*Chapter 1: Kuaan*
Gauri unnees saal ki thi, aur teen cheezen pakka jaanti thi:
1. School ke peechhe jo kuaan hai, uska paani Phulbani mein sabse meetha hai.
2. Pradhan ke bagiche se churaaye hue aam, khareede hue aam se zyaada meetha lagta hai.
3. Sheher ke ladke trouble hote hain, cologne laga ke.
Woh teesri sach usse mangalwar ko mili, jab woh school ke kuaan ki seedhiyon se do baalti paani kheench rahi thi.
Woh ladka wahaan khada tha DSLR camera le ke, jeans jo kabhi keechad mein nahi gayi, aur chehre pe woh bhaav jo aadmi ka hota hai jab gaadi se utar ke "asli rural life capture" karne aata hai aur ab usko rasta bhi nahi poochhna aata.
"Gir jaoge," Gauri boli, ruke bina. Uska Odia tez tha, haath steady the. Do baalti, das-das litre. Aath saal ki umar se kar rahi thi.
"Sorry?" Woh muda. English. Bilkul.
"Kuaan," woh boli, aur English mein switch kiya. School waali English, Mrs. Rout ke toote radio pe practice ki hui. "Agar aur jhukoge, toh gir jaoge. Phir asli rural life mein tumhari rescue bhi aa jaayegi."
Woh jhat se peechhe hata. "Right. Shukriya. Main—Arjun. Main yahaan—"
"Photo ke liye," usne uski baat kaat di. "Tum sab usi ke liye aate ho. Festival, shaadi, gareebi, suraj ugna. Ek chuno."
Uska munh khula. Band hua. Achhe daant the. Sheher wale daant. "Actually, main ek mahine ke liye hoon. Sarkari project. Indigenous water conservation document kar raha hoon. NGO ke saath hoon."
Gauri ne baaltiyan neeche rakh di. "Conservation? Woh raha." Usne ungli se ishara kiya purane patthar ke naale ki taraf jo pahaad se nikal ke, gaon ke beech se hota hua, talaab mein jaata tha. "Mere pardada ne banwaya tha. Camera ki zarurat nahi. Bas aankh chahiye."
"Mere paas aankh hai," woh bola. "Aur notebook bhi. Kya tum—"
"Nahi." Usne baaltiyan utha li. "Amma maaregi agar late hui. Pradhan ke ghar jao. Unko camera pasand hai. Aur baat karna bhi."
Woh chali gayi. Woh peechhe nahi aaya. Point: Gauri.
*Chapter 2: School*
Arjun Pradhan ke ghar nahi gaya. Woh school gaya.
Gauri wahaan thi, aur kahaan jaati? 12th pichhle saal ki thi, apne parivaar ki pehli ladki. Ab woh chhote bachhon ko padhaati thi, 3 se 6 baje tak, ₹1500 mahina aur un maon ki izzat ke liye jo padh nahi sakti thi.
Woh ek kamre wale school ke darwaze pe khada tha. Woh blackboard pe paani ka chakra bana rahi thi, chalk baar-baar toot rahi thi.
"Evaporation," woh 12 bachhon ko bata rahi thi. "Badal. Phir baarish. Phir nadi. Phir hum."
"Miss," ek ladka bola, ungli dikhake. "City babu."
Pandrah sir ghoom gaye. Arjun ne haath upar kiya jaise class mein ho. "Sorry. Kya main... dekh sakta hoon?"
"Nahi," Gauri boli. "Yeh padhna band kar denge aur ghoorna shuru kar denge."
"Main peechhe baith jaunga. Main invisible hone mein bahut achha hoon."
"Tumhari ghadi ki keemat is school se zyaada hai," woh boli. "Tum invisible nahi ho."
Bachhe hans diye. Arjun ne ghadi ki taraf dekha. Utaar di. Jeb mein daal li. "Behtar?"
