Street, Adda & Station
₹5 Chaat That Was Never ₹5
Paanch rupaye bolte the. Phir papdi alag, dahi alag, sev thoda extra. Bill kabhi paanch pe rukta hi nahi tha.
Board pe likha hota tha - chaat ₹5.
Bas wahi jhooth sabse pehle maan lete the.
School ke baad ya bazaar ke chakkar mein, pair khud hi us thele ki taraf mur jaate.
Alu already ubal ke rakha hota. Papdi ek dabbe mein. Dahi ek steel ke patile mein thandi thodi kam, hilti zyada.
"Bhaiya, ek bana do."
Woh plate uthata, papdi todta, alu daalta, upar se chutney, dahi, namak, masala.
Phir humari taraf dekhta.
"Sev?"
Haan.
"Papdi aur?"
"₹5 sirf shuru mein hoti thi. Plate haath mein aate aate rate badal jaata tha."
Haan.
"Dahi thoda aur?"
Uspe toh hamesha haan.
Bas wahi se ₹5 waali chaat, ₹5 ki nahi rehti.
Coins haath mein ginne padte.
Ek dusre ki taraf dekhte.
"Tere paas do ka hai?"
"Ek rupiya kam hai."
Phir bhi plate ban chuki hoti.
Wapas thodi karte.
Plastic spoon milta tha, but do bite ke baad aadha kaam ungli se hi hota.
Papdi toot ke side pe girti. Dahi plate ke kone tak pahunch jaati. Imli wali chutney last mein hamesha zyada lagti.
Ek bite theek hota.
Dusra better.
Teesre pe mirchi ya namak thoda extra nikal aata.
Phir bhi rukte nahi the.
Kabhi ek hi plate do log share kar lete.
"Tu papdi wala le."
"Nahi tu le, mere spoon mein dahi zyada aa gaya."
End mein plate bilkul saaf ho jaati.
Bas masala ka halka sa daag rehta.
Aur jeb mein coins kam.
₹5 ki kabhi nahi padti thi.
Phir bhi agli baar poochte wahi the.
"Bhaiya, ₹5 wali dena."
