Nizamuddin Station Ka Shor Aur Woh Ajnabi
W
Shaam ke 4 baje Nizamuddin station par ajeeb sa ghamasan tha. Kuliyaan ki aawaaz, chai walon ka shor aur logon ki bhaag-daud. Main apna heavy rucksack kandhe par latkaaye, apne coach ki taraf badh rahi thi.
Train ke andar aate hi thandi AC ki hawa ne thoda sukoon diya. Meri seat thi 32—Window Seat!
Maine apna bag niche rakha aur chain ki saans li. Abhi main mobile mein earphones laga hi rahi thi ki ek aawaaz aayi:
"Excuse me, kya yeh seat 33 hai?"
Maine upar dekha. Dark blue denim shirt, thode uljhe hue baal, haath mein ek purana sa canvas camera bag aur ek aisi muskaan jo kisi ko bhi ek pal ke liye rok de.
"Haan, yeh samne wali seat hai," maine kaha.
"Thanks! Main Kabir," usne apna haath aage badhaate hue kaha.
"Savita," maine ek halki si smile ke saath jawab diya.
Mujhe laga tha ki yeh safar silent hoga, earphones lagakar gaane sunte hue beet jayega. Par shayad kismat ne mere liye kuch aur hi plan banaya tha.
Safar Ki Shuruaat: Baaton Ka Silsila
Jaise hi train ne station chhod kar Dilli aur Gurugram ki sarhad paar ki
khidki ke bahar ki dukaane aur imaraatein dhundli hone lagin. Shaam ka sooraj aasmaan ko narangi aur gulabi rang se rang raha tha.
Kabir ne apna camera nikala aur khidki ke bahar ke nazaaron ko shoot karne laga.
"Photographer ho?" maine poocha, apni curiosity ko rok nahi paayi.
"Nahi, bas yaadein capture karne ka shauk hai," usne khidki se nazar hatakar meri taraf dekha. "Waise, Gurugram ke corporate shor se bhaag rahi ho ya Goa ki taraf ja rahi ho?"
Uske is sawaal par main hass padi. "Dono! Gurugram ke traffic aur office ke shor se bhaag rahi hoon aur Goa ki shanti ki taraf ja rahi hoon."
"Sahi faisla hai. Waise Goa mein shanti kam aur maza zyada hai, agar sahi tarike se dekha jaye toh," Kabir ne ek wink ke saath kaha.
Raat hone lagi thi. Train Rajasthan aur Madhya Pradesh ke raaste se guzar rahi thi. Raat ke andhere mein train ki patriyon ki chukh-chukh aawaaz aur AC compartment ki halki roshni ne ek ajeeb sa romantic mahaul bana diya tha.
Hum dono ke beech baatein rukne ka naam nahi le rahi thi. Usne bataya ki woh ek freelance writer hai aur har saal ek mahina Goa mein akele rehta hai. Maine usse apne corporate life ke boring kisse sunaye. Hum dono aisi baaton par hass rahe the jaise ek doosre ko salon se jaante ho.