Koi mil gaya
(Pairing- Rajat, Shreya)
It was our last day of college before the Diwali holiday. So college was opened only for official works, teaching work was off, so classes were suspended. Students were roaming around and having fun. The campus was resembling very much to a park. I had to return some books in the library. I returned the books and came in the college campus with my buddy Rohan. We were just taking a round of the campus when Rohan found, Nisha, his crush sitting in the cafeteria.
"Rajat, wo dekh Nisha. Yaar chal na please ek coke order karte hain. Diwali ki chutti pe wo ghar chali jayegi phir pata nahi kab use dekh paunga. Please chal na yaar." Rohan said dragging me towards cafeteria.
"Mujhe nahi aana, tum jao. Main ghar ja raha hu. Bahut sare kaam pade hain." I said refusing him fretfully.
"Achha, nahi aana to theek hai, apna wallet to de de, main bhool gaya aaj lana. Kal tere paise lauta dunga." Rohan said extending his hand in front of me.
"Jeb me paise nahi hain, lekin ladki ko ghumana jaroori hai. Ek paisa nahi dunga tujhe. Ye meri mehnat ki kamai hai, apni maa ke alawa kisi aur ke upar aise hi nahi luta sakta." I said turning my back to him.
"Dost ke upar bhi nahi? Kaisa dost hai tu. Apne dost ke pyar ke liye itna bhi nahi kar sakta. Ab tu dekh teri mehnat ki kamai kaha lutakar aata hu main." Rohan said and snatched my wallet from my hand. Before I could stop him he ran away. I ran after him.
"Rohan, ruk ja, wapas kar mera wallet." I cried.
There was a camp set under a tree in the campus. I read the banner saying, "Donate Love and Happiness this Diwali". There was some donation boxes in different sizes. Some junior students had organized this camp to collect old clothes, toys and other things to distribute among poor and underprivileged children.
Rohan gave me an evil smile and dropped my wallet in one of the donation boxes and stood there laughing at me. I gave him a warning glare and moved to the donation box.
I bent and put my hand inside the box and grabbed my wallet. Before I could take it out someone caught my hand.
I looked up at the person. A girl with large hazel eyes and shoulder length hair was glaring into my eyes. I forgot about my wallet and my hand under her grip and glued my eyes on her. Such a pretty and charming face she had.
"Excuse me? Kya kar rahe the aap? Sharm nahi aati, donation box se chori karte huye?" She snatched the wallet from me and jerked my hand away.
I came out of the hypnotism. "Arey, main chori nahi kar raha tha, ye mera hi wallet hai...
She raised her eyebrows together, "aapka hai nahi tha, donation box me ek baar jo cheej aa gayi wo aap wapas nahi nikal sakte."
I saw her ID card swinging down her neck, Shreya deekshit, B. com, second year. Oh she was my junior.
"Dekho, main tumhara senior hu. Mujhse badtameeji mat Karo, mera wallet wapas karo. Maine donate nahi kiya, mere dost ne majak me mujhe pareshan karne ke liye ise is box me deal diya tha. Lao wapas do." I said sternly to lay an influence of my seniority over her.
She stared at me and said tranquilly."Respected senior, aapka jo bhi naam hai, badtameeji main nahi aap kar rahe hain. Manti hu aapka wallet galti se is box me aa gaya to kya aapke paas itni sensibility nahi hai ki aap kuch paise donate kar de."
She opened my wallet and found 100 and 50 rupees inside. She gave me a shocked look, "bas itne se paiso ke liye itni aafat macha ke rakhi hai." She grabbed 100 rupees and returned me the wallet with 50 rupees left inside. "Ye leejiye, ye hundred rupees aapki taraf se donation box me, thank you sir!" She said politely flashing a smile.
I was stood dunbfounded. I took my wallet with a disappointed face. Meanwhile Rohan came there.
"Hey, Shreya, Rajat ka wallet de do, wo paiso ki jegah kuch aur donate kar dega. Ye uski part time job ke paise hain. Ye 100 rupees uske liye bahut mayne rakhte hain. Uski maa hospital me hain aur uski family me dusra koi nahi hai paise kamane wala. Wo ye paise bahut mushkil se earn karta hai." Rohan explained my pathetic financial condition to shreya.
I looked up at her. She was looking at me with apologies and sympathies in her eyes.
