Chapter 4 : A Day off

Chapter 4

A Day Off

"Tumhari duniya sach mein ajeeb hai."

Tae-Hyun ne coffee ka mug table par rakhte hue kaha.

Ha-Yoon ne bhaun chadhayi.

"Ab kya ajeeb lag gaya?"

"Log itni kadwi cheez khushi se peete hain."

Ha-Yoon apni hansi rok na saki.

"Usse coffee kehte hain."

"Jo bhi hai, mujhe samajh nahi aata log ise pasand kaise karte hain."

"Tumhe har cheez samajhna zaroori nahi hai."

"Tumhari duniya mein shayad nahi."

Ha-Yoon jawab dene hi wali thi ki neeche se achanak Soo-Min ki awaaz aayi.

"HA-YOON!"

Dono ek saath ruk gaye.

Ha-Yoon jaldi se kamre se bahar nikli aur seedhiyon ke paas jaakar railing se neeche jhaanka.

Neeche Soo-Min apna bag kandhe par daal rahi thi.

"Main office ja rahi hoon!" usne upar dekhte hue kaha.

"Theek hai, unnie!" Ha-Yoon ne jawab diya.

Soo-Min ne bhaun chadhayi.

"Aur tum bhi time se office chali jana."

Ha-Yoon ek pal ke liye chup ho gayi.

Use yaad hi nahi tha ki aaj use office bhi jana hai.

"Haan..."

"Warna Mr. Kim phir se gussa karenge."

Mr. Kim ka naam sunte hi Ha-Yoon ne muh bana liya.

"Unhe toh har baat par gussa aata hai."

"Phir bhi."

Soo-Min ne ungli dikha kar kaha.

"Late mat hona."

"Theek hai, theek hai."

Soo-Min hans padi.

"Good."

Phir usne haath hilaaya.

"Bye."

"Bye, unnie!"

Kuch hi pal baad main door band hone ki awaaz aayi.

Apartment mein phir se khamoshi chha gayi.

Ha-Yoon kuch der tak seedhiyon ke paas khadi rahi.

Jab use yakeen ho gaya ki Soo-Min sach mein ja chuki hai, tab usne rahat ki saans li.

Phir woh wapas apne kamre mein aa gayi.

Tae-Hyun ab bhi wahi khada tha.

Uski thandi nazar khidki ke bahar thi.

"Yeh Mr.Kim kon hai ?"

Usne bina uski taraf dekhe kaha.

“Mere boss.”

“Tumhari behan uska naam lekar tumhe dara kyun rahi thi?”

“Kyuki wo darane layak hai.”

“Ajeeb.”

Ha-Yoon ne aankhen ghumayi.

"Tum nahi samjhoge."

"Mujhe lagta hai main samajhna bhi nahi chahta."

Ha-Yoon ne sir hila diya.

"Theek hai."

"Kya?"

"Main tumhe ghar dikhati hoon."

Tae-Hyun ne bhaun uthayi.

"Ghar?"

"Haan. Kyunki lagta hai tum kuch din yahan rehne wale ho."

"Tumne kab faisla kiya?"

"Jab tum meri balcony mein aasman se tapak pade the."

Tae-Hyun ne use kuch pal tak dekha.

Phir bina kuch kahe uske peeche chal diya.

Apartment bahut bada nahi tha, lekin itna chhota bhi nahi tha ki tang lage.

Ghar do floors mein bana hua tha.

Neeche wale floor par living room aur kitchen the. Usi floor par Soo-Min ka bedroom tha aur uske kamre ke paas ek bathroom bhi tha.

Ek lakdi ki seedhi upar jaati thi.

Upar wala floor zyada shaant tha.

Wahan Ha-Yoon ka kamra tha.

Kitabon, notebooks aur aadhi likhi kahaniyon se bhara hua.

Ussi floor par ek aur bathroom tha jo Ha-Yoon use karti thi.

Aur uske kamre se judi hui thi woh balcony...

Jahan Tae-Hyun pehli baar nazar aaya tha.

