Bachpan Ka Yaar - Dosti Ki Sacchi Kahani

Aditya aur Rahul ek hi cycle pe school jaate the - Aditya aage baithta, Rahul peeche carrier pe। Roz subah 7:15 baje, Sharma Chowk se St. Mary's School tak, teen kilometre।

Woh dono class 1 se saath the। Ek hi bench pe baithte, ek hi tiffin share karte - kabhi Aditya ki maa ke paranthe, kabhi Rahul ki maa ki aloo sabzi। Do alag ghar, ek jaisi zindagi।

Farak sirf itna tha ki Aditya ke papa ek chhoti si hardware ki dukaan chalate the, aur Rahul ke papa uss dukaan mein hi kaam karte the - salesman ki tarah।

Lekin bachpan mein yeh farak kabhi maayne nahi rakhta tha। Sirf ek cheez maayne rakhti thi - "Kal school mein milte hain, yaar।"

Woh Din Jab Sab Badal Gaya

Class 9 mein Aditya ke papa ki dukaan ne achanak ek bada contract paa liya - ek building material supply deal, poore shehar mein। Do saal ke andar, chhoti si hardware dukaan teen branches wali company ban gayi।

Aditya ka ghar badla। Cycle ki jagah scooty aayi, phir car। Naya school - Delhi Public School, jahan uniform bhi alag thi aur dost bhi।

Rahul wahin St. Mary's mein reh gaya। Purani cycle pe, akela।

Shuru mein dono milte the - Sunday ko cricket khelne। Lekin dheere dheere Aditya ke naye dost aane lage - Karan, Vishal, Aryan - jo IPL matches ke tickets kharidte, branded jute pehente।

Ek din Rahul, Aditya ke naye school ke bahar aaya - purani cycle pe, ghar ka bana tiffin lekar - "Aditya, chal ghar chalte hain, aaj Amma ne kheer banayi hai!"

Aditya ke naye dost wahin khade the। Karan ne hansi mein poocha - "Yeh kaun hai? Tera driver?"

Aditya - sirf 15 saal ka, apni naye dosto ke saamne sharminda - chup raha। Kuch nahi bola।

Rahul ne suna। Kuch nahi kaha। Bas cycle mod li aur chala gaya।

Uss din ke baad Rahul ne kabhi Aditya ko call nahi kiya। Aur Aditya ne bhi nahi।

10 Saal Ki Doori

Aditya engineering ke liye Pune gaya। Phir MBA। Phir apne papa ki company sambhaali - ab woh "Sharma Constructions" ban chuki thi, 200 crore ka business।

Rahul? Rahul ne 12th ke baad padhai chhod di - ghar mein paise ki tangi thi, chhote bhai ki fees bharni thi। Usne apne papa ki jagah wahi hardware dukaan mein kaam sambhal liya - ab woh khud dukaan chalata tha, ek chhoti si, purani dukaan, Sharma Chowk mein hi।

Dono ki zindagi do alag rasto pe chali gayi। Na koi call, na koi message। Sirf kabhi kabhi common dosto se khabar milti - "Suna hai Aditya bahut bada aadmi ban gaya hai।" "Rahul abhi bhi wahi dukaan chalata hai।"

10 saal beet gaye। Aditya 29 saal ka ho gaya - Forbes 30 Under 30 list mein naam aaya। Rahul 29 saal ka ho gaya - do bachcho ka baap, ek chhoti dukaan ka malik।

Woh Bhayanak Raat

Ek raat, October mein, Aditya apni gaadi se ghar laut raha tha - akele, late night meeting ke baad। Highway pe, ek truck ne uski gaadi ko side se maara।

Gaadi palat gayi। Aditya bahar nikal gaya - lekin sar se khoon beh raha tha, ek pair mein fracture, aur uska phone kahin gum ho gaya tha।

Sadak sunsaan thi। Aditya chilla raha tha - lekin koi nahi tha।

Tabhi - ek purani motorcycle ruki। Ek aadmi utra, andhere mein chehra saaf nahi dikh raha tha।

"Bhai, theek ho?" awaaz mein ghabrahat thi।

Aditya ne aankhein kholi - dard mein, dhundhla dikh raha tha। "Please... help..."

Aadmi ne bina soche Aditya ko uthaya, motorcycle pe bithaya, aur nearest hospital le gaya - 15 kilometre, raat ke 2 baje, akele।

Hospital Mein

Aditya ko hosh aaya subah, hospital ke bed pe। Sar pe bandage, pair pe plaster।

Doctor ne bataya - "Aap bahut lucky hain। Agar aap 1-2 ghante aur wahan padhe rehte, khoon zyada beh jaata toh..." Doctor ne baat adhoori chhod di।

"Mujhe kaun laaya yahan?" Aditya ne poocha।

Nurse ne bataya - "Ek aadmi tha। Naam nahi bataya। Bill bhi wahi pay kar gaya - emergency deposit। Bola 'yeh mera bhai hai।'"

Bhai? Aditya ka koi bhai nahi tha।

"Woh abhi bhi yahan hai?"

