[Sahil Spider]

                                                                                                  SHIMLA KI YAADEIN

EPISODE - 18

Taxi dheere dheere Shimla ki khali sadkon par aage badh rahi thi. Subah ka waqt ho raha tha. Aasman halka sa neela hone laga tha aur pahaadon ke upar ek feeki si roshni failne lagi thi. Driver shayad baat karne ke mood mein tha.

Driver :- kahan jana hai sir?

Main :- bus stand.

Driver :- Delhi ja rahe ho kya?

Main :- haan.

Driver :- Shimla ghumne aaye the?

Main ne bas halki si “haan” mein gardan hila di. Driver ko shayad samajh aa gaya tha ki hum zyada baat karne ke mood mein nahi hain. Usne fir kuch nahi pucha aur chupchaap gaadi chalane laga.

Taxi ki khidki se thandi hawa andar aa rahi thi. Lekin mujhe thand mehsoos hi nahi ho rahi thi. Mera dimag abhi bhi wahi security officer station mein atka hua tha. Main kabhi Khushi ko dekh leta… kabhi sadak ko. Khushi ab bhi khidki ke bahar dekh rahi thi. Uska chehra bilkul expressionless tha. Na darr… na gussa… na aansu. Bas ek ajeeb si khamoshi.

Kuch hi der mein taxi Shimla bus stand par pahunch gayi. Driver ne gaadi side mein laga di.

Driver :- aa gaya bus stand.

Main ne paise diye aur bina kuch bole taxi se utar gaya. Thandi subah ki hawa seedha chehre se takra rahi thi. Bus stand par dheere dheere log aane lage the. Kahin chai wale apni dukaan khol rahe the… kahin kuch tourist apna luggage le kar idhar udhar ghoom rahe the.

Door se chai ki ketli ki seeti ki awaaz aa rahi thi.

“chai… chai…”

Lekin in sab cheezon ka hum dono par koi asar nahi tha. Main ne Khushi aur mera bag uthaya aur ticket counter ki taraf chalne laga. Khushi chupchaap mere peeche chal rahi thi. Na usne kuch pucha… na kuch bola.

Ticket counter par ja kar maine Delhi ki do tickets le li. Humein bus stand par bethne ke liye khali bench mil gayi to hum dono bench par beth kar apni bus ke aane ka wait karne lage. Kareeb 1 hour intzaar karne ke baad aakhirkar humari bus aa hi gayi. Main aur Khushi bus mein chadh gaye.

Bus mein zyada bheed nahi thi. Subah ka waqt tha, isliye bus khali hi thi kyoki ye wali bus Shimla se hi chalti hai. Humare sath aur bhi log bus mein chadhne lage. Main ne Khushi ko window seat par baitha diya aur khud uske bagal mein baith gaya. Kuch 30 minutes baad bus dheere dheere Shimla se nikalne lagi. Pahaadon ke beech se bus neeche ki taraf utar rahi thi. Kuch log dhire dhire sone lage to mujhe logon ki halki halki kharate ki awaaz aa rahi thi aur sath his sath bus ke engine ki awaaz ek constant background jaisi lag rahi thi.

Main kabhi khidki ke bahar dekh leta… kabhi Khushi ko. Mere dimag mein bas ek hi baat chal rahi thi.

“Main usse protect nahi kar paya.”

"Kaash hum uss hotel mein gaye hi nahi hote."

"Kaash hum uss raat wahan se bhaag jate."

"Kaash main uss waqt unse lad leta."

"Kaash main ATM na ja kar kisi tarah koi madad le kar aa jata."

To shayad aaj Khushi ki yeh halat nahi hoti aur uski aankhon mein ye khamoshi nahi hoti. Maine dheere se apna haath Khushi ke haath ke paas le ja kar rakha. Ek pal ke liye main ruk gaya. Phir maine uska haath halka sa pakad liya. Khushi ne apna haath nahi hataya. Lekin usne meri taraf dekha bhi nahi. Usne koi reaction bhi nahi diya. Vo bas seedhi baithi rahi. Jaise usse farq hi nahi pad raha ho.

Uss pal mera dil aur bhaari ho gaya mere aankhon mein aansu aa gaye par yeh waqt dukhi hone ka nahi tha, mujhe khud ko mazboot karna hoga varna main Khushi ko kaise sambhaal paunga. Bus ka safar lamba tha. Main jab bhi aakhein band karta to mujhe baar baar vo bhayavah drishya saamne aata jisme vo Rakshas Bhairav Singh meri Khushi ko behrehmi se chod raha tha…aur yeh sab drishya saamne aate hi ghabra kar meri aankhein khul jati to main kabhi Khushi ko dekhta to kabhi khidki ke bahar dekhta...

Lekin uski khamoshi bilkul nahi badli. Pura safar usne ek bhi shabd nahi bola. Kuch ghanton baad bus Shimla ke pahaadon se nikal highway par aa gayi. Thand dheere dheere kam hone lagi. Aur jab bus Delhi ke paas pahunchne lagi to dhire dhire garmi bhi mehsoos hone lagi. Ab dhoop bhi tez ho chuki thi.

