen hai. Chennai mein rehti hai, par meri zindagi ki sabse zyada tension wohi leti hai. Main muskura diya. Haan, main jaane wala tha. Kyunki paudhon se mohabbat meri ragon mein hai - Kerala ke hare bhare ghar ki yaad dilati hai yeh sab.

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HSR Layout ke outskirts pe woh drive tha. Hasiru India naam ka NGO. Main pahuncha toh already 50-60 log jama the. Coffee ki khushboo thi hawa mein - typical Bangalore morning.

Main apna shovel aur gloves leke khada tha, jab ek awaaz aayi: "Excuse me, yeh neem ka sapling kahan lagana hai?"

Main palta.

Woh thi Avani. 25 saal ki, gunguni dhoop jaisi smile, curly baal jo loosely bandhe hue the, aur ek oversized white kurta jo uske gardening apron ke neeche se jhalak raha tha. Uske haath mein mitti lagi thi, aur uski aankhon mein wohi excitement jo mujhe apne paudhon mein dikhti hai.

"Neem wahan corner mein," maine kaha, pointing towards the boundary. "Aur aap...?"

"Avani. Content strategist. Aur aap?"

"Ishaan. UI engineer. Kerala se."

"Oh! South Indian connection! Main Bangalore ki hoon, par dadi Kerala se hain. Toh thoda-thoda Malayalam samajh aata hai," she giggled. "Aap paudhon ke baare mein itna kaise jaante ho?"

"Mera hobby hai. Balcony garden maintain karta hoon."

"Wow! Mujhe bhi seekhna hai. Meri dadi - unhe hum Ajji kehte hain - unke liye ek balcony garden banana hai. Unki tabiyat theek nahi rehti, toh socha ghar mein hi nature laaun."

Us din humne saath mein do paudhe lagaye. Baatein hui. Usne bataya woh HSR mein rehti hai. Maine bataya main Koramangala mein Vikram ke saath flat share karta hoon. Shaam tak hum Instagram pe follow kar rahe the.

"Sunday ko nursery jaate hain?" usne pucha. "HSR Layout mein ek achhi nursery hai. Plants leke aate hain?"

"Sure," maine kaha. Aur isi tarah shuru hua woh silsila jo meri zindagi badalne wala tha.

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Chapter 2: Nursery Ki Mulakaatein

Agla Sunday. Nursery mein.

Avani pehle se hi wahan thi, ek pink pot dekh rahi thi. "Ishaan! Yahan aao. Yeh ceramic pots kitne cute hain na?"

Main gaya. Nursery mein morning ki dhoop aa rahi thi, aur uske baal us dhoop mein golden lag rahe the. Yeh pehli baar tha jab maine notice kiya ki woh kitni sundar hai. Pehle meeting mein toh bas uski energy notice ki thi.

"Ajji ke liye yeh le lo," maine kaha, ek terracotta pot dikhate hue. "Yeh breathable hota hai. Roots ko saans milegi."

"Kitna jaante ho yaar tum!" she looked at me with admiration. "Mujhe sab sikhaoge?"

"Sure. Weekly aate hain na?"

"Deal!"

Us din humne aloe vera, money plant, aur ek chhoti hibiscus li. Usne bataya uska office Whitefield mein hai, traffic mein 2 ghante lagte hain. Maine bataya meri company HSR ke paas hi hai, toh walkable distance.

"Kya plan hai future ka?" usne raste mein pucha, chai ki tapri pe khade hoke.

"Start-up shuru karna hai. Sustainable living app. Gardening, eco-friendly lifestyle - yeh sab."

"That's so cool! Main bhi content strategy mein apna kuch karna chahti hoon. Freelance. Ajji ke saath zyada time spend karna hai. Unki health..."

Maine uski aankhein dekhi. Woh emotional ho gayi thi. Maine gently kaha, "Health issues hain?"

"Heart condition. Doctor ne kaha stress nahi lena. Unke liye yeh garden project bahut important hai. Unka mood achha rehta hai nature ke saath."

Main samajh gaya. Yeh project sirf gardening nahi tha. Yeh pyaar tha, ek grand-daughter ka apni grandmother ke liye.

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Chapter 3: Balcony Garden Project

Agle 2 mahine. Weekly meetings.

Sometimes nursery, sometimes cafes, kabhi-kabhi direct uske ghar - HSR ke ek old-style independent house mein jahan top floor Avani rehti thi, ground floor Ajji.

Ajji. 75 saal ki. White cotton saree, round glasses, aur woh warm smile jo mujhe apni amma ki yaad dilati thi.

"Kerala se ho?" Ajji ne pehli baar pucha jab main unke ghar gaya. "Mere husband wahan posted the. Idukki. Kitna sundar tha woh time."

"Ajji, Ishaan ne aapke liye special plants laye hain," Avani ne kaha, excitedly.

Maine balcony setup kiya. Vertical planters lagaye. Herbs - tulsi, pudina, curry leaves. Flowering plants - jasmine, hibiscus, aur roses. Ajji ke favourite white lilies bhi li.

"Ishaan beta," Ajji ne kaha, mere haath pakad ke, "Tu toh jaadu karta hai. Yeh balcony pehle kabhi itni sundar nahi lagi."

Main sharma gaya. Avani ne mujhe dekha, aur uski aankhon mein kuch alag tha. Woh gratitude se zyada tha. Woh connection tha.

Vikram ne ek din pucha, "Bhai, kahan rehta hai roz? Koi mil gaya kya?"

"Bas ek friend," maine kaha.

"Friend? Ya 'friend'?" he winked.

Maine kuch nahi kaha. Par haan, Avani sirf friend nahi reh gayi thi. Uski hasi, uski baatein, uska Ajji ke liye pyaar - sab mujhe attract kar raha tha.

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Chapter 4: Pehli Baar... Woh Ehsaas

Ek Sunday. Barish ka mausam. Bangalore ki woh famous unexpected rain.

Hum nursery se wapas aa rahe the. Main uske ghar chhodne gaya. Balcony mein hum dono the, new plants arrange kar rahe the. Achhanak baarish shuru ho gayi. Heavy, romantic Bangalore rain.

"Oh no! Yeh pots!" Avani chillaayi.