Metro and Junction (Short Story)

4.5 saal beet gaye. 2025 mein hum coincidentally Dumdum metro station par milte hain.

Aaj main ghar se taiyaar ho kar Date pe ja raha tha.

Wo mujhe Tinder me mili thi. Waise college khatam huye 3.5 saal ho chuke hai. Ab doston se itna baat bhi nahi hota, zindagi bhi ajeeb si ho gaye hai. College k waqt kitna bindaas hua karta tha. Sirf masti hi un dino humari daily routine hua karti thi. Jab hum jhund banakar pedh ke niche gappa mara karte thay, lectures bunk kar lake ghumne jate thay. Jhagre to bahut hote the lekin agar koi mushkil me ho, to uski madad karne sab saath ho jate. Degree to khatam ho gai par wo din aaj bhi yaad hai.

Ab dekho koi bhi saath nahi hai.

College bhi kya mast jagah thi. Padhai, masti, pyaar, mohabbat sab tha. Woh waqt mujhe aaj bhi yaad hai ki main apne ek senior ladhki ka deewaana hua karta tha. Maine toh apne saari dil ki baat bol di thi unko lekin hum kabhi decision le hi nahi paye.

Waise tho main hamesa touch me hi raha karta tha lekin woh senior thi, unka bhi future ka shawal tha tho maine final year me baat karna bhi kam kar diya tha taki main unki kamzori na ban jau aur Philhaal maine unko pareshaan karna kam kar diya tha. Waise o thi to bahut cute yaar! indirectly o bhi bahut pareshaan kiya karti thi. Aise hi tha hamara rishta jiska koi outcome nahi tha. Tadap dono me tha phir bhi waqt k saath sab cheej dhundhali ho jati hai sab k liye par mere liye aisa kaha wo aaj bhi dil k usi jagah me hai jaha us waqt hua karti thi. Yeh tho mere side ki story hai, kya pta woh shayad mujhe bhula di ho. Ye sab mai soch hi raha tha.

Lekin aaj jab maine unko Kavi Subash ke next metro ke liye wait karte dekha, tho meri yaadein phir se taaza ho gayi.

Waise aaj mai ghar se soch k nikla tha ki aaj se new life ka surwaat karunga kab tak yaadon me duba rahunga! Lekin ab bol hi kya sakte hai life ko kuch aur hi manjoor hai. Unko tho luka chupi khelna hai.

Waise to wo train ki wait me khoye hoye thi. Maine usse dhyaan se dekha pahle se kaafi patli ho gye thi aur jis innocence par main pehle unpar fida tha, wo bhi ab chala gya tha. Mujhe unko dekhte dekhte do minute ho chuke thay tab tak metro train ka entry station par ho chuka tha. Waise bhi 5 baj rahe the saam ke.

Jab usne train ko dekhne k liye apna sar ghumaya, to usne mujhe dekha and hamari aankhein lock ho gayi ek dusare mein humlog bina kuch bole metro me chalne lage.

Waise itna din baad face to face dekha toh mann kar raha tha hug kar ke royon. Abhi philhaal humlog kuch bol nahi paa rahe the galle me awaz atak si gye thi aur hum aankho se baat kar rahe the jaise ki inme kitna complain and narajgi and ghusaa ho saath me care bhi.

Do station cross ho jane k baad bhi hum aankhon me hi khoye hai. Maine silence ko todte huye poochta hoon, "Kaise ho??" 

Uska ek hi reply college k dino se, “Main theek hoon."

Chahe kitna upset kyun na ho sirf usse a jtana hai main upset nahi hoon lekin aankein to kuch aur hi bol rahi thi.

Aise hi baaton ka shilsila start hota hain wo puchti hai tum kaha ja rahe ho?? Maine baat ko ghumate huye bola, ladies first, “Tum btao kaha ja rahi ho??”

Usne bejhijak bola ki ek date pe ja rahi thi par cancel kar diya ab waise akele Victoria ja rahi hoon ghoomne. Toh maine baat ko ghuma diya bola arrey yaar chalo movie dekhne mere pass 2 ticket hain ek mera dost aane wala tha lekin kuch jaroori kaam k wajah se nahi aa paya. Maine kaha "Chalo na waise bhi college ke waqt hum kabhi movie gaye hi nahi saath me chalo ab toh hum college mein nahi hai formality ki koi jaroorat nahi yaar challo - challo!!!"

Wo boli -”Arre metro se kud jaye kya thora toh sabra rakho !!!”

Tab maine apna phone nikala socha Tinder wala date cancel kar doo lekin waha se pahle hi message aaya tha ki o kisi urgent kaam ke wajah se aaj nahi aa payegi.

Maine socha arey ye toh kaam aasan ho gaya, mujhe kuch bolna nahi pada!

Hum saath me movie dekhe almost 7 baj gya tha shaam bhi tha toh hum metro pakad k Victoria k side aa gye aur walk kar k puraani baat par ek dusare ko taunt kar rahe the. Uski smile aaj bhi first din ki tarah thi jab usne apna intro diya tha smile k saath sweet and cute uff phir se sab kuch yaad dila rahi thi ki kaise main pagal tha uske liye wagera wagera.

Aise hi hum Esplanade se tram padak k North Kolkata Shyambazar aa gye aaj hamare pass waqt tha toh hum log 9 bje k aas pas Baghbazar ghat gaye waha ghat k kinare baith k humne baat kiya bahut sara maine phir bola chalo ek pic leta hoon maine selfee click kiya usse pasand nahi aay ussne bola mai leti hoon usne apne phone se pic li maine uska phone liya pic dekhne k liye, pic k saath mera nazar notification bar par padi toh maine tinder ka message dekha ,same message tha jo maine aaj date cancel k reply me diya tha.

Main kuch nahi bol paya uss waqt.

Kaafi baat k baad maine unko bola ki chalo ghar chor deta hoon.. Hum bas se unke ghar k pass gaye phir maine apna phone nikala and message kiya Tinder account se “Aaj ki movie aur Kolkata ki shaam kaisa laga ab next din kab chale??”

((Ab  aap  soch   sakte   hai  aage  kya  hua  hoga. ))

“Kabhi kabhi uncertain cheej ki bhi ek certainty hoti hai."

Thanks Diya , correction and help k liye..