Startup

Kuch dinon se pet kharaab sa raha. Usse pehle mood kharaab tha. Pet aur mood ka bada dhaansoon taalmel hai. Mood theek hota hai toh pet nahin, pet theek hota hai toh mood nahin. Bas isi gorakhdhande mein hum kitne saawan bin ghevar nikaal chuke hain. Ghevar. Khair.

Subah pet ki gudgud se ladte daftar toh pahunch gaye, par daftar aaye hain toh lunch toh karna padega. Arrey bhai, log kya kahenge. Aur toh aur, jo khaana mangvaane, intezaar karne aur khaane ke bahaane do ghante nikalate hain, usmein kya ab jhakk maarte. Daftar pahunchate hi canteen vaale ne bataaya usne kahin se fresh sandwich ki delivery mangvaayi hai. Neki aur poochh poochh. Ghapp kar gaye do sandwich.

Paanch baj gaye. Ab daftar dhai baje pahunchoge toh paanch toh jaldi bajenge hi na. Pet mein gudgud shuru. Kya khaayen, kya khaayen. Dhaabe se mangvaane se achcha balcony se koodna jaan pada. Allah! Mera pet utha le!

Canteen mein taankjhaank kar rahe the ki ek officeboy dheeme se kaan mein phusphusaaya. "Sahab, mere bhai ne neeche canteen kholi hai. Nayi hai, zyaada kuch nahin hai abhi, par aap dekh lijiye agar aapko kuch theek lage."

Ek nazar humne canteen ki khaali shelf par daali, ek apne pet par. Pet ki aisi avastha mein har cheez shaadi ka laddoo hai. Khaao toh maro, na khaao toh maro.

Lambi saans lekar humne bola, "Haan haan. Tumhaare bhai ne kholi hai toh zaroor jaayenge."

Tehalate matakate hum neeche pahunch gaye. Building mein peechhe ki ore basement ki seediyaan thi. Oopar ek peele rang ke chart par dukaan ka naam aur baseline likhi thi. Seediyon par gubbare aur rang birangi sajaavat.

Aakhiri seedhi par ruk gaye. Kahan jaayen. 8X8 ka ek chhota sa khomacha. Usmein 2 fut jagah uske counter ne le rakhi thi, baaki mein ek table aur 2 chair saji thi.

Pehli jhalak mein bachpan ka voh library sajaana yaad aa gaya, jab mohalle ke 4-5 bachche milkar 25 kitaabon ke saath library khol lete the. Aur dhanda takeoff na hone par khud hi galle mein paise daalkar poore din comics padhte. Isi ummeed se maine counter ke peechhe dekha, jaise yeh bhaisahab bhi stool par baithe samose kha rahe honge aur galle mein paise daalte ja rahe honge.

Counter ke peechhe se voh muskuraaya. "Kya khilaaun Sir?"

Maine ek sarsari nazar poore counter par maari. Zyaada kuch na dikha, samose zaroor dikhe. Ados-pados mein kisi halwaai ke yahan bane samose. Tel mein chipude hue. Pet ke liye human bomb.

Main muh banake palatane vaala tha ki badi dheemi si awaaz mein bola. "Kya hua Sir?"

Muskura raha tha, aur darr raha tha ki pehla customer naraaz hokar ja raha hai. Awaaz bhi aise kaanpi jaise main uski exam ki copy jaanch kar muh bana raha hun.

Maine do samose maange. Usne jhatt se jaakar mez saaf ki, napkin sajaaya. Sauce ki bottle khol ke rakhi. Chatni katori mein nikaali. Phir mujhe ishaara kiya.

8X8 ke khomache mein main aise mez ki taraf badha jaise kisi paanch sitaara ke buffet se khaana lekar table ki taraf badha hun.

Samose bhale tel vaale rahe hon, swadisht the. Thodi der mein usne ek steel ke glass mein paani nikaal diya. Phir counter ke peechhe jaakar mujhe khaate dehkane laga. Usse pehle sirf Ma khaana khilaate waqt ek ek kaur par aise dhyaan de paayi hain.

Jaise hi kha chuka, usne muskura ke poochha. "Kaisa tha Sir?"

"Achcha tha." Maine paise diye, usne 2 rupaiye ka discount diya. "Abhi start kiya hai na Sir".

Bahar niklate waqt dara ki pet bol jaayega. Phir laga, kisi ke aise imaandaar startup mein kaam na aa paaye, aisa pet bhi kis kaam ka.