Office me overtime ka sach

"Main Noida me ek digital marketing company me kaam karta hoon. Meri boss — Kritika ma’am — strict, professional aur thodi intimidating type ki thi.
Office me sab unse darte the.
Main bhi.
Par shayad meri kismat thodi alag thi.
Ek din unhone mujhe bulaya —
“Dev, tum thoda late ruk sakte ho aaj?”
Maine haan bol diya.
Shaam 7 baje tak sab log nikal gaye. Office almost khali ho gaya. Sirf main aur wo cabin me.
“Coffee loge?” unhone poocha.
Maine haan kar diya.
Wo khud coffee banane gayi — jo already strange tha, kyunki usually wo kisi ko bol deti thi.
Jab wo wapas aayi… unka tone thoda soft tha.
“Tum baaki sab se alag ho…”
Maine pucha — “Kaise?”
Wo boli — “Tum sunte ho… samajhte ho…”
Us din ka overtime kaam se zyada conversation me nikal gaya.
Agla week phir same scene.
Phir ek aur week.
Ab ye routine ban gaya.
Ek din unhone directly pucha —
“Tum mujhe judge karte ho?”
Maine bola — “Nahi…”
Wo thodi der chup rahi… phir boli —
“Good.”
Uske baad se unka behavior office me bhi thoda change ho gaya.
Meetings me wo mujhe zyada involve karne lagi. Kabhi kabhi bina reason ke bula leti.
Aur jab bhi office khali hota…
Unka tone alag ho jata.
Ek din jab main jaane laga… unhone bola —
“Kal mat jaana jaldi…”
Maine pucha — “Kyun?”
Wo muskuraayi —
“Bas… dekh lena.”
Us din mujhe samajh aa gaya tha…
ki ye sirf job nahi reh gayi thi."