Gaon ki hawa mein ek ajeeb si kadwahat ghulne lagi thi. Meri Maa, jinka dil kaanch jaisa nazook tha, unhe zara si unchi awaaz bhi rula deti thi. Par afsos, duniya ko unki masoomiyat nahi, balki dusron ke gharon mein aag lagana zyada pasand tha.
Kuch logon ne Papa ke kaan bharne shuru kar diye. "Tumhari ghair-maujoodgi mein aisa hua, waisa hua..."—aisi mangadhant kahaniyan buni gayin ki Papa ka dimag ghoom gaya. Wo gusse mein pagal hokar Maa ko maarne ke liye daude. Ghar mein kohram mach gaya. Lekin tabhi mere Dadaji, jo us waqt insaaf ki deewar bankar khade ho gaye, unhone apna danda uthaya aur Papa ko ghar se bahar khaded diya. Papa jaan bachakar us kachche chhapre ke upar se koodkar bhage. Wo nazara jitna gambhir tha, utna hi ajeeb bhi.
Maa toot chuki thin. Wo kuch din ke liye apne mayke chali gayin aur Papa ghar chhodkar bahar kamane chale gaye. Kuch samay baad jab Dadaji Maa ko wapas le aaye, to laga shayad ab sab theek ho jayega. Par logon ki zubaan kahan rukti hai?
Ek shaam, kaana-fusi ne phir zor pakda. Dadaji ko kisi ne kuch aisa bhadkaya ki unka gussa saatvein aasman par pahunch gaya. Main us waqt bahut chhota tha, mushkil se baith pata tha. Maa mujhe apni godi mein liye khadi thin, tabhi achanak gusse mein Dadaji ne Maa ko zor se dhakka de diya. Maa sambhal na sakin aur mujhe seene se chipkaye seedhe us gehre gaddhe mein ja girin...
Dadi ki wo khamosh siskiyan jo unhone ghar ke kone mein baithkar li thin, aaj bhi ghar ki deewaron mein goonjti hain. Dadaji, jo kabhi rakshak bane the, wahi ek pal ke gusse mein bhakshak ban gaye aur us masoom jaan ko gaddhe mein dhel diya. Aur Papa? Wo to samaj ki jhoothi baaton ke jaal mein phanskar apnon se hi door ho gaye the. Ye sirf ek girna nahi tha, ye us bharose ka tootna tha jisne aage chalkar meri zindagi ki disha badal di.
Baaton ke jaal mein phanskar apnon se hi door ho gaye the. Ye sirf ek girna nahi tha, ye us bharose ka tootna tha jisne aage chalkar meri zindagi ki disha badal di.
Maa ne us andhere gaddhe mein bhi mujhe apne seene se chipka rakha tha, jaise wo khud toot kar bikhar jayengi par mujhe khonch tak nahi aane dengi. Dadaji ka wo dhakka mere bachpan ki sabse badi chot thi. Maa ki aankhon ke aansu us mitti mein mil gaye, aur mera bachpan us din us gaddhe ki gehrai mein kahin kho gaya. Hum wahan se nikal to aaye, par wo masoomiyat dubara kabhi wapas nahi aayi. Wo pyar aur dulaar mujhe us ghar ki chaukhat par kabhi naseeb nahi hua.
Dadi ki wo bebasi jo unhone sab dekhkar bhi sahi, aaj bhi meri rooh ko kaanp deti hai. Dadaji, jinhone kabhi Papa ko danda maarkar bhagaya tha meri Maa ki khatir, wahi ek din khud itne patthar-dil ho gaye ki unhone humein mitti mein mila diya. Aur Papa? Papa to un logon ki wajah se humse itne door ho chuke the ki unhe hamari siskiyan sunai hi nahi de rahi thi. Ye wo ghar tha jahan bado ke gusse ne ek bachche ka sukoon cheen liya aur ek nazook dil wali Maa ko itna akela kar diya. Wo pyar jo har kisi ko naseeb hota hai, wo mujhe us ghar mein kabhi nahi mila.Dadaji ke us dhakke ke baad, ghar hamare liye paraya ho gaya tha. Hum wahan se nikal kar 'Mihi Purva' aa gaye. Us waqt meri Maa ke pas aur mere pas ek rupaya bhi nahi tha. Halanki mere Papa dil ke bure nahi the, par logon ki baaton mein aakar wo itne bhatak gaye the ki Dadaji ne unhe danda maarkar bhagaya tha, jaisa maine pehle bataya. Papa ke jane ke baad hum bilkul akele pad gaye.
