13-04-2026, 09:17 AM
Shaam ka dhundhla waqt tha aur mohalle ke chote se mandir mein ghantiyaan goonj rahi thi. Meera hamesha ki tarah pooja ki thaali liye wahan khadi thi. Mandir aane se pehle wo naha kar aayi thi, isliye uske lambe kaale baal abhi bhi geele the, jinse paani ki halki boondein uske dheele-dhale peach rang ke salwar-kameez par gir rahi thi. Bhale hi libaas dheela tha, par Meera ka nikhra hua badan usme se bhi apni chata bikher raha tha. Uske hoth bina kisi lipstick ke bhi qudrati gulaabi dikh rahe the aur aankhon mein wo hamesha rehne wali masoomiyat aur sharm thi, jo shaam ki dhoop mein aur bhi gehri lag rahi thi. Uska gora rang nahane ke baad kisi taaza khile hue kanwal jaisa lag raha tha.
Mandir ki baaki auratein Meera se baat karne ka koi mauka nahi chodti thi. Use sab bohot samman se dekhti thi.
Padosi Aurat: Meera behan, sach mein tum toh badi bhagya-shali ho. Gopal ji jaisa kamau pati aur Chiku jaisa sanskari beta milna aaj kal ke zamane mein naseeb ki baat hai.
Meera: (Muskurate huye) Bas aap sab ka ashirwad hai behanji, Chiku hai hi aisa, kabhi koi shikayat ka mauka nahi deta.
Mandir se nikalte waqt Meera ne jhuk kar apni chappal pehni, toh uske geele baal ek taraf kandhe se niche jhool gaye. Do-teen auratein uske saath hi ghar ki taraf chal di. Raste mein woh log kabhi mausam toh kabhi ghar-parivaar ki baatein karti rahi. Beech raste ek golgappe wala khada tha, jahan sabne milkar thoda thanda-teekha pani piya aur hansi-mazak kiya. Meera ki saadgi aur uski khubsurti raste mein nikalne wale har shakhs ki nazar apni taraf kheench rahi thi, par wo in sab se bekhabar apne ghar ki dehleez par pahunch gayi.
Ghar ka darwaza khula tha par andar ghup andhera tha. Meera ne andar qadam rakha toh use ajeeb laga ki abhi tak light kyun nahi jali.
Meera: (Apne aap se budbudate huye) Ye Chiku bhi na... summer vacation kya shuru hui, is ladke ko toh jese waqt ki koi khoj-khabar hi nahi rehti. Itni shaam ho gayi aur andhere mein baitha hai?
Meera ke qadam dhire-dhire andhere dhaalton ko paar karte huye andar ki taraf badh rahe the. Poore ghar mein faili hui wo gehri khamoshi uske dil ki dhadkan ko badha rahi thi. Chalte-chalte uski nazar Chiku ke kamre par padi, jiska darwaza halka sa khula hua tha. Meera ke dimaag mein pehla khayal yahi aaya ki shayad ye ladka dopahar ki neend mein abhi tak soya hua hai.
Lekin jaise hi wo dabbe paon darwaje ke ekdum paas pahunchi, usne dekha ki kamre ke andhere mein mobile ki tez roshni Chiku ke chehre par pad rahi thi. Chiku bistar par karwat liye leta tha, uski peeth darwaje ki taraf thi aur kaano mein earphone lage the, jis wajah se poore kamre mein ek sannata tha. Meera ne socha ki shayad wo koi game khel raha hoga, par jaise hi usne thoda aur aage hokar mobile ki screen par jhaanka, uske hosh ud gaye.
Jo manzar uski aankhon ke samne tha, usne Meera ke pure wajood ko jhinjhor kar rakh diya. Uske pairo tale zameen jaise khatm ho gayi ho. Gala ekdum se sukh gaya aur shareer mein ek thartharahat si hone lagi. Usne badi mushkil se apne kaanpte huye haathon se pooja ki thaali ko thaama, warna wo peetal ki thaali usi waqt farsh par gir kar shor kar deti. Us pal Meera ko samajh hi nahi aa raha tha ki wo wahan khadi rahe, cheekhe, ya Chiku ko thappad maare.
Darr aur sadme ke maare usne bina koi aahat kiye apne qadam peeche kheenche. Chiku ko is baat ki bhanak tak nahi lagi ki uski maa ne use aise halat mein dekh liya hai jise wo kabhi soch bhi nahi sakti thi.
Meera ne tezi se hall mein jakar pooja ki thaali rakhi aur lagbhag bhaagte huye apne kamre mein ghus gayi. Darwaza band karte hi wo bed par dhair ho gayi aur sisak-sisak kar rone lagi.
Meera: (Rote huye apne aap se) Nahi... mera Chiku aisa nahi ho sakta. Jis bete ki masoomiyat ki kasme poora mohalla khata hai, jis par mujhe itna naaz tha... wo ye sab kar raha hai?
