Ek Cup Chai

Vikram Malhotra — Malhotra Industries ka CEO. Forbes list mein naam. 3 gaadiyaan. Farmhouse. Private jet ka access. 14 ghante kaam. Din mein 23 meetings. Raat ko 4 ghante ki neend.

"Time is money" — yeh uska motto tha. Ek minute bhi waste nahi karna.

Lekin aaj subah uska driver nahi aaya. Beemar tha. Dusra driver available nahi tha. Aur meeting 45 minute mein thi.

"Auto se chalna padega." Vikram ne zindagi mein pehli baar auto ka darwaaza khola.

Auto beech raaste mein traffic mein phans gaya. Vikram gusse mein tha. "Yeh traffic kab khatam hoga!"

Tab uski nazar ek chai ke thele par padi. Ek budha aadmi — safed baal, jhurriyaan, lekin aankhon mein ek chamak — chai bana raha tha. Uske thele par 5-6 log baithe the. Sab hass rahe the.

Vikram ko nahi pata kyun — lekin uska mann kiya chai peene ka. "Bhai, ek chai dena."

Ramdin Chaiwala

Budhe ne muskuraya. "Aaiye saab. Chai banti hai."

Vikram stool par baitha. Chai aayi — kulhad mein. Ek ghoonth liya.

"Yeh... yeh toh bahut acchi chai hai!" Vikram hairaan tha. 5-star hotels ki chai se bhi acchi.

"Shukriya saab. 42 saal se bana raha hun. Thoda toh aata hi hoga." Budhe ne — Ramdin ne — hansa.

"42 saal?! Itne saalon mein aapne kabhi kuch aur nahi kiya? Bada business nahi socha?" Vikram ne poocha — jaise usse samajh nahi aa raha tha ki koi itne saal ek hi kaam kaise kar sakta hai.

Ramdin ne chai ka dusra glass banate hue kaha:

"Saab, aapki gaddi kitne ki hai?"

"Kaun si?" Vikram automatically bola. Phir awkward ho gaya.

"Hmm. Aur neend kitne ghante ki aati hai?"

"4 ghante."

"Aakhri baar family ke saath baithe the — yaad hai?"

Vikram chup ho gaya.

"Aur aakhri baar kab hansi thi — dil khol kar?"

Vikram ko yaad nahi aa raha tha.

Ramdin Ki Zindagi

Ramdin ne kaha, "Saab, main subah 5 baje uthta hun. Chai banata hun. Shaam 6 baje dukaan band karta hun. Ghar jaata hun. Biwi ne khaana banaya hota hai. Saath baith kar khaate hain. TV dekhte hain. 10 baje so jaata hun."

"Mere do bachche hain — dono padh rahe hain. Ek beti engineer ban rahi hai. Beta teacher banna chahta hai. Dono khush hain."

"Har Raviwar chutti. Parivar ke saath mandir jaata hun. Shaam ko park mein baithta hun."

"Aur saab — main roz 8 ghante sota hun. Roz hansta hun. Aur roz chai banane mein mazaa aata hai."

Vikram kulhad haath mein pakde sun raha tha.

Ramdin ne aage kaha, "Saab, aapke paas sab kuch hai. Lekin kya aapke paas WAQT hai? Apne liye? Apne logon ke liye?"

"Gaadi 3 hain lekin aap auto mein ho. Paisa bahut hai lekin neend 4 ghante ki. Board meetings hain lekin pehle kab hanse — yaad nahi."

"Main 15 rupaye ki chai bechta hun — lekin main ameer hun saab. Kyunki mere paas time hai."

Wapsi

Vikram ne chai khatam ki. 15 rupaye diye. Uthne laga.

"Ruko saab." Ramdin ne ek aur kulhad diya — free mein. "Yeh ghar le jaao. Biwi ke saath baith kar peena. Chai akele nahi peete — kisi ke saath peete hain."

Vikram ne kulhad liya. Auto mein baitha. Meeting mein gaya.

Lekin us raat — pehli baar — Vikram 7 baje ghar aa gaya. Biwi hairaan thi. Bachche hairaan the.

"Aaj chai saath mein peete hain?" Vikram ne kaha.

Ghar mein ek khushi chhaa gayi jo bahut dino se nahi aayi thi.

Aur Vikram? Us raat woh 7 ghante soya. 3 saalon mein pehli baar.