{ chapter=2 }
Classroom me kaafi shor tha. Students apni-apni seats dhoondh rahe the. Kuch log ek-dusre se baatein kar rahe the, kuch haste hue apni notebooks nikaal rahe the. Puri class me halka sa excitement aur shor tha. Kuch students jaldi-jaldi class me aa rahe the aur apne bags bench par rakh kar baith rahe the. Har taraf chhoti-chhoti baatein aur hasi ki awaaz sunai de rahi thi.
Pakhi hamesha ki tarah front bench par jaakar baith gayi. Use front seat par baithna pasand tha, kyunki wahan se woh board ko dhyan se dekh sakti thi aur lecture bhi achhi tarah sun paati thi. Woh apni notebook aur pen nikaal kar ready ho gayi, jaise lecture shuru hone ka intezar kar rahi ho.
Parul uske bagal wali seat par baith gayi aur Avni pichhli wali seat par baithkar un dono ko dekhte hue muskura rahi thi. Avni ka nature hamesha se cheerful tha. Woh aksar kisi na kisi baat par mazaak kar deti thi aur uski wajah se unki dosti me hamesha masti bani rehti thi.
Lekin aaj Parul thodi alag aur tension me lag rahi thi.
Use darr tha ki canteen wali baat kahin teacher tak na pahunch gayi ho. Woh baar-baar classroom ke darwaze ki taraf dekh rahi thi, jaise kisi ka intezar kar rahi ho. Kabhi woh apni notebook khol kar pages palatne lagti aur kabhi chupchaap soch me pad jaati.
Pakhi ne uski taraf dekh kar dheere se pucha,
Pakhi: "Kya hua? Tum itni tension me kyun ho?"
Parul ne halki si awaaz me kaha,
Parul: "Mujhe lag raha hai ma'am ko canteen wali baat pata chal gayi hogi."
Pakhi ne use shaant karte hue kaha,
Pakhi: "Tension mat lo. Jo hua woh galat nahi tha. Agar kisi ne galat kiya hai to usse hi daant padegi."
Parul ne halki si saans li, lekin phir bhi uske chehre par chinta saaf dikh rahi thi.
Tabhi kuch der baad classroom ka darwaza khula aur teacher andar aayi.
Yeh thi Mrs. Sen, jo Business Administration ki professor thi. Unka nature thoda strict tha aur poori class unse thoda darte bhi the. Unke aate hi class ka shor dheere-dheere kam ho gaya.
Mrs. Sen: "Good morning class."
Sab students ek saath khade hote hue bole,
"Good morning ma'am."
Mrs. Sen ne sabko baithne ka ishara kiya aur apni file khol kar attendance lena shuru kiya. Class dheere-dheere bilkul shaant ho gayi. Sirf attendance ke naam aur pen ki halki si awaaz sunai de rahi thi.
Attendance khatam karne ke baad Mrs. Sen ne thoda sa sar utha kar class ki taraf dekha aur phir boli,
Mrs. Sen: "Parul, stand up."
Parul ka dil ekdam se zor-zor se dhadakne laga. Use samajh aa gaya tha ki baat canteen wali hi hai. Phir bhi woh dheere se khadi ho gayi.
Parul: "Yes, ma'am."
Mrs. Sen: "Aaj bahar canteen me tum kyun ladai kar rahi thi?"
Puri class ki nazar ab Parul par thi. Kuch students aapas me dheere-dheere baatein bhi karne lage. Sabko curiosity thi ki aakhir hua kya tha.
Parul ne thodi himmat karke ma'am ko sab kuch bata diya.
Mrs. Sen ne thoda serious hote hue kaha,
Mrs. Sen: "To kya tum gusse me usse jaan se maar deti?"
Parul ne seedha jawab diya,
Parul: "Ma'am, us ladke ki galti thi. Meri koi galti nahi hai."
Mrs. Sen thodi sakht awaaz me boli,
Mrs. Sen: "Yahi baat tum apni family ko bolna."
Yeh sunkar Parul ekdam shock ho gayi. Ab use sach me dar lagne laga tha. Agar baat ghar tak pahunch gayi, matlab bhai tak pahunch gayi.
Parul ne dar ke maare jaldi se kaha,
Parul: "Sorry ma'am, please ghar par ye baat mat bataiye. Sorry ma'am."
Tabhi pichhe se ek pyaari si ladki ki awaaz aayi.
Woh ladki koi aur nahi, Meera thi.
Meera: "Ma'am, may I come in?"