"I am so sorry sir, mujhe pata nahi tha wo sab. Aap rakh leejiye aur please meri bato ka bura mat...
"It's ok" Rohan said snatching the money from her hand. "By the way, Rajat ek bakery me job karta hai to wo tumhe kuch cakes aur pastries donate kar sakta hai, tum bachho me distribute kar dena. Kyun rajat?"
"Ummm...han..han sure!" I said going against my will.
Shreya smiled at me, "lekin koi compulsion nahi hai. Agar aapke liye possible ho tabhi kariye, nahi to that's alright."
"Are nahi nahi Shreya, wo Church wali road pe corner pe jo bakery hai na, wahi job karta hai ye to tum sham ko aa jana, tumhe cakes aur pastries mil jayegi." Rohan said to irritate me
"Ok" Shreya said looking at me with a smile.
I smiled back at her and moved from there with Rohan.
"Ye kya kiya tumne? Kaha se dunga main usko cakes aur pastries? Mere baap ki dukan hai kya?" I yelled at Rohan who shrugged his shoulders.
"Sorry boss! Ab itni sweet si ladki ko dekh ke muh se sweet sweet sa promise nikal gaya. Sambhal lena yaar." Rohan chuckled.
In evening, I was working in bakery when a fellow worker called me.
"Rajat bhai dekho jara, koi ladki aayi hai tumko puch rahi hai."
I casted an eye at the counter and found shreya standing there carrying some handy bags. I removed my apron and moved to her.
"Hi" I said approaching her.
She looked at me and smiled, "oh hi, main wo donation lene aayi hu. Aapko yaad hai ya bhool gaye aapne mujhe kuch cakes aur pastries dene ke liye kaha tha."
"Han yaad hai, tum yahi ruko, main lekar aata hu." I said and told her a seat. I returned within a minute with a carry bag.
"Ye raha aapka donation" I said.
She opened the bag and inhaled the fragrance of the pastries. "Hmm...wow! Bachhe to khushi se pagal ho jayenge. This is the best donation for them thank you so much."
"Welcome, and this is for you!" I said forwarding a choco chip ice cream towards her.
"Oh..thanks!" She said, "kitne paise?" She asked.
"Come on Shreya, ye meri taraf se hai, tum Pahli baar is shop pe aayi ho na." I said.
"To pehli baar aane wale customers se aap paise nahi lete?" She asked smiling.
I looked at her and said after thinking a little, "agar customer koi special ho to paise nahi lete."
"So sweet of you!" She said smiling.
"Achha Rajat sir, aap Diwali ki party me aayenge na. Main aur mere friends ka jo group hai, hum sab orphan bachho ke liye diwali party organize kar rahe hain. Sari donations aur gifts hum unhe usi din party me denge!" She said.
"Why not, main jaroor aaunga" I said.
"Achha ab main chalti hu." She said and turned to go but stopped and again turned to me, "waise, aapki maa kaisi hain? Kis hospital me hain wo?" She asked.
"Kyun? Bimar logo ki sewa ke liye bhi koi NGO chalati ho kya?" I asked.
She laughed, "nahi nahi, main bas aise hi puch rahi thi. Kya main aise nahi mil sakti aapki maa se?"
"Mil sakti ho, milwa dunga!" I said.
"Ok, bye" she said and left.
I was lost watching her going when someone tapped on my shoulder. I turned and found Rohan.
"Kya baat hai? Seth (boss) ne free me itni sari pastries aur cakes de diye tumhe Shreya ko donate karne ke liye?" He asked surprisingly.
"Seth galiyon ke alawa aur kuch deta hai kya free me?" I said glaring at her.
Rohan was more shocked now. "to phir tumne kaise? Don't tell me tumne apni salary se...
"To kya karta wo dukan pe aakar khadi ho gayi to khali hath to nahi lauta sakta tha na!" I said stealing my eyes from him.
Rohan chuckled, "oho kya baat hai bhai? Tum to keh rahe the ki tum apni mehnat ki kamai maa ke alawa kisi aur pe nahi kharch kar sakte, dost pe bhi nahi, to ye Shreya kaun hai, teri maa?" He asked dubiously.
I smiled, "nahi, but pehli baar maa ke alawa kisi aur pe paise kharch karne ka man kiya. Pehli baar maa ke alawa koi aur bhi special laga mujhe!" I said imagining Shreya and her cute smile.
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A/N: Jiya and other Rajeya readers, hope you liked it.