“Nathu oh! Nathu jaldi bahaar nikal.” Nathu ke dost raat ke teen baje usse ghar se bulate hain.
NATHU KI MAA: Kya hua? Kyun bula rahe ho?
RAVI: arre woh hamaare school ke masterji jo gaon mein the, unka dehaant ho gaya hai. Yahan pe kuch roz woh apne bete ke ghar par raha rahethe.
Nathu ko jab khabar mila toh bister se utha aur chal diyaa. Nathu aur uske dost jab masterji ke antim sanskaar karke aar rahe the toh raaste mein ek chai ki dukaan par rukh gaye.
MUKESH: Nathu tujhe yaad hai issi masterji ne tujhe ek baar bahaut mara tha.
NATHU: haan yaar! Woh pakda nahi jata us din bhi agar mera paair nahi fisal gaya hota.
RAVI: kya hua tha?
MUKESH: Saahabzyade gaon mein masterji ke bagiche mein ghus jaate the. Aur wahan jo kajur ke ped hothe the unpe chadkar kajur ka ras pee jaate the.
RAVI: woh kaise?
MUKESH: raat ko kajur ke ped mein ras ikhatta karne ka matka bandha hota tha. Aur subha use utaar liya jata tha, Nathu uske pehle subha subha jaakar ras pee leta aur usme apna peshab bhar deta tha. Bus ekdin aise hi karke nathu ped se utar raha tha aur paair fisal ke gir gaya. Phir kajur ke matke the aur Nathu ka pichwada tha.
Kuch din baad….
NATHU: bus yahin rok do auto. Yeh lo tumhaare sattar rupaye.
Nathu jyon hi ghar mein ghusta hai to phone ki ghanti baj uthi hai. Nathu ne phone uthaya aur khuch der phone par bath sunkar phone rak diya.
NATHU: pitaji main nikal ta hun paas wale Gupta ji ka dehant ho gaya hai. Chai baad mein peeta hun.
Nathu aur uske do dost shamshaan ghaat se wapas aa rahein the ….
RAVI: yeh wahi Gupta ji hain na jiski beti gayi thi padne ke liye wilaayat, aur wahan pe kisi ke saath shaadi karke raha gayi. Aur Gupta ji yahan pe akele pad gaye.
Mukesh thoda sa hass kar bola…
MUKESH: isme bhi kahi na kahin hamare Nathu bhaisahaab ka haath tha. Hua yun ke Nathu ji hamaare dil de bhaithe Gupta ji ke beti ko. Bus phir kya hona tha jab pataa chala toh Gupta ji apni beti ko padne ke liye wilaayat bhej diye aur hamare Nathu ji ko wilaayati chappal se apne ghar se.
NATHU: chal chal Mukesh waisa kuch nahi tha.. woh toh passport nahi tha issliye nahi gaya…..
NATHU KI MAA: arre! Yeh kya kar raha hai tu Nathu? Cheeze idhar udhar kyun karke rakha hai?
NATHU: mera woh…. Diary kahan hai hari waali? Yahin toh rakha tha maine. Kitni baar tumhe bola hai mere cheezon ko haath mat lagao..
NATHU KI MAA: haan main hi toh rakhoongi. Khud idhar udhar rakhta hai aur bhool jata hai.
Khair Nathu ko woh diary milgayi….
NATHU: arre! Chandran kaisa hai re? janamdin mubarak ho bhai. Aur…. Haan bahaut din baad kiya par tera janamdin toh nahi bhula na…
Nathu apne duniya mein har samay khoya rahta tha. Jab bachchpan mein jab school teacher ne sabse poocha….
TEACHER: tum sab bade hoke kya banoge?...
RAMAKANT: main doctor
DESAI: main painter banooga. Mujhe chitrakaari karne ka bahaut shauk hai…
TEACHER: arre wah! aur Nathu tum?
NATHU: main toh.. …. logo se acche rishtey banaonga, dosti badaonga.... naye logo ko januga..
CHAPTER 2
Nathu daftar se wapas aata hai toh uski maa bolti hai…
NATHU KI MAA: sun kal shayad Sharmaji tujhe shaam ko apne ghar bulayenge. Mujse kaha rahein the. Unki beti ki shaadi hain na parso toh kuch kaam ke liye…
NATHU: haan haan main chala jaonga..
NATHU KI MAA: nahi jayega tu! Samjha nahi jayega. Kyun jayega? Koi bhi kabhi bhi bula leta hai aur saahazyade chalet bante hain kyun? Isliye pehle se bataa deti hun mana kar dena tu. Keh dena daftar mein kaam hai.
NATHU: par kisi ke shaadi mey haath bataana achi baat hai maa!
NATHU KI MAA: nahi betaa thoda achai kisi aur ke liye chor de karne ke liye! Kuch nahi hone wala samjha tu. Sab bhul jaate hain. Tera dost Mukesh chala gaya bada aadmi banke wilaayat aur tu bus yahan bhaithke rishtey bana…..thik hai?
Nathu bina kuch bole so jata hai…..
Nathu ekdin bus mein…
NATHU: haan Mukesh sunke bahaut bura laga, tere pitaji ka dehaant ho gaya hai.
Kab aa raha hai tu? Kya nahi aa payega daftar mein phas gaya hai...par..pitaaji...
Agle din Mukesh kuch paise England se bhejta hai. Nathu Mukesh ke pitaaji ka antim sanskaar ka pura jimma apne sart pe le leta hai.
RAVI: kaise hai re Nathu? Kitne din baad mile hain woh bhi Mukesh ke pitaaji ke dehant hone par. Mukesh bhi badal gaya saala! Apne pitaaji ke antim sanskaar karne ka bhi samay nahi hai uske paas.
Ravi aur Nathu ussi chai ke dukaan par. Tabhi woh chai wala bol padta hai “sahaab inhe toh aksar dhekta hun main yahan par.”
RAVI: matlab?
CHAI WALA: koi bhi mar jata hai yeh bhaisahaab aa jate hain madadd karne.
RAVI: tu kitne baar aata hai yahan aur kyun?
NATHU: are tujhe toh pata hai na mere kitne jaane wale hain toh koi na koi saala tapak hi jata hai ek baar mahine mein.
Aur Nathu has padta hai.
RAVI: kyun karta hai yeh sab Nathu?.... Kabhi lagta hai tujhe janta hun, kabhi lagta hai tu ekdum naya hai. Badla nahi ekdum…sahi hai…
Nathu has ke bolta hai
NATHU: pata nahi yaar. Kuch nahi par haan sukun milta hai. Aur pata hai maze ki baat….yaahan aata hun aur bhi logo se pahachan ban jaata hai. Toh kya burai hai.
RAVI: tu hi jaane tu kya kar raha hai… chal chalte hain raat bahut ho gayi hai… aa kabhi ghar pe bhaithe hain.
“Haan teen cup chaye dejana toh us jagah pe. Daroga saheb maang rahein hain.” Hawaldar ne bola
CHAI WALA: thik hai? Sahib aapka koi mar gaya hai kya?
HAWALDAAR: pata nahi koi naali mein gir gaya tha aur mar gaya current khaake. koi ayaa bhi nahi shennath ke liye!
Chaiwala jab chai lekar jata hai toh uski nazar laash par padti hai…
Aur woh dheere se bol padta hai "Na…thu………."
