[Deepak.kapoor]

Adhyay 5

Jaise hi hum apni birth ke paas pahuche, Ammi ke sabr ka baandh poori tarah toot gaya. Abhi tak woh Sartaj Singh ke saamne aur us khaufnaak mahool mein khud ko sambhale hue thi, par surakshit jagah par pahunchte hi unki siskiyan foot padin.

Woh chupchap apni seat par baith gayin aur apne chehre ko nakab se dhakkar dheere-dheere rone lagin. Woh nahi chahti thi ki Nani ki neend kharab ho aur woh is hadse ko jaankar pareshan ho jayein. Unki dudhiya safed hatheliyan unke chehre ko dhake hue thi aur unke bhare hue kandhe rone ki wajah se buri tarah kaamp rahe the.

Maine unke kareeb baithkar unke haath ko thaam liya. Ammi ne achanak apna sir uthaya, unki badi-badi kaali aankhein aansuon se bheegi hui thi aur palkein aapas mein ulajh gayi thi. Unhone pagalpan ki had tak mujhe apne kareeb kheench liya aur mere chehre ko choomne lagin—maatha, gaal aur sir. Yeh woh mamta bhari chumban thi jo ek maa tab deti hai jab use ahsas hota hai ki uska beta maut ya kisi badi musibat ke kitne kareeb tha.

"Mera baccha... mera beta," woh fusfusayin.

Unke makhmali labon ki garmahat aur unke neele silk ke kapdon se aati chameli ki khushboo mere vajood mein sama rahi thi. Ammi ka woh ubhra hua seena mere seene se sata hua tha aur unki tez dhadkanein mujhe saaf mehsoos ho rahi thi. Us pal, woh mahaz ek khoobsurat aurat nahi, balki ek dari hui maa thi.

Kuch minutan tak subakne ke baad, Ammi ne apni himmat jutayi. Unhone apne dupatte se aansu ponchhe aur apni lambi surahidaar gardan ko seedha karte hue meri aankhon mein gehraai se dekha. Unki awaaz mein ab ek sanjeedgi aur thodi fikr thi.

Ammi: (Dheemi aur gambhir awaaz mein) "Sahil... sun meri baat. Aaj jo kuch bhi hua, jo tamasha un logon ne kiya aur jis haal mein hum fanse the... iske baare mein Nani ko zara bhi bhanak nahi lagni chahiye. Aur tere Abbu... Fahad ko toh bilkul mat batana."

Main: "Par Ammi, Abbu ko pata hona chahiye ki safar mein kya hua..."

Ammi: (Mera haath zor se bheenchte hue) "Nahi beta! Tu apne Abbu ka mizaaj jaanta hai. Agar unhe pata chala ki train mein hum par hamla hua aur un logon ne... un logon ne mujhe chhua, toh woh dar ke maare hamara ghar se bahar nikalna hi band kar denge. Hamara Delhi jaana, shaadiyon mein shareek hona, sab khatm ho jayega. Woh humein phir kabhi akele kahin nahi bhejenge."

Ammi ki aankhon mein ek ajeeb si chamak thi—shayad woh apni aazadi aur apni us noorani khoobsurati ke saath jeene ke haq ko khona nahi chahti thi. Woh jaanti thi ki unka yeh kaatilana husn aksar musibatein bulata hai, par woh use kaid mein nahi rakhna chahti thi.

Ammi: "Vaada kar mujhse, yeh baat sirf mere aur tere beech ek raaz rahegi. Sartaj Singh ne jo kiya, woh ,.' ka karishma tha, par ghar par sab yahi samjhenge ki safar bahut sukoon se guzra."

Maine unki baat maan li aur apna sir unke kandhe par tika diya. Abaya ke kapde ke neeche unke narm tvacha ki tapish abhi bhi vaisi hi thi. Us raat train ki patriyon ke saath-saath mere aur Ammi ke beech ek gehra aur gupt rishta jud gaya tha—ek aisa raaz jo hamare beech ki dooriyon ko aur kam karne wala tha.

Ammi apni birth par sunn si baithi thi, unki nazrein train ki khidki se bahar bhaagte andhere par tiki thi, par unka zahan kahin aur hi tha. Unke dudhiya safed haath abhi bhi kaamp rahe the aur unke bhare hue seene ki dhadkanein dheere-dheere samanya ho rahi thi. Achanak, unhone ek gehri aur bojhil thandi saans li aur meri taraf mudin.

Unki aankhon mein ek ajeeb si kashish aur sawalon ka sailaab tha. Unhone apna narm haath meri jaangh par rakha.

Ammi: (Dheemi aur darshnik awaaz mein) "Sahil... beta, tune dekha aaj kya hua? Aaj jo kuch guzra, usne mujhe andar tak hila diya hai."