Halat ye thi ki hum teen dinon tak bhookhe rahe. Wo teen din zindagi ke sabse lambe aur mushkil din the. Kahin koi sahara nahi dikh raha tha. Phir badi mushkil se ek bahut chota sa kamra kiraye par mila. Papa bahar kamane chale gaye the, par hamare halat tab bhi nahi badle. Main aur meri Maa sirf ek samose se apna pura din guzarte the. Maa khud adha samosa khati aur adha mujhe khilati thin. Maa ne mere liye jo sangharsh kiya hai, wo koi aur nahi kar sakta.
Dadi ki wo yaadien ab dhundhli hone lagi thin, kyunki ab samne sirf bhookh aur gareebi thi. Dadaji ka wo gussa hamari zindagi ko Mihi Purva ki un tang galiyon mein le aaya tha jahan sukoon ka naam-o-nishan nahi tha. Aur Papa? Wo hamare pas hokar bhi hamare sath nahi the, unka bahar jana hamari majboori ban gaya tha. Wo pyar aur dulaar jo mujhe bachpan mein milna chahiye tha, wo un bhookhi raaton aur us ek samose ki kashmakash mein kahin kho gaya.Mihi Purva ke us chhote se kamre mein hum bhookh se lad rahe the, par dukh is baat ka nahi tha ki hamare pas paise nahi the. Dukh to is baat ka tha ki hamara koi bhi rishdedar hamse milne tak nahi aaya. Jinhe hum apna kehte the, unhone humse munh pher liya. Wo log madad karna to door, ulta hamari burai karte the aur hamein bura-bhala kehte the.
Maa ki aankhon mein aansu hote the par wo mere samne muskurati thin. Log baatein banate the ki hamare sath aisa kyun hua, par kisi ne ye nahi pucha ki "Tumne khana khaya ya nahi?" Wo waqt aisa tha ki har apna paraya lagne laga tha. Maa ne un kadwi baaton ko piya aur sirf mere liye sab kuch saha.
Dadi ki wo khamoshi ab samajh aa rahi thi, kyunki samaj ki ye deewar bahut unchi thi. Dadaji ne humein us din sirf gaddhe mein nahi dhakela tha, balki rishdedaron ki un gandi nazron ke samne nanga chhod diya tha. Aur Papa? Papa bahar kama to rahe the, par wo rishdedaron ki unhi baaton ka shikar ho gaye the jisne humein itna door kar diya. Wo pyar aur apnapan jo hum har rishdedar mein dhoondte the, wo sirf ek dikhava nikla. Mihi Purva ki un galiyon mein maine seekh liya ki duniya mein Maa ke alawa koi apna nahi hota.
Maine us chote se kamre mein rehkar ye seekh liya tha ki duniya mein 'Maa' ke alawa koi apna nahi hota. Maa ne apni bhookh maar kar, Papa ki bheji hui us thodi si kamai se, ek-ek rupaya jod kar meri padhai ki umeed jagayi thi. Wo potli sirf paison ki nahi, mere bhavishya ki thi.
Par rishdedaron ki nazar hamari us aakhiri umeed par bhi lag gayi thi. Ek raat jab shor hua aur darwaza khadka, to mera dil baith gaya. Gareebi hamare charon taraf thi, aur dushman hamari chaukhat par. Maa ne mujhe seene se lagaya, unki aankhon mein darr tha ki kahin unki barson ki bachat chhin na jaye.
Kya Maa ki wo tapasya kaam aayegi? Kya un chand rupayon se main kabhi school ki deewar dekh paunga? Ya phir gareebi aur rishdedaron ki ye saazish meri kalam pakadne se pehle hi use tod degi? Papa ka bheja hua wo pasina, Dadaji ka wo purana gussa aur rishdedaron ki wo nafrat... in sab ke beech kya ek masoom bachche ka padhne ka sapna zinda bach payega?
Iska jawab us raat ke andhere mein chhupa tha....