Agla din tha, aur Kajal ki lecture series officially khatam ho gayi thi. Lekin uske mind me abhi koi personal thoughts nahi, bas ek urgent call ne uski attention le li — ghar se phone aaya.
“Beta, dadi ki tabiyat thodi kharab hai… tum jaldi India aa jao,” uski maa ki awaaz me concern tha.
Kajal ne deep breath li aur turant tickets book kar diye. Uska dil thoda heavy tha, par is waqt koi distractions nahi the. Uska pura focus sirf dadi ke upar tha.
India pahunchte hi, Kajal seedha dadi ke room me gayi. Dadi weak lekin alert thi, aur Kajal ko dekh kar unki aankhon me relief tha.
“Beta… tum aa gayi,” dadi ne halki si smile ke saath kaha.
Kajal ne unke haath pakde, “Dadi, ab sab thik ho jayega. Main yahan hoon na.”
Kajal dadi ke saath time bitane lagi, unke liye tea bana rahi thi, medicines aur documents arrange kar rahi thi, aur bas unki care me busy ho gayi. Uske mind me ab koi Namjoon ya Yoongi ka thought nahi tha.
Ghar ke andar ek halki si khushbu thi — tulsi ki chai ki, jo kitchen se aa rahi thi. Kajal dining table par baithi apne laptop par kuch kaam kar rahi thi, lekin uska dhyaan bar-bar hall ke us kone ki taraf jaa raha tha jahan dadi apne favourite aasan par baithi thi.
Aaj dadi ke chehre par pehle se zyada rang tha. Unke haathon me wo chhoti si sweater bun rahi thi — ek sign ki ab unki tabiyat pehle se bahut behtar hai.
“Dadi, aapko thand toh nahi lag rahi?” Kajal ne apna laptop side me rakhte hue poocha.
Dadi ne chashma thoda adjust kiya aur halki muskaan ke saath boli, “Nahi beta, tumhari dekhbhaal me toh mujhe thand lag hi nahi sakti.”
Kajal ne chai ka cup le jaa kar dadi ke haath me diya. “Lijiye, tulsi wali chai. Doctor ne kaha hai immune system ke liye acchi hoti hai.”
Dadi ne ek sip li, “Hmmm… waise tum doctor bani thi ya teacher, mujhe abhi tak samajh nahi aaya.”
Kajal hansi, “Main toh superwoman hoon, sab ban sakti hoon.”
Ghar ka mahaul pehle ke comparison me bilkul change lag raha tha. Ab pehle jaise silence aur tension nahi thi, balki halki-phulki hasi mazak chalti rehti thi. Kajal ki maa kitchen me mithai bana rahi thi, keh rahi thi, “Dadi ab sahi ho gayi hain, toh kuch meetha toh banta hai.”
Kajal poore din dadi ke sath chhoti-chhoti baatein karti, unke liye newspaper padhti, ya unke sath balcony me jaa kar shaam ki chai peeti. Dadi ke chehre ka glow wapas aane laga tha, aur wo roz thoda zyada chalne lagti thi.
Ek din shaam ko, jab suraj ki last light drawing room me aa rahi thi, dadi ne Kajal ka haath pakad kar kaha,
“Beta, main tumse ek baat kehna chahti hoon. Jab tum yahan aayi thi, mujhe lagta tha… shayad tumhare apne sapne peeche reh jayenge meri wajah se. Par tumne jo pyaar aur patience dikhaya… main hamesha yaad rakhungi.”
Kajal ki aankhon me halka sa paani aa gaya. “Dadi, aap meri priority hain. Sapne toh main kabhi bhi chase kar sakti hoon, par aap jaise log… wo life me baar-baar nahi milte.”
Dadi ne pyar se Kajal ka matha chuma. “Mujhe lagta hai tum ab wapas apni padhai ke liye jaa sakti ho. Main ab kaafi better hoon. Aur mujhe tumhe apne sapno ki taraf wapas dekhna hai.” Kajal ne sirf smile kiya.
Ab ke baar jab wo Subah ka time tha, aur Kajal kitchen me chai banate hue dadi ki loud awaaz sun rahi thi,“Arey Kajal! Yeh biscuits kitne hard hain, mera daant toot jayega!”
Kajal hansi rok nahi paayi. “Dadi, aapko pata hai na, ye healthy biscuits hain… sugar free.”
Dadi ne nak chadha liya, “Healthy ka matlab yeh nahi ki khaane ka mann hi na kare!”
Past kuch dino me dadi ki health clearly improve ho gayi thi. Hospital trips kam ho gayi thi, unke chehre pe phir se woh light glow aa raha tha. Kajal khush thi — unhone jo tension me India ka ticket liya tha, ab woh relief me badal gaya tha.
Lunch ke time, poora ghar ek saath table pe tha. Maa stories suna rahi thi, papa casually news discuss kar rahe the, aur dadi apne old days ke fun incidents share kar rahi thi. Kajal bas sunte hue smile karti rahi. Uske mann me ek thought chal raha tha — “Ab wapas jaana hoga… meri classes bhi miss ho rahi hain.”
Shaam ko Kajal apne room me books arrange kar rahi thi. Almirah ke corner me ek chhota sa box rakha tha, jisme Korea se laaye hue souvenirs the — subway card, cafe ke receipts, aur ek polaroid photo jis me woh apne library ke corner me coffee leke baithi thi.
Usne phone uthaya, aur screen pe notifications ka dher tha. Namjoon ka message: “Tum safe ho na? Dadi ki health kaise hai?”
Yoongi ka call log: 3 missed calls.
Aur ek short text Yoongi ka: “Reply do, warna main aa raha hoon.”
Kajal ne dono messages padhe, thoda smile kiya aur phone side me rakh diya. “Abhi nahi… abhi family time,” usne socha.
Raat ko dadi ke saath balcony me baithi Kajal casually boli, “Dadi… aap kaafi better ho gayi ho, hai na?”
Dadi ne haan me sir hila ke kaha, “Teri dekhbhaal ka asar hai.”
Kajal ne tease kiya, “Bas ab main wapas padhai pe dhyan de sakti hoon.”
Dadi ne pyaar se kaha, “Haan beta, tu apna sapna pura kar. Mujhe pata hai tu wahan khush hai.”
Next day, Kajal ne tickets book kar liye — Korea wapas ka trip. Is baar uske andar excitement thi. Usne casual tone me maa-papa ko bataya, “Kal meri flight hai.”
Maa thodi shocked ho gayi, “Itni jaldi?”
Kajal ne hansi me kaha, “Classes miss ho rahi hain maa… aur mujhe apne hostel ka fridge bhi yaad aa raha hai.”
Packing ke time Kajal ne apne kapdon ke saath dadi ka diya hua ek small pouch bhi rakh liya. “Good luck ke liye,” dadi ne bola tha.
