Chapter - 3
Saans lena bhi mere liye kathin tha. Kamla to mujhe ghar tak chhod ke laut chukithi. Lekin mein andar kaise jaati, aur Mamaji aur Mami se nazar kaise milati jab unhone itna bada chhal mere saath kiye the. Dimag me sirf do baatein goonj rahithi – ki meri Maa jibeet thi aur mein unki bin-biyahi beti thi. Mere anjaanemehi aankhonse do dhaar beh uthe aur darwaza ke bahar farsh per me tham se baith gayee. Kuchh nahin sujh rahatha ki mein karun kya aur kaise…………
Thodi der baad mein khud ko sambhala aur andar dheere se ghuskar seedha sauchalaya me ghusi. Sisakna band ho gaya tha aur dil ki dhadkan bhi normal ban rahe the. Sabun dekar munh-haath-paon achhi tarah saaf kiya aur bahar nikal kar Mami ke andar chali.
“Kitna der laga di”, Mami boli, “Chal khane ko.”
“Mereko bilkul bhookh nahin he mami. Itne saare log najaane mujhe kitna khila chuke – aur lungi to ulti aajaegi”, mein jitna sambhav swabhabik dhang se boli.
Phir bagal me baithe Mamaji ki aur dekhi jo mujhe thoda ajeev andaz se dekh rahe the. Us waqt mein bahut asmanj stithi me thi aur wahan ek pal bhi rukna nahin chahthi thi. Mami ki aur munh pherate maine kaha “Kaafi thak gayee hun – chali sone…”
Peeche ki taraf hi moodithi ki Mamaji ka awaz suna.
“Wo tere aankhon kyon laal padein hai.?”
Pal ke liye ruk gaya meri dhadkan. Kya bataoon?.... Phir ek rasta dikha.
Ghoom kar unse boli “Sabun ki pani ankhon me chali gayi” aur dobara ghoom kar apne kamre me chali ayii. Ek musibat tal gaya – ye sochhta hua bistar per let gayee.
Lekin neend kahan se aati …. …. Wo tufan jo mere dil me jaag gaya tha ….. aur kuch der ke liye hi bas tham gaya tha … fir se jaag utha. Maa kaisi thi … baba kaun the … dono kaise mile … kyon shaadi nahin ki … baba kyun chhod diya maa ko or maa kyon mujhe chhodke chali aur kahan --------raat bhar ye sab bhabnaonme ubti dubti rahi. Sochte sochte sirf karwat hi badalati rahi kyonki in saare sawalon me se mere paas ek ka bhi uttar nahin tha…..
Kaafi der subah uthkar naasta kar rahithi ( Mami itna byast thi ki sirf laal ankhen dikhane ke ilawa unke paas samay hi nahin tha) – tab Mamaji baharse laute aur mujhe unke saath bagichha jaane per kaha. Wo mera haath pakad kar abad khabad rah se nikalte rahe the lekin meri udasipan kab tak unse chhup pata!
“Kya hua he tereko? Itna chupchap kyun hai?
Mein unko kya bolti … … mere andar ka toofan ke baare … … jisme unka bhi kirdar tha …
“Kuchh nahin mama, bus raat ko theekse neend nahin hui………”
“Wo kyun?”
Mein chup rahi.
“Bolna…”
“Pata nahin….” Maine abhimaan bhara swar me meine uttar di
“Aakhir mauka de raha hun tujhe, such such bata”, thoda kadakbhara awaz me we bole issbaar.
Lekin mein chup rahi … … nahin batanunga unko … … jo unhone mere saath itna dino tak chhalkapat kar rakha hain…………………………..
Tab tak ham aam ke bagiche me pahunch gaye the. Charon taraf aam se ladein hue ped. Isse pehle ki mein kuchh samajh paun unhone mujhe ek ped ke tane ki khilaf daba di aur bole “Chadh … … wo bali sakhan me pakke hue aam dikh rahen hain, jaa unhe ukhad.”
Mein to hairan reh gayee. “Mujhe kahan aati hai ped chadne ka.”
“Iss me kya rakha hai … … tere umar me mein to nariyal ka ped bhi chadhtatha”, ye kehkar unhone mujhe neeche se thoda utha diya aur mere haath pair wo bali sakha per aagaye. “Sabash, ab badh ja age ki aur”, unki ye baat sunkar dheere dheere upar uthne lagi. Mujhe to andaza nahin tha kaise chadha jaye magar ye apratyashit anubhuti kaafi romanchkar lagta tha. Age badhkar mein un pakke aamon tak pahunchne wali thi ki wo daali dabne laga. Dar kar mein neeche dekhi to dar se sihri uthi – kyonki Mamajise karib 10-12 foot neeche khade the.
“Dekhti kya, chal thoda age aur tod un falonko”, Mamajine uskaya. Ati santarpan se, wo shakha jo mere wajan ke karan dabta ja raha tha, maine age jaate hue aam toden aur Mamaji ki taraf giraya. Wo ek aam ko munh me lekar nichhode aur khatam hone ke baad fenk di. “Bah, bahut swadist”, unhone bataya aur mere aur dekhkar bole “Ab mein chala.”
“Mamaji, ruko”, maine uparse pukara aur peeche sisakne ki kosish ke utarne ke liye. Mujhe kya maloom tha ki chadhne se 5 guna kathin utarna hota hai. Wo daal to khatrewali dhang se jhuk gaya aur dar ke karan mera paseena chhuti. “Mamaji”, mein chillayi, “utaro mujhe”.
“Kyun, ab tu to itni badi hogayee ki apni samasya saajha karne ke liye mama ki jarurat nahin hai… … aja apne aap… … mein to chala.”
