[Babab96]

Khana khane ke baad mene Ghar se bahar jane man banaya, mujhe yaad aaya ki Rahul aaj koi khas kissa sunane wala tha, humare adde per..

Ghar se nikal kar main apne harami doston ke adde ki taraf chal diya.

Yeh adda Rahul ke khet mein bani ek chhoti si kutia thi, jahan hum teeno aksar milkar waqt bitaaya karte the. Ghar ke uljhe hue mahaul se door, yahan aakar mujhe kuch der ke liye apna dimaag shaant karne ka mauka mil jaata tha.




Kutia par pahunchkar maine dekha ki Rahul aur Jitendra dono hi gayab the.

Me_“Saale, bula toh lete hain, phir khud hi gayab ho jaate hain” 

maine budbudaate hue kaha aur bahar rakhi charpai par baith gaya.

Maine socha, dono aate hi honge. Isliye main wahin baithkar kheton ki taraf dekhne laga. 



April ki dhoop tez thi, lekin kheton se aane wali hawa mein kuch rahat thi. Main apne ghar ki baaton ko dimaag se nikaalne ki koshish kar raha tha, tabhi

 Rahul ki maa Chhaya wahan aa gayi..

Chhaya




Chhaya_“Arey Jay, tum yahan akele baithe ho? Rahul kahan hai?” 

Chhaya ne poochha.

Me_“Mujhe nhi pata, Kaki! Main toh usi se milne aaya tha. Yahan aaya toh dono mein se koi nahi mila” 

Maine hanskar kaha.

Chhaya bhi muskurayin. 




Chhaya_“Tum ladkon ka bhi ajeeb hai. Kabhi din bhar yahan pade rahoge, kabhi jab koi milne aaye toh khud hi gayab.”

Me_“Ab kya karein, Kaki? Dost hi aise mile hain,” 

maine mazaak mein jawab diya.

Kuch der hum aam baatein karte rahe.

Unhone meri kushti ki taiyari ke baare mein poochha, toh maine unhe bataya ki chhe din baad Dadaji ke saath paas ke gaanv mein ek khula dangal ladne jaana hai. 

Yeh sunkar unhone meri taareef karni shuru kar di.

Chhaya_“Jay, tumhari umar ke ladke toh abhi idhar-udhar ghoomte rehte hain, lekin tumne toh apni mehnat se alag hi pehchaan bana li hai.
Pachchees se zyada dangal jeetna koi chhoti baat nahi hai.”

Me_“Bas Kaki, Dadaji ki mehnat hai. Unhone hi mujhe sab sikhaya hai,” 

maine jawaab diya.

Woh kuch pal mujhe dekhti rahin, phir boli..

Chhaya_“Tum mein taakat bhi hai, samajh bhi hai aur apne badon ka sammaan karna bhi jaante ho. Aajkal aise ladke kahan milte hain?”

Maine unki baat sunkar sirf muskurana behtar samjha. 

Kisi ki tareef sunna achha lagta hai, lekin main apni tareef ka jawaab dene mein kabhi bahut utsaahit nahi hota tha.

Kuch der baad maine uthte hue kaha..

Me_“Achha Kaki, main chalta hoon. Rahul aaye toh keh dijiyega ki main usse baad mein mil lunga.”

Main jaane ke liye muda hi tha ki Chhaya ne mera haath pakadkar mujhe rok liya.


Chhaya_“Arey, itni bhi kya jaldi hai? Thodi der aur baitho. Rahul aata hi hoga.”

Unka haath mere haath par tha. Maine palatkar unki taraf dekha. Unke chehre par muskaan thi, lekin unka mujhe is tarah rokna kuch alag laga.

Me_“Mujhe laga tha Rahul khet par hi hoga. Ab woh hai nahi, toh main baad mein aa jaaunga..” 

maine kaha.




Chhaya_“Tum bhi na, Jay! Main keh rahi hoon toh baitho. Apne hi toh ho, aur wo bewkuf bhi aata hi hoga” 

woh boli aur paas rakhi charpai ki taraf ishara kar diya.

Main dobara baith gaya, lekin ab main unke vyavhaar par dhyaan dene laga tha.