"Ab aur bura. Ab tum woh aadmi ho jo cheezen chhupata hai." Par usne saans li. "Peechhe wali bench. Photo nahi."
Woh baitha. Ek ghante tak usne dekha ki woh paani un bachhon ko padha rahi hai jo roz 2km paani bhar ke laate hain. Usne kitaab ek baar bhi nahi kholi. Usne kuaan use kiya, naala use kiya, bahar wala aam ka ped use kiya.
Jab khatam hua, bachhe chillate hue bhaag gaye. Woh ruk gaya.
"Tum ismein achhi ho," woh bola.
"Main employed hoon," woh boli, board saaf karte hue. "Mushkil se."
"Tumhe college mein hona chahiye."
"'Hona chahiye' sheher ka shabd hai." Woh mudi. "Humare paas 'hona chahiye' nahi hota. Humare paas 'ho sakta hai' aur 'nahi ho sakta' hota hai. Main padha sakti hoon. Bhubaneswar ke paise nahi de sakti."
Woh chup raha. Phir: "Meri NGO scholarship deti hai. Ladkiyon ke liye. Padhai ke liye. Asli wali, na ki—"
"Na ki photo ke liye?"
"Na ki photo ke liye." Usne folder nikala. "Dekho. Mere paas form hain."
Usne liya nahi. "Kyun?"
"Kyun ki tumne 12 bachhon ko paani ka chakra bina kitaab ke padhaya jab subah 20 litre utha ke laayi thi. Kyun ki... kyun ki conservation ka point yahi hai. Log."
Gauri ne uske haath dekhe. Rang nahi. Angoothi nahi. Bas ghadi ki tan line.
"Chhod do," woh boli. "Desk pe. Main dekh lungi. Shaayad."
"Shaayad gaon ka shabd hai," woh bola, muskurake.
"Shaayad hai."
*Chapter 3: Aam*
Scholarship wala form uski table pe 6 din pada raha.
Saatve din, Arjun ne usko Pradhan ke aam ke bagiche mein dekha. Chori nahi kar rahi thi. Usko permission thi—uske pitaji caretaker the. Woh seedhi pe chadh ke woh aam tod rahi thi jo kauwe nahi khaate.
"Girna mat," woh neeche se bola.
"Nahi girungi," woh boli. "Tum kuaan ke paas nahi ho."
"Kya main madad karun?"
"Tum tokri pakad sakte ho. Sheher wale haath itna kar lenge?"
Usne tokri pakdi. Woh aam giraati. Woh pakadta. Zyaadatar.
"Tumne form nahi dekha," woh bola aam number 12 ke baad.
"Dekha," woh boli. "Padha."
"Aur?"
"Aur Bhubaneswar bus se 6 ghante hai. Fees, hostel, khana. Scholarship 70% deti hai. 30% bhi mere pitaji ke ek saal se zyaada hai."
"Main jaanta hoon." Usne upar dekha. "Meri NGO—"
"Nahi." Usne tez bola. "Daan nahi. Main tumhari report ki photo nahi hoon."
"Yeh daan nahi hai. Investment hai. Tum wapas aaogi. Yahaan padhaogi. Behtar banaogi."
"Aaungi kya?" Woh seedhi se utri. Uske saamne khadi ho gayi. "Ya main Bhubaneswar jaaungi aur ek duniya dekhungi jahaan paani nal se aata hai aur phir kabhi baalti nahi uthana chahoongi?"
Uske paas jawab nahi tha.
Usne tokri utha li. "Tumhe chale jaana chahiye. Tumhara mahina khatam hone wala hai na? Sheher ke ladke rukte nahi."
"Mere paas 12 din aur hain," woh bola. "Aur main jaana nahi chahta."
"Project ki wajah se?"
"Tumhari wajah se."
Bagicha ekdum shaant ho gaya. Kauwe bhi chup.
