Ek Ticket, Do Dil
Flight ticket — Delhi to Pune. One way. ₹4,752. Itne mein kya milta hai? Ek seat — 30B, middle. 2 ghante ki flight. Plastic ki chai. Aur — Tanya. 8 mahine ho gaye the. Delhi mein main, Pune mein woh. Weekly calls — "Tu kaisa hai?" "Theek." "Main bhi." "Achha." Aise conversations jismein sab kuch hai — par kuch nahi. Tanya ne kabhi nahi kaha — "Aaja." Maine kabhi nahi kaha — "Aa raha hoon." Dono mein ego tha. Ya dar. Ya dono. Phir ek raat — 2 AM — uska message: "Mujhe teri woh purani t-shirt chahiye. Jo blue waali hai. Courier kar de." "T-shirt kyun?" "Teri smell aati hai usmein. Aur aajkal neend nahi aati — bina teri smell ke." Maine t-shirt courier nahi ki. Maine ticket book kiya. --- Airport — early morning. Maine usse nahi bataya. Surprise. Flight mein — anxious. 8 mahine mein bohot kuch badal jaata hai. Kya woh waise hi milegi? Kya main waise hi lagaunga? Kya awkward hoga? Pune airport — arrived. Ola book kiya. Uske flat ka address — yaad tha. 8 mahine mein nahi bhoola. Doorbell. Darwaza khula. Tanya — messy hair, Sunday wali look, haath mein chai ka cup. Mujhe dekhke — cup gira. Chai bikhri. Zameen par. "AARAV?!" "T-shirt laaya hoon. Personally." "PAGAL HAI TU!" "Haan." Gale lagi. Ek minute. Do minute. Chai zameen par. Darwaza khula. Padosi dekh rahe. Koi fark nahi. --- Poora din saath. Uska favourite cafe. Marine drive pe walk — "Pune mein Marine Drive nahi hai" — "Toh koi walkable jagah." Kothrud ka woh chota sa park. Shaam ko — uski balcony par. Pune ki thandi hawa. Chai — nayi, ye wali nahi giri. "8 mahine," usne kaha. "Bahut lambe the." "Phir kyun nahi aaya pehle?" "Kyunki... mujhe laga tujhe space chahiye." "Space chahiye tha. Par tere bina space — khaali tha. Sirf space tha — koi nahi tha usmein." Raat ko — return flight nahi thi. Maine one way li thi. "Kab jayega?" usne pucha. "Jab tu kahegi." "Toh kabhi mat ja." "Pune mein? Permanently?" "Nahi — mere paas. Permanently." --- Agle hafte — transfer request daali. Delhi se Pune. One way. Kyunki ₹4,752 mein ek ticket mili thi. Par wapas — waapsi ki zarurat nahi thi. Main ghar pahunch gaya tha.