Unknown

Meri aakhon se aansun rukne ka naam nahi le rahe aur na hi mujh mein himmat hai ab aage padhne ki, par main janti hun main ise yun adhura toh nahi chod sakhti.

Mujhe yun rota dekh mere dono bache durr hairani mein khade hain.

“Ye kya le kar baithi hai subha se? Kabhi has rahi thi, muskura rahi thi aur ab ro rahi hai!” Mere chote bete ki awaaz sunai di mujhe par maine mud kar nahi dekha.

“Chalo yahan se Paa ko phone kar bulate hain. Pata nahi mumma ko kya ho gaya hai.” Bade bete ne kaha aur dono waha se bhag gaye.

Main ab bhi apni kitab mein hi dubi hui thi, par mujhe dur se dono ki awaz aa rahi thi jo apne baap ko phone laga kar baithe the.

“Paa! Apki biwi pagal ho gayi hai. Subha se library mein baithi hai. Pehle sunn thi, phir hasne lagi aur ab roo rahi hai.”

Chote bete ki ye baat sun main apni nam aankhon se thoda muskurai aur apni kitab ka akhri safha padhne lagi.

Kali raat ka wo kona, jahan na sitare hain, na chand.

Bas ek andhera…

Jo na sirf aankhon ke aage hai, balki dil ke andar bhi chhaya hua hai.

Us andhere ke beech, ek jhuki si parchaayi.

Heer.

Pehchaan se pare, roop se parheiz mein, sirf ek maa, ek tooti hui aurat,

Jo apni god mein do adhure sapne liye baithi hai.

Doo bache.

Na poori saansein, na poore naam.

Jaise zindagi ne unhe chhoone se pehle hi chhod diya ho.

Heer ka chehra aansuon se bhi zyada khamosh hai.

Uski rooh se ek lori tapakti hai, jise wo dheere dheere gunguna rahi hai.

Har shabd ek zakhm hai.

Har pal, ek saza.

Dono bache roe ja rahe the aur Heer unhe chup karwa rahi thi apne aansun chupate hue.

Tabhi, andhere mein ek halka sa noor sa chha gaya.

Jaise koi poori kaayanat ek pal ke liye uske paas ruk gayi ho.

Heer chhonk gayi aur usne apne dono bachon ko apne seene se kass kar laga liya.

Us roshni se ek roop ubhara.

Wardi ke bina, sirf ek aashiq, ek pativrata pati.

Uski neeli aankhon mein gehri shanti hai, lekin us roshni mein Henry ke haathon par koi lahu ke daag nahi hain.

Jaise pyaar aur paap ka ek aakhri sangam ho.

“Ye apne kya kar diya, colonel saab!” Heer ne kanpti awaz mein pucha aur uski akhon se aur aansun behne lage. “Kyu kiya apne aisa?”

Henry nazarein jhukaye aage badh raha tha. Uski aawaz mein vo thakan hai, jo har jang haar chuka sipahi leke chalta hai.

“What was left, little jewel? You left… our child was gone… Then tell me, who was I supposed to stay loyal to? What was I even living for?” Henry ne pucha.

“Bacha nahi, Colonel Saab. Bache.” Heer ne sisakte hue apne bahein faila kar Henry ko dikhaya aur uske mayusi bhare chehre par ek badi si muskaan aa gayi.

“My babies. Our babies.” Henry ne dheere se kaha aur unhein apni bahon mein lena chaha, par jaise hi usne haath aage badhae, dono bache hawa mein gayab ho gaye.

Jaise unka maqsad pura ho gaya ho.

“Mere bache!” Heer baichaini mein chilla kar apni jagah se uthi par Henry ne use apni bahon mein tham liya. “Colonel Saab, humare bache!” Wo sisakne lagi.

Par tabhi pyari si do awazein asman se sunai di

“Bebe Ji… Ab toh rona bandh karo… Dekho, Bappu Ji aa gaye ab toh.”

“Bappu ji… Aap humare liye wapas aaye… Ab aap dono saath ho. Toh humein ab aur kuch nahi chahiye… Chaliye… ab hum sab ek saath chaltein hain…”

Heer ke aansuon ki dhaar ek pal ke liye ruk gayi. Uski rooh jaise un do awazon ke saath baat karne lagi ho. Usne apni aankhon se aasman ki taraf dekha.

Wahan koi tasveer nahi, par un dono ke dil mein ek ehsaas tha.

