Romance in Mumbai's Struggles

"Arjun, kal raat ko woh phir aaya tha. Mere flat ke neeche khada tha. Jab main balcony mein aayi, toh usne flying kiss bheja. Main... main kitni gandi feel kar rahi hoon apne hi ghar mein."

Mera dil dukh raha tha. Maine socha tha yeh sirf ek baar ki baat hai, lekin yeh toh... yeh toh harassment hai.

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Chapter 4: Teesri Mulaqat - Auto Wale Chacha Ki Advice

Agle hafte, phir baarish. Phir train late. Phir wahi auto, wahi Chacha.

"Arre wah! Tum dono phir mil gaye! Lagta hai meri auto lucky hai," Chacha ne kaha.

Is baar Shikha zyada chup thi. Usne mujhe message kiya tha—"Aaj mil sakte ho? Zaroori baat hai."

Auto mein baithne ke baad, usne dheere se kaha, "Aslam ne notice diya hai."

"Kya?"

"Eviction notice. Keh raha hai ki agar main uski 'request' nahi maanti, toh ek mahine mein ghar khali karna padega. Mummy ko pata nahi hai abhi tak. Woh already tension mein hai, BP high rehta hai. Main kya karoon, Arjun?"

Mere haath kaanp rahe the. Lekin maine control kiya. "Dekh, ghabrana mat. Yeh illegal hai. Tenant ke rights hote hain. Meri firm mein ek senior lawyer aate hain—main unse baat karunga. Lekin Shikha, tumhe mummy ko batana padega. Akeli mat lado."

"Main lad nahi pa rahi," uski aankhon se aansu nikal aaye. "Main thak gayi hoon. Roz office jaana, bachchon ko padhana, aur phir ghar aake yeh dar ki aaj woh kya karega..."

Maine himmat karke apna haath uske haath par rakha. Woh garam tha, kaanp raha tha. "Main hoon na. Pakka. Yeh sab theek ho jayega."

Chacha ne peeche se kaha, "Beti, yeh ladka sach bol raha hai. Meri 30 saal ki experience kehti hai—achche ladke aankhon mein dikhte hain. Aur yeh Bihari babu toh bilkul sacha hai. Uss Aslam se behtar hai jo mere area mein badnaam hai. Uski do biwiyaan hain, phir bhi..."

"Do biwiyaan?" Maine pucha.

"Haan, aur pata nahi kitni... ladkiyon ko flat dikhane ke naam pe... tum samajh rahi ho na, beti?" Chacha ne serious hokar kaha.

Shikha ka chehra safed pad gaya. "Matlab yeh sirf mujhse..."

"Nahi, tumhari galti nahi hai," maine kaha. "Yeh uski gandi soch hai. Lekin ab hum jaante hain. Knowledge is power, Shikha."

Woh meri taraf dekhi. Uske chehre pe pehli baar thodi himmat aayi. "Tu sach mein alag hai, Arjun. Mumbai mein log busy hain, kisi ko kisi ki fikar nahi. Lekin tu..."

"Meri maa kehti thi, 'Beta, jab tak saans hai, tab tak dusron ki madad karna.' Woh Bihar mein hain, lekin unki seekh yahan bhi hai."

Auto ne uske ghar ke paas roka. Is baar jab woh utri, toh usne peeche mudke kaha, "Kal sham ko mere ghar aaoge? Mummy se miloge? Unhe bhi lagta hai ki koi help chahiye. Woh... woh tujhse milna chahti hain."

"Zaroor," maine kaha.

Woh chali gayi. Chacha ne kaha, "Ladka, sambhal ke. Yeh Aslam khatarnak hai. Mere paas uske khilaaf aur bhi stories hain. Agli baar jab tum dono milo, toh main bhi aana chahta hoon. Kuch proof hai mere paas."

"Proof?" Maine pucha.

"Video hai. Ek ladki ne banaya tha, lekin dar gayi, case nahi kiya. Main rakhta hoon usse. Shayad kaam aa jaye."

Mera dil tez dhadak raha tha. Yeh baat ab serious ho chuki thi. Lekin main darne wala nahi tha. Shikha ki aankhon mein woh darr... main woh darr hamesha ke liye mitana chahta tha.

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Chapter 5: Chauthi Mulaqat - Ghar Pe Attack

Kal sham ko main Shikha ke ghar gaya. Chota sa flat tha, lekin pyaara saajaya hua. Anjali aunty—Shikha ki mummy—ne darwaza khola. Unki aankhon mein wohi thakaan thi jo har middle-class maa mein hoti hai.

"Namaste aunty," maine kaha.

"Arre, Arjun beta! Aao, baitho. Shikha ne bahut kaha hai tere baare mein," Anjali aunty ne muskurate hue kaha.

Shikha kitchen se nikli. Usne mujhe dekhke thoda relax kiya. Hum baithke baat kar rahe the—main unhe NGOs ke contacts de raha tha, unki financial thodi planning samjha raha tha.

Tabhi... THAK THAK THAK

Zor se darwaza pe knock hua.

"Kaun hai?" Anjali aunty ne pucha.

"Aslam Khan. Rent lena hai."

Shikha ka chehra utar gaya. Maine uske haath ko pakda—yeh pehli baar tha jab maine uska haath pakda tha, aur woh moment itna important tha.

"Main dekhta hoon," maine kaha.

"Nahi, Arjun, tu andar reh. Woh..."

"Trust me," maine kaha.

Maine darwaza khola. Saamne ek admi tha—motaa, oily baal, gold chain, aur gandi nazar. Usne mujhe dekha toh surprise hua.

"Kaun hai tu?" Aslam ne ghusse se kaha.

"Main Arjun. Shikha ji ka friend. Aap landlord hain na? Aunty ne bataya tha aapke baare mein."

"Friend?" Usne suspiciously dekha. "Yahan kya kar raha hai?"

"Accountant hoon. Unki financial planning kar raha thi. Aapko kya chahiye?"

"Rent chahiye. Aur tu beech mein mat bol. Shikha! Bahar aa!"

Shikha bahar aayi. Uske haath kaanp rahe the. "Aslam ji, rent toh dediya tha maine..."

"Late tha! Uske penalty hai. Ya toh penalty do, ya phir..." uski nazar Shikha pe ghoori, "meri baat maano."

Main beech mein aa gaya. "Penalty? Kitna?"

"Paanch hazaar."

"Paanch hazaar? Lekin agreement mein toh sirf 500 ka penalty likha hai late rent pe," maine calmly kaha.

Aslam ne mujhse ghusse se kaha, "Tu kaun hai be? Chal nikal yahan se!"

"Main nikal jaunga. Lekin pehle yeh bata do ki aap Shikha ji ko kyun dara rahe hain? Kyunki woh akele hain? Kyunki unki maa bimaar hai? Yeh sab illegal hai, Aslam sahab. Aur main proof jutta kar raha hoon."

Aslam ka chehra laal ho gaya. "Tujhe pata hai main kaun hoon? Is area mein mera raaj hai. Ek phone karoon toh..."

"Toh kya? Gunda bulaoge? Police bulaoge? Main ready hoon. Lekin pehle yeh socho—agar main court mein jaake bola ki aap apni female tenants ko harass karte hain, unse inappropriate demands karte hain, toh kya hoga? Aapke do ghar hain, pata hai mujhe. Donat risk them for one Shikha."