Raat ke sannate ko cheerati huyi shahari aabadi se door jangalo aur chhoti chhoti pahadiyo ke beech se apani puri raftaar se nikalati train ke adhikansh musafir yaa to soye hue the yaa baithe-baithe oongh rahe the. Isee train ki A.C.1st class ke ek cabin me baithi huyi Niharika apane haatho me pakade apane appointment letter ko baar baar dekh rahi thi. Is letter ko dekhate huye usakee aankho ke samane apane pariwaar ke sadasyo ke chehare rah rah kar saamane aa raha thaa. Vo soch rahi thi ki kyaa ab mai apane pariwaar par aaye aarthik sankat kaa saamana karane me kuchh madad kar paungi?
Abhi kuchh din pahale to sab thik thaak chal hee raha thaa magar Papa ke achanak lakawe (paralyze ) ke shikaar ho jane se jaise saari khushiyaa bikhar gayi ho. Papa ek kabil vakeel the jinaki practice bahut jyada to nahi magar haa, gujar basar aur humaare jaruri kharcho ke liye paryapt se jyadaa hee thee. Ghar me kul jama 5 sadasya the mummy,papa, chhotaa bhai jo Medical entrance ki taiyaari kar rahaa thaa, ek chhoti behan jo Engineer ban’ne ka khwaab sajaye baithi thi aur paanchavi sadasyaa yani mai khud Niharika! apane maa-baap ki sabase badi aur samajhdaar santaan. Papa ki tarah mai bhi ek imaandaar vakeel ban’naa chahti thi aur achchhe marks ke saath apapani padhayi puri karate huye LLB ke aakhiri semester kaa exaam dene ke baad Papa ke saath unaki assistant ke taur par apani practice shuru karane jaa hee rahi thi ki Papa ke sath ye durghatanaa ghat gayi. Bechaare! Achchhe khaase hum sabse baat karate karate unake haath pair me eithan (sinking) shuru ho gayi aur jabade tedhe ho gaye . maa! Jo puri tarah se ek gharelu mahilaa thi, ne badi mushkilo kaa samana karate huye hum sabko sambhalane ki koshisi jaari rakhi . magar pareshaaniya thi ki ek ke baad ek aati hee chali jaa rahi thi. Ghar ki savings papa ke ilaaj me dhire dhire khatam hoti chali jaa rahi thi. Aise me meraa apane pariwaar ke liye kuchh naa kuchh karane ka jazbaa mujhe kachotataa rahataa tha magar mai kyaa karati? Ek vakeel ke taur par meri koyi pehchaan bani nahi thi to mushkil se mai din me 2-3 halafnaamaa (affidavit) banawaa kar 100-150Rs. Hee kama paa rahi thi jisase aaj ke daur me mere dono bhai-behano ki school fees bhee nahi bhari ja sakati thi . ek hataashaa, ek bechaini mujh par chhati jaa rahi thi. Papa ne to bistar pakad hee liyaa thaa Maa kaa hasataa khilkhilaataa cheharaa bhee chand dino me chintaa ki lakeero se bani jhurriyo se bhar gaya thaa.
Fir ek din news paper me naukar khojate huye meri najar iss vigyapan par padi jo mujhe kuchh kaam kaa laga "We required a young Lawyer who can work for us for next 16 months without taking any leave in Rajnagar. Home,food and medical facilities shall be provided. Freshers/newly-graduate can also apply for the same (Aavashyakataa hai ek yuvaa vakeel ki jo agale 16 maheene tak binaa kisi chhutti ke Rajnagar me rahate huye kaam kar sake . aavaas, bhojan aur chikitseey (medical) suvidhaaye pradaan ki jaayengi. Na-Tajurbekaar bhee apply kar sakate hain.)" Ye padhate hee meri aankho me chamak aa gayi.Rajnagar humaare shahar se 6 ghante ki doori par basaa ek badaa aur teji vikasit hotaa pahadi shahar thaa. ye 16 mahine waali shart ko lekar mann thodaa vichalit huaa par haalaat ko dekhate huye aur koyi chaara bhee nahi thaa. Vaise jo salary offer kari thi un logo ne vo to meri aur mere pariwaar ki jarurato ke liye paryapt thee. Aashaa bhare mann se maine binaa maa se puchhe apply kar diyaa.
