Baba, Ek Baar Ghar Aa Jaana 🖤

Raat ke do baj rahe the.
Shehar so raha tha, lekin Zoya ki aankhon mein neend ka ek bhi qatra nahi tha.
Usne phone haath mein liya, Baba ka number khola… aur kuch der tak bas screen dekhti rahi.
Phir usne phone wapas rakh diya.
“Kal baat karungi…”
Ye kal pichhle chhe mahino se uski zindagi mein nahi aaya tha.
Shaadi ke din Baba ne uska haath pakad kar kaha tha,
“Beti, aaj se woh tera ghar hai. Khush rehna… aur apne ghar ko apna samajhna.”
Zoya ne muskurakar sir hila diya tha.
Lekin us din kisi ne use ye nahi bataya tha ki agar kabhi woh ghar uska na rahe, to woh wapas kahan jaayegi.
Pehle kuch din sab theek rahe.
Phir baaton ka lehja badalne laga.
Chhoti-chhoti baatein taane ban gayin.
Uski khamoshi ko badtameezi kaha jaane laga aur uske aansuon ko drama.
Har raat woh apne takiye mein munh chhupa kar roti aur subah aankhon par thanda paani daal kar khud ko samjha leti—
“Sab theek ho jayega.”
Lekin sab theek nahi hua.
Ek raat bahut himmat karke usne Baba ka number milaya.
Phone do baar baja.
Baba ne uthaya.
“Hello, beti?”
Sirf do lafz sunte hi Zoya ki aankhon se aansu girne lage.
Woh bolna chahti thi—
“Baba, mujhe ghar le jao.”
Lekin usne kaha,
“Baba… aap kaise ho?”
“Main theek hoon beti. Tu bata.”
“Main bhi theek hoon.”
Jhoot bolte waqt uski awaaz kaanp rahi thi.
Baba kuch pal chup rahe.
Shayad unhe beti ki awaaz mein chhupa dard sunai de gaya tha.
“Zoya… sach bata, tu khush hai?”
Usne aankhein band kar li.
Ek pal ke liye uska dil hua ki cheekh kar keh de—
“Nahi Baba, main bilkul khush nahi hoon.”
Lekin phir use yaad aaya…
Vidaai ke waqt Baba ne kitni mushkil se aansu roke the.
Maa ne kitni baar kaha tha,
“Beti, ab wahi tera ghar hai.”
Zoya ne dheere se kaha,
“Ji Baba… main khush hoon.”
Phone kat gaya.
Us raat Zoya bahut der tak roti rahi.
Aur usi raat usne pehli baar ek kagaz par kuch likha—
“Baba, agar beti sasural se lautna chahe,
to kya woh haar jaati hai?”
Usne kagaz fold kiya aur almari mein rakh diya.
Din guzarte gaye.
Ek din Baba ka phone aaya.
“Beti, Eid par aa rahi hai na?”
Zoya chup rahi.
“Beti?”
Uski aankhon mein aansu aa gaye.
“Baba… main nahi aa paungi.”
Baba ne bas itna kaha,
“Achha… koi baat nahi.”
Lekin phone rakhne ke baad Baba bahut der tak usi kursi par baithe rahe.
Unhe nahi pata tha ki unki beti ke paas ghar aane ke liye kapde nahi…
himmat nahi thi.
Kuch hafton baad Zoya ne almari saaf karte waqt wahi purana kagaz nikala.
Us par likha tha—
“Baba, agar beti sasural se lautna chahe, to kya woh haar jaati hai?”
Is baar usne neeche ek aur line likhi—
“Ya phir Baba ka ghar uski haar ko bhi apni jeet samajh kar gale laga leta hai?”
Usne kagaz ki photo kheench kar Baba ko bhej di.
Bas.
Koi message nahi.
Kuch hi seconds mein phone baj utha.
Baba the.
Zoya ne call uthaya.
Doosri taraf kuch pal khamoshi rahi.
Phir Baba ki bhari hui awaaz aayi—
“Beti… ghar aane ke liye tujhe kabhi ijazat ki zarurat thi hi nahi.”
Zoya toot kar ro padi.
Baba ne kaha—
“Tu meri beti hai. Tera ghar kabhi khatam nahi hua. Darwaza aaj bhi wahi hai… bas tujhe lautne mein der ho gayi.”
Us raat Zoya ne pehli baar sukoon se aankhein band ki.
Kyuki usse samajh aa gaya tha—
Vidaai beti ko ghar se door karti hai,
maa-baap ke dil se nahi.
— Writer Aarju 🖤