Kitaboon ke beech

Kitaboon Ke Beech - Part 1 : Banaras 1952

By PATEL RJ

Banaras, 1952. Ganga ke kinare wali purani haveli jaisi library.

Chhat tak unchi almariyaan, lakdi ki khushboo, aur pankhe ki dheemi chir-chir.

Ravi wahi library me hisaab-kitaab aur kitabein sambhalta tha. M.A. kar raha tha, par ghar ki halat ki wajah se job karni padti thi. Saadgi, safed kurta aur aankhon me kitaabon jaisi gehrai.

Meera usi sheher ke sabse bade zamindar ki beti thi. Angrezi school me padhi, par use Hindi sahitya se pyaar tha. Har Mangalvar aur Shukravar woh padhne aati.

Pehle sirf "yeh kitaab kahan milegi" se shuru hua. Phir "Premchand aapko jyada pasand hain ya Nirmal?" tak pahucha. Phir chup ho gaye dono.

Ek din baarish tez thi. Meera bheegte hue aayi. Ravi ne apna gamcha aage badhaya.

Usne liya nahi. Bas Ravi bola, "bheeg jaogi to bukhar ho jayega"

Meera hans kar boli, "aur na bheegun to?"

Us din ke baad dono ne 3 hafte tak ek dusre se baat nahi ki...