Niyat samay par telephonic interview huaa jisame kuchh technical aur kuchh personal sawaal jaise……. karya ke prati pratibaddhata aur samarpan , flexible hours me bhi kaam karane kaa dhairya tathaa aur kuchh sawaal mere kaam se sambandhit(legal matters) jinakaa jawaab maine apani kaabliyat se badh kar diyaa thaa. Dar-asal ye naukari Raj nagar ke mash’hoor vakeel Chandra Shekhar Rai ki personal assistant ke liye thi jo raj nagar tathaa pure desh me rai saheb ke naam se jaane jaate the. Khair kismat ne saath diyaa aur mera appointment ho gaya. Jab maine maa ko apanee naukari ke bare me bataaya to aashaa ke vipareet unhone dab’dabaayi aankho se mujhe manjuri dedi . shayd vo bhee haalaat ke aage past ho gayi thee. Tabhi train ko ek jhatakaa laga aur Niharika apanee soch se vapas vartmaan me aa gayi. Khidaki se idhar udhar dekhane par pata laga ki koyi chhota sa station tha jaha kisi dusari superfast train ko pass karane ke liye iss train ko rokaa gaya thaa. Thodi der baad train chal padi, Niharika ke cabin ke darwaje par thap thapaane ki aawaj aayi jise sun kar usane darwaje ko khol diyaa , samane T.T. ek aadami ke saath khada thaa. Puchhane par usane batayaa ki ek berth (shayikaa) usko mil rahi hai. Niharika ko bhala is baat se kya aapatti ho sakati thi vo chupchaap apani berth par sone chali gayi. Rajnagar aane me abhi 1-1.5 ghanta bachaa thaa jise vo sote huye bitaanaa chahti thi.
Naye aagantuk ne apani berth jo Niharika ke samane wali thi par apanaa aasan jama liya thaa. Usaki nashe me dubi huyi laal laal ghurati aankho ne Niharika ko kafi asahaj kar diya thaa . sharaab ke bhabhake se usakaa saans lena mushkil ho raha thaa. Achanak cabin ka darwaja khol kar kale kapado me ek shakhs andar daakhil hota hai jise dekh kar samane wali berth par lete huye aadami ki ghuti huyi cheekh nikal jati hai aur vo uchhal kar Niharika ki berth par pahuch jata hai. Apane jeb se chaaku nikaal kar vo Niharika ki gardan par rakh deta hai. Ye sab itani teji se hota hai ki Niharika ke kuchh samajh me hee nahi aata aur vo aawaak ye sab dekhati rah jati hai. Jab usaki najar kale kapado vale shakhs par padati hai tab vo paati hai ki kale kapade wale ne apane chehare ko kisi muffler jaise kapade se dhak rakha hai. Kale kapade wale shakhs ki aankho me duniya jahan ki nafarat dekhi ja sakati thi magar vo ekdum nihatthaa khada thaa aur pure itminaan se Niharika ko upar se neeche tak dekh raha thaa. Niharika ki gardan par Chaaku rakhe huye aadami ne Niharika ko usaki berth se uthaa kar apane aur kale kapade waale shakhs ke beech me khada kar diyaa.
