Taaza Laal Tamatar.

"Jyada seeti mat lagana cooker ki", Jai ne ghar ke living room se awaaz dete huye kaha. Ramya aaj jai ki favorite rajma chawal bana rahi thi. "Aapse toh achhi mai hi banati hun, idhar coding expert mai hun, aap table sajayiye bs." Kehkar Ramya pyaaz katne lagi.

Aaj sunday tha. Hafte ka ek vo din, jab dono Jai aur Ramya ek sath baith ke khana khaate thay. Ek hi ghar mei hote huye bhi, ek dusre ko waqt nahi de sakte thay. Jai night shift mei US firm ke sath work from home par thay. Ramya day shift mei chef. Is day and night shift ki dono ko jaise aadat ban gyi thi. Bas ek sunday hi tha, jab ek married couple ki tarah sath kha sakte thay. Shuru se hi dono corporate life se marry kar chuke thy. Ek dusre ka hona toh unke liye extra marital affair tha.

"Aap jaldi se tamatar le ayo. Aur suno, order karne ki sochna mat, vo pata nahi kitne purane tamatar dete hai." Ramya ne kitchen ki service window se Jai ki taraf dekhte huye kaha. Jai aaj bhi, hamesha ki tarah, apni patni ko service window se khade hokar dekhe ja raha tha.

"Acha baba, jaa raha hun" Jai apna pajama uncha karke jeb mei rupye tatolta hua bahar ki or chal dia.

Ek ansuna sa geet gun gunaate vo society ke niche khadi rehdi ke paas pahuncha. 

"Ye tamatar kitne ke diye". Ek tamatar ko utha kar, thoda daba kar Jai puchta hai.

"80 ke hai baoji" sabji wala jawab deta hai.

"Ek kilo kar dijiye. Aur suno, taaza wale daal na"

"Ji baoji. Rajjo, piche ki bori se naye wale tamatar laa de zra" sabji wala apni biwi ko awaz dete huye kehta hai. Jai abhi bhi vohi ansuna sa geet gun guna raha tha. Itne mei ek madham si umar ki ladki, ek tokri mei tamatar bhar ke le aati hai.

"80 rupye huye baoji" sabzi wale ne tamatar ki thaili Jai ki taraf karte huye kaha. Jai ne apni zeb se paise nikale. 200-200 ke noto mei, kahi ek 100 ka note tha. Jai jaise hi vo dene laga, usne dekha ki Sabzi wala rajjo ke pallu se haath saaf kar raha tha aur keh raha tha, "Aaj rajma ki 4 seeti hi lagwana".

"Aapse toh achi hi banati hun" kehte huye Rajjo chali gyi. Jai ne sabzi wale ko 100 ka note diya aur bakaya leke wapis ki aur chal dia.

Jai ke muh pe us ansune geet ki jagah ab ek muskurahat thi. Sabji waale aur Rajjo ki baat sun kar, Jai soch raha tha ki vo aur Ramya bhale hi sirf Sunday ko ek couple ki tarah rehte hai, par ek aam couple ki tarah hi hai. Life busy hai ab pehle se par vo Ramya ko apni life mei hone se thankful tha.

Tamatar le ja kar Jai kitchen mei unhe dhone laga. "Arrey waah, kya baat aaj US ke Jai saahb Indian kitchen mei kaise" keh kar Ramya usey chedne lagi.

"Han socha apni biwi ko tamatar-e-khaas khud pesh karu" keh kar Jai ne ek dhoya huya tamatar Ramya ko dete huye kaha. "Acha ji, isme aisa kya khaas hai" Ramya ne tamatar ko haath mei liye, gaur se dekha aur kaha. Jai ne Ramya ka gira huya latt sawaarte huye kaha, "ye khaas hai because ye meri biwi ke hath mei hai". Ramya sharma kar tamatar ke jaise laal ho gyi.