"Nahi sir, subah 6 baje chala gaya। Bola usse dukaan kholni hai।"

Dukaan। Yeh lafz Aditya ke dimaag mein atak gaya।

Rahul Tak Pahunchna

Aditya ne apne driver ko bulaya, CCTV footage nikalwayi hospital se। Motorcycle ka number dikha - purana, dhool bhara।

Number se pata chala - registration Sharma Chowk area mein tha।

Aditya ne khud ko wapas Sharma Chowk le jaane ko kaha - waheelchair mein, plaster ke saath। 10 saal baad, wahi galliyan।

Aur wahin - wahi purani hardware ki dukaan। Board pe likha tha - "Rahul Hardware Store"।

Andar Rahul apne bête ko samaan sambhalna sikha raha tha - ek chhota sa ladka, shayad 8 saal ka।

Aditya ne waheelchair se hi awaaz di - "Rahul।"

Rahul palta। Ek pal ke liye pehchan nahi paaya - itna time beet chuka tha। Phir aankhein badi ho gayin।

"Aditya?"

Sach Saamne Aaya

"Tune mujhe bachaya raat ko?" Aditya ki awaaz kaanp rahi thi।

Rahul thoda sharmaya, jaise pakda gaya ho। "Main... main raat ko dukaan band karke jaa raha tha। Highway se guzar raha tha। Dekha koi gaadi palti hai। Ruk gaya।"

"Tujhe pata nahi tha yeh main hoon?"

"Nahi।" Rahul ne sar hilaya। "Andhera tha। Chehra dikh nahi raha tha। Bas ek aadmi tha jise madad chahiye thi।"

"Toh phir - hospital mein - tune bataya 'yeh mera bhai hai'? Bill bhi pay kiya?"

Rahul chup ho gaya। Phir dheere se bola - "Jab tak ambulance aati, bahut der ho jaati। Aur jab maine tera chehra dekha - pehchan liya। Lekin bataya nahi kisi ko। Bas socha, jo bhi lagega karunga, phir pata chalega tujhe."

"Tune mujhe 10 saal se baat nahi ki। Phir bhi tune yeh sab kiya?"

Rahul ne Aditya ki taraf dekha - seedha, bina kisi shikayat ke। "Aditya, dosti mein baat na karna alag baat hai। Kisi ko marne dena alag baat hai। Main tere se naaraz tha - lekin main tujhe bhoola nahi tha।"

Aditya ki aankhon se aansu beh nikle - ek CEO, ek business tycoon, waheelchair pe baitha, apne bachpan ke dost ke saamne, jise usne kabhi apne "driver" jaisa treat kiya tha।

Maafi

"Rahul, mujhe maaf kar de।" Aditya ki awaaz bhaari thi। "Uss din school ke bahar - main sharminda tha। Tujhse nahi, khud se। Lekin maine tujhe hurt kiya।"

Rahul muskuraya - woh purani muskaan, jo Aditya 10 saal se miss kar raha tha। "Yaar, bachpan mein humne saath mein ek hi tiffin khaya hai। Woh bond itna kamzor nahi hota ki ek galti se toot jaaye।"

"Main tujhe kuch dena chahta hoon - hospital ka bill, aur..."

Rahul ne haath utha diya। "Nahi। Yeh paise ka mamla nahi hai।" Phir ek pal ruka, aur muskuraya - "Lekin agar sach mein kuch dena chahta hai, toh Sunday ko aa - jaisa bachpan mein aata tha। Amma ne abhi bhi teri favourite kheer banana nahi chhoda।"

Aaj

Aaj, do saal baad, Aditya har Sunday Sharma Chowk aata hai - apni gaadi khud chalake, akele। Rahul ke ghar, Amma ki kheer khane।

Aditya ne Rahul ke bête ki school fees ka poora kharcha uthaya hai - lekin chup chaap, bina kisi ko bataye, kyunki Rahul ne yehi sikhaya tha use - "Asli madad woh hoti hai jo dikhayi na de।"

Rahul Hardware Store ab bhi wahi chhoti si dukaan hai। Lekin uske baahar ab ek naya board bhi laga hai - "Sharma Constructions ka Official Material Partner।"

Business partnership nahi - yeh Aditya ka tareeka tha yeh kehne ka: "Main tujhe kabhi nahi bhoolunga, dobara।"