Main chupchap unhe sun raha tha. Unki lambi surahidaar gardan par abhi bhi paseene ki chamak thi jo abaya ke kaale collar se ubharkar chamak rahi thi.

Ammi: "Main us waqt poori tarah se is dheele-dhaale kaale abaya mein dhaki hui thi. Mera poora jism pardon mein tha, sivaye in aankhon ke. Phir bhi... un logon ne mere saath kya kiya? Ve bhediye us kapde ke paar bhi mere badan ki banawat ko taak rahe the. Unhone mujhe us waqt bhi nahi bakhsha jab main ,.' ki ibadat ki tarah dhaki hui thi. Unhe bas mere angon aur meri bebasi ka andaaza lagana tha aur unhone zabardasti mujhe apni havas ka nishana banaya."

Ammi ki awaaz mein ek ajeeb si kadwahat aur hakeekat thi.

Ammi: "Aur doosri taraf... woh Sartaj. Jab main us tang aur paardarshi neeli nightgown mein uske bilkul saamne khadi thi. Mera saara badan, aur mere jism ka ek-ek ubhaar uske saamne beparda tha. Main us waqt ek aurat ki haisiyat se sabse zyada kamzor aur sabse zyada sexy dikh rahi thi… par tune dekha? Uski nazron mein ratti bhar bhi mail nahi tha. Usne mere us husn ko apni gandi nazron se nahi chaata, balki apni paakeeza nazron se meri izzat ko dhaanp diya."

Ammi ki aankhon mein Sartaj ke liye ek roohani izzat chamak uthi. Unhone meri aankhon mein aankhein daalkar phir se fusfusaya.

Ammi: "Iska matlab hai, beta, ki parde kapdon mein nahi, balki mard ki nazron mein hote hain. Jo bhookha hai, use abaya bhi dawat lagta hai, aur jo Sartaj jaisa nek hai, uske liye ek ardhnagn aurat bhi sirf ek behen hai jiski hifazat zaroori hai."

Ammi ki is baat ne mujhe andar tak jhakjhor diya. Main apni Ammi ko dekh raha tha—vahi Ammi jinka kaatilana badan aaj sareaam numaish ban gaya tha, aur vahi Ammi jo ab ek gehri sacchai mere saamne rakh rahi thi.

Ammi ki aankhon mein Sartaj ke liye jo aadar tha, woh ab ek gehri soch mein badal gaya tha.

Ammi: (Ek thandi aur gehri saans bharte hue) "Sahil... sach kahun toh, kitni khushnaseeb hogi is Sartaj ki biwi. Jo aadmi ek ajnabi, parai aurat ki izzat ki itni hifazat karta hai, jo uske badan aur noorani husn ko itne kareeb se dekhne ke bawajood apni nazrein paakeeza rakhta hai... soch, woh apni biwi ki kitni dekhbhaal karta hoga. Uski biwi toh khud ko duniya ki sabse mahfooz aur laadli aurat samajhti hogi."

Ammi ke chehre par ek aisi chamak aayi jaise woh khud us suraksha aur izzat ki kalpana kar rahi hon. Unke bhare hue seene ki dhadkanein ab dheere-dheere us silk ke neeche ek sukoon bhari lay mein laut rahi thi.

Ammi: "Beta, is kaum mein, in sikhon mein kuch toh aisi baat hai, jo inhe har kisi ki madad ke liye sabse aage khada kar deti hai. Inka jazba hi kuch aur hai. Tune khud dekha hai na? Jab desh par musibat aati hai, toh ye sabse pehle dhaal bankar khade ho jaate hain."

Ammi ki yaadein ab tezi se un waqayon ki taraf mudne lagin jinhone duniya bhar mein in logon ki saakh banayi thi.

Ammi: "Yaad kar, jab charon taraf Covid ka kahar tha aur log apnon ko bhi haath lagaane se dar rahe the, tab yahi log the jo sadkon par nikalkar oxygen cylinder pahuncha rahe the. Aur woh langar... chahe kitni bhi bhook ho, inke yahan koi khaali haath nahi lautta. Bombay ke baadh ke manzar yaad hain? Jab poora shehar paani mein doob raha tha, tab ye gurudwaro ke darwaze kholkar logon ko panah aur garam khaana de rahe the. Yahan tak ki saat samandar paar Syria jaisi jagahon par bhi, jahan jang ne sab kuch tabaah kar diya, wahan bhi ye log madad lekar pahunch jaate hain."

Ammi ne mera haath thoda aur kaskar pakda. Unke narm aur garm panjon ki chhuan ne mujhe ahsas dilaya ki woh Sartaj ke us faulaadi aur saaf charitra se kitni prabhavit hui hain.

