[Lusty_bOOz]

================================================== 
       CHAPTER 7 — EK ANJAAN CHHAAON KA BULAWA
================================================== 


Diwali ki us roshan shaam ko gujre do hafte se zyada ka waqt ho chuka tha.

Lekin us shaam aangan mein diyon ki roshni ke beech Vikram ke kahe hue lafz—"Aapki apni khushi bhi utni hi zaroori hai... main hoon na aapko yaad dilane ke liye"—Sonam ke dil aur dimag mein ek meethi aahat ki tarah gunjte rehte the.

Sonam rozmarra ke kamon mein uljhi rehti, lekin ab uski aankhon mein ek aisi shanti aur chehre par ek aisi halki muskaan rehti thi jo pehle kabhi nahi thi. Uske liye Vikram ab bas Papa ka ek dost ka beta ya ek sarkari afsar nahi tha, balki woh ek aisa shakhs ban chuka tha jo bina kahe uski khamoshi ko samajhta tha.

❖ ❖ ❖

Ghar mein sardi ki subah ki halchal shuru ho chuki thi.

Nana ji ko gaon se unke ek purane sathi ka phone aaya tha, jiske silsile mein unhe do din ke liye gaon lautna pada. Bada beta apne college ke tour par gaya hua tha, chhota beta dubara apne hostel laut chuka tha, aur Sonam ke pati ko office ke kisi zaroori project ke silsile mein subah hi doosre shehar ke liye nikalna pada tha.

Ghar mein sirf Sonam aur uski saas thi.

Dopehar ke kareeb ek baje, saas apni medicines lekar apne kamre mein so rahi thin. Poore ghar mein ek behad ajeeb aur gehri khamoshi phaili hui thi.

Sonam rasoi ka kaam samapt karke apne kamre mein baithi saree ke pallu ko theek kar rahi thi, tabhi uske phone par ek unknown number se message aaya:

"Sonam ji, main Vikram. Aaj main aapke shehar ke sarkari circuit house mein ek sarkari meeting ke silsile mein aaya hoon. Shaam char baje mujhe headquarters lautna hai. Agar aapko koi aaitraaz na ho... toh kya hum aangan ya ghar se door kisi shant jagah par 15 minute ke liye mil sakte hain? Aap se kuch baatein karni thin."

Sonam ne message padha aur uske haath ek pal ke liye kaanp gaye. Uski dhadkan achanak itni tezz ho gayi ki use khud apne seene mein uski aawaz sunai dene lagi.

Usne aaj tak kabhi ghar ke kisi sadasya ke bina, kisi paraye purush se alag se milne ka socha tak nahi tha. Uski maryada, uski parampara aur uski sharm ne use ek pal ke liye rokne ki koshish ki.

Lekin doosre hi pal, use Vikram ki woh izzat bhari aankhein aur uski narmi yaad aayi. Sonam ko pata tha ki Vikram koi aisa shakhs nahi tha jo kisi galat irade se use bulaye.

Sonam ne trembling fingers se type kiya:

"Ghar ke paas jo purana Shiv mandir aur jheel ka kinar hai... wahan char pehle ek shant banyan tree hai. Main wahan aati hoon."

Message bhejte hi Sonam ne phone seene se laga liya. Usko samajh nahi aa raha tha ki yeh darr tha ya ek aisi khushi jiska koi naam nahi tha.

❖ ❖ ❖

Kareeb teen baje, Sonam ne saas ko chai di aur unhe bata diya ki woh paas ke mandir mein darshan ke liye ja rahi hai.

Usne halki jamuni (purple) rang ki suti saree pehni. Maathe par chhoti si bindi lagayi aur baalon mein halka sa tel laga kar bun banaya. Woh bilkul saadha thin, lekin uske chehre par ek aisi rangini thi jo uske dil ke andar ke toofan ko bayan kar rahi thi.

Mandir ke peeche jheel ka rasta behad shant tha. Sardi ki dhoop paani par chamak rahi thi aur suke patte paon ke neeche sar-sarah rahe the.

Bargad ke ped ke neeche ek purani pathar ki bench bani hui thi.

Jab Sonam wahan pahunchi, toh Vikram pehle se wahan khada tha. Usne casual grey sweater aur trousers pehen rakhe the. Woh jheel ki taraf mooh karke khada tha, lekin paon ki aahat sunte hi turant muda.

Dono ki nazrein ek-doosre par tiki.

Hawa mein sardi ki thandak thi, lekin un dono ke beech ek behad garmahat bhara sannaata chha gaya.


Vikram ne aage badhkar behad adab se haath jode. "Namaste, Sonam ji."

Sonam ne apna aanchal sambhalte hue haath jode aur nazar jhukakar bola, "Namaste, Vikram ji."

Vikram ne bench ki taraf ishara kiya. "Aap baithiye na."

Sonam bench ke ek kone par baith gayi. Vikram ne uske ekdum paas na baith kar, thodi doori banaye rakhi taaki Sonam ko koi asuvidha ya jhijhak na ho. Vikram ki is izzat aur aadar ne Sonam ke dil ke darr ko pal bhar mein khatam kar diya.

Kuch der tak sirf jheel ke paani ki laherein kinare se takrane ki aawaz aati rahi.

"Aapne mujhe yahan kyun bulaya Vikram ji?" Sonam ne shuruat ki, uski awaaz mein halki si jhijhak abhi bhi thi.