Gauri ne tokri neeche rakh di. "Mat bolo," woh boli. "Mat bolo aisa. Tum mujhe jaante nahi. Tum ek ladki ko jaante ho jo English bolti hai aur tumhare camera se impress nahi hoti."
"Main jaanta hoon tum 5 baje uthti ho. Main jaanta hoon tum ₹1500 mein padhaati ho aur aise karti ho jaise ₹15000 ho. Main jaanta hoon tumne kal chhoti Meena ko bola tha ki 'ladkiyan engineer ban sakti hain' aur usne maan liya kyun ki tum maanti ho." Woh ek kadam paas aaya. "Main itna jaanta hoon ki aur jaanna chahta hoon."
"Arjun—"
"Main kuch maang nahi raha," woh bola. "Main bas... bata raha hoon. Taaki tumhe pata ho. Taaki yeh meri notebook ka raaz na rahe."
Usne uske joote dekhe. Keechad wale ab. Asli keechad.
"Aam khao," woh boli, aur ek uski taraf phenka.
Usne pakad liya. "Yeh haan hai?"
"Yeh aam hai. Zyaada mat socho, city boy."
Par woh muskura rahi thi.
*Chapter 4: Bus*
Uske 30 din 45 ban gaye. "Extension," usne boss ko bola. "Naala system complex hai."
Woh subah kuaan pe rehta, dopahar school mein, shaam uske pitaji ke saath, patthar wale naale seekhta. Camera le jaana band kar diya. Baalti uthana shuru kar diya.
Gauri ne usko "city boy" bulana band kar diya. "Arjun" bulane lagi jaise woh shabd hamesha se jaanti ho.
40ve din, scholarship ki deadline kal thi.
Woh talaab ke paas baithe the. Uske paas form tha. Bhara hua. Sirf sign baaki.
"Bas sign karo," woh bola. "30% ka hum dekh lenge. Meri savings hai. Yeh daan nahi hai. Loan hai. Tum wapas kar dena jab District Collector ban jaogi."
Usne form liya. Phir padha. Uska naam uski handwriting mein. _Gauri Pradhan, B.A. English, Utkal University._
"Agar main gayi," woh boli, "tum bhi jaoge. Wapas Dilli. Phir kya? Chitthi?"
"Haan," woh bola. "Aur video call. Aur bus. Aur Diwali. Aur garmiyan. Main yahaan aaunga. Tum wahaan aaogi. Hum do log honge jinhone ek dusre ko chuna, do log nahi jo ek jagah phanse hain."
"Tumhare parents?"
"Nafrat karenge. Phir tumse milenge. Phir pyaar karenge. Sequence."
"Tum bahut sure ho."
"Tumhare baare mein sure hoon." Usne uska haath pakda. "Main kisi cheez ke baare mein sure nahi tha jab tak maine tumhe kuaan pe daantte nahi dekha."
Woh hans di. Phir ruki. "Agar main badal gayi? Agar Bhubaneswar ne mujhe alag bana diya?"
"Toh main alag tumse milunga," woh bola. "Mujhe abhi wali itni pasand hai ki agle wali se darne ka sawaal hi nahi."
Usne sign kiya. _Gauri Pradhan_. 'd' mein loop tha. Aam jaisa.
*Chapter 5: Bhubaneswar*
Woh gayi. August 2021.
Woh Dilli wapas gaya. Par har mahine Bhubaneswar aata. Doosra shanivar. Non-negotiable.
Woh hostel mein rehti thi 3 ladkiyon aur 1 pankhe ke saath. Woh Utkal University ki library mein rehta jab aata, kyun ki uske hostel mein "male guests" 6 baje ke baad allowed nahi the.
Usne usko Metro chalana sikhaya. Usne usko pakhala khana sikhaya bina munh banaye.
"Tum alag ho," woh bola November mein, jab usko professor se Odia sahitya pe behas karte dekha.
"Achha alag?" usne baad mein poocha, chinta mein.
