8.
Gaon me Navratri ki ronak din-ba-din badh rahi thi. Mandir ke aangan se lekar chowk tak har jagah rang, kapde, phool aur dhoop ki khushboo ghul gayi thi. Main jab mandir ke paas pahucha to dekha—angan me khambe khode ja rahe the jahan pandal ka kapda bandhna tha. Bachche aas-paas ghoom kar masti kar rahe the, aur jawaan ladke-budhe milke tent ke bamboos khade kar rahe the.
Maine bhi bina soche samjhe bamboo uthaya aur ladkon ke saath milkar khambe gadhne laga. Pasina poore chehre pe aa gaya tha, par mujhe accha lag raha tha… jaise main gaon ka ek hissa ban gaya hoon.
Kisi kone me do auratein baithe kapde ki mala piro rahi thi. Unke beech me baat chal rahi thi: “Pichhle saal to nautanki wale ne Radha-Krishna ka khel dikhaya tha, is baar sunne me aa raha hai Harishchandra ki kahani lekar aayenge.”
Dusri aurat muskaan ke sath boli: “Aur bata rahe hain ki iss baar bade jhule bhi lagne wale hain. Bachche to khush se pagal ho gaye hain.”
Mere kaan tak ye baatein pahunche hi the ki kuch log mere baare me bhi fus-fusane lage: “Arre, Rajveer ka launda bhi kaam kar raha hai!”
Main ne bas halka sa smile diya, jaise kuch suna hi na ho.
Meri nazar thodi door gayi—Anjali ladkiyon ke saath baithi thi. Wo phool mala piro rahi thi aur kabhi-kabhi hansi aa jaati thi jab koi ladki usse chhed deti. Main kaam karte-karte baar-baar us taraf nazar daal deta. Ek pal aisa aaya jab hamari aankhein takra gayi. Hum dono ne ek chhoti si awkward smile di aur turant nazar chura li. Mera mann hua ki uske paas jaake baat karun, par dil me ek hi sawaal ghoom raha tha—“log kya kahenge?”
Tabhi Anjali ki dost Rupa aa gayi. Usne hum dono ko ek saath dekha aur hansi daba kar boli – “Arre wah, pandal lagane ka kaam chhodo… yahan to alag hi pandal saj raha hai.”
Anjali turant nakhre se boli – “Bas kar Rupa, faltu baatein mat bana.”
Rupa ne kandhe uchaakar kaha – “Arey sach me, Amit bhaiya kaam karte hue bhi bas ek hi taraf dekhte rehte hain.”
Main ne muskurate hue jawab diya: “Aur tumhe sab dekhne ka time milta hai, Rupa?”
Rupa ne hasi rokte hue bola – “Haan, main na sab notice karti hoon… tum dono ko bhi aur gaon ke logon ko bhi.”
Anjali uski baat pe thoda sharma gayi aur nigaah jhuka li. Main chup-chaap kaam me lag gaya, par mere chehre pe ek halka sa smile chipak gaya tha, jo jaane ka naam hi nahi le raha tha.
Thodi der me kaam nipta kar main ghar gaya, khana khaya aur fir shaam ko mandir ke paas laut aaya. Suraj dhal raha tha aur amavasya se pehle wali shaanti gaon ki hawa me ghul gayi thi.
Mandir ke aas-paas ladke-ladkiyan pandal ka kapda latka rahe the, aur buzurg baith kar jagah bata rahe the—“Yahan kachori wala, udhar bangles wali, wahaan nautanki ka stage.” Sabko jaldi thi, kyunki Satmi ko mela lagna tha.
Meri nazar phir usi taraf gayi. Anjali apni saheliyon ke saath baith kar deepak saja rahi thi. Usne ek pal ke liye aankh uthayi aur mujhe dekha. Uski ek saheli turant usse chidhate hue boli – “Arre dekh, nagar se aake kaise chamak raha hai tera… Amit babu.”
Anjali ne bas hansi daba li, par uske chehre ki halki si laali main door se bhi dekh pa raha tha.
Mandir se lautte waqt andhera thoda gehra ho chuka tha. Main soch raha tha ki seedha ghar chala jaun, par kadam apne aap Shanti aunty ke ghar ki taraf mud gaye.
Darwaza aadha khula tha. Main ne awaaz lagai, “Aunty… ghar par hain?”
Andar se dheemi si khankhankahat aayi, jaise koi purana sandook khol raha ho.
Main andar gaya to dekha, Shanti aunty ek purane kapdon ke bundle me se kuch nikal rahi thi. Unke chehre par ghabrahat aur dard dono ek sath the.
Unhone mujhe dekh kar halki si muskaan di—par usme sukoon nahi tha. “Amit… tum aa gaye? Achha hua.”
Mere dil me sawaal ghoom gaya, “Wo mujhe kya dikhana chahti hain?”
Unhone bundle se ek purana kada nikala. Same design jo mere paas hai Lekin ye zyada ghis chuka tha, jaise saalon se dhool me daba ho.
Meri saansen ruk gayi. “Ye…?”
Shanti aunty ki aankhon me aansu aa gaye. Wo fus fusayi: “Ek aisa insaan… jo apna tha, par kisi aur ne cheen liya. Uski laash nadi ke paas mili thi… aur uske haath me ye hi kada tha.”
Main ne poocha: “Ye kiski laash thi, aunty? Aap khul ke bataiye na!”
Shanti aunty ne apna dupatta aur kas kar liya, jaise apne dil ke raaz chhupana ho. Unki aankhon me kuch aisa tha jo shabd se zyada bol raha tha. Dheere se boli:
“Woh laash ek aise aadmi ki thi… jiska sach samajhna tumhare liye aasaan nahi. Bas itna samajh lo, us aadmi ke marne ke baad hi Rajveer ki taqdeer badli thi.”
Mera dil tez dhadakne laga. “mere bap ki taqdeer… matlab?”
Shanti aunty ne aankhon se aansu pochhe aur bas itna kaha: “Jo kuch tum dekh rahe ho, wo aadha sach hai, Amit. Tumhe abhi tak apne khoon ki asli keemat ka pata hi nahi.”
Meri saansen atak gayi. “Khoon ki keemat… matlab main?”
Unhone mujhe sidhi nazar se dekha, fir pal bhar ke liye nazar jhuka li, jaise kuch keh kar phir se chup ho gayi ho. Dheere se bola:
“Tumhe kabhi kabhi jo sapne dikhte hain na… wo bas sapne nahi. Wo guzre huye palon ki parchhaiyan hain. Aur unhi parchhaiyon me tumhe apna jawab milega.”
Main samajhne ki koshish karta raha, par jitna samajhta, utna hi uljhan badh jaati.
Main ne zor diya: “Par aunty… aap mujhe yeh sab kyun keh rahi ho? Ye sab mere bap se juda hai kya?”
Shanti aunty ka chehra ekdum sakht ho gaya. “Zyada sawal mat karo, Amit. Waqt aane par sab samajh jaoge. Abhi tumhe bas itna yaad rakhna hai—jis sach ko tum dhoondh rahe ho, wo ya to tumhe banayega, ya tod dega.”
Itna kehkar unhone wo kada bundle me daba diya, aur mujhe darwaze ki taraf dhakel diya.
Bahar nikalte hi hawa aur thandi lagne lagi. Raat ki khamoshi me sirf ek hi baat gunj rahi thi
Laash… Rajveer ki taqdeer… aur mere khoon ki keemat.