"Tumhari duniya ke ghar bhi ajeeb hain."

Tae-Hyun ne aas-paas dekhte hue kaha.

Ha-Yoon ne bhaun chadhayi.

"Ab ghar ne kya kar diya?"

"Ek hi ghar mein do alag manzilein."

"Toh?"

"Alag kamre. Alag jagahen."

Ha-Yoon hans padi.

"Tum sach mein har cheez mein problem dhoond lete ho."

"Tumhari duniya mujhe mauka deti hai."

Ha-Yoon ne sir hila diya.

Usse samajh nahi aa raha tha ki yeh aadmi har baat itni gambhirta se kaise bol leta hai.

Tour khatam hote-hote uski nazar deewar par lagi ghadi par padi.

Aur uska chehra ekdam safed pad gaya.

"Oh no."

Tae-Hyun ne uski taraf dekha.

"Ab kya hua?"

"Mera office."

"Tumhe office jana tha?"

"Haan."

"Toh jao."

Ha-Yoon ne use aisi nazar se dekha jaise usne duniya ki sabse bewakoofi bhari baat keh di ho.

"Tumhe akela chhod kar?"

"Main apna khayal rakh sakta hoon."

"Yahi baat mujhe dara rahi hai."

Tae-Hyun ne bhaun sikodi.

Jaise use samajh hi na aa raha ho ki ismein darne wali kya baat hai.

Ha-Yoon ne gehri saans li.

Nahi.

Woh ise akela nahi chhod sakti thi.

Pata nahi uski gair-maujoodgi mein yeh kya kar baithe.

Ya phir koi use dekh le.

Dono hi halat kharab thi.

Usne turant apna phone uthaya.

"Tum kya kar rahi ho?"

Tae-Hyun ne poocha.

Ha-Yoon ne phone unlock karte hue kaha,

"Main apni job ko bacha rahi hoon... tumhare chakkar mein."

Aur usne Na-Ri ka number dial kar diya.

Tae-Hyun ne bhaun chadhayi.

"Maine tumse apni naukri chhodne ko nahi kaha."

"Shukriya. Yeh sunkar meri salary wapas aa gayi."

Tae-Hyun kuch samajh nahi paya.

Lekin Ha-Yoon tab tak Na-Ri ka number dial kar chuki thi.

Do ring ke baad call connect ho gayi.

"Hello?"

Na-Ri ki awaaz sunai di.

"Na-Ri."

"Ha-Yoon?"

"Haan."

"Kya hua?"

Ha-Yoon ne ek pal ke liye Tae-Hyun ki taraf dekha.

Phir dheere se boli,

"Mujhe aaj office nahi aana."

Do second ki khamoshi chha gayi.

Phir...

"KYA?!"

Ha-Yoon ne turant phone apne kaan se thoda door kar liya.

"Chilla mat."

"Main kyun na chillaoon?"

Na-Ri ki awaaz ab poori tarah jaag chuki thi.

"Tujhe Mr. Kim ka pata hai na?"

"Haan."

"Agar unhe pata chal gaya ki tu bina bataye office nahi aayi toh tu kal naukri se gayi samajh."

Ha-Yoon ne sofa par baithte hue gehri saans li.

"Kal ki kal dekhi jayegi."

"Ha-Yoon!"

"Please."

Na-Ri kuch pal ke liye chup ho gayi.

"Ab kya bahana banaun main?"

"Kuch bhi."

"Kuch bhi?"

"Haan."

"Yeh koi jawab hua?"

Ha-Yoon ne bechaini se apne baal kaan ke peeche kiye.

"Bas aaj ke liye meri help kar de."

Na-Ri ne lambi saans chhodi.

"Ek din tu mujhe bhi naukri se nikalwa degi."

"Tu meri best friend hai."

"Isi baat ka toh darr hai."

Ha-Yoon hans padi.

"Please?"

Kuch seconds ki khamoshi ke baad Na-Ri ne haar maan li.

"Theek hai."

Ha-Yoon ka chehra khil gaya.