Vikram ne jheel ki taraf dekhte hue ek gehri saans li.

"Sonam ji... main rozana sau tarah ke kanoon, afsaron aur apradhon ke beech rehta hoon. Meri zindagi mein farz aur kaanoon ke ilawa kabhi koi doosra jazba nahi raha. Lekin..."

Vikram ruka aur usne apna rukh Sonam ki taraf kiya. Uski aankhon mein aisi sachai thi jo seedhe dil par asar karti thi.

"...lekin jab se main aap se mila hoon, meri zindagi ka akelapan mujhe kaatne laga hai. Main roz shaam ko duty se wapas aakar apne khali bangley mein baithta hoon, toh mujhe aapki woh mand muskaan, aapke haath ki chai ki garmahat, aur aapki saadha baat yaad aati hai."

Sonam ke haath uski saree ke pallu ko jor se pakad chuke the. Uski saans thodi tezz ho gayi thi.

"Vikram ji..."

"Meri baat poori hone dijiye Sonam ji," Vikram ne behad narm awaaz mein aagrah kiya. "Main jaanta hoon aap ek maryadit parivaar ki bahu hain, ek maa hain, aur aapki apni ek izzat-dar duniya hai. Main aapki zindagi mein koi uthal-puthal nahi machana chahta. Na hi main aap se koi aisa vaada chahta hoon jo aapko dharamsankat mein daale."

Sonam ne apna sar uthaya aur Vikram ki aankhon mein dekha.

Vikram ne aage kaha, "Main bas aapko yeh batana chahta tha ki iss poori duniya mein ek aadmi aisa bhi hai... jo aapko sirf ek ghar ki zimmedar aurat ke roop mein nahi dekhata. Woh aapko 'Sonam' ke roop mein dekhta hai. Aapki pasand, aapke dard, aur aapki khushi ki izzat karta hai."

Sonam ke andar saalon se daba hua baandh achanak toot gaya.

Woh zindagi bhar sirf sabki zimmedariyan uthati aayi thi. Pati ki zarooratein, bachon ki padhai, saas-sasur ki sewa... sabhi ne usse pyaar kiya, lekin kisi ne use ek swatantra insaan ke roop mein nahi dekha tha. Kisi ne uske andar ke akelapan ko samajhne ki koshish nahi ki thi.

Sonam ki aankhon se ek aansu nikal kar uske gaal par beh gaya.

Vikram ne jab woh aansu dekha, toh uske chehre par pareshani aayi. Usne turant apni jeb se ek safed rumal nikal kar Sonam ki taraf badhaya.

"Maaf kijiyega Sonam ji... agar mere shabdon ne aapko takleef pahunchayi ho toh main abhi chala jata hoon—"

"Nahi!" Sonam ke muh se achanak yeh lafz nikal gaya.

Usne Vikram ki taraf dekha aur apna aansu ponchhte hue bola, "Nahi Vikram ji... aapne mujhe koi takleef nahi di."

Sonam ne ek gehri saans li aur jheel ki taraf dekhte hue apne dil ka haal bayan kiya—

"Zindagi mein sab kuch hote hue bhi... kabhi-kabhi lagta tha ki main kahin kho gayi hoon. Ghar ke kamon mein, bartano ki aawaz mein, tiffin ke dibbon mein... meri apni aawaz kahin dab gayi thi. Aapne jab pehli baar mere haath ki chai ki taarif ki thi, aur jab aapne Diwali par mere sath diye jalaye the... mujhe pehli baar laga ki koi mujhe bhi sun raha hai."

Sonam ne Vikram ki taraf muda, uski aankhon mein aadar aur ek gehra apnapan chamak raha tha.

"Main ek parivaar ki buniyaad hoon Vikram ji... main us buniyaad ko kabhi tod nahi sakti. Lekin mere dil ke ek kone mein aapke liye jo izzat aur sthan ban chuka hai... woh ab kabhi khatam nahi hoga. Aap mere akelapan ka woh sathi hain jise main kabhi khona nahi chahti."

Vikram ke chehre par ek behad sukoon bhari muskaan khil gayi. Usne mehsoos kiya ki use jawab mein koi jhute vaade ya samajik rishte nahi chahiye the—use bas Sonam ke dil mein yeh chhota sa sthan chahiye tha.

Vikram ne apna haath bench par rakha, aur Sonam ke haath ke behad paas laya... bina use sparsh kiye (touch kiye), sirf us garmahat ko mehsoos karte hue.

"Mere liye itna hi kaafi hai Sonam ji. Aap jahan bhi rahein, bas khush rahein. Jab bhi aapko lage ki duniya ka shor zyada ho gaya hai... yaad rakhna ki door ek afsar aapki shanti ke liye prarthna kar raha hai."

Sonam ne halki si muskaan ke saath sir jhukaya.

Dopehar ki dhoop ab dheere-dheere peeli pad rahi thi. Char bajne wale the.

Dono ek saath khade hue.

"Ab aapko nikalna chahiye," Vikram ne kaha.

"Aap bhi apna dhyan rakhna Vikram ji," Sonam ne behad sachi aawaz mein kaha.

Vikram ne haath jode, Sonam ne bhi haath jode. Dono ne ek-doosre ko aakhri baar ek gehri nazar se dekha.

Sonam mandir ki taraf wapas badh gayi, aur Vikram circuit house ki car ki taraf. Dono alag rasto par chal pade the... lekin unke dil ab kabhi alag nahi hone wale the.