Scholarship, Chai aur Do Bhai

Aman office ko jaane hi wala tha ki Faiz ne usse rok liya. “Mujhe lagta hai tu ne jaan-bujhkar kuchh kiya hai,” Faiz ne dheere par teekhe shabdon mein kaha. Aman ka chehra ekdum freeze ho gaya. “Kya bol raha hai tu?” Faiz ka gussa ab nikalne laga. “Hostel mein sabko paisa chahiye, sabko survival chahiye. Tu bolta rehta hai tujhe kuchh nahi chahiye, par andar se tu bhi chahata hoga na ki life set ho jaye. Toh kya problem thi agar tu ne apne naam pe kar li?” Aman ko yeh sunke aisa laga jaise kisi ne uski chest pe seedha haath rakh diya ho.

“Main aisa nahi hoon, Faiz,” Aman ne bahut low voice mein kaha. “Maine kuchh claim nahi kiya.” Faiz ne hansne jaisa muh banaya, par usmein hasi nahi thi. “Toh phir itna perfect mistake kaise ho gaya?” Aman ne jawab nahi diya. Uski aadat thi chup rehna, manage kar lena, baad mein dekh lenge type. Par iss baar uski silence ne Faiz ko aur bhadka diya.

Raat ko room mein chai aayi, par dono ne peeni nahi. Aman ne apni copy kholi, Faiz ne notes ghuma diye, aur beech mein woh awkward sa distance aa gaya jo ek room ko bhi thanda kar deta hai. Immu ne do baar “chalo bhai, chai thandi ho rahi hai” bola, par koi response nahi. Fir woh bhi samajh gaya ki ab jokes ka time nahi hai. Hostel ke corridor mein awaaz kam ho gayi, bas fan ki ghur-ghur aur door se aati kisi aur room ki hansi reh gayi.

Agli subah Faiz ne seedha bol diya, “Mujhe lagta hai tu mujhe fool samajh raha hai.” Aman ne thak chuki aankhon se dekha. “Aur mujhe lagta hai tu mujhe chor samajh raha hai.” Dono ki awaaz unchaai par nahi gayi, par usmein dard tha. Faiz ne ek step aage aake kaha, “Aapko mera future bhi chahiye tha kya?” Yeh line room mein aise giri jaise kisi ne glass todd diya ho.

Aman ke muh se kuchh nikla hi nahi. Uske andar jo bhi tha, sab ek second ke liye jam gaya. Usne bas itna kaha, “Aisa mat bol.” Faiz ne nazar hata li. “Toh fir explain kar.” Aman chup raha. Aur yahi chup rehna, yahi “main manage kar lunga” wali aadat, ab problem ban chuki thi. Faiz ko lag raha tha Aman kuchh chhupa raha hai. Aman ko lag raha tha Faiz uski neeyat pe sawal utha raha hai. Dono bhai, jo ek dusre ke bina aadha sa mehsoos karte the, ab ek hi room mein strangers ki tarah khade the.

Same din shaam ko Immu office gaya tha kisi attendance issue ke liye. Wapas aate waqt usne Tripathi ji ki file dekh li, aur uske andar ka jugaadu dimag turant chal gaya. “Sir, yeh scholarship wala case toh clerical mistake lag raha hai,” usne casually bola. Tripathi ji ne pehle usko ghura, phir file khol ke dekhi. Wahan registration number aur guardian details mein clear mismatch tha. Letter Aman ke naam pe print ho gaya tha, par merit list mein scholarship Faiz ki thi. Seedhi si office ki galti, par us galti ne do bhaiyon ke beech ka bharosa hila diya tha.

Tripathi ji ne ek baar file dekhi, phir bina drama ke bole, “Hmm. Galti hai. Kal correction karwa dete hain. Dono bhai ko bulao.” Unhone koi lecture nahi diya, koi emotional speech nahi. Bas practical adult ki tarah kaam ki baat ki. Immu ne relief mein saans li aur bola, “Sir, isi liye toh main bolta hoon, paper logon se zyada dangerous hota hai.” Tripathi ji ne usse ignore kar diya, par unke face pe ek almost invisible softness aa gayi.

Raat ko Immu ne room mein aake sab bata diya. Faiz ka face pehle safed, phir laal, phir guilty ho gaya. Aman ne bas aankhen neeche kar li. Faiz ne dheere se poocha, “Tu sach mein office mein claim karne gaya hi nahi tha?” Aman ne sar hila diya. “Main notice leke wapas karne hi ja raha tha. Par tu pehle hi...” Usne sentence complete nahi kiya. Faiz ko ekdum se apni hi awaaz yaad aayi—Aapko mera future bhi chahiye tha kya?—aur usse laga kisi ne uske muh pe thappad maar diya ho.

“Sorry,” Faiz ne almost whisper kiya. “Maine bina soche bol diya.” Aman ne pehli baar usse seedha dekha. “Tu gussa tha.” Faiz ne hichkichate hue kaha, “Haan, par main galat tha.” Yeh sunna Aman ke liye bhi easy nahi tha. Usne bhi apni saans chhodi. “Aur main bhi galat tha,” woh bola. “Mujhe bol dena chahiye tha ki main office ja raha hoon. Chup rehke maine aur doubt create kar diya.”

Us raat hostel ke corridor mein dono bhai Tripathi ji ke office gaye. Immu bhi saath tha, kyunki bina uske toh story ka aadha pressure release hi nahi hota. File dekhi gayi, details match ki gayi, aur scholarship letter officially Faiz ke naam reissue karne ka process start hua. Tripathi ji ne bas ek line boli, “Agli baar form bharte waqt khud check kar lena. System ko gaali dene se pehle paper dekh liya karo.” Faiz ne sir hila diya, aur Aman ne bhi. Dono ko pata tha ki yeh lecture nahi, rescue tha.

Kuchh din baad jab corrected letter aaya, toh koi bara celebration nahi hua. Na koi sweets, na koi photo session, na hostel ke boys ka full tamasha. Bas room 17 mein do bhai phir se apne apne cot ke paas baith gaye. Faiz ne letter ko ek baar ghur kar dekha, phir Aman ki taraf mudkar bola, “Tu sach mein scholarship ka paisa leke bhaagne wala nahi tha na?” Aman ne hansi rok ke kaha, “Nahi bhai, teri tarah fast nahi hoon.” Faiz bhi has diya. “Chal theek hai. Ab scholarship aa gayi, toh chai ka bill tu dega.” Aman ne eyebrow utha ke bola, “Wah. Galti office ki, bill mera?”