Mein unki chal theek samajh gayee – jo baat nikalwana chahthese mujhse. Mcchi tarah malum tha ki wo kab bhi mujhe chhodke nahin jasakte the. Akadkar mein boli, “Theek hai jao, mein yahan per baithi hi rahungi. Marungi yahan.”
“Oho aisi baat, to best of luck. Wo pisachin tujhe paakar bahot khus hogi. Bye.”
“Ruko …. …. Pisachin kya bole?”
“Wo jo log kehte hain ki ek buddhi aurat, bikhre hue baal, lambe lambe nakhun, safed sadhi me yahan raat me idhar ghumti hai - usise apni saare baatein kar lena.”
“Bhoot hai kya?”
“Bhoot nahin , pisach … jo sirf nar maansh hi khaate hain… …”
Bhaya se kaamp uthi mein. Aaspas koi aadmi dikh nahin raha tha … … Charo taraf sirf sannata hi sannata. Pasina chuth rahatha mera … …
Mein aur nahin sambhal payee. “Maa ke baare me jaan gayee jo….” Mein phut phut kar rone lagi.
“Oh itni si baat. Ruk pagli.” Ek minute me wo chadh kar mere pas agaye aur mujhe sambhalte hue neeche le aye.
Mein neech baithi siskiyan le rahithi jab ki wo pyar se mera sar per haath pher rahethe. Phir unhone mujhe ek aam diya aur usko chuste chuste me shaant ho gayee.
“Pagli kahinki. Bhoot, pret, pisach – mera beti hokar ye sab rakha hai dimag me. Waisa kuchh bhi nahin hota – samjhi?”
“Meri Maa kidhar hai?”, sisakte hue maine puchhi.
“Hogi rasoi me – kya maloom – subah se to Dinu ke saath lagi he ghar ki safai me …”
“Mein Mami ki baat nahin kar rahin hu. Maa yaani ki meri Maa.”
“Kya? Main to ab tak samajh raha tha ki Mami ko hi apni Maa samajh rahithi tu.” Ek lambi saans chhodke “Chalo bata detehein unko ki teri wo Maa banne me koi kami dikhayi hogi… kyonki Dipti ab koi nai maa ki talash kar rahi hai.”
“Aisa kuchh bola toh … toh …”, mein jhenp gayee , “Kabhi baat nahin karungi aapse”
“Theek hai nahin karunga”, unhone aur ek aam badhaya mere taraf. Mein jhat se lekar chusne lagi usko. Kuchh der khamoshi chalta raha. Phir meri Maa ki yaad agayi. Mamajise to kuchh hasil nahi hone wala tha. Shayad Maa ne kuchh aise hi kaand ki hogi ki unke baare me Mamaji ek shabd bolne ki liye tayaar nahin the … … ankhonsme phir aansoon agaye… …
“Karamjali hun mein”, mein sisakte hue boli.
“Ye kya, ye kya… kya boli? … … Karamjali? … … Mujhe to yad nahin ye sikhate hue ... … Kahan se sikhi ye?”
“Kaambali bai mummy se aisi baat karte hue, sunithi mein.”
“To tu kabse baion se baat karneka tareeka sikhne lagi?”
Mamaji kya kar rahe the, wo mujhe acchi tarah pata tha. Hatasha me boli “Mein jaan gayee hun ki mein ek pehli hun.”
Is baar unhone koi thatta mazak nahin ki. Mere bagal me baith kar ek haath se mujhe gher liya. Thoda gambhir awaz me bataya, “Ye is praant ka pratha hai. Shadi se pehle jab koi baccha ho jata hai to usse pehli bol dete hain. Kuchh farq nahin padta isse. Kyonki idhar ka pratha pregnant ladki ki shadi – iski sehmati nahin deti, wo ladka ladki bachha hone ke baad shadi kar lete hain. Yehi local custom hai.”
Lekin unke uttar se mujhe khaash santushti nahin mili. Mujhe nahin lag raha tha ki Maa ne shadi ki thi. Tab to mere koi baba hot na. Maine baat ko age badhayi. “Aur agar shadi nahin ho payi to?”
“Usssebhi koi fark nahin padta – koi pehli per.”
Wo uth khada hogaye aur mere taraf phirse teekhi nazar me dekha.
“Ek baat sun le Dipti aur future me no further discussion … teri maa Sohini – wo meri sagi behan nahin thi … … aur teri Nana mere baba nahin the … … Sohini unka beti thi aur mein unka bhanja … … yaaniki mein bhi ek pehli hun.”
Stabdh reh gayi mein aur dekhti rahi un tak. Phirse aansoonen ki baadh agayi. Uthkar mein unse kaske lipat gayee aur phut phut kar rone lagi “Maaf kardo Mama… …. Maaf kar do mujhe …. … Mujhe nahin pata tha… …”
Ghar lautne tak mera rona band ho chuka tha aur mein Mami ki taraf jhapti. Unse bhi kas kar bhid gayee aur firse rona suru kar diya. “Meri Maa – kaisi thi wo Mami?”, siskiyon ke beech me puchhi. Unhone mujhe thoda alag kiya aur aansoon pochi. “Meine unhe kabhi nahin dekhi. Jab shadi hokar idhar ayi to woh chal gayee thi.”
“Bahot buri aurat thi na who?” mein rone ki beech puchi.
“Wo kaisi. Jisne itni sundar aur susheel ladki ko janam de saki – kaise buri ho sakti hai wo.”
Mami ki mamta bhari drishti ne mere saare ankehpayee bednaon se mujhe mukti diladi aur sukoon ke saath mein unse lipt gayee.