[Deepak.kapoor]

Aanandmay Ghoshna

Sartaj Singh hamesha se apni naukri aur parivarik jeevan mein balance banane ki koshish karte thhe, lekin unki zimmedariyon ki haqeeqat ise lagatar mushkil bana rahi thi. Har promotion ke saath, un par nayi zimmedariyaan aa jati thheen jo unka poora dhyaan kheench leti thheen.


Aksar, Sartaj ko achanak hi ghar se nikalna padta tha. Pichhli raat bhi, woh ek undercover operation se laute thhe, jisne unhe lagbhag das dinon tak apne parivar se door rakha tha.


Sartaj: (Meera ke kareeb jaate hue, uski thaki hui par khoobsurat aankhon mein dekhte hue) "Main jaanta hoon kya soch rahi hogi tum, Meera. Das din... aur ek shabd bhi nahi. Main khud ko aaine mein dekhta hoon toh ek nakaam pati nazar aata hoon."


MeeraApne takiye ka sahaara chhodkar seedhi baithte hue, uski awaaz mein shikayat aur rahat ka mishran tha) "Intezaar karna meri aadat ban gayi hai, Sartaj. Par kya tumhe andaaza bhi hai ki sannata kitna shor machaata hai? Jab tum woh darwaza baahar se band karte ho, toh lagta hai jaise is ghar ki saari raunak, saara sukoon bhi apni jeb mein rakh kar le gaye ho."


Sartaj: (Dheeme kadmon se uske paas jaakar baithte hue, uske kandhe par haath rakhte hain) "Duty bahut sakht hoti hain, Meera. Main chaahkar bhi tumhe nahi bata sakta tha ki main kahan hoon. Har pal, har saaye mein mujhe tumhari aur Jyoti ki suraksha ki fikr sataati rahi. Meri vardi mera farz hai, par tum... tum meri rooh ho."


Meera unke kaam ki nature ko samajhti thi, lekin isse unki gair-maujoodgi ka dard kam nahi hota tha. Jab Sartaj door hote thhe, toh woh apni beti Jyoti mein khushi dhoond leti thi.


Meera: (Unke haath par apna haath rakhte hue) "Farz aur mohabbat ki is jang mein pisa toh ghar hi jaata hai na? Jyoti kal raat rote-rote soi thi. Woh pooch rahi thi ki kya Papa phir se kisi ‘bade raakshas’ ko pakadne gaye hain?"


Sartaj: (Meera ko apni baanhon ke ghere mein lete hue) "Haan, main gaya tha. Aur shayad kal phir jaana pade. Par is waqt, is andhere kamre mein, main sirf tumhara Sartaj hoon. Tum meri sabse badi taakat ho Meera, aur sach kahoon toh, meri sabse badi kamzori bhi."


Meera: (Unke seene par sir tikaate hue, dheemi awaaz mein) "Bas laut aaya karo. Haar kar nahi, thak kar hi sahi... par mere paas laut aaya karo."


Sartaj ko pata tha ki unki gair-maujoodgi se parivar par kitna dabav padta hai, isliye jab bhi woh ghar par hote, toh khoye hue samay ki bharpai karne ki poori koshish karte. Laut-te hi woh apna kaam ek taraf rakh dete aur poori tarah se Meera aur Jyoti ki duniya mein kho jaate.


Sartaj: (Jyoti ko god mein uthakar hanste hue) "Ab Papa aa gaye hain! Ab koi kaam nahi! Agle kuch din sirf hamari chhoti Sardarni ke liye hain, aur meri Rani ke liye."

---

Subah ki sunheri dhoop bathroom ke chhote roshandann se chhankar aa rahi thi jab Meera wahan khadi thi. Uska dil tezi se dhadak raha tha, aur woh apne haath mein pregnancy strip ko ghoor rahi thi.


Jaise hi doosri gulabi lakeer ubhri, uske sookhe hothon par ek shararati aur aseem santosh bhari muskan khil uthi. Usne us strip ko badi nazukta se apne seene se laga liya, jaise woh koi keemti gehna ho.


Woh dabe paanv living room ki ore badhi. Sartaj apni vardi ki shirt ke button band kar rahe thhe aur saath hi chai ka ghoont bhar rahe thhe. Unka poora dhyaan apne kaam par tha, lekin Meera ke chehre ka noor aaj kuch alag hi gawahi de raha tha.


Meera: (Sartaj ke paas jaakar, bina kuch kahe dheere se unka haath thaam liya)

Sartaj: (Hairani se Meera ki ore dekhte hue, chai ka cup mej par rakh diya) "Are? Kya baat hai Meera? Aaj itni khamoshi kyon? Sab khairiyat toh hai na? Tum kuch pareshan lag rahi ho."


Meera: (Muskurate hue, unki aankhon mein gehraai se dekhte hue Sartaj ka haath apne pet par rakh diya—theek naabhi ke neeche) "Pareshan nahi hoon Sartaj... bas aaj lafz saath nahi de rahe."


Sartaj: (Maathe par halki uljhan ke saath) "Tum achanak itni shaant kyon ho gayi? Aur ye kya pakda hai haath mein?"


