The Deadline

School ki bell bajti hai chaar baje. Main apne computer ke saamne baitha hun, Excel sheet mein attendance ka data feed kar raha hun, aur wahi purani feeling, wahi gussa, wahi irritation. Kyunki main jaanta hun, aaj bhi wahi hogi. Aiman. Wo apni files leke aayegi, wo mujhe aise dekhegi jaise main uske ghar ka naukar hun, aur wo mujhe print karne ko kahegi, aur main kar dunga. Kyunki mujhe karna padta hai. Job hai.

Main Kaif hun, twenty-two saal ka, BCA kiya hai, aur is school mein computer operator hun. Do saal se yahi kaam kar raha hun. Salary kam hai, kaam zyada, aur upar se ye Aiman. English teacher. Twenty-four saal ki. Patli, lambi, aur itni overacting karti hai ki kabhi kabhi mujhe hasi aati hai. Kabhi gussa. Aaj gussa aa raha hai.

"Kaif bhai, ye worksheets print kar do. Jaldi."

Wahi awaaz. Main keyboard pe typing karte hue ruk jata hun. Aiman apni ek file leke mere desk pe rakh deti hai. Bina dekhe. Bina puchhe. Jaise main koi machine hun.

"Kitne copies?" Main puchhta hun, bina upar dekhe.

"Thirty-five. Aur colour mein. Front page bhi colour mein chahiye."

"Front page colour mein nahi ho sakta. Printer mein sirf black cartridge hai."

Wo ek lambi saans leti hai. Aise jaise maine uski zindagi barbaad kar di ho.

"Kaif bhai, aapko har baar batana padta hai? Pichli baar bhi yahi problem thi. Aap printer theek kyun nahi karwate?"

"Main computer operator hun. Printer repair mera kaam nahi hai. Wo admin ka kaam hai."

"Toh aap admin ko bol kyun nahi rahe?"

"Bol diya tha. Unhone kaha budget nahi hai."

Wo apni aankhein ghuma leti hai. Ye uski aadat hai. Har baat pe aankhein ghumaana. Jaise duniya ki sabse badi tragedy uske saath ho rahi ho.

"Toh phir main kya karun? Principal ko dikhana hai mujhe. Aap kuch jugaad karo."

"Jugaad?" Main ab upar dekhta hun. "Main kya jugaad karun? Jaadu thodi na karunga."

Wo mujhe dekhti hai. Ek second ke liye uski aankhon mein kuch hota hai. Phir gayab. Wo file utha leti hai.

"Theek hai. Main khud dekh lungi."

Aur wo chali jaati hai. Apni heels ki tik-tik ke saath. Main uske jaane ke baad apni chair pe peeche jhuk jata hun. Do saal se yahi ho raha hai. Do saal se main uski nakhron ko bardasht kar raha hun. Kabhi kabhi sochta hun, agar ye school ki teacher nahi hoti, toh main ise aisa sabak sikha deta ki zindagi bhar yaad rakhti. Par nahi. Main majboor hun. Job hai. Paise chahiye. Ghar pe maa-baap hain. Aur is sheher mein dusri job milna aasan nahi hai.

Lekin aaj kuch alag hai.

Shaam ko jab main apna bag utha ke nikalne lagta hun, toh Principal sir ka peon mere paas aata hai.

"Kaif bhai, Principal sir aapko bula rahe hain."

Main ruk jata hun. "Abhi?"

"Haan. Abhi."

Main apna bag wapas rakhta hun aur office ki taraf chal padta hun. Dimag mein sawaal ghoom rahe hain. Kya maine koi galti ki? Kya Aiman ne meri complaint kar di? Us se expected hai. Wo aisi hi hai. Chhoti chhoti baaton ko badi bana deti hai.

Principal sir ka office school ke sabse aakhri corner mein hai. Main darwaza khatkhatata hun.

"Andar aao."