Mrs. Sen ne darwaze ki taraf dekha.
Mrs. Sen: "Yes, come in."
Meera dheere-dheere chal kar class ke andar aayi.
Meera: "Sorry ma'am, mujhe kuch bolna hai."
Mrs. Sen ne use dekh kar kaha,
Mrs. Sen: "Bolo, kya bolna hai?"
Meera ne thoda sa ghabrate hue kaha,
Meera: "Ma'am, Parul didi ko kuch mat boliye. Sab galti us ladke ki thi. Usne canteen me mera haath pakad liya tha aur mujhe gandi-gandi baatein bol raha tha. Isliye Parul didi ne bas usko ek thappad mara tha, bas ma'am."
Puri class ekdam shaant ho gayi. Sab students Meera ki baat dhyan se sun rahe the.
Mrs. Sen ne thoda soft hote hue kaha,
Mrs. Sen: "Par beta, agar us ladke ko kuch ho jata to?"
Meera ne seedha jawab diya,
Meera: "Aur agar mere saath kuch ho jata, to ab kya hota?"
Mrs. Sen kuch pal ke liye bilkul shaant ho gayi. Shayad unhe bhi poori situation samajh aa gayi thi.
Mrs. Sen ne kuch pal ke liye class ki taraf dekha. Unke chehre par ab pehle jaisi sakhti nahi thi.
Mrs. Sen ne dheere se kaha,
"Dekho Parul, mujhe pata hai tumne jo kiya woh gusse me kiya. Kabhi-kabhi kisi ko bachane ke liye log aise react kar dete hain. Lekin college me kisi bhi problem ka solution ladai nahi hota."
Parul chup-chaap khadi thi aur dhyan se ma'am ki baat sun rahi thi.
Mrs. Sen ne phir kaha,
"Agar aisa kuch bhi ho, to sabse pehle teacher ko ya management ko inform karo. Tum log students ho aur college ki zimmedari hai ki tumhari safety ka dhyan rakhe."
Puri class bilkul shaant thi.
Mrs. Sen ne thoda serious hote hue poori class se kaha,
"Main ek baat sabko clear kar dena chahti hoon. Kisi bhi ladki ke saath badtameezi ya galat behavior bilkul tolerate nahi kiya jayega. Agar kisi ne aisa kiya, to uske khilaaf strict action liya jayega."
Yeh sunkar kai students ne haan me sir hilaya.
Phir Mrs. Sen ne Meera ki taraf dekha aur boli,
"Meera, tumne sach bolkar bahut himmat dikhayi hai. Ab tum apni class me jao, late ho raha hoga."
Meera ne halka sa sir jhukaya.
"Ji ma'am."
Woh dheere se mudkar classroom se bahar chali gayi.
Mrs. Sen ne phir Parul ki taraf dekha aur kaha,
"Parul, tum baith jao. Aur agli baar gusse me aisa step mat lena. Samajhdari se kaam lo."
Parul ne dheere se kaha,
"Ji ma'am."
Woh apni seat par baith gayi.
Tabhi class ki bell baj gayi.
Mrs. Sen ne apni file uthai aur boli,
"Alright class, next lecture me hum topic continue karenge."
Yeh kehkar Mrs. Sen classroom se bahar chali gayi.
Teacher ke jaate hi class me phir se halka sa shor shuru ho gaya.
Pakhi ne Parul ki taraf dekh kar muskurate hue kaha,
Pakhi: "Dekha, sab theek ho gaya."
Avni bhi hasti hui boli,
Avni: "Aur tum to waise hi tension le rahi thi."
Parul ne halka sa saans lete hue kaha,
Parul: "Haan… par agar Meera sach na bolti to pata nahi kya hota."
Thodi der baad Pakhi ne kaha,
Pakhi: "Chalo, ab canteen chalte hain."
Phir Pakhi, Avni aur Parul canteen ki taraf badh gaye.
Canteen me students ki bheed lagi hui thi. Har jagah baatein, hasi-mazaak aur khane ki khushboo thi. Kuch students coffee le rahe the, kuch burger aur samosa kha rahe the. Tables par chhote-chhote groups me baithkar log apni baatein kar rahe the.
Kuch der baad college ki chhutti ho gayi aur sab students apne-apne ghar ki taraf jaane lage.
College ka mahaul phir se normal ho chuka tha… lekin kisi ko nahi pata tha ki aaj ka ye chhota sa incident aage chal kar sabki zindagi me ek bada mod lane wala tha.