Raat ka samay

Mishra parivaar raat ka bhojan kar Ruhana ke kamre mei jama hue hai. Waise toh bhojan naam matra ke liye tha lekin usse khane ki peeda bahut. Ek ek niwala bahut muskil se khaya gaya Mishra parivaar se aur uska kuch karan tha jis daur se wo gujar rahe hai wo aur adhiktar dopahar se hi jo saare rishtedar phone pe phone karke dukh aur dukh se jyada vyangpurwak taane diye parivaar ko uss wajah se.

Waise toh Mishra ji ko iss baat se koi fark nahi padaya siwaye iske ki Ruhana, unki jaan se pyari beti ko itna kuch sunna padd gaya wo bhi bina kissi galti ke. Par Shakuntala bahut udash thi, aaj kai logon ne fir usse iss baat ka ehsas dilaya ki wo Mishra ji ko ek beta nahi de pai jiss wajah se aaj parivaar pe itna bada dhabba laag gaya.

Yun toh Mishra ji ne spasth roop se Shakuntala ko samjha diya ki wo aisi baat na soche aur Ruhana pe dhyan de, par logon ke taano ne unhe ek baar fir jhinjhor diya. Aur uska natija aab ye raha ki wo kuch gum sum khamosh si Ruhana ke bagal mei baithi hai aur uske baal sehla rahi hai. Ruhana apna sar apni maa ke god mei rakh, aankhein band kar ke leti hai aur Mishra ji uske bagal mei baithe hai, apni beti ke so jaane ka intezaar kar rahe hai.

''Meri wajah se aap dono ko bahut takleef hui na maa - papa!"

Ruhana ka aisa kathan sun ke Mishra ji aur Shakuntala dono chaunk gaye, aisa kya jo gaya jo unki beti aise bol rahi hai? Kahin Shakuntala aur unke rishtedaaro ki baat toh nahi sun li usne?

Dono jun sehem gaye, ek tuk ek duje ko dekha aur iss se pehle Mishra ji kuch kehte Shakuntala bol padi.

''Nahi beta aisa nahi hai, tumhari wajah se bhala humei koi takleef ho sakti hai? Bilkul nahi!! Tum toh humari jaan ho, gurur ho humara. Tumhari wajah se humei kabhi koi takleef nahi ho sakti!'' Apni beti ko ashwasan dilate hue Shakuntala boli toh aankhe khol Ruhana ne apni maa ki aur dekha. Itna toh wo samajhti hai ki unke mata pita bhale jitne udash ho unse kabhi apni bat jahir nahi karenge aur na hi ye mehsus hone denge unke kya beet rahi hai, khair, Shayad mata pita aise hi hote hai. Apne bachon ke dard ko bhanp lete hai aur unhe koi aanch nahi aane dete saath hi apna dard bachon se chupa lete hai.

Ruhana jaan rahi thi ki uske mata pita bhale na bole par rishtedaaron ki baaton ne takleef toh unhe pahuchai hai. Aaj tak unke mata pita ne kabhi kissi ka bura nahi chaha balki jitna ho saka utni madad ki sabki, par aaj jab unhe musibat aai toh sab ilzaam lagane lage, taane marne lage, unhe dosi thehrane lage, kyun? Kyunki unhe koi beta nahi balki ek beti hai!? Kya itni chhoti soch rakhte hai log?

Shakuntala ne fir pyar se Ruhana ke sar pe haath phera aur so jaane ko kaha. Ruhana ne aankh band kar li, sawal toh kai the par filhal unhe apni maa ki baat maan so jana sahi laga.

Mishra ji ne nazar bhar Shakuntala ko dekha aur muskuraye. Wo khush the ki Shakuntala ne Ruhana ko sambhal liya aur uske sawal ko bhi par kahin na kahin ye samajh chuke the ki ye sawal aur badhenge hi, chahe aaj ya kuch din badh hi!

....

Sharma Niwas

Ujale ne andhere ka roop dharan kar liya aur badhte andhere ke saath Sharma parivaar dard ki gehrai mei doobta chala gaya. Vineet kamre mei band hi raha, Karan aur Birju bahar baithe rahe unhe kitni baar khane ke liye bulaya gaya par wo nahi gaye kyunki Vineet nahi nikla kamre se toh wo dono bhi na hile.

Niche Phulmati ke ilawa shayad hi kissi ne dhang se khaya. Dhang se toh Phulmati ne bhi nahi khaya par dawai leni hoyi hoti hai unhe uske liye khana toh tha hi.

Shukla ji aur Kishori ji ne do ji wale se jyada na khaya toh wahin Sharma ji ne khane ko haath tak nahi lagaya. Akhir lagate bhi kaise, bete ne subha se kuch nahi khaya tha toh wo khud kaise kha lete?

Par jab kuch waqt aur beet chala, raat aur gehri ho gayi aur mohalle mei sannata sa cha gaya toh ek thali mei khana liye Sharma ji Vineet ke kamre ke pass pahuche. Dekha toh Karan aur Birju wahan baithe hue the.

''Tum dono niche jao aur khana kha lo. Raat bhi kaafi ho gayi hai, so jana!" Sharma ji ne dono ladkon ko jaane ka adesh diya.

''Par Bhai!?" Dono ne chinta jatai.

''Uss se main baat kaeta hoon tum dono jao!" Sharma ji ne dono ko aaswasan diya par ladkon ko bharosha nahi hua.

''Kaha na jao, samajh nahi aata tum dono ko? Har baar zidd karna jaruri hai??" Sharma ji dono pe barse toh ladkon ne sar niche jhuka liya aur chup chap niche chale gaye.

