Monsoon Mein Bachi Hui Baat

Kerala ki us raat baarish normal nahi thi. Aisa lag raha tha jaise aasman ne poora ka poora bucket ulta kar diya ho, aur zameen ne bas chupchaap sab kuchh jhel lene ka decision le liya ho. Paani galiyon mein nahi, almost gharon ke andar tak ghus aaya tha. Station ke paas wali road pe neem ke ped jhuk gaye the, aur rail line ke side ki mitti already soft hokar slip kar rahi thi.

Raghavan Nair apne chhote se ghar ke verandah mein kursi par baitha tha, haath mein newspaper, aankhon mein same purana focus. Chai thandi ho chuki thi. Lakshmi kitchen se aayi, usne cup dekha, phir uski taraf dekh kar bas itna bola, “Thandi chai peene ka naya shauk kab se lag gaya aapko?”

Raghavan ne bina upar dekhe jawab diya, “Padh raha tha.”

“Padh rahe the ya so rahe the?” Lakshmi ne dry sa tone maara. “Aapka face dono mein same dikhta hai.”

Woh kuchh nahi bola. Ye unki subah thi—teen line kam, ek-do taana zyada, aur beech mein itni silence jaise dono ne decide kar liya ho ki zyada bolne se ghar ka paint bhi ud jayega. Pichhle kuchh saalon se unka relationship ek routine ban gaya tha. Chai, newspaper, market list, temple ka kaam, phir alag-alag corners. Ek hi ghar mein the, par kabhi-kabhi strangers se bhi zyada formally behave karte the.

Raghavan retired rail engine driver tha. Uski life mein sab kuchh timing pe chalta tha—signals, brakes, monsoon routes, night shifts. Uske liye emotions bhi shayad schedule mein fit hone wali cheez thi, aur jab fit na ho paaye, toh unhe side track pe daal do. Lakshmi school clerk reh chuki thi, ab temple committee ka part-time kaam sambhalti thi. Practical, sharp, aur itni observant ki ek aadmi ka mood uske jooton ki awaz se samajh le. Dono ko dekhkar log bolte, “Arre, settled couple hain.” Haan, settled toh the. Bas emotionally thoda deadpan.

Phir shaam ko station se call aaya.

“Raghavan sir?” line pe station master Pradeep tha, awaaz mein ajeeb si jaldi aur darr. “Aapko turant aana hoga. Landslide hua hai, track ke paas flooding bhi hai. Ek passenger train partial derail ho gayi hai. Local team… honestly, underprepared hai.”

Raghavan ne seedha khade hote hue poocha, “Kitne coach affected?”

“Do side ke coach tilted hain. Kuchh passengers trapped hain. Communication weak hai. Humne aapko isliye call kiya kyunki old route aur track behavior aapko pata hai.”

Lakshmi jo paas hi standing fan ke neeche kapde fold kar rahi thi, usne uski taraf dekha. “Phir ja rahe ho?”

Raghavan ne bas itna bola, “Haan.”

“Achha.” Lakshmi ne kapda rakha. “Toh is baar newspaper ke saath rescue bhi kar lena.”

Woh almost muskuraya, par rok gaya. “Tum bhi station side supplies mein help kar sakti ho?”

Lakshmi ne eyebrow raise kiya. “Main? Aapko lagta hai emergency mein sirf aapki retired engine-driver wisdom kaam aayegi?”

“Main woh nahi bol raha.”

“Bol toh aise hi rahe ho.”

Do minute baad dono alag-alag chappal pehen kar bahar nikle. Baarish ne unke saare old arguments ko bhi geela kar diya tha, jaise monsoon khud decide kar chuka ho ki aaj ke din koi bhi cheez dry nahi rahegi—na mitti, na yaadein.

Station pe chaos tha. Platform pe log bheeg rahe the, koi apne bachche ko sambhal raha tha, koi phone signal ke liye hawa mein haath hila raha tha, aur Pradeep har aadmi ko ek hi time pe instructions dekar apni awaaz ko stable rakhne ki nakam koshish kar raha tha. Uska face wahi official seriousness wala tha, par aankhon mein panic saaf tha.

“Sir, thanks for coming,” usne Raghavan ko dekhte hi kaha. “Please, humein batayiye kya karna chahiye. Main…” usne halki si saans li, “main situation ko control mein dikhana chahta hoon.”

Raghavan ne track ki taraf dekha. “Dikhana nahi, karna hota hai.”

Pradeep ka face ek second ko tight hua, phir woh chup ho gaya. Lakshmi meanwhile relief supplies ke boxes arrange kar rahi thi—blankets, water bottles, ORS, torches, bandages. Usne ek volunteer ladki se poocha, “First aid kit kidhar hai? Aur woh biscuits wale cartons ko water se door rakho, warna sab soggy ho jayega.”

Us volunteer ladki ka naam Anu tha. Twenty-eight saal ki, raincoat pehne, hair bun mein, aur energy itni jaise baarish ke beech bhi uske paas battery pack ho. Woh Lakshmi ko dekh kar thoda smile ki, “Aunty, aap bilkul meri mom jaisi ho. Bas thoda zyada scary version.”

Lakshmi ne seedha jawab diya, “Scary version hi kaam aata hai, beta.”

Anu hansi, phir Raghavan ki taraf dekha. “Aur aap? Retired ho ya rescue team ke secret boss?”

Raghavan ne bina expression ke bola, “Retired hoon. Boss nahi.”

Anu ne dheere se kaha, “Good. Boss log usually sabse zyada confuse hote hain.”

Lakshmi ko hansi aa gayi. Raghavan ne us taraf dekha, jaise uspe personal insult hua ho. Par us moment se pehle hi ek aur volunteer bhaagta hua aaya aur bola, “Coach number three mein elderly passengers aur ek child stuck hain. Water level aur badh raha hai.”

Raghavan ka poora body posture change ho gaya. Jaise andar ka engine on ho gaya ho. “Main ja raha hoon.”

Pradeep ne jaldi se kaha, “Sir, please, but team ko coordinate—”

“Coordinate baad mein.” Raghavan already track side ki taraf chal diya tha.

Lakshmi uske peeche aayi. “Akele hero banne ka shauk ab bhi gaya nahi?”

“Yahan time waste mat karo,” Raghavan ne kaha.

“Time waste?” Lakshmi ka gussa turant upar aa gaya. “Main boxes arrange kar rahi hoon, crowd handle kar rahi hoon, aur aapko lag raha hai main time waste hoon?”

“Main tumhari baat nahi kar raha.”

“Exactly. Aap kabhi kisi ki baat karte hi nahi ho.”