“Zindagi Ka Sabse Khoobsurat Pal – Present”

Dilli ke Chandni Chowk ki purani, tang galiyon mein ek small rented room mein Vedhika rehti thi. Karnal ki rehne wali Vedhika, Delhi University mein MCA final year ki student thi. Uske saath uski cousin Kritika bhi rehti thi — jo ITO ke ek chhoti si company mein backend office executive thi.

 

Zindagi tab tak manageable thi. Subah college, shaam ko ghar, weekend par thoda shopping, kabhi kabhi Purani Dilli ki chaat aur jalebi. Par jab Kritika ki shaadi ho gayi aur woh apne sasural shift ho gayi, tab Vedhika ke liye sab kuch ulat gaya.

Achanak ghar ka rent, khana, college projects, aur akelapan — sab ek saath uske kandhon par aa gaye. Dheere-dheere usse lagne laga ki duniya ek battlefield hai, aur woh ek akeli warrior.

 

Shaam ke waqt jab woh Chandni Chowk ke bheed-bhaad bhare raste se guzarti, logon ke haste chehre use aur udaas kar dete. Usse lagta sabki life sorted hai — bas uski hi uljhanon ka silsila kabhi khatam nahi hota.

 

Raat ko diary mein likhti thi —

 

“Shayad mere past life ke karm hi mujhe yeh sab dikhate hain… mujhe lagta hai Bhagwan ne mujhe punish kiya hai, Ab Pata nai mere life ka aagey kya halal hoga”

Uska dhyaan present se nikal kar past aur future ke chakravyuh mein ulajh gaya tha.

 

Vedhika ke classmates — Neha, Palash, Poonam, Rohit aur Pranav — sabne apni-apni companies join kar li thi. Koi Gurgaon mein MNC mein tha, koi Noida shift ho gaya tha. Har mahine sab log Connaught Place ke Inner Circlemein milte — Barista ke coffee mugs ke beech laugh, selfies aur “salary credited” jokes chalte.

Vedhika unke beech smiley face toh banati thi, lekin andar se uska dil toota hua tha.

 

Woh sochti - “Bhagwan mere saath hi anyaay kyu kar rahe hain? Mujhe bhi toh ek normal, khush life chahiye…”

Har mulaqat ke baad woh aur zyada udas ho jaati.

 

Ek din uske cousin brother Pawan ki shaadi ka invitation aaya. shaadi Chandigarh mein thi aur Pawan ne insist kiya tha ke vedika ko aana hi padega, koi bahana nai chalega. Vedhika ke liye es shaadi me jaan Maruti tha so usne Shatabdi Express ka ticket book kar liya.

 

Teen din baad woh apne cousin brother ke marriage attained karne chali, train catch karne ke liye station pahunch gayi. New Delhi Railway Station ka platform number 2 shaam ke White light se bhara hua tha. Train aane mein 30 minute ka time tha.

 

Vedhika ek bench par baith gayi, bag apne paas rakha, aur aankhen bandh kar li. Dimaag phir se uske purane thoughts mein doob gaya — “Agar maine yeh course chhoda hota toh?” “Agar main kisi aur city mein hoti toh?” “Mere friends jaise life kab milegi?”

 

Tabhi ek buzurg sant aakar usi bench ke ek kone par baith gaye.

Unke pair nange the, safed baal, lambe safed daadhi, kesariya kurta aur dhoti, kandhe par ek safed cotton ki kambal aur haath mein ek lambi lakdi ki chhadi. Lekin unke chehre par ek ajeeb si shaanti thi — jaise har sawaal ka jawab unhe pehle se maloom ho.

 

Unhone pucha,

“Beta, time kya hua hai?”

Vedhika apne khayalon mein gum thi, kuch suna hi nahi.

Unhone fir kaha, “Beta, time kya hua hai?”

 

Is baar Vedhika ne aankh kholi, thoda chidh kar boli —

“Mujhe nahi pata, wahan saamne clock lagi hai, jaake dekh lijiye.”

 

Sant muskura diye.

“Tum ghadi ka time nahi dekh pa rahi, beta… lekin lagta hai apni zindagi ka samay tum kho chuki ho.”

 

Vedhika unke shabdon se hairaan reh gayi. “Aap… aap kya keh rahe hain?”

 

“Main keh raha hoon, tumhare chehre par likha hai — tum dukhi ho. Tumhe lagta hai zindagi ne tumhe dhoka diya, Bhagwan ne anyaay kiya.”