Main andar jata hun. Principal sir apni kursi pe baithe hain. Unke saamne ek file khuli hai. Aur unke saamne wali kursi pe, Aiman baithi hai.

Mera dil ek second ke liye ruk jata hai.

"Baitho, Kaif," Principal sir kehte hain.

Main Aiman ke bagal wali kursi pe baith jata hun. Wo mujhe nahi dekhti. Saamne dekh rahi hai. Uski ungliyan apni file pe tight hain.

"Kaif, tumhe pata hai school ka annual function next month hai?"

"Haan sir."

"Uske liye humein ek digital presentation banani hai. Poori school ki report, photos, videos, sab kuch. Aur ye kaam tum karoge."

Main sir hilata hun. "Theek hai sir."

"Lekin," Principal sir aage jhukte hain, "ye kaam sirf tumhara nahi hai. Aiman is presentation ki content head hai. Wo saara likhne ka kaam karegi, tum technical kaam karoge. Dono ko mil ke kaam karna padega."

Mera pet ek second ke liye gir jata hai.

"Sir, main akela bhi kar sakta hun. Mujhe sirf content chahiye, wo de dengi, main—"

"Nahi." Principal sir ki awaaz strict ho jaati hai. "Ye project important hai. Bahut important. Aur mujhe pata hai tum dono ke beech thodi problem hai. Isliye main chahta hun ki tum log mil ke kaam karo. Teamwork seekho."

Aiman ab mujhe dekhti hai. Uski aankhon mein wahi irritation hai jo meri aankhon mein hai. Lekin uske hothon pe ek chhoti si smile hai. Wo smile jo kehti hai, "Dekh liya, ab tum mere saath phas gaye."

"Sir," Aiman kehti hai, apni awaaz mein ek narmi jo fake hai, "main Kaif ke saath kaam karne ko taiyar hun. Agar wo cooperate kare toh."

Cooperate. Jaise main koi problem hun.

"Main bhi taiyar hun, sir," main kehta hun, daanton se.

"Good." Principal sir file band karte hain. "Toh kal se shuru karo. Aiman, tum Kaif ko apna content plan do. Kaif, tum apna technical setup ready rakho. Aur haan, ye kaam school ke baad karna padega. Kyunki school hours mein tum dono busy ho."

School ke baad. Matlab Aiman ke saath akela. Roz.

Main uth ke bahar nikalta hun. Aiman mere peeche aati hai. Corridor khaali hai. Sirf hum dono hain. Wo mere paas aati hai aur dheere se kehti hai:

"Kaif bhai, main jaanti hun aapko ye pasand nahi hai. Lekin ye project mera career hai. Agar ye achha nahi hua toh principal sir mujhe next year contract renew nahi karenge. Toh please, apni nafrat apne paas rakho. Sirf kaam karo."

Main usse dekhta hun. Uske chehre pe pehli baar kuch aur dikhta hai. Darr. Chhupa hua darr. Wo bhi majboor hai. Jaise main hun.

"Main apni nafrat apne paas rakhunga," main kehta hun. "Lekin tum bhi apni overacting band karo. Deal?"

Wo ek second ke liye rukti hai. Phir apna haath badhati hai.

"Deal."

Main uska haath milata hun. Uska haath thanda hai. Naram hai. Aur us second, mere dimag mein ek soch aati hai. Ek soch jo mujhe khud se sharminda karti hai. Lekin aati hai.

Agar humein roz akela kaam karna hai, toh kya main is mauke ka faayda utha sakta hun? Kya main use aisa phasa sakta hun ki wo khud mere paas aaye? Khud meri zaroorat maane?

Main apna haath chhodta hun. Wo jaati hai. Aur main wahi khada rehta hun, corridor mein, apni soch ke saath.

Ye galat hai. Main jaanta hun. Lekin jab koi tumhe do saal tak naukar samjhe, toh galat cheez bhi sahi lagne lagti hai.

Kal se shuru hoga. Aur main taiyar hun.