Ghar Aangan

Aangan Mein Ek Darwaza Abhi Baaki Hai

Ek parivaar, kuch adhure rishte aur ek aisi khamoshi jisne sab kuch badal diya.

Adhyay 1: Ghar Ki Sabse Khamosh Aurat

Meera ko is ghar mein aaye saat saal ho chuke the.

Saat saal mein usne ghar ki har cheez ka dhyaan rakhna seekh liya tha. Kis waqt Bauji ki chai mein cheeni kam rakhni hai, Maa ji ki dawa kis dibbe mein hai, Raghav ko daftar jaane se pehle nashta kya chahiye aur chhoti nanad Pihu ko kis baat par gussa aa jata hai—Meera ko sab yaad tha.

Bas ek baat koi nahi jaanta tha.

Meera ko kya chahiye?

Subah ke paanch baj rahe the. Sardiyon ki halki thand mein rasoi ki khidki se dhund andar aa rahi thi. Meera ne gas par chai chadhayi aur aate ke bartan ka dhakkan khola.

Tabhi peeche se awaaz aayi.

"Meera bahu, aaj nashta thoda jaldi bana dena. Raghav ko meeting ke liye jaldi nikalna hai."

Savitri Devi, uski saas, darwaze par khadi thi.

"Ji, Maa ji."

"Poha bana lena. Aur haan, Pihu ke liye sandwich bhi. Use kal wala nashta pasand nahi aaya tha."

"Ji."

Savitri Devi chali gayin.

Meera ne ek pal ke liye aankhein band ki. Phir usne chulhe ki aanch dheemi ki aur kaam mein lag gayi.

Uski zindagi mein 'ji' shabd bahut bada ho gaya tha.

Koi kuch kehta, woh 'ji' keh deti.

Koi naraaz hota, woh chup ho jaati.

Koi uski mehnat ko apna haq samajhta, woh muskurakar reh jaati.

Lekin iska matlab yeh nahi tha ki Meera ko bura nahi lagta tha. Bas usne apne dukh ko samjhana chhod diya tha.

Subah saat baje tak ghar jaag chuka tha.

Raghav dining table par baitha phone dekh raha tha. Uske pita, Shankar Prasad, akhbaar padh rahe the. Pihu apne kamre se nikli aur seedha fridge kholne chali gayi.

"Meera bhabhi, mera sandwich kahan hai?"

"Table par rakha hai, Pihu."

"Yeh toh thanda ho gaya."

"Abhi bana deti hoon."

Pihu ne sandwich plate mein rakha aur munh banate hue baith gayi.

Raghav ne ghadi dekhi.

"Meera, meri file kahan hai?"

"Side table par rakhi hai."

"Wahan nahi hai."

Meera ne haath ponchhe aur kamre ki taraf gayi. File almari ke paas padi thi. Usne uthakar Raghav ko de di.

"Yeh rahi."

Raghav ne file le li. "Tum cheezein ek jagah kyun nahi rakhti?"

Meera kuch kehna chahti thi.

Woh kehna chahti thi ki kal raat isi file ko dhoondhte hue usne Raghav ka poora kamra saaf kiya tha. Yeh bhi kehna chahti thi ki usne apne kapde tak isliye nahi sambhale, kyunki use ghar ke doosre kaam khatam karne the.

Magar usne sirf itna kaha, "Aage se dhyaan rakhungi."

Shankar Prasad ne akhbaar se nazar uthayi.

"Raghav, bahu poore ghar ka kaam karti hai. Kabhi tum bhi apni cheezein sambhal liya karo."

Raghav ko apne pita ki baat pasand nahi aayi.

"Bauji, maine bas file hi toh maangi thi."

"Toh maine bhi bas ek baat kahi hai."

Meera ne baat badhne se pehle nashta rakh diya.

"Papa, aap nashta kar lijiye. Thanda ho jayega."

Shankar Prasad chup ho gaye.

Ghar mein aksar aisa hi hota tha. Meera kisi na kisi tarah sabko shaant kar deti thi. Sab apne-apne kamron mein chale jaate, lekin kisi ko yeh khayal nahi aata ki jo aurat sabki naraazgi apne andar samet rahi hai, uska mann kitna bhaari hoga.

Us din bhi sab chale gaye.

Meera bartan samet rahi thi, tabhi uske phone par ek sandesh aaya.

"Meera, tumne apni padhai ke kagaz abhi tak sambhal kar rakhe hain?"

Sandesh uski purani dost Nandini ka tha.

Meera ne kuch pal tak screen dekhi.

Uski ungliyan keyboard par chali gayin.

"Haan, rakhe hain. Kyun?"

Kuch hi der mein jawab aaya.

"Hamare school mein ek jagah khaali hai. Hindi teacher ki zaroorat hai. Tumne B.Ed. kiya tha na? Agar abhi bhi padhana chahti ho toh mujhe batao."

Meera ke haath ruk gaye.

Padhana chahti ho?

Yeh sawaal kisi aur ne nahi, uski apni zindagi ne usse poochha tha.

Shaadi se pehle Meera ek school mein bachchon ko padhati thi. Use bachchon ke saath waqt bitana, unki copy mein laal pen se galtiyan sudharna aur unki chhoti-chhoti safaltaon par khush hona bahut pasand tha.

Shaadi ke baad Raghav ne kaha tha ki kuch samay ghar sambhal lo.

Phir Maa ji ki tabiyat kharab rehne lagi.

Phir Pihu ki padhai thi.

Phir ghar badalne ka kaam aa gaya.