 

“Haan baba…” Vedhika ki aankhon se aansu gir gaye, “Main sabse piche reh gayi hoon. Sab mere dost job kar rahe hain, paisa kama rahe hain… main akeli hoon. Shayad mere purane karm mere saath hain.”

 

Sant ne dheere se kaha —

“Beta, Bhagwan insaan ko saza nahi deta, seekh deta hai. Tumhara janm tumhe todne ke liye nahi, tumhe majboot banane ke liye hua hai.

“Tum bhool gayi ho ki zindagi ek samay mein sirf ek hi pal jeeti hai — yeh pal. Tumhara past sirf ek kahani hai aur future sirf ek kalpana. Sacchi zindagi toh abhi chal rahi hai, tumhare saans ke saath.”

 

Vedhika chup thi. Baba ne kaha.

“Tumhe lagta hai tumhare doston ne sab jeet liya? Shayad woh bhi kisi aur comparison mein khud ko haara hua maan rahe ho. Har insaan ke andar ek khaali jagah hoti hai, beta — bas kuch log usse chhupa lete hain aur kuch usme kho jaate hain.”

 

“Toh main kya karu?” Vedhika ne pucha, aankhon se aansu behte hue.

 

Sant ne kaha —

“Apni zindagi ke har din ko ek vardaan samjho. Tumhara ‘aaj’ hi tumhara Karm Bhoomi hai. Jab tum apna dhyaan sirf is pal mein lagaogi, toh tumhe apni value aur shanti dono mil jaayegi. Tumhara past tumhe gira sakta hai, lekin tumhara present hi tumhe uthata hai.”

 

Unhone muskurate hue apni lathi uthai aur bola — “Jab bhi mann bhatakne lage, bas yeh yaad rakhna — Bhagwan tumhe ‘aaj’ mein dekhna chahta hai, ‘kal’ mein nahi.”

 

Vedhika ne pehli baar kisi buzurg insaan ke chehre par aisa noor dekha. Train ki whistle baj gayi. Usne apna bag uthaya, aur jab palat kar dekha… bench khaali thi.

Woh hairaan thi — “Yeh sant the ya Bhagwan ka roop?”

 

Train me matey hue, Uske dil mein ek ajeeb sa sukoon tha, jaise uske saare sawalon ke jawab mil gaye ho.

 

A New Beginning

 

Brother ki Maariage se wapas aane ke baad agli subah, Vedhika ne apna din ek naye jazbe ke saath shuru kiya.

Usne apni diary band kar di — jisme har panne par bas guilt aur fear likha tha — aur ek nayi notebook kholi jisme likha tha,

“Now I will live in Present.”

 

Usne apna resume update kiya, naye certifications ke liye enroll kiya, aur har din 3 jobs ke liye apply karna apna target bana liya.

Har rejection ab use todta nahi tha, seekh deta tha.

Har din ek nayi umeed, ek naya effort.

 

Ek mahine ke andar, usse NetAxis Technologies – Gurgaon se interview call aaya. Interview room mein jaate hue usne socha —

“Yeh ek mauka nahi, yeh mere naye life chapter ka first page hai.”

Confidence ke saath baat ki, honest answers diye — bina kisi fear ke.

 

Do din baad, usse offer letter mil gaya — ek achhi company, ek accha package, aur sabse badi baat — ek nayi shuruaat.

 

Ek mahine baad, Vedhika apne friends se Connaught Place ke Inner Circle mein mili. Same Barista, same table, lekin iss baar Vedhika badal chuki thi. Ab woh compare nahi kar rahi thi. Na kisi se, na apne past se.

Woh bas present moment mein thi — coffee ki khushboo, doston ki hasi, aur dil mein shukriya ka jazba.

 

Rohit bola, “Vedhika, tu kitni khush lag rahi hai yaar, kya secret hai?”

Vedhika muskura kar boli —

“Secret simple hai… main ab zindagi jeeti hoon, sochti nahi.”

Sab hans pade, aur us moment mein woh sab kuch complete lag raha tha.

 

Zindagi pehli baar perfect nahi, par peaceful zarur thi.

 

🌸 Moral / Message 🌸

 

Zindagi ka sabse bada raaz hai — khushi “kal” ya “beete kal” mein nahi, balki “aaj” ke ek pal mein chhupi hoti hai.

Jo apna present jeena seekh gaya, usne zindagi jeetna seekh liya. 🌼