Sharma ji ne ek gehri saans bhari, mann ko majbut kiya aur Vineet ke kamre mei ghushe. Chharo aur andhera chaya hua tha, khidkiyan tak band thi jis se na koi awaz, na hi koi roshni andar aa rahi thi. Sharma ji ne light jalai toh ujala chah gaya, kamre mei nazar phera toh paya ki Vineet palang se tik ke niche jameen pe baitha hai, sar niche jhukaye. Sharma ji ke itne hulchul karne pe bhi usne sar utha ke apne pita ko nahi dekha.

Apne hamesha chahalte bete ko itna shant dekh Sharma ji ki ruh kaanp gayi. Aaj se pehle unhone Vineet ko kabhi itna shant nahi dekha tha, chahe wo jitna beemar ho kabhi aise shant nahi baitha. Par aaj, wo ghane jungle ki tarah shant hai.

Sharma ji ne fir ek lambi gehri sans bhari aur Vineet ke pass jaa baithe, uske samne khane ki thali rakh di.

''Khana kha lo!" Dheeme swar mei Sharma ji bole.

''Bhookh nahi hai papa!" Utne hi dheeme swar mei, sar niche kiye Vineet ne jawab diya. Aaj usse mehsus ho raha tha wo apne pita se nazre milane layak nahi raha, unke samne sar utha ke baat kare iss layak aab wo nahi raha.

''Kyun?" Kuch kathore hote hue Sharma ji ne pucha.

Vineet chup raha kyunki uske pass Sharma ji ke kyun ka jawab nahi tha. Hota bhi kya? Kya itna kuch hone ke badh usse bhookh laag sakti hai? Bhale usne kuch nahi kiya ho par poore mohalle mei badnaami toh ho hi gayi aur sirf uski nahi, uske mata oita ki bhi. Agar baat sirf uski hoti toh shayad usse koi fark nahi padta kyunki waise bhi kaun usse acha samajh raha tha, itna gira hua nahi par ek acha insaan bhi toh koi usse nahi manta hai. Par uske pita? Unhe toh sab sar jhuka ke adab se baat karte the aaj tak par aaj ussi pita ki nazar mohalle mei ghushte waqt jhuki hui thi. Uski maa jo sabka bhala sochti hai aaj sabke tano ka shikar ho gayi, kyun? Uski wajah se! Itna kuch hone ke badh usse bhookh kaise laag sakti hai ya wo unse nazre kaise mila sakta hai?

''Kya hua? Tu chup kyun hai itna? Aise toh itna bolta rehta tha, jaban ladata tha fir aaj kya hua tujhe?" Vineet ki aur dekhte hue Sharma ji ne pucha.

''Kya bolu papa? Shayad pehle aapki baat maan li hoti toh aaj ye sab nahi hota, aapko aur maa ko meri wajah se sharminda nahi hona padta.'' Itna kehte hi Vineet ka maano gala sukh gaya ho, aankho se aansu chalak aaye aur wo chup ho gaya, Sharma ji bhi chup rahe. Kuch der kamre mei sannata chaya raha, Vineet ne khudko sambhala aur apne pita ko ek nazar dekha toh paya ki wo usse hi dekh rahe the par krodh ya ghrina se nahi balki lachari se. Unke aankhon mei sneh saaf chalak raha tha aur iss chij ne Vineet ko aur jhinjhor kyunki wo jaanta hai uska parivaar majboor hai usse apna ne ko, akhir unke pass chara bhi kya hai?

Sar jhukaye hi par Vineet ne aab apno baat apne pita ke samne rakhne laga, kyunki bhale wo sabki nazar mei gir gaya hai par apne mata pita ke nazron mei nahi girna chahta, jo galti usne nahi ki uske liye apne mata pita ki nazron mei gunehgaar nahi hona chahta hai.
''Main kabhi Aapke dono ko Koi khushi toh nahi de paya, hamesha aapki baat ko tala,apni manmani karta raha. Aur aaj sab ke samne aap dono ka sar jhuka diya. Jaisa aap chahte the main waisa nahi ban paya papa par main itna gira bhi nahi ki kissi ke saath jabardasti karu ya iss baat ko sabke samne bolta firru. Main janta hoon aap mujh se naraz honge kyunki main thane mei chup raha, aap aur maa girgira rahe the aur main chup raha.''

Sar utha ke Vineet ne apne pita ko dekha toh paya ki wo usse hi dekh rahe hai aur saath hi uski maa bhi darwaje pe khadi ho sab sun rahi hai, Vineet ki nazrein apni maa ke aansu dekh fir jhuk gaye. Sharma ji ne Sharda ko andar bulaya, Sharda unki bagal mei aa baith gayi.

''Main..main janta hoon main bura hoon papa par kissi ki izzat aise uchalu, khudko begunah sabit karne ke liye wo saari baat mujh se nahi bola gaya Maa. I'm sorry, main nahi kar paya ye, nahi bola gaya wo sab mujh se. I'm sorry...sorry!!"

Itna kehte hue Vineet phut ke ro pada, usne khud ko sambhal rakha tha aab tak, dil pe ek bojh sa tha jo halka hote hi uske aansu chalak aaye. Sharma ji ne bete ko gale se laga liya, Sharda ne uska matha chum liya aur Vineet, wo bas rota raha, kuch karne ki sudh nahi rahi usse. Par Sharma ji khush the ki bhale hi aaj tak unke bete ne unki nahi suni par itni sharm aur samajhdari toh usmei rahi ki kissi ladki ke baare mei kab kya kehna hai.

Haan, wo jante hai jo unka beta karta hai wo sahi nahi par aaj jo usne kiya wo sarahnya hai. Par saath hi wo ye bhi jante hai baatein aaj suru hi hui hai, unhe rokna jaruri hai kyunki agar isse na roka gaya toh sab tabah ho jaayega aur aisa wo hone nahi denge kissi keemat pe!!!

....

To be continued.