Har baar ek naya kaaran mil gaya. Meera ne bhi socha, thoda aur intezaar kar leti hoon.

Lekin saat saal beet gaye.

Usne Nandini ko jawab likha.

"Main tumhe shaam tak batati hoon."

Sandesh bhejne ke baad usne phone almari mein rakh diya, jaise koi chori karte hue pakda gaya ho.

Usi waqt Savitri Devi rasoi mein aayin.

"Meera, tumse ek baat kehni thi."

"Ji, Maa ji."

"Agle mahine Pihu ki shaadi ki baat pakki karni hai. Ladke wale aa sakte hain. Ghar mein kaafi kaam badh jayega. Tum abhi se taiyaari shuru kar dena."

Meera ne sir hilaya.

"Ji, zaroor."

Savitri Devi jaane lagiं, phir palat kar boliं, "Aur haan, apne liye filhaal koi naya kaam mat sochna. Ghar mein abhi bahut zimmedariyan hain."

Meera ka dil ek pal ke liye dhak se reh gaya.

Kya Maa ji ne uska sandesh padh liya tha?

Nahi. Phone toh uske paas tha hi nahi.

Phir unhone aisa kyun kaha?

"Meera, sun rahi ho na?"

"Ji, Maa ji."

Savitri Devi chali gayin.

Meera ne rasoi ki khidki se bahar dekha. Saamne wale ghar ki chhat par ek chhoti ladki apne school ke liye taiyaar ho rahi thi. Uski maa uske baal bana rahi thi. Ladki baar-baar kuch keh rahi thi aur dono hans rahi thi.

Meera ke chehre par halki si muskurahat aayi.

Kabhi uske din bhi aise hi hua karte the.

Phir usne apne haath dekhe. Ungliyon par aate ke nishaan the aur kalai par bartan dhote waqt laga halka sa kharonch ka nishaan.

Usne nal khola aur haath dho liye.

Zindagi bhi shayad isi tarah hoti hai. Insaan har din apne upar lage nishaan dhota rehta hai, lekin kuch nishaan paani se nahi jaate.

Shaam ko Raghav daftar se lauta toh Meera ne uske saamne chai rakh di.

"Raghav, tumse ek baat kehni thi."

Raghav laptop kholte hue bola, "Haan, bolo."

"Woh Nandini hai na, meri college wali dost. Uske school mein teacher ki jagah khaali hai."

Raghav ne screen se nazar nahi hatayi.

"Achha."

"Main soch rahi thi ki ek baar baat kar loon."

"Toh kar lo."

Meera ko yakeen nahi hua.

"Sach?"

Raghav ne ab uski taraf dekha.

"Ismein sach-jhooth kya hai? Lekin abhi Pihu ki shaadi hai. Tumhe pata hai kitne kaam honge. Waise bhi, itne saal baad tumse hoga bhi ya nahi?"

Meera ki muskurahat dheere-dheere kam ho gayi.

"Haan, itne saal ho gaye hain."

"Main tumhe mana nahi kar raha. Bas keh raha hoon ki sahi samay dekh kar karna."

Meera ne chai ka khaali cup uthaya.

Sahi samay.

Yahi do shabd usne pichhle saat saalon mein kitni baar sune the.

Us raat sabke so jaane ke baad woh almari ke neeche wale khaane se apni purani file nikaalne lagi. Usmein degree, training certificate aur kuch purani tasveerein rakhi thi.

Ek tasveer haath mein aate hi woh ruk gayi.

Tasveer mein Meera ek school ke manch par khadi thi. Uske haath mein samman-patra tha aur uske peeche bachche taaliyan baja rahe the.

Tasveer ke kone par uski maa ne apne haath se likha tha—

"Meri beti sirf kisi ghar ki bahu banne ke liye nahi, apni pehchaan banane ke liye bhi paida hui hai."

Meera ki aankhon mein aansu aa gaye.

Uski maa ko guzre chaar saal ho chuke the.

Usne tasveer ko seene se laga liya.

Tabhi darwaze ke bahar kisi ke kadmon ki aahat hui.

Meera ne jaldi se tasveer file mein rakh di.

Darwaza khula.

Savitri Devi saamne khadi thi.

Unki nazar khuli almari aur Meera ke haath mein pakdi file par padi.

"Yeh kya dhoondh rahi ho?"

Meera ne pehli baar bina der kiye jawab diya.

"Apni purani zindagi, Maa ji."

Kamre mein sannata chha gaya.

Savitri Devi ne use aise dekha, jaise Meera ne koi aisi baat keh di ho jiske liye woh bilkul taiyaar nahi thi.

Phir unhone dheere se poochha—

"Purani zindagi mein aisa kya tha, jo tumhe ab yaad aa raha hai?"

Meera ke paas bahut saare jawab the.

Lekin us raat usne sirf ek jawab diya.

"Usmein main bhi thi, Maa ji."

Savitri Devi kuch nahi bolin.

Woh darwaze se hatin aur chali gayin.

Meera ne almari band kar di.

Use nahi pata tha ki agle din se uske ghar mein kya badalne wala hai.

Use yeh bhi nahi pata tha ki Savitri Devi ne uski baat sunkar pehli baar apni bahu ke baare mein nahi, balki apne baare mein sochna shuru kar diya tha.

Kyunki is ghar mein ek aurat thi jiski apni zindagi bhi kabhi isi tarah ek almari mein band kar di gayi thi.

Aur us aurat ka raaz abhi tak kisi ko nahi pata tha.

Adhyay 1 samaapt.