Badalte Rishte, Badalati Duniya

College ka pehla din hamesha ek ajeeb si ghabrahat aur naye sapno ka mila-jula ehsaas lekar aata hai. Pragya ke liye bhi aaj ka din kuch alag nahi tha. Jab usne college ke bade se mukhya dwar mein kadam rakha, toh uski aankhon mein ek nayi chamak aur thodi si jhizhak saaf dekhi ja sakti thi.
Sadharan se suit mein bhi uski saadgi aur khoobsurati aisi thi ki campus ke galiyare se gujarte hue kai nazrein khud-ba-khud uski taraf mud gayi. Khule baal, chehre par ek halki si muskan aur haath mein pakde hue admission ke kuch zaroori kaagaz—wah kisi taazi hawa ke jhonke jaisi lag rahi thi.
Campus Mein Pehla Kadam
Pragya abhi administration block ka rasta dhoond hi rahi thi ki use samajh aaya ki college ka yeh parisar uski ummeed se kahin zyada bada hai. Usne hitchkichate hue paas khade chhatron ke ek group se poocha:
> "Excuse me, kya aap bata sakte hain ki New Admission Verification Counter kahan hai?"
>
Tabhi group mein se ek senior ladka, Rahul, aage aaya. Pragya ki masoomiyat aur uski aawaz ki mithas ne use wahin rok diya tha. Usne muskurate hue kaha, "Bilkul, waise tum new admission ho na? Chalo, main tumhe rasta dikha deta hoon. Waise main Rahul hoon, third year."
Naye Dost Aur Pehli Class
Rahul ki madad se Pragya ka sara paperwork aasani ho gaya. Is dauran uski mulakat Ananya se hui, jo usi ke batch mein thi. Dono ki tuning turant baith gayi.
Jab ve dono apni pehli class—'Introduction to Literature'—ke liye auditorium mein baithiin, toh Pragya ko mehsoos hua ki yeh nayi duniya utni bhi darawani nahi hai jitni woh soch rahi thi. Professor ke lecture ke beech-beech mein Ananya ki halki fusfusahat aur bahar khidki se dikhte gulmohar ke ped ne uske dil ke dar ko poori tarah gayab kar diya tha.
Ek Ankahi Shuruat
Canteen mein lunch ke samay, Pragya khidki ke paas wali table par baithi chai ki chuskiyan le rahi thi. Bahar halki dhoop thi aur college ka mahol behad jeevant tha. Tabhi usne dekha ki door khade kuch seniors aur uske naye classmates use hi dekh rahe the. Koi uski saadgi ki taarif kar raha tha, toh koi uske is naye safar mein uska dost banne ka mauka dhoond raha tha.
Pragya ko andaza bhi nahi tha ki college ka yeh pehla din uski zindagi mein kitne naye rang, kuch ankahe rishte aur khoobsurat kahaniyan lekar aane wala hai.
College canteen ka woh sukoon bhari chai ka wakt zyada der nahi tika. Abhi Pragya aur अनन्या apni table par baithi hi thin ki unki class ki do aur nayi ladkiyan—Meera aur Seema—bhi ghabrayi hui halat mein unke paas aayin. Meera aur Seema ka bhi aaj pehla hi din tha.
"Tum log yahan aaram se chai pi rahi ho? Bahar niklo toh zara, seniors ka ek group new comers ko gher kar khada hai!" Seema ne haafte hue kaha.
Abhi Ananya kuch samajh paati, tabhi Rahul apne teen-char doston ke sath canteen ke us kone ki taraf bada jahan yeh charo ladkiyan baithi thin. Rahul ke chehre par ab woh pehle wali madadgar muskan nahi thi, balki ek senior hone ka raub tha.
Canteen Ka Woh Kona
Rahul ne table par haath rakhkar jhukte hue kaha, "Toh... hamare college ki new beauties yahan baithkar party kar rahi hain? Aur hume invite bhi nahi kiya?"
Charo ke chehre ka rang ud gaya. Meera ne darte hue apni nazrein niche kar liin, jabki Seema ne anjaane mein Pragya ka haath kas kar pakad liya.
"Sir, hum toh bas..." Ananya kuch bolna chaahi, lekin Rahul ke ek dost ne use beech mein hi tok diya, "Sir nahi, 'Boss' bolo! College ka rule number one—Seniors are always boss."
The Task (The Ragging)
Rahul ne Pragya ki taraf dekha, jo sahmi hui lekin khud ko sambhalne ki koshish kar rahi thi. Rahul ne muskurate hue kaha, "Chalo, tum charo ka ek chhota sa introduction round ho jaye. Lekin normal tarike se nahi. Meera aur Seema, tum dono canteen ke beech mein khadi hokar bina music ke 'Bharatnatyam' karogi."
"Aur Ananya..." Rahul ke dost ne kaha, "Tum is canteen ki table par khadi hokar zor-zor se chillaogi ki—Main is college ki sabse badi gadhedoo hoon!"
Canteen mein maujood baaki chhatra ab tamasha dekhne ke liye ruk gaye the. Meera aur Seema ki aankhon mein aansu aane ko the.
Pragya Ka Samna
Ant mein Rahul Pragya ke saamne aakar khada hua. Usne Pragya ki aankhon mein dekhte hue kaha, "Aur hamare college ki is nayi kali ke liye ek special task hai. Pragya, tum is canteen mein jitne bhi ladke baithe hain, sabke paas jaogi aur ghutno par baithkar filmy style mein unhe propose karogi. Shuruat mujhse hogi."
Canteen mein hansi ka fawwara chhoot pada. Pragya ka dil zor-zor se dhadak raha tha. Uski saadgi aur aatmasamman ko is tarah sabke saamne tamasha bante dekhna use gawara nahi tha. Usne Ananya, Meera aur Seema ki taraf dekha jo behad dari hui thin.
Pragya ne gehri saans li, apni kitabein table par rakhiin aur seedhe Rahul ki aankhon mein dekhte hue khadi ho gayi. Usne rone ya darne ke bajay apni aawaz ko majboot kiya...