Canteen की वो टेबल

Engineering college। Third year। Canteen — Table number 7। Left corner, window के पास। यह table हमारी थी — officially नहीं, पर हर कोई जानता था। "Aman-Priya ki table" — कोई नहीं बैठता था। शुरुआत कैसे हुई? DSA class में। Professor ने pair programming assignment दी। Random pairing — और मेरे नसीब में प्रिया आ गई। "Tujhe coding aati hai?" उसने पहले दिन पूछा। "Aati hai. Tujhe?" "Mujhe zyada aati hai. Toh sun — main code karungi, tu documentation likh." Attitude — first impression। मुझे बुरा लगा। पर code देखा — solid। Clean। Comments तक likhe hue। मेरा ego hurt hua, pар respect बढ़ गई। Assignment submit hua। A+ grade। Professor ne kaha — "Best pair." "Agli assignment bhi saath?" usne pucha. "Kya choice hai," maine kaha — lekin mann mein khush tha. Phir canteen. Table 7. Chai aur samosa. Code review aur life review — saath saath. "Tu engineering kyun kar raha hai?" usne ek din pucha. "Papa chahte the." "Aur tu?" "Main... writer banna chahta tha." Usne samosa neeche rakha. "Toh likh. Code bhi likh, stories bhi likh. Dono programming hai — bas language alag hai." Us din se — table 7 par do cheezein hoti thi — laptop aur ek diary. Code bhi likha, feelings bhi likhin. Fourth year — placement season. Priya ko Google mila, mujhe ek Bangalore startup. Dono khush. Dono sad. Last day of college — table 7. Do cup chai. Silence. "Yeh table kisi aur ko mil jayegi," maine kaha. "Table kisi ki nahi hoti. Yaadein hoti hain. Aur yaadein —" usne meri diary ki taraf point kiya — "un mein hain." Airport par — last hug. Tight. Lamba. Woh jo cheezein kabhi nahi boli — sab us hug mein thi. Aaj — Bangalore mein baitha hoon. Startup chal raha hai. Diary bhi chal rahi hai. Aur Google Bangalore office ke canteen mein — table 7 hai. Priya ne photo bheja — "Dekh, yahan bhi table 7 hai. Reserved hai — permanently." Maine reply kiya — "Kiske liye?" "Aman-Priya ke liye. Obviously." Obviously.