Chhaya meri kushti, meri taakat aur mere shareer ki banawat ko lekar baar-baar baat kar rahi thi. 

Unki tareef ab kuch zyada hi vyaktigat hone lagi thi. 

Baaton ke beech woh meri taraf is tarah dekhti rahin, jaise mere jawaabon se zyada meri pratikriya samajhne ki koshish kar rahi hon.

Main Pandrah saal ka tha. aur solve saal me chal rha tha..

Dangalon mein mujhse bade aur taakatvar pehalwanon ka saamna kar chuka tha. 

Logon ke chehre aur unke iraadon ko samajhne ka mujhe kuch anubhav bhi tha. Phir bhi, main kisi ke baare mein bina pakke kaaran ke galat dhaarna nahi banana chahta tha.

Lekin Chhaya ka vyavhaar mujhe dheere-dheere asahaj kar raha tha.

Baat karte hue unka pallu kandhe se baar-baar sarak jaata. 

Woh use theek karne mein koi khaas jaldi nahi dikhati aur phir meri taraf dekhkar baat aage badha deti. 

Unki nazdeeki bhi zaroorat se zyada lag rahi thi. Mujhe aisa mehsoos hone laga ki woh sirf Rahul ke dost ke roop mein mujhse baat nahi kar rahi thi.

Unki nazron mein ek aisa iraada chhipa hua lag raha tha, jise woh seedhe shabdon mein saamne nahi laana chahti thi.

Chhaya_ “Jay, tum toh ab poore jawan ho gaye ho”  “Tumhari umar ke ladkon mein itna bharosa aur itni taakat dono ek saath kam hi milte hain.”

Maine unki taraf dekha. 

Me_“Kaki, taakat toh akhade mein kaam aati hai. Baaki jagah toh insaan ka vyavhaar hi maayne rakhta hai.”

Mere jawaab par woh kuch pal ke liye chup ho gayi..

Phir muskurakar boli


Chhaya_“Tum baatein bhi badi samajhdaari ki karne lage ho.”

Main unki baat ka koi khaas jawaab diye bina uthne laga.

Is baar unhone mera haath nahi pakda, lekin boli..

Chhaya_“Achha, ek baat toh sunte jao. Tum toh Rahul ke bahut kareebi dost ho. 

Kabhi-kabhi apne doston ke ghar bhi aaya karo. 

Har baar itni jaldi jaane ki kya zaroorat hai?”

Me_“Zaroor aaunga, Kaki. Abhi mujhe ghar par bhi kuch kaam hai"

Maine unhe namaste ki aur kutia se bahar nikal aaya.



Kheton ki pagdandi par chalte hue main poori mulaqat ke baare mein sochta raha. 

Chhaya Rahul ki maa thi. Main unhe pehle se jaanta tha aur unke ghar aana-jaana bhi mere liye koi nayi baat nahi thi.

Lekin aaj unka vyavhaar pehle jaisa nahi tha. saayad aaj tak unhen mere sath akele baat karne kaa moka nhi mila tha..

Aaj moka mila to wo apni ikchha jahir kar rahi thi..

Unki zaroorat se zyada tareef, mujhe rokne ki koshish aur baar-baar meri nazdeeki badhaane ka andaaz—yeh sab mujhe sochne par majboor kar raha tha.

Kya main unke vyavhaar ko galat samajh raha tha?

Ya phir woh waqai mujhse kuch aisa chahti thi, jiske baare mein khulkar kehne ki unki himmat nahi ho rahi thi?

Main kisi nateeje par nahi pahunch saka.

Lekin itna zaroor samajh gaya tha ki agli baar mujhe unke saamne apni seemaon ko lekar aur bhi satark rehna hoga.

Rahul aur Jitendra se milkar main is baare mein baat karne ka soch raha tha, lekin phir khayaal aaya ki bina poori baat samjhe kisi se kuch kehna theek nahi hoga.

Main apne kadam tez karta hua gaanv ki taraf badh gaya.

Mujhe abhi pata nahi tha ki Chhaya ke mann mein asal mein kya chal raha tha.

Lekin aaj ki mulaqat ne mere dimaag mein ek naya sawaal zaroor khada kar diya tha—aur iska jawaab shayad mujhe dobara usi kutia mein jaane par milta.

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