Kuch hi der mein humari bus finally Delhi bus stand par ruk gayi. Log apna apna luggage le kar bus se utarne lage. Main aur Khushi bhi dheere se bus se neeche utar gaye. Delhi ki garmi aur shor ekdum alag lag raha tha. Shimla ki thand aur khamoshi se bilkul ulta.

Main ne ek baar Khushi ki taraf dekha. Vo ab bhi chup thi. Uski aankhen zameen par thi. Aur uss moment par mujhe ek aur baat samajh aa gayi thi. Shimla ki vo raat khatam ho chuki thi…

lekin us raat ka asar abhi khatam nahi hua tha.

To be continued…

[Sahil Spider]

                                                                               SHIMLA KI YAADEIN

EPISODE - 19

Bus se utarne ke baad hum dono chupchaap bus stand se bahar aa gaye. Delhi ka shor, garmi aur bheed sab kuch normal tha… lekin hum dono ke andar sab kuch bilkul khamosh tha. Maine ek cab roki aur driver ko ghar ka address de diya.

Poore raste Khushi ne ek bhi shabd nahi bola. Na usne mujhse kuch pucha… na kisi cheez par reaction diya. Vo bas khidki ke bahar dekh rahi thi… bilkul waise hi jaise Shimla se nikalte waqt dekh rahi thi.

Kuch der baad cab hamare ghar ke saamne ruk gayi. Main aur Khushi dheere se cab se utar gaye. Jaise hi hum ghar ke andar gaye, maa aur papa hume dekh kar ekdum shock ho gaye.

Maa :- arre tum log aa gaye???

Papa :- itni jaldi??? tum log to 5 din ke liye Shimla gaye the na???

Main kuch seconds tak chup khada raha. Fir maine bas itna kaha

Main :- Khushi ki tabiyat thodi kharab ho gayi thi… isliye wapas aa gaye.

Maa turant Khushi ke paas aayi.

Maa :- kya hua beta? tabiyat theek nahi hai?

Khushi ne bas halki si gardan hila di. Na haan… na na. Bas ek mechanical sa reaction.

Uske baad vo seedha apne room ki taraf chali gayi. maa aur papa ek dusre ki taraf dekhne lage. Unhein samajh nahi aa raha tha ki Khushi itni chup kyun hai.

Agle kuch din bilkul ajeeb guzre. Khushi zyada tar apne room mein hi rehti. Na vo kisi se zyada baat karti… na ghar se bahar jaati. Kabhi kabhi maa usse khana khane ke liye bulati to vo chupchaap aa kar table par baith jaati. Aur fir bina kuch bole wapas apne room mein chali jaati.

Papa bhi ek do baar usse baat karne ki koshish kar chuke the. Lekin Khushi bas chhote chhote jawab de kar chup ho jaati. Ghar mein sabko lag raha tha ki shayad safar ki thakan ki wajah se vo aisa behave kar rahi hai. Aur main bhi bas yahi bol deta

Main :- Thoda rest karegi to theek ho jayegi.

Lekin mujhe pata tha ki baat sirf thakan ki nahi hai. 4 din aise hi nikal gaye. Ek din maine maa papa se kaha

Main :- aap log itne time se kahin ghoomne nahi gaye… agar aap chaho to Char Dham ya kisi teerth yatra par chale jao.

Pehle to vo log mana karne lage.

Lekin maine jaise taise kar ke convince kar liya aur unhein keh diya ki ghar ki tension mat lijiye aur thoda time khud ke liye bhi nikaliye. Finally maa papa maan gaye aur kuch hi din baad maa papa teerth yatra ke liye nikal gaye. Ab ghar mein sirf main aur Khushi the. Lekin ghar ab bilkul khamosh ho gaya tha kyoki ab mere maa papa bhi nahi the.

Ek raat main paani lene ke liye room se bahar nikla. Tabhi meri nazar balcony par padi. Khushi wahan akeli khadi thi. Vo railing ke paas khadi bahar dekh rahi thi.

Raat ka waqt tha. Sadak par halki si light pad rahi thi. Main kuch seconds tak door khada usse dekhta raha. Usne shayad mujhe notice bhi nahi kiya.

Vo bas wahi khadi thi…

Bilkul chup.

Bilkul bejaan.

Uss samay mere dimag mein ek hi baat aayi.

“Uss raat Shimla mein sirf Khushi nahi tooti thi…

uske saath meri zindagi bhi kahin ruk gayi thi.”

Main kuch seconds tak wahan khada raha. Fir dhire dhire Khushi ke pass ja kar khada ho gaya.

Uss raat mujhe laga tha… shayad kahani yahin khatam ho gayi hai. Lekin mujhe nahi pata tha… ki 

ye to sirf shuruaat thi.

                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                 THE END