वो आख़िरी Video Call
"Main aa nahi paunga is baar." Yeh words the — screen par — Rohan ke. Canada se. MBA second year. Diwali ke liye tickets book nahi ho paye. "Bahut mehnga hai. Agle saal pakka." Nandini — screen ke is taraf — Lucknow mein. Muskaan rakhne ki koshish. "It's okay. Agle saal." "Tu gussa toh nahi?" "Nahi." [Gussa? Nahi. Toot rahi hoon — haan.] --- Roz video call hota tha — 9:30 PM IST. Rohan subah uthke karta tha — 12 PM EST uska. Nandini raat ko. "Nandini, tujhe pata hai aaj kya hua? Professor ne meri presentation mein A+ diya." "Wow! Bahut achha!" Par wow mein woh energy nahi thi. Achha mein woh khushi nahi thi. Duri — conversations bhi door kar deti hai. --- Ek raat — Nandini ne kuch alag kiya. Call se pehle — camera ke saamne pura ghar sajaya. Fairy lights. Maa ke haath ki biryani. Papa ki kursi — jahan woh Doordarshan dekhte hain. Bhai ki cricket bat — drawing room mein. Aur ek photo frame — Rohan aur Nandini ki, Lucknow ke Hazratganj mein li thi. Call connect hua. Rohan ne dekha — screen par ghar. "Yeh...?" "Tera ghar hai. Teri Diwali hai. Tu nahi aa sakta — toh main tujhke paas le aayi." Camera ghumaaya — poora ghar dikhaya. Maa ne haath hilaaya — "Beta, khaana kha liya?" Papa ne "jai hind" bola — jaise hamesha. Bhai ne bat dikhaayi — "Naya hai, IPL ke liye." Rohan ki aankhein bhar aayeen. "Nandini..." "Chup. Rona baad mein. Pehle Maa ki biryani dekh — screen pe hi sahi. Aur haan — tere liye ek plate rakhi hai. Rakh ke photo bhejungi." "Khaaunga kaise?" "Dekhke. Imagine karke. Pyaar se." Us raat — video call 3 ghante chala. Sabse lamba. Maa ne pooja dikhayi. Papa ne diya jalaya. Bhai ne patakha phodha — phone ke saamne. Aur Rohan — Canada ke apartment mein — akela nahi tha. Screen par — poora ghar tha. Poora pyaar tha. --- Agle saal — Rohan aaya. Diwali pe. Airport par — Nandini khadi thi. "Is baar sach mein." "Haan. Is baar sach mein." Gale lage. Bahut der tak. Aur woh video call — woh aakhiri nahi thi. Par sabse yaadgaar zaroor thi.