Ghar Aangan,,,part 3

Aangan Mein Ek Darwaza Abhi Baaki Hai

Adhyay 3: Woh Kagaz Jo Kabhi Padha Nahi Gaya

Savitri Devi ne lifafa apne haath mein liya aur kuch der tak use dekhti rahi.

Purane kagaz ki khushboo mein jaise tees saal purani yaadein band thi.

Unhone lifafa khola.

Andar ek kagaz tha.

Kagaz ke upar likha tha—

“Savitri, agar kabhi tumhe lage ki tumne apni zindagi mein kuch adhura chhod diya hai, toh ise zaroor padhna.”

Neeche unki purani saheli Kamla ka naam tha.

Savitri Devi ne kagaz padhna shuru kiya.

Kamla ne likha tha ki jis school mein Savitri pehle padhati thi, wahan kuch saalon baad ek naya section shuru hua tha. School ki principal ne Savitri ko wapas bulane ki koshish ki thi.

Lekin Savitri kabhi nahi gayi.

Kyunki us waqt ghar mein unke sasur ki tabiyat kharab thi aur unke bachche bahut chhote the.

Kagaz ke aakhir mein ek line thi—

“Tumne apne ghar ke liye bahut kuch diya hai, Savitri. Lekin apne sapne ko khatam mat samajhna.”

Savitri Devi ki aankhon se aansu gir pada.

Unhone kagaz fold kiya aur wapas lifafe mein rakh diya.

Tabhi darwaze par dastak hui.

“Ma?”

Raghav khada tha.

Savitri Devi ne jaldi se lifafa almari mein rakh diya.

“Kya hua?”

“Pihu ki shaadi ke liye ladke wale agle hafte aa rahe hain.”

Savitri Devi kuch pal chup rahi.

“Achha.”

“Ghar ki taiyaari bhi karni hai.”

“Kar lenge.”

Raghav ne Maa ko gaur se dekha.

“Aap theek hain?”

“Haan.”

“Raat se kuch pareshaan lag rahi ho.”

Savitri Devi ne bas itna kaha—

“Har maa kabhi-kabhi apne bachchon ke baare mein sochti hai.”

Raghav muskuraya.

“Pihu ki fikr mat karo. Sab theek hoga.”

Woh chala gaya.

Savitri Devi ne uske jaate hi almari band kar di.

Unke mann mein ek aur sawaal uth raha tha.

Kya woh apni bahu ke saath wahi kar rahi thi jo kabhi unke saath hua tha?

---

Udhar Meera Pihu ki file dhoondh rahi thi.

“Bhabhi, meri graduation ki marksheet nahi mil rahi.”

“Tumne aakhri baar kahan rakhi thi?”

“Pata nahi.”

Meera ne almari ka ek-ek khaana dekha.

Aakhir use file mil gayi.

“Yeh rahi.”

Pihu ne file lekar khol di.

“Thank you, Bhabhi.”

Meera ne use dekha.

“Pihu, tumhari shaadi ki taiyaari chal rahi hai. Tum khush ho?”

Pihu ne kuch pal socha.

“Pata nahi.”

“Pata nahi?”

“Bhabhi, sab mujhse pooch rahe hain ki shaadi kab karni hai, kya pehenna hai, kitne log bulane hain. Lekin kisi ne mujhse yeh nahi poocha ki main chahti kya hoon.”

Meera bilkul chup ho gayi.

Usne Pihu ke chehre par apna hi chehra dekh liya.

“Tumhe kya chahiye?”

Pihu ne dheere se kaha—

“Main shaadi se pehle apni padhai complete karna chahti hoon.”

Meera ne uska haath pakad liya.

“Phir tumhe yeh baat ghar mein kehni chahiye.”

“Sab mana karenge.”

“Ho sakta hai.”

“Phir?”

“Phir bhi kehna chahiye.”

Pihu ne hairani se bhabhi ko dekha.

“Bhabhi, aap pehle aisi baatein nahi karti thi.”