"Sabse achha alag," woh bola. "Tum Phulbani ki Gauri ho. Aur Utkal ki Gauri. Dono. Tum badi ho gayi ho."
Woh raat ko royi. Khushi. Ghabrahat. Dono.
*Chapter 6: Kuaan, Phir Se*
*Garmi 2024*
Woh graduate hui. Class mein first. English Hons.
Woh wahaan tha, sabse aage, uski Amma aur Baba ke saath, jo pehli baar bus mein baithe the. Uske Baba ne pehli baar joote pehne the.
Woh Dilli nahi gayi. Ghar aayi.
"Utkal MA karna chahta hai," usne Arjun ko bataya. "Poori scholarship is baar. Phir naukri. Yahin. Collector office. Unka naya rural education program shuru ho raha hai. Woh chahte hain main chalaun."
Woh abhi bhi Dilli mein tha. Water NGO. Badi wali ab. "Programme Head" card pe.
"Bhubaneswar se Phulbani 6 ghante," woh bola. "Dilli se Phulbani flight se 2 ghante Bhubaneswar, phir 6 ghante bus."
"Lamba commute hai."
"Mujhe lambe commute pasand hain." Woh kuaan pe tha. Phir se. Woh uske bagal mein thi. "Gauri Pradhan, kya tum mujhse shaadi karogi? Aur mujhe commute karne dogi?"
Uske haath mein baalti thi. Usne neeche rakh di. "Tum mujhse kuaan pe poochh rahe ho. Phir se."
"Pichhli baar kaam kiya tha."
"Tum abhi bhi bahut paas jhukte ho."
"Tumhare paas koi behtar jagah hai?"
Usne socha. "Aam ka bagicha."
"Kal?"
"Kal." Usne baalti utha li. "Aaj, yeh uthao. Agar gaon ki ladki se shaadi karni hai, toh paani uthao."
Usne le li. "Deal."
*Chapter 7: Aam, Hamesha*
Shaadi January 2025 mein hui. Dilli mein nahi. Hall mein nahi. Aam ke bagiche mein.
Uske students ne phool lagaye. Uske NGO doston ne photo kheenchi, aur is baar usne haan kardi. Uske Baba roye. Uske parents aaye, aur uski maa ne Gauri ki Amma se kaha, "Tumhari beti woh sabse achhi cheez hai jo mere bete ne kabhi document ki."
Ab woh Phulbani mein rehte hain. Woh remote kaam karta hai. Bahut udta hai. Woh education program chalati hai. 40 school. 12 ab un ladkiyon se chalte hain jinhe usne us ek kamre wale school mein padhaya tha.
Kuaan abhi bhi hai. Naala abhi bhi behta hai. Pradhan ka bagicha ab cooperative hai. Gauri ka idea.
Mangalwar ko, woh dono kuaan pe jaate hain. Woh baaltiyan uthata hai. Woh bolti hai tum galat kar rahe ho.
Budhwar ko, woh bagiche mein baithte hain. Woh report padhta hai. Woh lesson plan padhti hai.
"Pachtawa hota hai?" usne pichhle hafte poocha. "Bhubaneswar mein na rukne ka? Dilli na jaane ka?"
Usne usko aam diya. "Kaato," woh boli.
Usne kaata. Meetha. Ras tapak gaya.
"Pachtawa ka swaad aisa hota hai?" usne poocha.
"Nahi," woh bola, angootha chaatte hue. "Nahi hota."
"Achha," woh boli. "Kyun ki main tumse ek mahina paani uthwaati agar tum haan bolte."
Woh hasa. "Main utha leta. Tumhare liye. Iske liye."
"Main jaanti hoon," woh boli. "Isi liye maine haan kahi."
Kuaan ne kuch nahi kaha. Par paani meetha tha. Aur aam ka ped bhara hua tha. Aur sheher wale ladke ne girna nahi seekh liya tha.