5.
Subah ka mahaul waise hi tha jaise har din hota hai — murgi ka kukdukoo, doodh wale ka awaaz lagana, aur galiyon me chhote bachchon ka bastay leke bhaagna.
Maa roti sek rahi thi, belan ka thak-thak sunai de raha tha.
Main ne jaldi se muh-hath dho ke roti, gud aur doodh khaya. Maa ne bola:
“Mere laadle ka school late na ho….”
Main bas halki si muskaan deke nikla, par kal ka jungle ka safar abhi bhi dimaag me ghoom raha hai.
Teacher blackboard pe chalk se likh rahi thi, aur main khidki ke bahar dekh raha tha… Jungle ki tasveer dimaag se ja hi nahi rahi thi.
Main ne Rohan ki taraf jhuk ke dheere se kaha: "Arre sun… tujhe pata hai kya… jungle ke andar kabhi kisi ka khoon hua tha kya?"
Rohan ne pen ghumaate hue meri taraf dekha: "Khoon? Jungle me?… Nahi yaar, mujhe to kuch nahi pata. Kyun pooch raha hai?"
Main ne normal banne ki koshish ki: "Bas aise hi… kal ek ajeeb si feeling aayi wahan se guzar ke. Socha tu gaon ke saare gossip jaanta hai, shayad is bare me bhi pata ho."
Rohan: "Lekin ek hai Shanti Aunty… usse idhar ka udhar aur udhar ka idhar lagane me bahot saal ka experience hai. Gaon ka aisa koi raaz nahi jo uske kaan tak na pahuncha ho.
agar khoon huwa hoga to kabhi na kabhi is khoon ka zikr bhi usne zarur suna hoga."
Main ne curious hote hue poocha: "Achha… kaha milegi? Puchne pe bata degi?"
Rohan ne hansi daba ke kaha: "apne hi gaw ki hai, aur tumhare papa ki rakhail rahi hai kabhi, Par itna samajh le, seedha puchhega to mooh nahi kholegi. Usko kisi zarurat wali cheez ka lalach dena padega… tab shayad baat nikal jaaye."
School se aake main ne socha ki aaj khelne jaunga, par jaise pair apne aap pagdandi ki taraf mud gaye.
Dhoop dheere-dheere dhal rahi thi, hawa me shaam ki nami ghulne lagi thi.
Pagdandi ke dono taraf ghans aur patton ka halkasa hilaav ho raha tha, jaise raasta mujhe bula raha ho. Aage jaake nadi ka kinara dikhne laga. Paani shaant tha, bas kabhi-kabhi koi machhli chhalkar satah tod deti.
Wahi paas me, ek patthar pe Anjali baithi thi, haath me patli si lakdi, jisse wo apni bakriyon ko idhar-udhar se sambhaal rahi thi aur unse bate bhi kar rahi thi.
Uske baal me shaam ki roshni ki ek laali thi, aur hawa ke saath ek-ek lat uske chehre pe aa ja rahi thi.
Main ne muskurate hue kaha: "Bakriyon ke saath meeting chal rahi hai kya?"
Usne sir utha ke dekha, halki si hansi aayi: "Meeting nahi… bas unka dimaag thoda theek rakh rahi hoon. Varna logon ka dimaag kaafi hai pareshani dene ke liye."
Main uske paas baith gaya, patthar uthake nadi me pheka. "Log… ya tumhara koi khaas?"
Usne palak jhapkayi, jaise samajh nahi aaya ya samajh ke ignore kar diya ho. "Bas yahan ka system hi aisa hai… chhoti si baat, aur log tumhe apna faisla suna dete hain. Jaise tum khud kuch soch hi nahi sakte."
Main ne uski taraf dekha, thoda serious hokar bola:"Anjali… tu chahe to pura gaon tere khilaf ho jaye, mujhe farq nahi padta. Main to tere saath rahunga. Aur agar zamana beech me aaya na… to usko bhi side me kar dunga."
Wo kuch pal chup rahi, aankhon me ek ajeeb si chamak thi. "Tu aisa kyun bol raha hai? Main kaun si teri apni lagti hu hoon…"
Main uski baaton par halka sa muskara diya, lekin awaaz me ek gehraapan tha: "Apni…?"
Main ne nadi ke paani ki taraf dekha aur dheere se bola: "Apnapan rishton se nahi… ehsaas se hota hai. Aur mujhe tu pehli baar mili thi tab se lagta hai… tu mere apne jaisi hi hai. Shayad apne se bhi zyada."
Anjali ne ek pal ke liye aankhon se aankhon milayi fir boli: "Gaon wale aisi baatein sun lenge to teri zindagi mushkil ho jayegi… samjha kar."
Main ne thoda aage jhuk ke, halki si hansi ke saath kaha: "Mushkil zindagi se dar lagta to main tere se bat bhi nahi karta."
Anjali ne thoda sa dupatta apne sir par khinch liya, jaise hawa ke jhonke ke saath apne jazbaat bhi chhupa rahi ho. Wo dheere se boli:
"Tu samajhta kyun nahi, Amit… mere liye ye baatein sapne jaise hain, par gaon ki nazar sapno ko sach nahi hone deti."
Main ne uski baaton ka wazan mehsoos kiya, lekin halki si muskaan ke saath jawab diya:
"Jo sapne hum apni aankhon se dekhte hain, unka sach banana bhi to humare haath me hota hai. Tu sirf ek baar keh de… main baaki sab dekh lunga."
Usne kuch nahi bolafir, kuch pal baad usne kaha: "Chal, der ho rahi hai. Bakriyan bhi bechain ho rahi hain."
Jaise hi wo uthi, dupatte ka ek kona mere kandhe ko chhoo ke nikal gaya. Us chhoti si chhooan ne mere dil me ek ajeeb si kasak chhod di… jaise kuch kehna baaki reh gaya ho.
Nadi ke kinaare se wapas lautte hue, jungle ki ghani ped-paudhon wali gali se guzarte waqt ek halki si itr ki mehek hawa me ghoom gayi.Main ne pal bhar ke liye kadam rok diye—ye mehek is jungle me bilkul ajnabi thi. Aage dekha to ek aurat khadi thi. koi 42-45 sal ki, Unke badi badi choochi, 32 ki kamar aur 42 ki chaudi badi gaand
peeli saree ka aanchal hawa me halki si lehrata hua. Haath me ek purane lakdi ke tokre me ghas aur patte. Unki aankhon ka kaajal purana shayari wala tha — jisme aadha muskaan, aadha raaz chhupa hota hai.
Ek pal ko laga, jaise wo mujhe dekh ke pehchan gayi ho, par kuch boli nahi.
Main aage badha, "Namaste… aap yahan jungle me?"
Unhone tokra zameen pe rakha aur muskaan ke saath jawab diya, "Jungle mera hi to hai… main to yahan roz aati hoon."
Main ne thoda hansi me bola: "Aap kaun hain waise?"
Unhone peeli saree ka aanchal thoda sambhal ke bola, "Log mujhe Shanti kehte hain"
Naam sunte hi Rohan ki baat dimaag me ghoom gayi — "Gaon ka koi raaz nahi jo uske kaan tak na pahuncha ho." aur "tere papa ki rakhail thi"