Rent, Biryani aur Begum Saab ki Shayari

Sameer ne kuch nahi kaha. Woh seedha apne room mein chala gaya. Us raat pehli baar usne Farida Begum ko koi joke reply nahi bheja. Aur yeh cheez Farida ko khatki bhi, aur kuch aur bhi.

Do din tak mohalla mein tension ka halka sa dhuaan raha. Farida Begum ne rent reminder nahi diya. Sameer ne bhi door se “Assalamualaikum” bolke kaam chala liya. Magar dono ke beech jo familiar rhythm tha, woh jaise off-beat ho gaya tha. Nadeem ne bhi notice kiya. Jab Farida Begum ne biryani ka order diya, toh unhone pehli baar poocha, “Aaj Sameer bhai ke liye extra salan rakh doon kya?”

Farida Begum ne bas itna kaha, “Jo marzi rakh lo. Woh waise bhi duniya ko bata ke kuch mangta nahi.”

Nadeem ne samajh liya ki matter biryani se zyada gehra hai.

Usi shaam, jab Farida Begum chhat par akeli baithi thin, unke purane husband ki yaad aayi. Unke late husband financial discipline ko leke bahut strict the. Ghar ka kharcha, kiraya, bill, sab time par. Farida ne unke saath bahut saal ek aise ghar ko sambhala tha jahan har rupaye ki value thi. Unki sakhti asal mein control ke liye nahi thi; woh ek armor tha. Zindagi ne unhe sikhaya tha ki agar andar ka soft corner bahar aa gaya, to log uska faida utha sakte hain.

Udhar Sameer bhi apne room mein baitha same cheez ka doosra side samajh raha tha. Uski freelance payment atki hui thi. Office mein extra shift lag rahi thi. Maa ke medicines ka kharcha alag. Aur upar se woh chhoti si mohalla school fund wali help, jo woh anonymous tarike se karta tha, kyunki usse achha lagta tha ki kisi bacche ki copy, uniform, ya fee mein thoda haath bata sake. Woh carefree dikhna chahta tha, par asal mein bas apni life ko sambhalne ke liye smile use karta tha.

Uske phone par ek message aaya: “Client payment next week. Sorry for delay.”

Sameer ne screen dekh kar lambi saans li aur khud se bola, “Haan bhai, bas aur ek week ka jugad.”

Agli subah Farida Begum ne Sameer ko bulaaya. Tone usual se zyada calm thi. Sameer aaya toh uske haath mein envelope tha, thoda mota nahi, par arranged tha. Usne seedha kaha, “Begum, rent aur bill ka half abhi de raha hoon. Baaki next week. Main excuse nahi de raha, bas update de raha hoon.”

Farida Begum ne usko dekha. Woh line unke liye nayi thi. No joke, no dodge, no cute escape route. Sirf seedhi baat.

“Baitho,” unhone kaha.

Sameer thoda surprise hua. “Kahin eviction ka formal version to nahi chal raha?”

Farida Begum ne usko ghoor ke dekha, phir halki si muskurahat aayi. “Agar eviction hota to main itni adab se nahi bolti.”

Phir unhone dheere se kaha, “Mujhe laga tum bas careless ho. Bills gol-mol karte ho, late aate ho, aur har tension ko joke bana dete ho. Par kal Nadeem ne bataya ki tum mohalla school fund mein bhi chhupke madad karte ho. Aur Munni Apa ke through yeh bhi pata chala ki tumhari maa ki tabiyat theek nahi.”

Sameer ne nazar neeche kar li. “Begum, main sympathy nahi chahta tha.”

“Sympathy maangi kisne?” Farida Begum ne soft tone mein kaha. “Main to bas samajh rahi hoon.”

Sameer ne pehli baar bina smile ke sach bola, “Main late isliye hota hoon kyunki ek shift khatam hoti hai, doosri start ho jaati hai. Freelance ka paisa kab aayega, kab nahi, koi guarantee nahi. Aur main aapko disappoint nahi karna chahta tha, isliye kabhi kabhi bol deta tha ‘kal de dunga’ jab mujhe khud nahi pata hota tha kal ka kya scene hoga.”

Farida Begum ne uski taraf dekha. Unke chehre pe ab woh strict landlord wali line kam, aur ek insaan wali understanding zyada thi.

“Sameer,” woh boli, “main bhi tumhe bas rent payer samajh ke nahi rakhti. Tumhara yeh bakbak, yeh masti, yeh zinda rehne ka andaaz… is ghar mein thoda roshan sa lagta hai. Main bas yeh nahi chahti thi ki meri narmi ka koi galat matlab nikale.”

Sameer ne halka sa smile kiya. “Begum, aapki narmi ka galat matlab nikalne ki meri himmat hi nahi hai.”

Farida Begum ne huff kiya, par is baar us huff mein gussa nahi tha, bas aadat thi. “Ab se policy simple. Rent ki fixed date rahegi, lekin ek practical grace period hoga. Bills ka proper update dena. Aur haan, jhooth kam. Varna shayari mein fine add kar dungi.”

Sameer ne turant bola, “Begum, aapki shayari ka fine already heavy hai.”

“Achha? To phir extra plate biryani ki mat maangna.”

Sameer ne haath jod liye. “Main toh maanta hoon, aapka taana bhi coupon code jaisa hai. Sunte hi guilt activate ho jaata hai.”

Farida Begum is baar khul ke hansi. Itni der baad unki hansi aayi thi ki staircase pe khadi Munni Apa tak sun gayin. Woh turant bol padi, “Arre wah! Lagta hai patch-up ho gaya. Main toh keh rahi thi, in dono ka rishta rent se zyada rich hai.”

Shaam ko Nadeem biryani leke aaya. Usne extra raita aur do plate zyada salad bhi rakha. Farida Begum ne pehli baar Sameer ko bina taana mare plate di.

“Lo,” unhone kaha, “negotiation tool ka misuse mat karna. Varna menu se discount hata dungi.”

Sameer ne plate lete hue smile ki. “Begum, aapke taane aur biryani dono ka balance sheet meri life ka best part hai.”

Farida Begum ne aankh ghuma ke kaha, “Haan, aur tumhari late payment meri exercise.”

Munni Apa door se dekh rahi thi aur unke chehre pe woh rare wali satisfaction thi jo sirf tab aati hai jab gossip ka end happy nikle. Nadeem apni stall ki taraf mudte hue khud hi muskura diya. Usne kisi ko kuch nahi bola, par usse pata tha ki kabhi-kabhi biryani sirf khaane ki cheez nahi hoti, woh logon ko ek table par baitha deti hai.