Sapno Ka Shaher

52. Towards the Changes

"Tumhare peedhi ko mai samajh hi nahi pa raha hu..." Rakesh fumed, pacing in the living room. "Arey tumhe settle hone se itni samasya kyun hai? Jeevan mein thodi si sthirta* aayi nahi ki tum phirse naya toofan khada kar dete ho?"

"Papa isme toofan wali kya baat hai?" Sameer retorted, "mai sirf Naina ke khatir bol raha hu..."

"Lekin woh kar rahi hai na... uska office, uski padhai, uski kahaniyaan... mai sab dekh raha hu..." Rakesh paused, frowning a bit, "uske office se koi shikayat aayi hai uske kaam ke baare mein?"

"Papa, yeh school nahi hai ki koi shikayat kare... Aur Naina ek behtar lekhika hai yeh saabit karne ke liye usse office mein galatiyaan karne ki zaroorat nahi hai... woh har cheez utne hi mehnat aur lagan se karti hai yeh aap bhi jaante hai."

Rakesh didn't find a counter to Sameer's argument. He was right after all. Naina has performed every task given to her with sheer brilliance.

He was certainly mistaken when he assumed that Naina is finding it difficult in the office, when Sameer raised the topic of her articleship a while ago. He thought Naina is making an approach to him through Sameer. But this moment clarified his misconception about his daughter. It was all about Sameer wanting Naina to focus on her writing completely.

"Aur Papa aap yeh kyun nahi samajhte ki yeh baat Naina ke sapno ki hai..." Sameer pleaded, "aapko nahi lagta usse bhi apne sapne poore karna ka utna hi haqq hai?"

He had already delayed telling Papa about it. Naina didn't seem to be in the mood to take it seriously either. But he couldn't stretch it more. On their anniversary in November, he had promised himself to share the burden of responsibilities with Naina. But the fact was he couldn't really execute it as he wanted. Even if he succeeded in easing Naina's tensions out, the financial responsibility was still very much on her. It would be solved only when he starts working as Assistant Director.

A question would often trouble him. Is it really needed for Naina to leave the job to follow her dreams?

It wasn't his mind. It was the society and the 'char log' speaking in his head. It was those people who never dared to choose a different path to walk on in their entire life. It was those people who lived only in the constraints of the box drawn by the society for them and never dared to cross it.

But then he read Naina's articles and short stories again and again. And his belief became only firmer with each passing day.

Naina was meant to be a storyteller... a successful storyteller... and nothing else.

"Haan toh kare na... maine kab mana kiya? Lekin uske liye Naina ko itni achchhi naukri chhodne ki koi awashyakta nahi hai..." Rakesh too fell in the same league.

"Papa—"

"Dekho Sameer, ek toh pehle hi bina kisi anubhav ke tum sab kuchh chhod-chhadkar hero banne yahan chale aaye... abhi tak tumhare hi pair thik se jame nahin hai... aur ab Naina ko bhi mai ussi raaste par dhakelna nahi chahta..."

"Papa aisa kuchh nahi hoga..."

"Maine kaha na... nahi... matlab... nahi..."

"Kya nahi?" Naina appeared from the passage and stopped near the cordless stand.

She was quite lost in her own world that she heard only the last sentence through the open door. Now while looking at the men in front of her– their frowning brows, stiff postures and raging eyes– it only added to her perturbation.