"Rohini Se Cyber Hub Tak" - Bus wala Romance

"Rohini Se Cyber Hub Tak" - Bus wala Romance Category: Romance Labels: Delhi Winter, Bus Diaries, Writer & Muse, Cyber Hub Commute, Cozy Romance ---

December Ki Pehli Mulaqat

Bus Stop, Rohini Sector 9, Subah 7:30 AM

Neha Gupta ne apne woolen coat ka collar upar kiya aur haathon mein gloves pehne. December ki Delhi ki sardi uske chehre par chubh rahi thi. Uski saansen dhuan ban kar hawa mein udd rahi thi.

Yaar, yeh Gurugram jaane ka idea hi galat tha, she thought, par kya karein, naukri toh karni hi hai.

Woh chartered bus ka intezaar kar rahi thi - wohi blue color ki AC bus jo Roz Rohini se Cyber Hub jaati thi. Neha, 25 saal ki, customer support executive ek MNC mein. Charismatic, confident, aur jaisa woh khud kehti thi - "thodi hatke, thodi bindaas."

Bus aayi. Neha chadhi. Andar garmi thi. AC chal raha tha. Usne apna favourite window seat pakda - last row, right side. Wahan se poora view milta tha.

Do teen stops baad, ek ladka chadha. Lamba, lean, specs pehne hue, haath mein laptop bag. Usne Neha ke bagal wali seat dekhi. Khali thi.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?" usne pucha, halki si smile ke saath.

Neha ne upar dekha. "Nahi, baith jao."

Woh baitha. Thodi der chuppi. Phir usne apna phone nikala - kuch notes type karne laga.

Neha ne side se dekha. Notes mein likha tha: "Chapter 3 - The Last Train"

"Writer ho?" Neha ne pucha, curiosity se.

Ladke ne muskurate hue kaha, "Haan, kind of. Vaibhav Bansal. Content writer hoon Cyber Hub mein. Par actually... stories likhna pasand hai. Apni pehli short stories book pe kaam kar raha hoon."

"Wah! Interesting. Main Neha Gupta. Customer support mein hoon ek firm mein. Gurugram mein hi."

"Achha? Daily commute?"

"Haan, roz. Tum?"

Vaibhav ne sharmate hue kaha, "Main... actually irregular hoon. Kabhi kabhi car le jaata hoon, kabhi cab, kabhi yeh bus. Aaj mood tha bus mein baithne ka."

Neha ne haske kaha, "Writer ho toh mood toh chalta hi rahega."

Bus Delhi-Gurugram Expressway pe chal rahi thi. Bahar fog tha, par andar AC ki garmi mein dono comfortable the.

"Roz itni subah uthna mushkil nahi hota?" Vaibhav ne pucha.

Neha ne sigh kiya. "Bhai, Delhi ki sardi mein subah 6 baje uthna aur phir 7:30 ki bus pakadna - yeh toh adventure hai. Meri toh roz ki ladai hoti hai alarm ke saath. Par kya karein, naukri pyaari hai."

"Rohini mein rehti ho?"

"Haan, Sector 11. Tum?"

"Main bhi Rohini mein hi hoon, Sector 7. Neighbours hain basically!" Vaibhav ne haske kaha.

"Toh phir milte rahenge," Neha ne kaha, aur phir seedhi ho gayi. Kya bol rahi hai tu, Neha? Pehli mulaqat hai!

Vaibhav ne bhi notice kiya, par kuch nahi bola. Bus mein announcement hua - "Next stop, Cyber Hub."

"Mera stop aa gaya," Vaibhav utha. "Nice meeting you, Neha. Shayad... phir milenge?"

"Ha-ha, same bus, same time... maybe," Neha ne kaha, aur ek ajeeb si feeling aayi. Kash yeh kal bhi aaye.

---

Doosri Mulaqat - Coffee Ki Baat

3 din baad, same bus, same time

Neha ne Vaibhav ko bus ke andar dekha. Aaj woh pehle se tha - window seat pakdi hui, usi last row mein.

"Arre, aaj regular ban gaye?" Neha ne bagal mein baithte hue pucha.

"Actually, kal car ki battery dead ho gayi thi. Toh socha aaj bus hi theek hai. Plus..." Vaibhav ne pause liya, "tumse baat karna achha laga tha."

Neha ke cheeks pe thodi garmi aayi. "Acha? Kya baat hai, writer sahab ne mujhe apni kitaab ka character bana liya kya?"

"Nahi nahi, bas... tumhari energy achhi lagti hai. Roz subah itni fresh kaise rehti ho?"

"Energy drink?" Neha ne masti mein kaha. "Nahi yaar, actually coffee pe dependent hoon. Subah 2 cup minimum. Bina uske toh zinda nahi hoon."

"Same pinch! Main bhi coffee lover hoon. Actually, main toh coffee shop mein baithkar hi likh paata hoon. Ghar pe distraction hota hai."

"Kya likh rahe ho aajkal?" Neha ne genuinely pucha.

Vaibhav ne excited hokar bataya, "Ek love story likh raha hoon - do strangers ki, jo daily train mein milte hain. Par twist yeh hai ki unko pata hi nahi chalta ki kab unki dosti pyaar mein badal gayi."

Neha ne sochte hue kaha, "Sounds interesting. Aur... kya unki story happy ending hoti hai?"

"Abhi tak toh main confused hoon. Ending likh nahi pa raha. Shayad real life se inspiration chahiye," Vaibhav ne side se Neha ko dekha.

Neha ne window ki taraf dekha. "Real life mein toh... endings unpredictable hote hain. Par shuruaatein... woh hamesha yaad rehti hain."

"Jaise aaj?" Vaibhav ne dheemi awaaz mein pucha.

Neha ne uski taraf dekha. Uske specs ke peeche ki aankhen sincere thi. "Haan... jaise aaj."

Bus ruki. Cyber Hub aa gaya.

"Phir milenge?" Vaibhav ne uthte hue pucha.

"Main toh roz yahin hoti hoon, tum aate jaate raho," Neha ne muskurate hue kaha.

---

Teesri Mulaqat - Ghar Ki Baat

Agle hafte, Shukravar

Aaj Vaibhav time pe aaya tha. Woh Neha ke liye seat bachaye baitha tha.

"Wow, gentleman ban gaye?" Neha ne baithte hue kaha.

"Seat reserved hai madam ke liye," Vaibhav ne drama kiya.

"Achha ji. Toh aaj kya topic hai? Politics? Cricket? Ya phir...?"

"Nahi yaar, aaj kuch personal baat karein? I mean... agar tum comfortable ho toh?"

Neha ne socha. "Theek hai. Pehle tum batao - family mein kaun kaun hai?"

Vaibhav ne kaha, "Main single child hoon. Mummy, Papa, aur main. Simple family. Papa government job se retire ho chuke hain, Mummy ghar sambhalti hain. Tumhari family?"

Neha ne kaha, "Hum toh bade hain. Papa - woh ek FMCG company mein senior manager hain. Mummy housewife. Aur do behenein hain. Ek badi - Mansi, jo ki... actually uski shaadi fix ho gayi hai. February mein hai. Aur ek chhoti - Saloni, college mein hai."

"Wah! Shaadi ki taiyaariyan chal rahi hongi?"