Thriller गुनाहों का देवता

[Jay Thakur]

Mahendra aur wo chaaron mujhe wahin bahar chhodkar haveli ke andar jaa chuke the. Kuch der tak main khamoshi se wahin khada raha. Mere sharir mein ab bhi maarpeet ka dard tha, lekin usse kahin zyada dard mere dil mein ho raha tha.


Maine dheere se apni nazrein uthayin aur saamne khade us aalishaan bungalow ko dekhne laga.

Wahi bungalow, jiske aangan mein maine apna bachpan bitaya tha. Wahi deewarein, wahi bada darwaza aur wahi aangan, jahan kabhi mere Maa-Baap ke saath meri duniya basa karti thi.

Aaj sab kuch wahi tha, bas mere Maa-Baap mere saath nahi the.

Bungalow ko dekhte hi meri aankhon ke saamne bachpan ki yaadein ek-ek karke taaza hone lagin.

Mujhe yaad aaya, kaise bachpan mein main apne pita ki ungli pakadkar isi aangan mein ghooma karta tha. Jab bhi main gir jaata, wo mujhe apni baahon mein utha lete aur pyaar se kehte—

Pita ji: "Mera beta toh bahut bahadur hai. Girne se nahi darte, girkar dobara uthna seekhte hain."

Unki baat yaad aate hi mere chehre par halki-si muskurahat aa gayi, lekin agle hi pal meri aankhein nam ho gayin.

Phir mujhe Maa ka chehra yaad aaya. Kaise wo subah-subah mujhe apne haathon se khana khilati thi, meri chhoti-chhoti zidd poori karti thi aur jab main shararat karta, toh daantne ka naatak karke khud hi hans padti thi.

Mere liye toh wahi bungalow mera ghar tha. Wahi aangan meri duniya aur wahi log meri poori zindagi the.

Lekin aaj usi ghar ke darwaze par mujhe ek ajnabi ki tarah beizzat karke bahar nikaal diya gaya tha.

Maine darwaze ki taraf dekha, jaise abhi Pita ji bahar aayenge, mere kandhe par haath rakhenge aur kahenge ki fikar mat kar, beta, main hoon na.

Lekin darwaza band tha.

Na Pita ji the, na Maa, aur na hi koi aisa insaan jo mujhe apna samajhkar apne paas bula leta.

Mere gale mein kuch atak-sa gaya. Maine apni nam aankhon ko ponchha aur ek lambi saans li.

Main (man hi man): "Pita ji, aapne toh hamesha mujhe sikhaya tha ki apne parivaar par bharosa karna chahiye. Lekin aaj aapke hi parivaar ne mujhe is ghar se bahar nikaal diya. Aapne kabhi mujhe is sab ke baare mein kyun nahi bataya?"

Maine ek baar phir bungalow ko dekha.

Ab mere mann mein sirf dukh nahi tha. Mahendra ki kahi baaton ne mere andar kai sawaal khade kar diye the. Kya sach mein mere pita ne apni saari property Mahendra ke naam kar di thi? Aur agar aisa tha, toh aakhir unhone aisa kyun kiya?

Main un sawaalon ke jawaab jaane bina wahan se jaana nahi chahta tha.

Kuch der baad maine apne aansu ponchhe, apne kapdon par lagi dhool saaf ki aur aakhri baar us bungalow ko dekha.

Main (man hi man): "Maa-Papa, main nahi jaanta ki sach kya hai. Lekin main aap dono ki yaadon ko yun hi mitti mein nahi milne doonga. Mujhe sach ka pata lagana hi hoga."

Itna sochkar main wahan se jaane ke liye mud gaya. Mere kadam bhaari the, lekin mann mein ek naya iraada janm le chuka tha.

Ab ye sirf ek ghar ka sawaal nahi tha.

Ye mere Maa-Baap ki yaadon, mere ateet aur us sach ki talaash thi, jise mujhse saalon tak chhupakar rakha gaya tha.

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