Old school van waiting loudly on a quiet street

Hamari school koi taleemi idara nahi tha… wo ek high security jail thi. Aur is jail ka official transport contractor tha – Javed Chacha. Subah theek 6 baje… na ek minute upar, na neeche… ghar ke bahar aake aisa horn bajate the jaise police raid karne aayi ho. “Beta jaldi karo! Der ho rahi hai!” School 8:30 ka hota tha… lekin Javed Chacha ko lagta tha shayad main principal hoon jo mujhe sabse pehle uthate the. Main neend mein half dead hota tha… bag kandhay pe latka ke van mein chadh jata. Van ka naam tha “Rocket”… lekin uski speed dekh ke lagta tha ye rocket nahi, qurbani ka bakra hai. Phir shuru hota tha shehar ka world tour. Har gali, har mohallay, har tang si street se bachay uthaate. Jahan gari mushkil se ghusti thi wahan Javed Chacha poori himmat se ghusa dete. Aur phir… har doosre din tyre puncture. Hum bachay Physics kam, puncture lagana zyada seekh gaye the. Kabhi dhoop mein kharay, kabhi mechanic ka intezar… aur kabhi van ko push karte hue. Lekin phir bhi main ussi van mein jata tha. Kyun? Kyuki us van mein Hira bhi aati thi. Hira sabse aakhir mein pick hoti thi. Aur main sabse pehle. To meri strategy simple thi. Main subah sabse pehle van mein chadh ke apna bag us seat pe rakh deta jo Hira ke liye perfect thi. Baaki bachay apna bag godh mein rakhte the. Kyuki van tumhare baap ki nahi hai. Mere baap ki bhi nahi thi… lekin us seat pe mera emotional haq tha. Javed Chacha ko mujh pe thora taras bhi aata tha. Kehtay, “Bechara 6 baje se van mein hai, sone do.” Unko kya pata… main sota kam, planning zyada karta tha. Planning ye ke koi aur us seat pe na baithe. Jab Hira van mein chadhti… aur mere paas wali seat pe baithti… to lagta tha aaj ka safar successful ho gaya. Phir chahe 3 ghante shehar ka chakkar lage, chahe 2 puncture ho jayein… sab manzoor tha. Shaam ko bhi same kahani. Sabse pehle uthaya gaya banda… sabse aakhir mein ghar chhoda jata. Zindagi ke 4 ghante roz sirf van mein guzarte the. Lekin sach bataun? Agar aaj Javed Chacha samne aa jayein… to shayad unko gale laga loon. Kyuki school ne degree di ho ya na di ho… lekin us van ne mujhe sabr, strategy… aur thoda sa ishq zaroor sikha diya tha.