Meera halki si muskurayi.

“Shayad main bhi badal rahi hoon.”

---

Shaam ko sab dining table par baithe the.

Shankar Prasad ne Pihu se poocha—

“Beta, agle hafte ladke wale aa rahe hain. Tumhe koi taiyaari karni hai?”

Pihu ne plate ki taraf dekha.

“Mujhe ek baat kehni hai.”

Savitri Devi ne uski taraf dekha.

“Kaho.”

“Main apni padhai poori karna chahti hoon.”

Raghav ne turant kaha—

“Shaadi ke baad bhi padh sakti ho.”

Pihu chup ho gayi.

Meera ne dheere se kaha—

“Lekin agar woh ab padhai poori karna chahti hai, toh uski baat bhi suni ja sakti hai.”

Raghav ne Meera ki taraf dekha.

“Tum beech mein kyun bol rahi ho?”

Meera ne pehli baar nazar nahi jhukayi.

“Kyuki Pihu ki zindagi ka faisla ho raha hai.”

Shankar Prasad chupchaap sab sun rahe the.

Savitri Devi bhi kuch nahi boli.

Raghav ne kaha—

“Meera, tumhe pata hai ghar mein kitne kaam hain. Pihu ki shaadi koi chhoti baat nahi.”

Meera ne shaant awaaz mein jawab diya—

“Main shaadi ke khilaaf nahi hoon. Main bas keh rahi hoon ki Pihu ki baat bhi suni jaani chahiye.”

Kuch pal ke liye poori table par sannata chha gaya.

Phir Shankar Prasad ne kaha—

“Meera sahi keh rahi hai.”

Raghav ne unki taraf dekha.

“Bauji?”

“Shaadi zindagi ka faisla hai. Jis insaan ki zindagi hai, uski baat sabse pehle suni jaani chahiye.”

Pihu ki aankhon mein aansu aa gaye.

Savitri Devi ne dheere se kaha—

“Pihu apni padhai poori karegi.”

Sabne unki taraf dekha.

“Maa?” Raghav ne hairani se poocha.

Savitri Devi ne sirf itna kaha—

“Jo baat main apni zindagi mein nahi kar paayi, woh apni beti ko karne se nahi rokungi.”

Meera ki aankhon mein bhi aansu aa gaye.

Raat ko sabke so jaane ke baad Meera rasoi band kar rahi thi.

Savitri Devi peeche se aayin.

“Meera.”

“Ji?”

“Kal Nandini ko phone kar lena.”

Meera ne mudkar dekha.

“Teacher wali job ke liye?”

Savitri Devi ne haan mein sir hilaya.

“Baat kar lo.”

Meera ke chehre par pehli baar khulkar muskurahat aayi.

“Lekin ghar?”

“Ghar hum sambhal lenge.”

“Pihu ki shaadi?”

“Woh bhi.”

Meera kuch kehna chahti thi.

Savitri Devi ne uska haath pakad liya.

“Bas ek baat yaad rakhna.”

“Kya?”

“Apne sapne ke liye kisi se ladna zaroori nahi hota. Kabhi-kabhi bas apni baat keh dena hi kaafi hota hai.”

Meera ne unka haath pakad liya.

“Thank you, Maa ji.”

Savitri Devi muskurayin.

“Ab mujhe Maa ji mat kaho.”

Meera hairan reh gayi.

“Toh kya kahun?”

Savitri Devi ki aankhon mein aansu the.

“Jo mann kare.”

Meera ne dheere se kaha—

“Maa.”

Savitri Devi ne uska haath aur mazbooti se pakad liya.

Lekin dono ko nahi pata tha ki agle din Nandini ka phone sirf naukri ki khabar lekar nahi aane wala tha.

Us phone call ke saath Meera ki zindagi ka ek aisa darwaza khulne wala tha, jiske baare mein usne kabhi socha bhi nahi tha.

Aur us darwaze ke doosri taraf sirf uska sapna nahi...

Savitri Devi ka ateet bhi khada tha.