Pehli baar, andar ka sannata, sukoon ban gaya hai.

Henry ne muskurate hue apna haath aage badhaya. Na wardi thi, na zimmedari, sirf pyaar, sirf samarpan.

 “Let’s go. Little jewel,” usne kaha, “Let’s go to the ones without whom we are incomplete. To the ones who took a piece of our soul with them. Let’s reunite with the love, the life, the part of us that this world could never hold onto.”

Heer ne haath badhaya. Uske haathon mein ab bhi kampan thi, lekin is baar darr nahi tha. Sirf ek aakhri vishwas tha.

Jaise hi unke haath mile,

Ek narm si roshni un dono ko gherne lagi.

Zameen, asmaan, dard, intezaar, sab pichhe chhoot gaya.

Bas ek roohon ka safar shuru hua.

Wo akhri panktiyan padh jab mere labon par ek sukoon bhari muskan bhi thi chahe aankhon se ashru hi kyu nahi beh rahe the.

Is jahan mein na sahi, chahe us jahan mein hi sahi, Heer, uske bache aur Henry saath to hai.

Ab mere chehre par ek shaant muskaan thi.

Kitab ka akhri panna… Ab sirf ek pankti ke saath band ho gaya.

“Pyaar kabhi khatam nahi hota… Kabhi wo janam se pehle hota hai… Aur kabhi, maut ke baad bhi zinda rehta hai…”

The end…….

Aur tabhi… darwaze par kadamon ki aahat hui aur maine mud kar dekha wo darwaze par khade the humare dono beton ke sath.

Maine kitab utha kar un teeno ki aur bhagi aur unhein apni baahon mein sama liya.

“Paa, maine kaha tha na apki biwi pagal ho gayi hai.”

“Are you alright, tigress?” Unhone chinta mein pucha aur mere dil mein jo baat wo kitab padhte padhte ghoom rahi thi use soch kar meri aankhon mein aur aansun aa gaye.

“Hann, thank you so much.” Maine bas itna hi kaha unki bahon mein simatte hue, aur mere dono bete mujhe hairani mein dekh rahe the.

“For what?”

“For everything.” Maine sisakte hue kaha.

Pata nahi kyu par ye kahani mujhe kuch zyada hi apne dil ke kareeb lagi. Jaise main apna hi koi khoya hua ek hissa padh rahi hun.

“Tigress, what were you reading?” Unhone mere hath se kitab lete hue pucha aur wo aakhri pane ka safha padhne lage. “Who suggested this to you?”

“No one. I found this in your library, and I was surprised to see a Hindi book in your library.” Maine kaha aur unhein kahani sunane lagi.

“She is mad.” Chote bete ne kaha aur waha se bhag gaya kahani puri sunane se pehle.

“Mumma, aap paka theek ho na?” Bade Wale ne chinta mein pucha aur maine use pyar se pyar kiya aur wo bhi hairan pareshan sa waha se chala gaya.

Aur main Hann ko khanai sunane lagi.

Sare kahani sunne ke baad Hann ne kaha, “Tigress, I know what is going on in your mind, but you’re not Heer, and I’m not Henry. That was just a story. There’s no such thing as reincarnation.”

“Acha theek hai, Hann, main Heer nahi hu. Main Samriddhi hun, par aap toh Henry ho na? Aur itne sare coincidence to dekho. Dono ki shadi bhi 18 November ko hi hui humari trha. Main bhi Punjab se hun Heer ki trha. Haa, Amritsar se nahi hun, par hun to Punjab se…”

“And I am not a Britisher, tigress.” Unhone mujhe tokte hue kaha.

“Par bache? Unke bhi 2 bache the.” Maine kaha. “Aur haa, theek hai, main nahi keh rahi ke punarjanam hai ya kuch bhi. Bas mujhe meri delusion mein jeene do ye soch kar ke un dono ki happy ending humare zariye hui hai.” 

Maine bas apna faisla sunaya aur Henry ki bahon mein simat gayi.

"Pata nahi kitni hi aisi kahaniya hongi jo azadi ki ladai mein yun adhuri rahi hongi." Maine udasi mein kaha jo ke sach hai.
Koi nahi janta intehas ke kis panne mein kon sa raaz chupa hai.
•~•~•~•~•

Par wahi dusri aur Henry hairan tha ke uski library mein akhir ye kitab aayi kaha se? Kyunki jahan tak use yaad hai usne kabhi ye kitab na khareedi aur na kabhi dekhi.