Niharika ko itanaa to samajh me aa gaya ki in dono ki koyi purani dushamani hai magar abhi is vakt vo kya kare ye nahi samajh paa rahi thi. Cabin me maujood teeno logo me se koyi kuchh bhi nahi bol raha tha par jaha Niharika aur chaku wale aadami ki saanse teji se chal rahi thi wahi kale kapade wala shakhs bina kisi bechaini aur afara-tafari ke aaraam se khada un dono ko hure jaa raha thaa. Niharika ne badi mushkil se apani najare kale kapade wale shakhs ki aankho se milaayi magar naa jane kya thaa usaki aankho me, vo uskaa taab seh naa saki aur apani najare neechi kar li. Chaku wale aadami ne kale kapade wale aadami se kaha …… mai jaanataa hu ki tu iss ladaki ko koyi nuksaan nahi pahuchaa sakataa, ab chupchaap apani jeb me rakhaa revolver mere hawale kar de aur chala jaa yaha se. mai tujhe kuchh nahi karungaa.kale kapade wale shakhs ne bade itminaan se apani jeb me rakha revolver nikaal kar apane haath me le liyaa. A.C cabin me bhi bechari Niharika ka pura sharer darr ke mare paseene tar-batar ho gaya thaa. Vo thar thar kaanp rahi thi aur is musibat me apane aaraadhy Bhagwaan ko yaad kiye jaa rahi thi. Kale kapade wale shakhs ne apane haath me pakadi revolver ko seedhaa kiyaa aur aur chaku wale aadami ki aankho me dekhate huye Niharika ki tango ke beech me se dikh rahi usaki tango par fire kar diya. Goli sidhi chaku wale ke daaye pair me lagi.aur vo cheekhata huaa gir gaya.
Niharika ki gardan par chaku ka halka sa ghaav aagaya tha jiski vajah se vaha khoon ki ek lakeer dikhane lagi. Kale kapade wale shakhs ne aage badh kar Niharika ko usaki berth par bitha diyaa aur khud chaaku wale aadami ko laato se marane laga . usaki aankho me duniya jahaan ki nafarat samayi huyi thi. Chaku wala aadami har laat par halaal hote memane ki tarah karaah raha thaa. Usaki har karaah aur abhi tak chali eklauti goli ki aawaj train ke shor me dab jaa rahi thi. Laat maarate-maarate jab kale kapade wala shakhs thak gaya tab usane Niharika ke paas rakhi paani ki bottle se paani piya aur gira huaa chaku utha kar apane sidhe haath me le liyaa. Usaki manshaa samajh kar Niharika ne apane dono haatho se apanaa cheharaa chhipaa liyaa. Ab usake kaano me sirf chaku ki khachhhh khachhhhhhhh ke saath chaku wale aadami ki ghuti huyi cheekh hee sunaayi pad rahi thi. Phir kuchh der baad jab use ehsaas huaa ki ab koyi aawaj nahi aa rahi hai to usane darate darate apani aankhe kholi to saamane ka najaara dekh kar usaki ghighee bandh gayi. Kale kapade wala shakhs ab aaraam se usaki saamane wali berth par aankhe moonde baithaa thaa aur cabin ke farsh par us chaku wale shakhs ki laash buri tarah se kati fati haalat me padi thi. Niharika ki saanse ab tak ukhadi huyi thi vo ab bhee thar thar kaanpe jaa rahi thee.
Tabhi kale kapade wale shakhs ki aawaj dheemi aawaj usake kano me padi ……. Tum! Ghabaraao mat , ye issi layak thaa . meri tumase koyi dushmani nahi hai aur mai tumhe kuchh bhi nuksaan nahi pahuchaaungaa. Bas agala station aane tak mai yaha rukungaa usake baad mai chala jaaungaa. Niharika bas chupchaap apani ukhadi huyi saanso ke saath use dekhe chale ja rahi thi. Itani jaghanya hatya karane ke baad bhi usake chehare par ratti bhar shikan nahi dkhayi de rahi thi. Station aaya aur vo kale kapade wala shakhs cabin se bahar chala gaya. Jate jate usane laash par thookaa aur chaku tatha revolver apane saath le gaya.
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