[Deepak.kapoor]

Meera ki yaadon ka karavan us sabse dukhad aur kaali raat par aakar thehar gaya, jab Aarav ki ek car accident mein maut ho gayi thi. Woh yaad karke Meera ka dil aaj bhi kaamp uthta tha.


"Aarav ke achanak chale jaane se meri toh duniya hi ujad gayi thi, Sartaj. Main us sadme mein aisi doobi thi ki mujhe apne aas-paas ka kuch hosh nahi tha. Par jaise hi tumhe khabar mili, tum chand ghanton ke bheetar Nagpur se yahan mere paas pahunch gaye thhe."


Meera ne thandi saans li aur un dinon ko yaad kiya jab Sartaj ek mazboot dhaal bankar uske parivar ke aage khada ho gaya tha. "Mere sasur ji apne jawan bete ko khokar poori tarah toot chuke thhe. Tumne saari kaagzi karravayi se lekar antim sanskar tak ki har zimmedari aise nibhayi jaise tum is ghar ke sage bete ho."


Usne yaad kiya ki kaise saat dinon tak Sartaj ne saaye ki tarah sabka khayal rakha aur jab sab kuch thoda saamaanya hua, tab woh chupchap apni duty par vaapas laut gaya.


Meera ki aankhon mein apne sasur ji ke liye samman ubhra jab usne unke shabd yaad kiye. "Tumhare jaane ke baad papa ji ne mujhse kaha tha—'Meera, Sartaj bilkul ek sage bete ki taraf hai. Usne bina kahe woh saari zimmedariyaan utha leen jo shayad Aarav ke hone par use uthani padtein. Woh sach mein samajhta tha ki hum aur tum kis daur se guzar rahe hain.' Tumhari us niswarth seva ne mere sasural walon ke dil mein tumhari woh jagah bana di thi jise koi aur kabhi nahi le sakta tha."


Meera ne tasveer ko baar choomkar use apni chhati se laga liya. Woh un chheh mahinon ko kabhi nahi bhool sakti thi, jab woh ek zinda laash bankar reh gayi thi.


"Main chheh mahine tak jaise kisi gehre andhere kuyein mein giri hui thi, Sartaj. Mujhe na duniya ka hosh tha, na apni sudh. Jab tumne papa ji se meri haalat ke baare mein suna, toh tumne hi Riya ko mere paas bheja aur hum dono ko Nagpur bulaya taaki main us ghar ki deewaron se baahar nikal sakoon."


Usne yaad kiya ki kaise Sartaj ne ek-ek tinka jodkar uska ghosla phir se aabaad kiya tha. "Wahan tumne mera aisa khayal rakha jaise koi kaanch ki gudiya ko sambhalta hai. Aur phir ek shaam... tumne apni saalon ki khamoshi todi. Tumne mujhse kaha ki tum mujhe ta-umra apni palkon par bithakar rakhna chahte ho. Tumne na sirf mujhe manaya, balki mere sasural walon ke paas jaakar unhe bhi apni nek-niyati ka yakeen dilaya ki tum mujhe ek muqammal parivar doge."


"Sher... tum pooch rahe thhe na ki meri aankhon mein pyaar se bhi badhkar kya hai? Woh mera sab kuch hai. Meri zindagi, meri izzat, mera wajood... sab Sartaj ki badaulat hai. Woh sirf mera pati nahi, mera bhagwan hai."


Udhar apne quarter mein baitha Sher apni us jaadui sheeshi ko chamka raha tha. Use Meera ki is gehri wafadari ka andaza toh tha, par use yakeen tha ki uski jadi-bootiyon mein woh dam hai jo is 'mahanta' aur 'samman' ke parde ko hata dega.


Sher ne sheeshi ko choomte hue kaha, "Bade shareef bane phirte ho daroga ji! Par ye Sher itna shareef nahi hai. Jo malai aapne ehsaan ke naam par chhod di, use ye Sher ab apni dawa ke dam par chakh kar rahega. Memsaahab ko pata bhi nahi chalega ki kab unka 'rakshak' badla aur kab ye 'bhakshak' unke bistar tak pahunch gaya."