Meera ne dheere se woh strip Sartaj ki hatheliyon par rakh di.


Sartaj: (Masoomiyat se strip ko palatte hue) "Yeh... yeh kya hai Meera? Koi dawai hai? Kya tumhari tabiyat theek nahi hai? Mujhe batao, doctor ke paas chalein?"


MeeraKhilkhilakar hans padi) "Are mere bhole Sardar ji! Yeh koi dawai nahi hai, yeh hamari khushiyon ki chaabi hai. Zara dhyaan se dekhiye... ismein do gulabi lakeeren hain."


Sartaj ki nazrein us strip par jam gayeen. Agle hi pal, unke dimaag mein baat saaf hui. Unki aankhen chaudi ho gayeen aur chehre par ek aisi muskan aayi jo unhone aaj tak mehsoos nahi ki thi.


Sartaj: (Hadbadi mein kursi se uthte hue) "Meera... s-sach mein? Kya iska matlab wahi hai jo main samajh raha hoon? Hamare ghar bachcha aane wala hai? Tum Maa banne wali ho?"


Meera: (Sirf sir hila paayi, uski aankhon se khushi ke aansu beh nikle)


SartajUse kaskar apni baanhon mein bharte hue) "Oh Meera! Yeh toh chamatkar hai. Main duniya ka sabse khushkismat insaan hoon. Tumne mujhe muqammal kar diya."


Dono ne Guru Gobind Singh ji ki tasveer ke saamne matha teka. Ek swar mein, unke hothon se shukrane ka paath nikla:

*"Lakh khushian patshahian je satgur nadar kare."*
(Hundreds of thousands of princely pleasures are enjoyed if the True Guru bestows His Glance of Grace.)

MeeraHaath jodkar) "Waheguru, bas is nanhi jaan ki raksha karna. Ise nek insaan banana."

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Doctor se pregnancy confirm hone ke baad, unhone parivar ko ik इकट्ठा kiya.


Sartaj: (Utsah se bhari awaaz mein) "Suno bhai sab log! Aaj ek bahut badi khushkhabri hai. Jyoti beta, ab tumhari saari shararatein saajha karne ke liye koi aane wala hai. Tum bahut jald ek badi behen banne wali ho!"


Jyoti: (Hairani aur khushi se) "Sacchi Papa? Kya chhota baby meri gudiyon ke saath khelega? Main use apni saari chocolates doongi!"


Riya, uske pita, aur mata bhi yeh khabar sunkar behad romanchit hue. Iske baad, we apne wafadaar domestic help aur driver Chandan ki ore mude.


Sartaj: "Chandan bhaiya, hamare parivar mein ek aur sadasya aane wala hai."


Chandan: (Khush hokar) "Arre Sher bhai! Aaj toh gajbe ho gaya. Hamra chhota malik aane wala hai! Memsaab pet se hain, ab ghar mein phir se kilkari goonjegi."



Sher: (Ek banawati muskan ke saath, aankhon mein nafrat chhipate hue) "Arre wah re Chandan bhaiya! Ee toh bahutai neek khabar sunaye ho tum. Sartaj saab toh ekdam kismat wale nikle."



Chandan: (Muskurate hue) "Haan bhai! Saab bahut nek dil hain. Hum toh soche hain ki bitiya ke jaise chhote malik ko bhi humhi ghumayenge apni gaadi mein."

Sher: (Andar hi andar kadwahat liye hue, dheere se) "Zaroor... zaroor."

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Ek saazish ke tehat, Sher ne ek "accident" karwaya jisme Chandan ke pair toot gaye. Meera aur Sartaj turant hospital pahunche.


Meera: "Arre Chandan ji! Yeh kya ho gaya? Aapko dhyaan rakhna chahiye tha!"


Sartaj: (Thoda tanaav mein) "Chandan, tumhari fikr hume hai. Lekin sach kahoon toh main bahut mushkil mein hoon. Ghar ki zimmedariyaan achanak badh gayi hain, khaaskar Meera ki haalat mein. Ab tumhare bina hum ghar ka kaam kaise sambhalenge?"


Chandan: (Kamzor awaaz mein) "Sahab... sab theek ho jayega. Bas... aap ghar ke kaam ki fikr mat kijiye."


Sartaj: "Main kisi anjaan ko nahi rakh sakta. Tum apne kisi jaan-pehchaan wale ko jaante ho, jis par hum aankh moond kar bharosa kar sakein?"


ChandanAankhen chamak utheen) "Sartaj sahab, ek naam hai—Sher. Woh hamra purana dost hai, ekdam bhai jaisan. Hum uske chittar (character) ki garanti dete hain. Woh bada mehnati hai, uska haath kaam mein bahut saaf hai, aur usse zyada bharosemand aadmi aapko nahi milega."



Sartaj: (Thoda rukkar) "Theek hai. Asthayi taur par woh kaam sambhalega. Tum bas jaldi theek ho jao."


Sher ka ghar mein pravesh aasaan raha. Jaal bichhaya ja chuka tha, aur Sher sahi samay ka intezaar kar raha tha, jabki parivar is toofan se anjaan tha.