"Sach?"

"Haan."

"Thank you!"

"Lekin agar Mr. Kim ne mujhe daanta na..."

"Main tujhe coffee pilaungi."

"Do coffee."

"Done."

"Theek hai."

Na-Ri ne aakhri baar saans bhari.

"Aur kal office zaroor aana."

"Koshish karungi."

"KOSHISH NAHI. AANA."

Ha-Yoon hans padi.

"Theek hai."

Uske baad call kat gayi.

Ha-Yoon ne rahat ki saans li.

Ek badi problem filhaal tal gayi thi.

Lekin jab usne sar uthaya...

Tae-Hyun usi ko dekh raha tha.

"Kya?"

Ha-Yoon ne poocha.

"Tumhari dost tumse bahut pareshan lagti hai."

Ha-Yoon ne cushion uthakar uski taraf phenka.

"Tum chup raho."

Tae-Hyun ne aasani se cushion pakad liya.

Jaise use pehle se pata ho ki woh aisa karne wali hai.

"Main sirf sach keh raha hoon."

"Tumhe har baat mein sach bolne ki zaroorat nahi hoti."

"Tumhari duniya mein shayad."

Ha-Yoon ne sir pakad liya.

Us aadmi se behas karna sach mein bekaar tha.

Woh kuch kehne hi wali thi ki achanak uski nazar Tae-Hyun ke kapdon par padi.

Aur phir...

Usne dobara dekha.

"Oh no."

Tae-Hyun ne bhaun chadhayi.

"Ab kya hua?"

"Tumhare kapde."

"Mere kapdon ko kya hua?"

Ha-Yoon sofa se uth khadi hui.

"Sab kuch."

Tae-Hyun ne neeche dekha.

Use toh apne kapdon mein koi dikkat nazar nahi aa rahi thi.

"Yeh bilkul theek hain."

"Nahi."

"Bilkul hain."

"Nahi."

Dono kuch pal tak ek dusre ko dekhte rahe.

Aakhirkar Ha-Yoon ne gehri saans li.

"Tae-Hyun, tum in kapdon mein bahar nikloge toh log tumhe normal nahi samjhenge."

"Mujhe koi farq nahi padta."

"Mujhe padta hai."

"Kyun?"

"Kyuki tum mere saath hoge."

Tae-Hyun kuch seconds tak chup raha.

Jaise woh us baat ka matlab samajhne ki koshish kar raha ho.

Phir usne seedha poocha,

"Toh tum kya karogi?"

Ha-Yoon ne bina soche jawab diya,

"Main tumhare liye naye kapde kharidne jaungi."

"Tum paise kharch karogi?"

"Haan."

"Zaroorat nahi hai."

"Bahut zaroorat hai."

"Tum bahut ziddi ho."

"Tumse kam."

Pehli baar...

Tae-Hyun ke honton par bahut halki si smirk aayi.

Itni halki ki Ha-Yoon ko yakeen hi nahi hua ki usne waqai dekha tha.

Lekin agle hi pal woh gayab ho chuki thi.

"Tum kahin mat jaana."

Ha-Yoon ne apna bag uthate hue kaha.

"Main bachcha nahi hoon."

"Main jaanti hoon."

"Phir bhi tum mujhe hukm de rahi ho."

"Kyuki tum kal hi doosri duniya se aaye ho."

Is baar Tae-Hyun ke paas koi jawab nahi tha.

Ha-Yoon khud par muskurayi.

Shayad yeh pehli behas thi jo woh jeet gayi thi.

Darwaze tak pahunch kar woh ek pal ke liye ruki.

Phir mudkar uski taraf dekha.

Aur pata nahi kyun...

Use achanak sukoon mila ki Tae-Hyun wahi khada tha.

Safe.

Uski nazar ab bhi utni hi thandi thi.

Utni hi khatarnak.

Lekin ab woh akela nahi tha.

Aur shayad...

Yeh baat dono mein se kisi ko bhi abhi samajh nahi aayi thi.

To Be Continued…

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