Uski aankhon se behne wale aansu uske nikhre huye gore gaalon ko bhigone lage, aur rone ki wajah se uske komal gaal ekdum laal pad gaye the. Wo buri tarah toot chuki thi. Wo baar-baar yahi soch rahi thi ki aakhir uski parvarish mein kahan kami reh gayi? Wo masoom ladka, jo hamesha uski har baat maanta tha, aaj is raaste par kaise nikal gaya? Ek taraf gussa tha aur doosri taraf ek gehri bechaini ki ab wo kis munh se duniya ka saamna karegi.
Mandir ki baaki auratein Meera se baat karne ka koi mauka nahi chodti thi. Use sab bohot samman se dekhti thi.
Padosi Aurat: Meera behan, sach mein tum toh badi bhagya-shali ho. Gopal ji jaisa kamau pati aur Chiku jaisa sanskari beta milna aaj kal ke zamane mein naseeb ki baat hai.
Meera: (Muskurate huye) Bas aap sab ka ashirwad hai behanji, Chiku hai hi aisa, kabhi koi shikayat ka mauka nahi deta.
Mandir se nikalte waqt Meera ne jhuk kar apni chappal pehni, toh uske geele baal ek taraf kandhe se niche jhool gaye. Do-teen auratein uske saath hi ghar ki taraf chal di. Raste mein woh log kabhi mausam toh kabhi ghar-parivaar ki baatein karti rahi. Beech raste ek golgappe wala khada tha, jahan sabne milkar thoda thanda-teekha pani piya aur hansi-mazak kiya. Meera ki saadgi aur uski khubsurti raste mein nikalne wale har shakhs ki nazar apni taraf kheench rahi thi, par wo in sab se bekhabar apne ghar ki dehleez par pahunch gayi.
Ghar ka darwaza khula tha par andar ghup andhera tha. Meera ne andar qadam rakha toh use ajeeb laga ki abhi tak light kyun nahi jali.
Meera: (Apne aap se budbudate huye) Ye Chiku bhi na... summer vacation kya shuru hui, is ladke ko toh jese waqt ki koi khoj-khabar hi nahi rehti. Itni shaam ho gayi aur andhere mein baitha hai?
Meera ke qadam dhire-dhire andhere dhaalton ko paar karte huye andar ki taraf badh rahe the. Poore ghar mein faili hui wo gehri khamoshi uske dil ki dhadkan ko badha rahi thi. Chalte-chalte uski nazar Chiku ke kamre par padi, jiska darwaza halka sa khula hua tha. Meera ke dimaag mein pehla khayal yahi aaya ki shayad ye ladka dopahar ki neend mein abhi tak soya hua hai.
Lekin jaise hi wo dabbe paon darwaje ke ekdum paas pahunchi, usne dekha ki kamre ke andhere mein mobile ki tez roshni Chiku ke chehre par pad rahi thi. Chiku bistar par karwat liye leta tha, uski peeth darwaje ki taraf thi aur kaano mein earphone lage the, jis wajah se poore kamre mein ek sannata tha. Meera ne socha ki shayad wo koi game khel raha hoga, par jaise hi usne thoda aur aage hokar mobile ki screen par jhaanka, uske hosh ud gaye.
Jo manzar uski aankhon ke samne tha, usne Meera ke pure wajood ko jhinjhor kar rakh diya. Uske pairo tale zameen jaise khatm ho gayi ho. Gala ekdum se sukh gaya aur shareer mein ek thartharahat si hone lagi. Usne badi mushkil se apne kaanpte huye haathon se pooja ki thaali ko thaama, warna wo peetal ki thaali usi waqt farsh par gir kar shor kar deti. Us pal Meera ko samajh hi nahi aa raha tha ki wo wahan khadi rahe, cheekhe, ya Chiku ko thappad maare.
Darr aur sadme ke maare usne bina koi aahat kiye apne qadam peeche kheenche. Chiku ko is baat ki bhanak tak nahi lagi ki uski maa ne use aise halat mein dekh liya hai jise wo kabhi soch bhi nahi sakti thi.
Meera ne tezi se hall mein jakar pooja ki thaali rakhi aur lagbhag bhaagte huye apne kamre mein ghus gayi. Darwaza band karte hi wo bed par dhair ho gayi aur sisak-sisak kar rone lagi.
Meera: (Rote huye apne aap se) Nahi... mera Chiku aisa nahi ho sakta. Jis bete ki masoomiyat ki kasme poora mohalla khata hai, jis par mujhe itna naaz tha... wo ye sab kar raha hai?
Uski aankhon se behne wale aansu uske nikhre huye gore gaalon ko bhigone lage, aur rone ki wajah se uske komal gaal ekdum laal pad gaye the. Wo buri tarah toot chuki thi. Wo baar-baar yahi soch rahi thi ki aakhir uski parvarish mein kahan kami reh gayi? Wo masoom ladka, jo hamesha uski har baat maanta tha, aaj is raaste par kaise nikal gaya? Ek taraf gussa tha aur doosri taraf ek gehri bechaini ki ab wo kis munh se duniya ka saamna karegi.


![[+]](https://xossipy.com/themes/sharepoint/collapse_collapsed.png)