Ammi: "Aaj Sartaj Singh ne jo mere saath kiya, woh sirf ek security officer waale ki duty nahi thi, balki unki ragon mein daudne wala vahi seva ka khoon tha. Unhone mere us beparda aur kaamuk roop ko nahi, balki ek dari hui rooh ko dekha. Khuda aise nek insaano ko hamesha salamat rakhe."

Raat ka sannata gehra ho gaya tha, aur train ki laybaddh awaaz ke beech Ammi ki baatein kisi roohani ahsas ki tarah galiyare mein tair rahi thi. Unki aankhon mein abhi bhi un aansuon ki nami thi, jo Sartaj ke aane ke baad shukrguzari mein badal gaye the.

Ammi: (Dheemi aur bhavuk awaaz mein) "Sahil... zara soch toh sahi beta. Main kitni bebas thi, us gande toilet ke paas un bhediyon ke beech fansi hui. Mera woh neela reshmi libaas un bhookhi nazron ke saamne beparda tha, aur meri rooh kaamp rahi thi. Maine apni aankhein band ki aur sirf apne ,.' ko pukara… maine gidgidakar kaha ki 'Ya ,.', kisi farishte ko bhej de jo meri izzat ki hifazat kare."


Ammi ne ek gehri saans li, jisse unke pusht seene ka ubhaar us abaya ke neeche ek baar phir numaya hua.

Ammi: "Aur dekh... Alla* ne meri sun li. Magar usne kisi farishte ko aasman se nahi utara, balki usne Sartaj ko bhej diya. Ek aisa insaan jo shayad hamare Alla* ko us tarah nahi maanta jaise hum maante hain... woh toh apne Waheguru ka naam japta hai. Uski pagdi, uski dadhi, uski vardi... sab kuch alag tha."

Ammi ke chehre par ek aisi muskan aayi jo maine pehle kabhi nahi dekhi thi—ek aisi samajhdari jo mazhab ki deewaron ko tod rahi thi. Unhone apni lambi surahidaar gardan ko thoda jhukaya aur mere kaan ke paas fusfusayin.

Ammi: "Iska matlab toh yahi hua na Sahil... ki mera Alla* aur uska Waheguru alag nahi hain. Agar alag hote, toh Alla* meri pukar sunkar kisi 'apne' ko bhejta. Magar usne Sartaj ko bheja, kyunki woh jaanta tha ki us jism ke andar ek paakeeza rooh hai jo har mazhab se upar uthkar ek aurat ki noorani izzat ko pehchanti hai."

Unki awaaz mein shahad jaisi mithas aur ek gehra yakeen tha.

Ammi: "Aaj us sardar ne jab mujhe us kaale abaya se dhaka, toh mujhe aisa laga jaise Khuda ne khud apne haathon se mujhe apni panah mein le liya ho. Mazhab toh hum insaano ne banaye hain beta, upar waale ke liye toh sirf nek niyat mayne rakhti hai. Usne aaj saabit kar diya ki jahan insaniyat hai, vahi Khuda hai… chahe use Alla* kaho ya Waheguru."

Ammi ki ye baatein mere zahan mein ek naya toofan khada kar rahi thi. Main apni Ammi ko dekh raha tha—vahi Ammi jo kuch der pehle us neeli silk ki nightgown mein apni izzat bachaane ke liye tadap rahi thi, aur ab vahi Ammi ek darshnik ki tarah zindagi ka sabse bada sach mujhe samjha rahi thi.

Unka woh makhmali badan ab abaya ki tahon mein shaant tha, magar unke shabdon ne mere andar ke 'paap' aur 'punya' ki lakeer ko aur bhi dhundhla kar diya tha. Train ki vibration ke saath Ammi ka sudaul kaaya mere kandhe se takra rahi thi, aur us raat mujhe ahsas hua ki meri Ammi sirf khoobsurat hi nahi, balki unki rooh bhi us dudhiya safedi ki tarah hi paak aur bedaag hai.

Ammi: "Ab so ja mere laal... aaj ka din bahut lamba tha. Bas yeh yaad rakhna ki insaan ki pehchan uske libaas ya mazhab se nahi, uski nazar ki paakeezgi se hoti hai."

Maine unki god mein apna sir rakh diya, aur Ammi ke narm haathon ki thapki ne mujhe ek aisi neend mein sula diya jahan Sartaj, ,.' aur Ammi ka woh kaatilana husn sab ek hi hakeekat ka hissa the.

Note: Sartaj meri ek doosri kahani ka mukhya patra hai.
https://xossipy.com/thread-71585.html -- Samman aur Badla --