"Rohini Se Cyber Hub Tak" - Bus wala Romance

"Haan yaar, poora ghar upside down hai. Roz koi na koi function, shopping, discussions. Mansi toh stressed hai, Mummy excited, Papa... unka bas chale toh woh office hi na jaayein. Par unka ek bada achievement aa raha hai - unko 'Senior Manager of the Year' award mil raha hai next month."

"That's great! Unki hard work rang layi."

"Haan, 25 saal ki service hai unki company mein. Woh bohot dedicated hain apne kaam ko leke."

Vaibhav ne kaha, "Tumhare Papa jaise hote hain asli heroes. Bina drama ke, silently apna kaam karte hain."

Neha ko achha laga. "Tum bhi na... achhi baatein karte ho. Writer ho isliye?"

"Nahi, actually... main jab bhi kisi se connect karta hoon, toh unki family ki importance samajhta hoon. Kyunki... meri family bhi mere liye sab kuch hai."

Neha ne notice kiya - Vaibhav ki aankhen emotional ho gayi thi. "Tum bade sensitive ho, pata hai?"

"Shayad... ya phir bas observant," Vaibhav ne muskurate hue kaha.

"Accha suno, tumhari book ka kya hua?"

"Abhi tak 4 stories complete hain. 6 aur likhni hain. Publisher se baat chal rahi hai, par pehle poora manuscript ready karna hai."

"Main padhna chahti hoon kabhi," Neha ne kaha.

"Sacchi?"

"Haan, kyun nahi?"

Vaibhav ne kaha, "Toh phir... coffee pe chalein kabhi? Weekend pe? I mean... as friends. Tumhari favourite coffee place?"

Neha ne socha, phir kaha, "Theek hai. Saturday ko? CP mein?"

"Done!"

---

Chauthi Mulaqat - Dreams Ki Baat

Agle Wednesday

Aaj bus mein thodi bheed thi. Vaibhav aur Neha saath mein ek seat pe squeeze hue baithe the.

"Sorry, thoda adjust karna padega," Vaibhav ne kaha.

"No problem," Neha ne kaha, par uske dil ki dhadkan tez ho gayi thi. Itni proximity mein pehli baar the.

"Waise... Saturday ki coffee achhi thi," Vaibhav ne kaha.

Neha ne yaad kiya - woh 2 ghante CP mein, coffee, aur endless baatein. "Haan yaar, mujhe bhi bohot maza aaya. Tumhari stories sunke... tum sach mein talented ho."

"Thanks. Tumne bhi toh apne sapne bataye. Customer support mein ho, par tumhara passion kya hai?"

Neha ne kaha, "Actually... mujhe event planning pasand hai. Main office mein bhi saare events handle karti hoon. Meri dream hai ek din apna event management company kholna."

"Wah! Yeh baat pehle kyun nahi batayi?"

"Kyunki... log hasenge. 'Customer support wali event planner banegi' - aise comments aate hain."

Vaibhav ne serious hokar kaha, "Neha, koi bhi dream chhota nahi hota. Aur tum mein woh spark hai. Main genuinely keh raha hoon - tum kar sakti ho."

Neha ne uski taraf dekha. Itni belief, itna trust... koi pehli baar itna keh raha tha.

"Thank you, Vaibhav. Sach mein... tum bohot alag ho."

"Alag matlab?"

"Matlab... tum mein woh genuine feel hai. Fake nahi ho. Aajkal ki generation mein rare hai."

Vaibhav ne sharmate hue kaha, "Shayad isliye ki main zyada logon se milta nahi. Bas apni duniya mein rehta hoon - likhna, padhna, sochna."

"Meri tarah. Main bhi zyada social nahi hoon. Office, ghar, bus... bas yahi zindagi hai."

"Ab toh bus mein bhi interesting ho gaya hai," Vaibhav ne kaha, aur dono ne ek doosre ko dekha.

Kuch seconds ki khamoshi. Par awkward nahi... comfortable. Jaise kuch samajh mein aa raha ho.

---

Paanchvi Mulaqat - Past Ki Baat

Agle Monday

Aaj Vaibhav udaas lag raha tha.

"Kya hua? Subah subah mood off?" Neha ne pucha.

"Actually... kal ex-girlfriend se baat hui thi. Social media pe. Uski engagement ho gayi hai."

Neha ko ajeeb sa laga. "Oh... tumhari...?"

"Ha-ha, nahi nahi. 2 saal pehle breakup ho gaya tha. Par pata nahi, ajeeb sa lagta hai. Woh mere saath thi jab main kuch nahi tha, aur ab..."

Neha ne dheere se kaha, "It's okay to feel that way. Tum insaan ho, emotions hain tum mein."

"Thanks for understanding. Actually, tumse baat karke achha lagta hai. No judgment."

Neha ne bhi apni baat share ki. "Main bhi... ek relationship mein thi college mein. 3 saal. Phir usne mujhe cheat kiya. Uske baad se... trust karna mushkil ho gaya."

"Oh... I'm sorry."

"Nahi, it's fine. Time heals everything. Par... kabhi kabhi lagta hai ki kya sach mein koi genuine mil sakta hai?"

Vaibhav ne kaha, "Milta hai. Shayad time lagta hai. Shayad hum jaldi give up kar dete hain."

"Haan. Waise... tum give up nahi karte na? Writing mein itna time lag raha hai, phir bhi..."

"Passion hai na. Jis cheez mein passion ho, usme give up nahi karte."

Neha ne uski aankhon mein dekha. "Tum mein woh dedication hai. I admire that."

"And I admire your strength. Roz itni door jaana, ghar sambhalna, behen ki shaadi ki taiyaari... tum bohot strong ho, Neha."

Ye pehli baar tha jab kisi ne uski strength notice ki thi. Usually log uski beauty ya style dekhte the. Par Vaibhav... woh uski asli dekh raha tha.

---

Chhathi Mulaqat - Present Ki Baat

Agle Thursday

Aaj dono ne saath mein breakfast liya bus ke andar - sandwiches aur chai.

"Yeh bus wali chai bhi kuch alag hi taste ki hoti hai," Neha ne kaha.

"Haan, aur yeh sandwiches... highway ke dhabe ki yaad dilaate hain," Vaibhav ne kaha.

"Waise... tum mere baare mein kya sochte ho?" Neha ne suddenly pucha.

Vaibhav ne sandwich neeche rakha. "Sach?"

"Haan, sach."

"Tum... different ho. Mujhe pehli nazar mein pata nahi chala tha, par jab tumse baat ki, toh samajh aaya ki tum superficial nahi ho. Tum depth pasand karti ho. Conversations mein, relationships mein... sab mein."

Neha ne kaha, "Tum bhi waisa hi ho. Main... main actually tumhe roz bus mein dekhti thi. Pehle kabhi baat nahi ki."

"Kya? Tum mujhe notice karti thi?"

"Haan. Tum hamesha kuch likhte rehte the. Mujhe curiosity hoti thi ki yeh ladka kya likh raha hai."

"And now you know," Vaibhav ne muskurate hue kaha.

"Now I know. And I want to know more."

Vaibhav ne kaha, "Me too. Tumhare baare mein aur jaanna hai. Tumhari family, tumhara bachpan, tumhare dreams... sab."